Ive spent a month with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and this video-friendly phone has turned me into a foldable believer

Date:
Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
It's the one-month anniversary of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 here are my thoughts on the device so far.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Just when it looked like foldable phones might fade into irrelevance (they represented just 1.5% of global smartphone sales in 2025), Samsung has come along with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 a passport-shaped foldable that could, with Apples help, catapult dual-screen devices into the mainstream.

Weve actually seen this form factor before the Huawei Pura X Max , for instance, debuted in China earlier this year but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 marks the first time a passport-style foldable has been made available in Western markets. So, is it as revolutionary as Samsung wants us to believe? Ive been using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for exactly a month now, and I can safely say that, yes, its a supremely versatile content-watching machine though there are
some quirks to be aware of if youre thinking of spending $1,899 /1,699 / AU$2,699 on one. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

In this article, Ill run through what I love, dont love, and just generally think about Samsungs new kid on the block. You can also check out our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review for an in-depth look at specific features, or watch the video below for an on-camera rundown of everything Im about to say. One month with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: a passport-style foldable to rule them all... for now - YouTube Watch On Calling all video lovers Lets kick off with my thoughts on the Z Fold 8s design, which ditches the productivity-focused dimensions of previous book-style foldables for a squatter, passport shape when closed and a more practical rectangular shape when opened. You may like Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: a shot in the arm for the foldables market I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8,
and it's revived my interest in foldable phones Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: the best foldable just got a little bit better

Samsung says these dimension tweaks are a response to changing consumer
habits (read: were all addicted to scrolling in 2026), and its easy to see
why the Z Fold 8 is a better phone for browsing social media, watching
videos, and reading articles than the larger Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra .

For starters, the 5.5-inch, 10:16 cover display is perfect for one-handed use of full-sized apps. You dont have to stretch your thumb to reach the top of the screen, and its also much easier to type on this wider display than on taller, narrower book-style foldables. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. (Image credit: Future) The phones width might make one-handed typing a bit of a challenge for those with smaller hands, but its honestly super nostalgic to type with two hands (which is how we all type for the most part anyway), as it feels a bit like using an old BlackBerry phone without the physical keyboard. Remember those?

Turn the Z Fold 8 on its side, and this cover screen becomes a 16:10 canvas thats perfectly sized for YouTube videos, Netflix movies, and other video content. The content's aspect ratio stays the same as on any other phone, but in this orientation, the Z Fold 8 removes awkward pillarboxing for a more immersive viewing experience. (Image credit: Future) I did find that my hand would sometimes cover the bottom-firing speaker when I held the phone like this, but half-unfolding the Z Fold 8 and letting it stand independently has honestly become one of my favorite ways to watch video on any phone. What to read next I've spent an hour with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and I need it This is why Samsung built the Galaxy Z Fold 8, a passport-sized foldable thats focused on content Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 the key differences compared

All this being said, youre not buying a foldable to use one screen only, and opening up the Z Fold 8 gives you a glorious 7.6-inch, 4:3 display thats you guessed it! also great for video.

On the front display, most video content is cropped by default to 16:9, but you still get smaller black bars here and less negative space than you would on something like the Z Fold 8 Ultra. But the Z Fold 8 really shines when displaying native 4:3 content like older anime shows.

I mean, just *look* at this Neon Genesis Evangelion episode on Netflix and tell me theres a better way to watch TV on a phone: (Image credit: Future)
And you can say the same for reading. Using the unfolded Z Fold 8 in portrait is great for scrolling through websites, ebooks, and comics because 3:4 isnt too far off the dimensions of traditional physical books.

This also makes the Z Fold 8 a great size for work-focused apps like Google Docs. While the Z Fold 8 Ultra is definitely more geared towards
productivity, I found that the content-focused size of this smaller model
isnt totally unsuitable for professional tasks. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2 View Original Image 2 of 2 View Original One thing I have noticed, though, is that social media apps arent well-optimized for this unfolded screen. 3:4 isnt too bad for Instagram, but as soon as you switch to landscape, the app just isnt formatted nicely, so
for the most part Ive been scrolling through socials on the cover display, which feels much more normal by comparison.

And a final word on the phones design: the crease here is definitely less visible than it is on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Samsung added a Flex Titanium
layer to both Z Fold 8 models this year, which also makes the hinge feel sturdier, and the phone unfold completely flat. And while phones like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Honor Magic V6 offer better dust resistance, Ive never worried about the durability of my Z Fold 8. Pocketable power (Image credit: Future) In terms of performance, the Z Fold 8 is just as fun to use as it is to look at. Its got a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 12GB of RAM, so games like Asphalt Legends run smoothly at their highest graphical settings.

Samsung has also updated its Multi-Window feature so you can use up to three apps side-by-side vertically or horizontally, as well as via the older splitting method. I cant say Ive ever needed to use three apps
simultaneously, but having two apps open side-by-side is definitely useful
for cross-referencing info while working, and if youre really unhinged, you can scroll through Reels AND TikTok at the same time.

Now Nudge has been updated too, and will open suggested apps in split-screen, which is a nice way to encourage you to use the full potential of the
foldable phone you've just spent so much money on. Camera compromises (Image credit: Future / Tom Bedford) Right, enough of the good stuff lets talk
about what you lose by choosing this type of foldable over another.

The biggest compromise comes in the camera department, as while the Z Fold 8s main and ultra-wide snappers are decent enough, theres no form of telephoto camera to speak of here, which is pretty wild considering how much this phone costs.

The 50MP main camera does offer 2x in-sensor zoom for a little extra reach when you need it, but youll start to lose image quality when zooming
digitally up to 10x. Thankfully, the main and ultra-wide cameras you do get are pretty solid, offering vibrant colors and plenty of detail, but you will get sharper images on the more camera-focused Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Here's a picture-by-picture comparison of the two phones' photography capabilities, as captured by TechRadar contributor Tom Bedford: Image 1 of 4
A picture of some yellow flowers, in a garden, captured on the Fold 8.... (Image credit: Future) ...and the same picture on the Fold 8 Ultra. So far, pretty similar, albeit with some added blur. (Image credit: Future) Getting closer into the flowers on the Z Fold 8, it basically looks like I've cropped the previous image... (Image credit: Future) ... but zooming in on the Z Fold 8 Ultra gives some real depth of field, making for a better picture. (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4 of 4 View Original That said, selfies are great, and portrait mode is still a Samsung strength, while Smart video features
like Super Steady video with Horizontal Lock and My FanCam keep the Z Fold 8 feeling fun and fresh. The former levels out shaky footage at the expense of some resolution, while the latter lets you create a motion-tracked video of a particular subject from any video. Yes, that's me and our unimpressed Senior Social Media Editor, Vik (Image credit: Future) My FanCam is pretty
effective, though, as we explained in our review of the phone; the subject needs to be well lit and large enough in the frame for Samsungs algorithm to identify. Theres no manual tracking option, so youre at the mercy of the feature as to whether your footage is compatible.

Battery life is another good-but-not-great aspect of the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Yes, its the first Samsung phone to feature a silicon-carbon battery, and
yes, it has better battery life than the Z Fold 7 but you wont get Honor- or Oppo-level endurance here.

Samsung says youll get 26 hours of video playback from a single charge of the Z Fold 8, and thats true, but only if you stick to the cover screen. In reality, a day with the phone means switching between screens, watching YouTube videos in unfolded mode, maybe gaming a bit and as such, the real battery life figure lands closer to somewhere between a day and a day-and-a-half.

Mind you, thats still pretty good! I charge my phone every night anyway, so I havent been left in the lurch with a dead Z Fold 8, but I dont think the inclusion of silicon-carbon technology here is the revolution that some
people (including me) maybe hoped it would be.

The Honor Magic V6, for context, uses a larger 6,600mAh battery that lasts
for well over two days, and thats a figure that not even the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra can touch.

For charging, youre getting 45W wired speeds, which will get you to 50% in around 25 minutes and a full charge in about an hour, and again, those are perfectly good if not exceptional numbers.

You also get 20W wireless charging, but as with every other Samsung phone, youll need to buy a magnetic case to make use of it, as the Z Fold 8 doesnt have any built-in magnets. One month verdict (Image credit: Future / Tom Bedford) Overall, Ive really enjoyed my time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 so far, and have been pleasantly surprised by just how well this new form factor
works for most things I do on my phone every day.

Videos look great on both displays; I love typing on the cover screen and reading on the inner screen, and the Z Fold 8 is also powerful enough to be a nice little gaming machine.

Youll get better cameras and battery life by choosing a regular flagship
phone or the more expensive Z Fold 8 Ultra, but none of those devices will feel as fun or special as the Z Fold 8.

To be honest, I feel similarly about this phone as I do the iPhone Air. It seems weird and silly at first and youre paying a lot of money for fewer flagship features but the Z Fold 8 is just very fun to use day-to-day, and
it brings back some of the excitement that foldable phones have been missing.

If the rumors are true and Apple is indeed releasing a similarly sized iPhone Ultra later this year, this new form factor has a real chance of taking off but as things stand right now, the Z Fold 8 is the foldable to buy if, like me, consuming content is what you do best. Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all
prices (20715 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) voucher gift Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB HDR) 48
months data 25GB 30 upfront Monthly 49.83 /mth 30 upfront 49.83 /mth View at EE voucher gift Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB HDR) 48 months data 125GB 30 upfront Monthly 50.83 /mth 30 upfront 50.83 /mth View at EE voucher gift Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB HDR) 48 months data Unlimited 30 upfront Monthly 52.83 /mth 30 upfront 52.83 /mth View at EE Show more Follow
TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/ive-spent-a-month-with- the-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-and-this-video-friendly-phone-has-turned-me-into-a -foldable-believer


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)