Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 unfolded. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Samsung Z Fold8 may just be the most sensible foldable phone right now. It just keeps growing on you and is lots of fun to use.
It may not have the best specs on a folding phone, but the form factor and the thin, sleek design more than make up for it. This is also a folding phone that will keep making you unfold it to use the inner screen for practically everything you want to do.
I must admit, when the Samsung Z Fold8 was first announced, it left me a bit confused. After testing the very well-designed Z Fold 7, I just didn’t see any reason for changing it. While it lacked a proper zoom camera, and the battery was mid by the standards set by other handset makers, it was a very polished device that you could do actual work on and would feel proud to whip out at the coffee shop.
So why change a great gadget by making its standard-sized cover screen shorter and squarer?
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 folding phone. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Before I get ahead of myself, the more traditional form factor of the Z Fold7 stays alive in the Z Fold 8 Ultra. That was the phone I initially wanted to review, as I was already familiar with the kind of utility it provides, having reviewed previous versions of Galaxy Z Folds. When Samsung people asked which folding phone I would like to review, I raised my hand for the Z Fold 8 Ultra.
But now, I completely get it. The Z Fold8–this passport-sized gadget, which unfolds into a properly sized mini tablet, just makes more sense. It is perfect for most of the things you do on your phone–read websites, read ebooks, watch HD content on YouTube, Netflix and other streaming sites, and even gaming.
CONTENT CONSUMPTION, MULTITASKING
You won't likely be doing much on the small cover screen, except maybe read and send a text message or two. It's on the unfolded the inner screen where you'll be living.
From a 5.5-inch screen (3.22 x 4.88), it transforms into a 7.6-inch (6.35 x 4.88) display that’s almost the same dimensions as a popular mini tablet. And that makes all the difference.
If you want to read your favorite website, the screen doesn’t feel as cramped as on a bar phone. And when unfolded, it doesn’t feel as squarish as traditional folding phones. It just “feels” more right. Whatever content you’re consuming that requires a screen–text, photos, graphics, videos–the 4:3 ratio of the Z Fold 8 just looks a lot more “natural”, if that makes sense.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is ideal for content consumption. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
And yes, it does solve one of the issues frequently thrown at book-style folding phones–that HD videos on the bigger inner screens don’t really look any bigger than on slab phones. On the Z Fold 8, videos look noticeably bigger and better to look at.
But what about productivity? Won’t multitasking and multi-windowing get compromised on the smaller 4.88-inch height of the phone?
Yes, when working with two apps side by side, the space for content on each app is not as large as on traditional folding phones, where you have practically two full-sized slab phone screens. If you do a lot of multitasking on your phone, or frequently use two apps side by side, then you may want to choose the Z Fold 8 Ultra instead, or other traditional book-style folding phones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 can be used as an e-reader. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
But in my case, I very rarely use a folding phone to multitask. When my work requires me to use two or more apps at once, I turn to my laptop or full-sized tablet. It’s just much easier that way.
I’ve reviewed several foldables before, and most of the time, when I use them for work, I only use the inner screen to read documents or write using Docs and a Bluetooth keyboard. Sometimes I would have two messaging apps side by side, but that’s rare.
And for writing docs, spreadsheets, or emails, the inner screen works great in both portrait and landscape orientations.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 can be used to write and edit documents. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
My advice is that if you are going to use this phone for work, plug an external monitor to it so that you can use the still-unmatched DeX or desktop mode of Samsung’s flagship devices. With an external monitor and DeX, your Z Fold8 becomes practically a desktop computer, letting you do as much serious work as the Android OS allows.
CONTENT CREATION
But what about the cameras?
It only has two; it doesn’t have a dedicated telephoto shooter. It would have been nice to have at least a 3X zoom lens, but I’m glad that Samsung chose to put an ultrawide-angle lens on this phone instead of forcing a telephoto camera. A wide lens is just so much more useful for most shooting situations.
SAMPLE PHOTOS
Taken with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Taken with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Taken with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Taken with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Taken with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Even on the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra that I’ve been using, I rarely use the tele zoom. The last time I used it was to shoot the night sky during the crescent Moon-Venus conjunction.
The photos you get with the Z Fold 8’s two cameras are very good for the tasks that they are meant to do. But if you really need a dedicated zoom lens with extreme magnification, you are probably better off with a standard flagship bar phone like the S26 Ultra.
But don’t think that the Z Fold8 is incapable of doing content creation. Its video capabilities are pretty good. Its main cameras can take 8 K at 30 frames per second, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, and it has competent stabilization with gyro-EIS and OIS. Even the selfie cameras can shoot 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps with gyro-EIS.
Of course, if you’re all about content creation, you would probably choose the S26 Ultra or another flagship bar phone with a more extensive menu of lenses and sensors. Where the Z Fold8 excels is in content consumption. And I think, for the vast majority of people who use phones or mini tablets, the Z Fold8 just makes more sense.
VERDICT
But as good as the Z Fold8 is, there are a few issues with the phone that I would like to see addressed in future releases.
The punch-hole selfie camera on the inner screen can get in the way of reading text. Samsung experimented with an under-the-screen camera before, and I think that would have been better in the Z Fold8.
While Samsung has finally adopted silicon-carbon battery tech for the Z Fold8, I think the 4800 mAh unit could have been larger. This is practically a mini tablet. You will end up using the inner screen most of the time, and that bigger screen requires more power.
Finally, I wish Samsung had S Pen support on the Z Fold8. This gadget would have been an excellent note-taking or even sketching device. I understand that keeping it this slim (it’s just 4.5mm thick) wouldn’t have allowed for a stylus to slot through on the side like in the S26 Ultra. But how about at least allowing the phone to support S Pen from Galaxy Tabs?
Still, all in all, this is an excellent device that’s a lot of fun to use, and gets a lot of curious and admiring looks. It’s not cheap, but the P106,990 price for the 12GB+256GB model does get you a phone, a mini tablet, and a desktop (if connected to an external monitor and keyboard), all of which can comfortably fit in the pocket of your jeans or jacket.