Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
| Photo Credit:
ashwin rajagopalan
Samsung launched two book type foldable smartphones as part of its Galaxy Unpacked event this month. It’s the Z Fold 8 without the ‘Ultra’ tag that emerged the showstopper at Samsung’s big global unveil. Foldable smartphones are on a roll, the segment is predicted to grow globally by 30 per cent in 2026 (y-o-y) according to IDC. It’s the pricier book-type foldables that are leading this surge; Counterpoint estimates that this segment will expand its market share to 65 per cent of the overall foldable market (up from 52 per cent) by the year end.Samsung continues to lead the global foldable space with a dominant market share in India (88 per cent according to Counterpoint). Samsung is hoping the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 (along with the Z Flip 8) will help consolidate its leadership in this space. If the predictions are accurate, things will heat up in September with the imminent arrival of Apple’s foldable iPhone. It’s why the new Z Fold 8 is getting all the attention. It marks a new direction for foldable smartphones driven by a new form factor and user experiences. After using the Z Fold 8 as my daily driver, I can say that I’ve enjoyed using this smartphone more than any other foldable I’ve tested. It all starts with the form factor.DesignThe Z Fold 8’s passport-style shape sets it apart in the book-type foldable market. It’s certainly not the first attempt at this squarish shape for a foldable. The first generation Google Pixel Fold opted for a similar design and Huawei’s Pura X Max (unavailable in most global markets) adapts the same design approach but is heavier than the Z Fold 8. It’s fascinating how the foldable smartphone seems to have gone back to a form factor that didn’t exactly set the sales charts on fire. With the upcoming Apple foldable also expected , the foldable market might well be headed in this ‘broad’ design direction. It’s easy to see why.With a heft of 201 gm, the Z Fold 8 feels great in your hand. It’s particularly impressive, given that it’s a foldable. The stubby form means it’s actually easier to reach the corners of this device compared to conventional book-type foldables like the Z Fold 8 Ultra. The device is easy to open and has been tested for durability (it can withstand over 500,000 folds according to Samsung). The device comes with an IP48 rating; just like most foldable smartphones, you need to be careful while exposing it to water and dust. I really enjoyed using this foldable with its squarish cover display and might struggle to go back to the conventional book-type foldable. Is this just a novelty factor or one that might develop into an endearing relationship? Time will tell.DisplayThe Z Fold 8’s unique shape created a whole new experience for me as a foldable user. I look at it as three displays. There’s the 5.5-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X cover display (1248 x 1972 pixels/ 428 PPI) that’s great for texts and glancing at emails. The on-screen keyboard occupies a significant part of the screen real estate though.The main, unfolded display stretches to 7.6 inches (1828 x 2448 pixels / 403 PPI) effectively worked as two displays thanks to its 4:3 aspect ratio. I used it in vertical mode to scroll through my Instagram feed or flip through E-books on the Kindle app but switched to horizontal mode while catching the second season of The Agency on JioHotstar. I’ve got used to black bars on Netflix and YouTube on foldable smartphones but those bars are less noticeable on the Z Fold 8. The display is brighter (Samsung has bumped it up to 3000 nits) than previous Fold devices and the crease is barely noticeable thanks to Samsung’s Flex Titanium technology. An improved anti-glare coating makes it less reflective even under bright sunlight. You don’t get the privacy display feature that we first saw on Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it’s not a feature I missed.CameraWe’ve all tempered our expectations from foldable smartphone cameras at a time when camera-focused phones (like the S26 Ultra) have upped their photography game. The Fold 8 offers a dual rear cam that combines a 50MP primary lens (f/1.8 aperture) and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. It misses out on a telephoto cam that is available on the Ultra version. Zoom images up to 4 or 5X were fine but not beyond that threshold. Lowlight images were quite impressive and the device benefits from a bunch of AI photo editing tools. If camera performance is your thing, I’d recommend the Z Fold 8 Ultra that comes with a 200MP primary lens.PerformanceSamsung’s Z Fold devices have always been kitted with impressive hardware, the Z Fold 8 is no exception. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Our review unit featured 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The Z Fold 8 goes all the way to a 16GB/1TB version. The device blazed through our tests consistently notching up scores above 10800 in our Geekbench benchmark test (multi-core) that places it in the top tier. Gaming was fun on this device (given the hardware and the tablet-style screen size) The hardware is backed by a host of AI tools including Now Nudge that I found quite handy. Samsung offers seven years of Android OS updates like its other premium smartphones.Samsung has levelled up on the battery front with a silicon carbon battery that allows it to pack a 4800 mAh battery without compromising on the heft of the device. There are other upgrades — charging speeds are up to 45W for wired and 25W for wireless; about time too. The device comfortably lasted a whole day with a mix of cover and primary display usage. It should be a one-day battery for most users unless you’re binge watching or gaming all day.VerdictThe Samsung Galaxy Z8 Fold is probably the best foldable smartphone you can buy right now, if you can afford the stiff price tag. There are some misses like a telephoto lens and lack of stylus support but it’s the form factor that makes it a compelling proposition especially for content consumption. The passport-style form makes it easier to use one handed, while the 201 gm heft makes it comfortable to clasp. If you’ve been playing wait and watch with your foldable purchase, 2026 might be the year to take the plunge with the Fold 8 or upcoming launches this year. It might well be the ‘shape’ of things to come.SnapshotPrice: ₹1,79,999 onwardsPros: Ergonomic form, creaseless display, versatile for Content consumption, seven years of Android updatesCons: No telephoto lens, no stylus supportPublished on July 29, 2026
