What if your next phone doesn’t have to be bigger, but wider? This is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, and Samsung has completely changed the Fold’s proportions.
So, is this the foldable that’s finally comfortable enough for everyday use? We used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as our daily driver, and here’s what you need to know.
First, let’s talk about the biggest change, which is the design.
Instead of the tall and narrow form factor we’re used to, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is shorter and wider, giving it a more passport-like shape when folded. It also weighs just 200 grams and measures only 4.5mm thin when unfolded.
Despite being foldable, it feels much closer to carrying a regular smartphone than a small tablet. We found it comfortable to hold, and its compact, boxy design makes it easier to grip and more pocket-friendly.
When closed, you get a 5.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display with a resolution of 1972 x 1248. Thanks to its wider form factor, Samsung is aiming for a more natural smartphone experience.
For quick replies, scrolling, checking messages, or browsing, you don’t necessarily have to open the phone. During our use, we found ourselves using the cover screen more often, as it feels much closer to using a regular smartphone. Its compact size also makes it easier to maneuver, so using it with one hand isn’t a problem.
But of course, the main reason you buy a foldable is the larger display.
Open it up, and you get a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1848 x 2448. The new wider 4:3 aspect ratio gives you more horizontal space, which can be useful for watching videos, reading, and multitasking. Both displays can also reach up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
One noticeable difference is the overall orientation. A regular smartphone typically has a tall rectangular display when used vertically, while the unfolded Galaxy Z Fold8 has a more square-shaped screen. This makes the larger display feel different from a traditional smartphone and more suitable for productivity and multitasking.
Samsung has also improved the foldable display and hinge. The Galaxy Z Fold8 comes with an improved Armor Flex hinge, while the display uses a new polymer-layered flex titanium structure.
The result is a flatter-looking display, a less visible crease, and a smoother opening motion.
After using it, we found the hinge smooth and easier to open. The crease is also barely noticeable, especially when viewed at an angle. Compared to other foldables, where the crease can be immediately visible from the side, Samsung has made a noticeable improvement here.
So yes, Samsung’s claim of a less visible crease and smoother opening motion holds up in actual use.
Samsung didn’t go all out with the camera setup. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 features a triple rear camera system consisting of a 50MP main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, while both the cover and main displays feature a 10MP selfie camera.
In daylight, camera performance is decent and natural. What you see is generally what you get, without too much processing or enhancement.
However, we wouldn’t recommend zooming beyond 5x. Images start to lose detail, becoming softer and blurrier, especially since the phone no longer has a dedicated telephoto lens. This can be a downside for users who frequently take zoomed-in photos.
The selfie camera also produces natural-looking results with good skin tones. We appreciate that it doesn’t heavily rely on filters or excessive beauty enhancements. However, if you prefer phones with aggressive AI image processing, this may not be the camera experience you’re looking for.
In low-light conditions, both the rear and selfie cameras perform reasonably well. The results are good enough for memories and your personal camera roll, but they may not always be ideal for social media posting.
For videos, the rear camera can record up to 8K at 30fps, while the selfie camera supports up to 4K at 60fps.
Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Whether you’re multitasking, editing content, gaming, or switching between multiple apps, performance generally isn’t an issue.
In our experience, multitasking was smooth and reliable. However, we encountered some issues when gaming.
The phone doesn’t noticeably lag, and it doesn’t heat up too quickly, but there were instances where the display didn’t respond the way we expected during gameplay.
There were moments when touch inputs didn’t register properly, which could be frustrating during certain situations. We experienced this issue whether the phone was folded or unfolded.
Benchmark Results
For battery, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 comes with a 4,800mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging.
Samsung claims that the Fold 8 can deliver up to 26 hours of video playback, although real-world battery life will still depend on how you use the device.
In our testing, we started using the phone at around 1:30 PM with 90% battery remaining. By 10:04 AM the following day, the battery was down to 20%. That’s a 70% battery drop over nearly 21 hours.
Considering that the phone was mostly used for gaming and binge-watching, we found the battery performance fairly normal.
Now, let’s talk about the price.
Here in the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at PHP109,990 for the 12GB + 256GB variant. The 12GB + 512GB model is priced at PHP123,990, while the 1TB model with 16GB of RAM costs PHP151,990.
So, is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 worth it?
We think Samsung’s biggest improvement isn’t necessarily the processor or cameras, but the form factor. It’s wider, lighter, thinner, and feels more natural to use as both a smartphone and a small tablet.
However, whether it’s worth PHP109,990 ultimately depends on how much you’ll actually use the foldable experience.
If multitasking is a big part of your daily routine and you want a compact device that can transform into a larger screen when needed, then the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is worth considering.
But if you’re more of a casual user who mainly games, messages, browses social media, and binge-watches content, we would probably recommend sticking with a traditional flagship smartphone.
What do you think? Would you spend PHP109,990 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8? Let us know in the comments section.
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