• 5 min read
Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: Samsung finally nails the big screen
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 makes its 7.6-inch inner screen easier to use, but camera, cooling, durability, and pricing remain key compromises.
Image: Gizmodo
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a $2,000-plus question mark with a surprisingly clear answer: the shorter, wider cover screen makes the phone much more likely to be unfolded. Gizmodo rates it 4.5 out of 5 and calls it the best book-style foldable it has used, despite compromises in cameras, cooling, durability, and software support.
“The Z Fold 8 is the best phone (not just foldable) I’ve ever used for consuming content.”
The review unit had 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, while the 1TB model gets 16GB of RAM. Gizmodo’s review does not state the phone’s price, and it does not provide a release date or market-by-market availability, so buyers in the US and EU still lack the information needed to judge its value.
A wider cover screen that encourages unfolding
The Z Fold 8 measures 4.88 x 3.24 inches when closed and uses a 5.5-inch AMOLED cover display. Its squat proportions resemble a passport or B7 notebook rather than a conventional smartphone. That makes the phone slightly wider than earlier Folds, but Gizmodo says it remains comfortable to carry and easier to type on than narrower phones.
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The cover screen has a 10:16 aspect ratio. It shows less vertical content than a typical phone, but the reviewer found that limitation useful: the display was adequate for quick tasks without replacing the reason to open the device. The phone also supports tent mode, which can prop it up on a tray table or beside a bed.
Samsung’s Flex Titanium hinge technology and beveled aluminum frame reportedly make the device easier to open. The result is a meaningful change from the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which Gizmodo had previously considered its favorite Android phone of 2025 but unfolded less than half the time. The new Fold 8's cover screen is shorter, so the large display becomes the default for videos, games, and reading.
The 7.6-inch screen is the main event
Unfolded, the phone offers a 7.6-inch inner display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Gizmodo found that 16:9 video needs only small black bars, while older 4:3 content fills the panel. The reviewer also used the Fold 8 in place of an iPad mini during a commute and in bed.
The phone runs One UI 9 on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Performance remained responsive while running Gemini and Galaxy AI features. Samsung supports up to three apps in split-screen or four with a pop-up window, although Gizmodo found layouts with more than two apps cramped and some useful controls difficult to discover.
The Z Fold 8 lacks the Ultra model’s Flex mode, which turns the device into a small laptop-like shape with video above the crease and controls below it. Gizmodo says readers and split-screen multitaskers may prefer the taller displays of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while the standard Fold 8 is better for video and gaming because it requires less rotation.
Battery and durability improve, but the compromises remain
Samsung increased the battery to 4,800mAh, using a small amount of silicon carbon to fit the larger cell into the thin chassis. Gizmodo reports all-day battery life with heavy inner-screen use. 45W wired charging took the phone from roughly 0% to 65% in 30 minutes, although the compatible charger is sold separately. Wireless charging reaches 20W, but there is no built-in magnetic ring for Qi2 alignment; a magnetic case is required.
The crease is less visible and less distorted than on previous Samsung foldables, helped by a reinforced titanium alloy film, a titanium plate beneath the screen, and an anti-reflective layer. It became deeper after hundreds of folds over two weeks, however, and remains visible when the screen is off.
The inner display’s 10-megapixel hole-punch camera can cover menus, buttons, and text. The stereo speakers are loud but sit on the same side when the phone is fully open, making audio seem nearly mono in tablet mode. The phone is rated only IP48, and the reviewer sometimes found it warm during light use; unlike the Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro, it has no vapor chamber.
Cameras are acceptable, not a clear upgrade
The rear camera system has dual 50-megapixel cameras: a main sensor and an ultrawide. That makes the ultrawide a major resolution increase over the Fold 7's 12-megapixel ultrawide, but the main camera is a potential downgrade from the previous model’s 200-megapixel sensor. There is also no telephoto lens; Samsung reserves triple rear cameras and higher main-camera resolution for the Fold 8 Ultra.
That trade-off defines the phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a substantial usability improvement over the Fold 7 because its unusual proportions finally give the inner screen a daily purpose. But the missing price, uncertain availability, downgraded main camera, limited water resistance, and occasional heat mean the value case cannot be settled from this review alone. On the evidence available, it is Samsung’s most convincing content-first foldable yet—not an across-the-board flagship upgrade.
Gadgets Editor
Eli is obsessed with the tangible future. He reviews phones, wearables, and everything with a battery. Known for his rigorous testing protocols and unabashed teardowns, Eli has broken more review units than he cares to admit, all in the name of discovering the truth about durability and repairability.
via Gizmodo
