The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is Samsung’s latest phone that unfolds to a midsize tablet, giving folks who want both an easier way to travel lighter. But there was no Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra that came before. Instead, this phone succeeds the similarly-shaped Galaxy Z Fold 7, and sits alongside the new Galaxy Z Fold 8. It’s OK if that’s confusing: I’m here to explain it all.
Samsung likely bestowed the “Ultra” branding on this Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra because, like the S26 Ultra, it packs a trio of cameras (the new Z Fold 8 only has two). And while these are not the exact same cameras as on the S26 Ultra, the Z Fold 8 Ultra does offer a better array than what you get with the Z Fold 8.
But does the Z Fold 8 Ultra feel better than the new Fold 8, and do its battery life and performance offer a step up from the pack? Since Samsung’s foldable lineup is more complicated than ever, I spent a week with Samsung’s priciest phone as I folded and unfolded it to see if it’s one of the best smartphones and worth its $2,100 price.
In my years of testing folding phones, I’ve always been a little miffed that a phone could cost this much and still bear the quirks of the Z Fold 7’s reflective interior display. Fortunately, my first week with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra shows that Samsung’s not settling for “good enough.” Thanks in part to Samsung’s new Flex Titanium interior hardware upgrades that changed the materials for the inner portion of the phone, I’ve noticed a reduction in the amount of light that bounces off the interior screen throughout my usage.
