Samsung claims the Galaxy Z Fold 8's wider shape is the new standard for viewing content but is it really better than the Z Fold 8 Ultra? I tested Netflix, YouTube, and Instagram on both phones to find out

Date:
Sun, 02 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Description:
I compared the video-watching experience on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra to find out which is best.

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 The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is smaller, cheaper, and has fewer cameras than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but
it may end up being the most popular Galaxy foldable to date.

Why? Because its 7.6-inch inner screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is supposedly the new standard for viewing content, as Samsung told us in an interview and if theres one thing most of us cant get enough of in 2026, its content. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, meanwhile, has an eight-inch inner screen with a 10:9 aspect ratio, which is great for spreadsheets and multitasking, but less brilliant for movies and YouTube videos. Latest Videos From
TechRadar Watch full video here:

Dont believe me (or Samsung)? I compared the experience of streaming Netflix, watching YouTube, and scrolling through Instagram Reels on the Galaxy Z Fold
8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in both portrait and landscape orientations, where possible to help you visualize the aspect ratio differences between these two devices.

Check out the side-by-side comparisons for each platform below, and let me know in the comments section which phone youd prefer to use for watching videos. I've also included a roundup of each model's respective size specs
for added context. You may like 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 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 the key differences compared This is why Samsung built the Galaxy Z Fold 8, a passport-sized foldable thats focused on content Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Dimensions (unfolded):

158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm

161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm

Dimensions (folded):

158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm

81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm

Display (unfolded):

8 inches, 10:9

7.6 inches, 4:3

Display (folded):

6.5 inches, 21:9

5.5 inches. 16:10 Netflix Z Fold 8 (10:16) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:21) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10) (Image credit: Future) YouTube Z Fold
8 (16:10) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (21:9) With either phone in this orientation, expanding the YouTube video automatically switches the orientation to landscape (see the next photo) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (10:16) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:21) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10) (Image credit: Future) Instagram Reels Z Fold 8 (16:10) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (21:9) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9) (Image credit: Future) Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10) (Image credit: Future) Verdict For Netflix and YouTube, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 provides a cleaner viewing experience than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in every orientation except 3:4.
The black bars above and below the video are noticeably narrower than those
on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and there's no awkward pillarboxing (i.e., bars on either side of the video) when using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in 10:16 (you'll notice that content wraps around the phone's punch-hole camera, which doesn't happen on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra).

Of course, if you use the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in 3:4, the black bars are much bigger than those on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but Samsung itself admits
that this orientation is more natural for reading e-books or browsing the
web, which gives the smaller device another nice win over the pricier model. 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.

The Instagram Reels-watching experience is pretty similar across both phones, but given the Galaxy Z Fold 8's lighter weight (201g vs 215g), I'd give it
the edge here, too.

So there you have it: if watching videos and scrolling through social media
is your priority, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a better buy than the Galaxy Z Fold
8 Ultra.

Of course, there is much more to both phones than their respective displays the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has better cameras, for instance so I wouldn't
jump headfirst into buying one over the other until you've read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 comparison.

Side note: You're not able to watch videos in 16:10 (Z Fold 8) or 21:9 (Z Fold 8 Ultra) on Netflix, nor videos in 10:16 (Z Fold 8) or 9:21 (Z Fold 8 Ultra) on Instagram, hence why these options don't appear in the above comparison. 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 (17240 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) gift Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB) 24 months data 100GB 69 upfront Monthly 56.99 /mth 69 upfront 56.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk gift Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB) 24 months data 400GB 85 upfront Monthly 63 /mth 85 upfront 63 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk gift Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB) 24 months data 250GB 79 upfront Monthly 56.99 /mth 79 upfront 56.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk 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.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/samsung-claims-the-gala xy-z-fold-8s-wider-shape-is-the-new-standard-for-viewing-content-but-is-it-rea lly-better-than-the-z-fold-8-ultra-i-tested-netflix-youtube-and-instagram-on-b oth-phones-to-find-out


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