Latest smartphones: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the foldable moment

The phones grabbing the reviews right now are book-style foldables, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the clearest signal that the category is moving from experiment to mainstream. It trades the tall, narrow silhouette of earlier Z Folds for a short, passport-like body. Closed, the 5.5-inch cover screen is shorter and wider than a typical phone; opened, it becomes a 7.6-inch, 4:3 inner display that The Verge says feels more like a foldable tablet than any previous model.

PCMag UK reports that Samsung has finally fixed the usual foldable complaints. Battery life now reaches nearly 17 hours in testing, the crease is much harder to see, and the wider aspect ratio cuts the letterboxing that made video awkward on older Z Folds. Engadget adds that the wider screen is excellent for reading, landscape gaming, and watching movies, to the point that the base Z Fold 8 stole the spotlight from the larger Ultra.

That does not make it flawless. The Verge notes the camera has been downgraded to two rear lenses with no telephoto; the new 50-megapixel ultrawide is better, but the main sensor is smaller, lower-resolution, and slower than last year’s. Durability is also a compromise: the phone carries an IP48 rating, not IP68, leaving it more vulnerable to dust and sand than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold or rival foldables from Oppo and Honor. Engadget found that rotating the home screen to portrait can scramble app layouts because the column counts do not match. Charging is adequate but not class-leading, with 45W wired and 20W wireless and no built-in Qi2 magnetic support, The Verge points out.

Battery size is one area where Samsung has caught up. A new silicon-carbon cell gives the Z Fold 8 a 4,800mAh battery, the largest in a standard Z Fold, The Verge reports. PCMag UK notes that endurance is better than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold in its tests.

At $1,899.99, the Z Fold 8 sits at the top of the market, alongside the similarly priced Motorola Razr Fold and the $1,799 Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It is best for people who want a pocketable device that opens into a small tablet for reading, video, and light multitasking. Heavy multitaskers may still prefer the larger Z Fold 8 Ultra, while serious photographers, telephoto users, and anyone who needs robust dust protection should look elsewhere. What remains unclear from the available coverage is how the latest non-foldable flagships compare in the same generation, because the recent review cycle has focused almost entirely on foldables.

Strengths

• Battery life that PCMag UK measured at nearly 17 hours, backed by a 4,800mAh silicon-carbon cell.
• A much subtler crease and a sturdier feel thanks to new titanium-infused display layers.
• A wider 4:3 inner screen that reduces letterboxing and suits reading, video, and landscape gaming.
• A compact folded footprint despite the large unfolded display.

Weaknesses

• Camera downgrade: two rear lenses, no telephoto, and a smaller main sensor than the previous generation.
• IP48 rating leaves it more exposed to dust and sand than IP68 rivals.
• No built-in Qi2 magnetic wireless charging; it relies on compatible cases instead.
• Portrait home-screen layouts can get jumbled when switching orientation.