Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the most fun I have had with a smartphone lately. But I will admit that it has its shortcomings, which became quite obvious after I nicked the Z Fold 8 Ultra from my colleague and tried it out side by side with the Z Fold 8. It's now making me wonder whether the Ultra would be a better pick than living with this short king. Let me tell you why.
Too Sharp for Its Own Good
Samsung's years of experience making foldables are clearly reflected in the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 8. The phone is so lightweight yet feels so premium at the same time. However, the sharp edges on all corners of the phone might be the wrong call on this one.
Every time I pick up this phone, I get poked by its pointy corners, which make it annoying to grip for longer sessions. Whether I am texting on the outer cover screen or have it open to watch a movie, the razor-thin aluminium edges keep pressing against my palms, making it uncomfortable to hold after some time.
This could have been easily avoided had Samsung slightly rounded off the corners, like they did with the Galaxy S26 Ultra earlier in 2026. How does the Z Fold 8 Ultra resolve this issue? By being narrow and tall, so my palm naturally rests along its sides instead of getting jabbed by its corners.
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Galaxy Z Fold 8 Can't Pitch a Tent Anymore
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also omits Samsung's Flex Mode, which was one of the best reasons for getting a foldable. It allows you to use the phone semi-open, with the UI adapting to it, made possible with a friction hinge.
I used it as a pseudo-laptop on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and even as a built-in tripod for portraits. It was a handy addition for someone like me with no one to take their photo. But the Galaxy Z Fold 8 does not have a friction hinge, and as a result, it can barely do a half-fold. Tilt it past 90 degrees, and the phone goes flat like a mousetrap.
This is why Samsung's Flex Mode is absent on this device. None of the apps registers that the device is semi-folded, and as a result, the camera app stays whole. YouTube stays whole.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra keeps the friction hinge and every Flex Mode feature that works on it. This makes it more useful in moments when the phone doesn't need to be fully open.
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The Wide Screen Giveth, the Punch Hole Taketh Away
Samsung has done a fabulous job adapting the UI on the smaller cover screen of the Z Fold 8. I was worried about how the apps would fit this wide 10:16 perspective. But most apps work just fine with plenty of breathing room, which makes the text easily readable too.
However, apps like Instagram or YouTube don't play well here. Reels, Shorts, or any kind of vertical videos don't fit the stubbier cover screen on the outside. Either some portion is cropped, or it gets black bars on both sides.
As a result, I had to unfold and use the inner screen in portrait mode for doomscrolling. Vertical content sits comfortably on the 4:3 inner panel, and this is genuinely where the wide form factor shines.
But the inner screen also has a noticeable blemish. The inner punch-hole selfie camera sticks out like a sore thumb, more here than it does on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Same cutout, but on this shorter, wider canvas it lands somewhere your eye keeps returning to, and it is the most distracting when a movie or a show is stretched across the full screen.
I wish it were tucked in the corner like on the OnePlus Open or under the screen like Samsung did with the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
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Two Cameras Just Aren't Enough
In my Galaxy Z Fold 8 review, I came out impressed by what the dual camera setup pulls off. Both the main and ultrawide provide detailed images, no doubt. However, I couldn't get over the fact that there is no dedicated telephoto lens here like the Z Fold 8 Ultra.
The main sensor can only zoom in so much before churning out blurry images. A telephoto sensor could have made this phone a complete package in terms of cameras.
In comparison, the Z Fold 8 Ultra packs a 10 MP 3x optical zoom lens on top of its 200 MP main and 50 MP ultrawide cameras. It also carries a bigger 5,000mAh battery against the Fold 8's 4,800mAh, which is a nice bonus for the price.
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Galaxy Z Fold 8 Is Great, but the Ultra Is Better
None of this has stopped me from enjoying the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The shape is the most interesting bit Samsung has done in years, and I would take it over another tall slab on most days.
While the Ultra costs more, it fixes all of these inconveniences and throws in a telephoto lens alongside a bigger battery. I hope the Galaxy Z Fold 9 next year gets it right, but until then, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the only solution to these little annoyances.
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