Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 & Fold 8 Ultra: The Good, the Bad, and the Ones That Got Away

Two Foldables, Two Very Different Stories

Samsung did something interesting this year. Instead of releasing one flagship foldable, they split the line into two: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. On paper, it sounds like a smart move—give people a choice between a more practical, wider device and a spec-heavy monster for those who want everything. In practice, it's a bit more complicated.

I've spent the last week with both phones, and I have to be honest: neither one feels like a complete package. They're both impressive in their own ways, but they also both make compromises that are hard to ignore. Let me walk you through what I found.

The Z Fold 8: A New Shape That Actually Makes Sense

The base Z Fold 8 is the more interesting of the two, and honestly, it's the one I'd recommend to most people. For the first time in years, Samsung changed the fundamental shape of their foldable. Instead of the tall, narrow design we've seen since the original Fold, the Z Fold 8 is wider and shorter. When closed, it looks almost like a passport. The outer screen is 5.5 inches with a 10:16 aspect ratio.

I was skeptical at first. It looks weird. But after using it for a few days, I actually started to prefer it. The wider cover screen makes it much easier to type one-handed, and you can actually use it as a proper phone without feeling like you're holding a TV remote. When you open it up, you get a 7.6-inch main display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This is where things get really good.

The 4:3 ratio is perfect for reading—it feels like holding a book. It's also great for watching videos because you get less letterboxing than on the taller, narrower screens of previous Folds. I found myself opening the phone much more often than I did with older Fold models because the wider shape just makes more sense for content consumption.

The phone is also incredibly light. At just 200 grams, it weighs less than the Galaxy S26 Ultra and even less than the iPhone 17 Pro. Samsung achieved this by using a new silicon-carbon battery technology, which packs more energy into a smaller space. The battery itself is 4,800mAh, which is a solid upgrade from last year.

Now for the bad news—and this is where my frustration starts.

The Z Fold 8 has only two cameras on the back: a 50MP main sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide. That means no telephoto lens. No optical zoom. For an $1,899 phone, that feels like a significant downgrade. The Z Fold 7 had three cameras. The Z Fold 8 has two. Samsung basically sacrificed the zoom lens to keep the price down and make the phone thinner.

I tested the cameras extensively, and while the main and ultra-wide sensors are good—especially in good light—the lack of a telephoto is noticeable the moment you try to take a photo of anything more than a few meters away. Portrait shots are crisp and detailed, but if you're at a concert or trying to capture a distant subject, you're out of luck.

The sound is another letdown. The speakers are fine for calls and casual listening, but they lack the depth and richness you'd expect from a flagship device. I compared them side by side with the Ultra model, and the difference is noticeable. The Ultra just sounds fuller and more immersive. On the base Fold 8, the audio feels a bit thin and hollow.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra: A Hardware Masterpiece That Feels Like a Step Back

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is where Samsung threw everything they had at the wall. It's the phone that's supposed to have no compromises. And in many ways, it doesn't.

The build quality is genuinely stunning. Samsung switched from an aluminum hinge to titanium, and the phone feels incredibly robust. It folds completely flat, which makes the crease barely noticeable. The 8-inch internal display has a resolution of 2256 x 2504 and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it one of the best screens on any device, period.

The phone is also remarkably thin and light for what it is—215 grams and just 8.9mm thick when folded. It has a 5,000mAh battery, which is the largest ever in a Z Fold. Charging speeds have also been upgraded to 45W wired and 20W wireless, which is a significant improvement over last year.

The cameras on the Ultra are excellent. You get a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The ultra-wide has been upgraded from 12MP to 50MP, making for a much more consistent experience across all lenses. Video recording supports 8K with cinematic LUT color grading and enhanced night mode. If you're a photographer, this is the phone for you.

So what's the problem?

The problem is that the Ultra feels like a refined version of last year's Fold 7, not a bold step forward. It's the same tall, narrow design we've seen for years. While the base Fold 8 took a risk with a new shape, the Ultra plays it safe. It's a better phone than the Fold 7 in almost every way—better build, better cameras, better battery life—but it doesn't feel like it's pushing the envelope.

Even worse, Samsung made some questionable decisions with the Ultra. The camera bump is massive, so large that it interferes with magnetic accessories. The phone still only has an IP48 rating, which is better than previous models but still not the full dust and water resistance you'd expect from a premium device. And despite the titanium construction, there's no S Pen support because titanium is incompatible with the stylus.

Then there's the price. The Ultra starts at $2,099 in the US and €2,199 in Europe. That's $100 more than last year's model. For a phone that feels more like a refinement than a revolution, that's a tough pill to swallow.

The Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

If I had to choose one, I'd pick the base Z Fold 8. Yes, it has a worse camera setup and less impressive speakers. Yes, it feels like Samsung cut corners to hit a lower price point. But the new wider shape genuinely improves the foldable experience in ways that matter day to day. It's more comfortable to use, better for watching videos, and lighter to carry.

That said, I can't fully recommend either phone without hesitation. The base model's lack of a telephoto lens is a serious drawback for a phone that costs $1,899. The Ultra's conservative design and sky-high price make it hard to justify unless you absolutely need the best cameras and battery life money can buy.

Samsung has made incredible progress with foldables over the past eight years. The hardware is now polished to a level that would have seemed impossible when the original Fold launched. But in their quest to appeal to everyone, they've created two phones that each make compromises that are hard to ignore. The Z Fold 8 is a step forward in shape but a step backward in features. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is a step forward in specs but a step sideways in ambition.

For now, I'm keeping my money in my pocket. But if you're determined to buy a foldable this year, the base Z Fold 8 is the one I'd recommend—just be prepared to make peace with the missing zoom lens.