The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the most advanced of Samsung's three foldable phones released this year. Retaining the classic “book-style” design found in last year's Z Fold7, it features a tall, thin exterior that opens to reveal an impressive 8-inch inner display, optimized for multitasking.
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Samsung has branded the Fold8 Ultra as the choice for power users, echoing the naming convention used for its flagship smartphone series. While the design closely resembles its predecessor, the Fold8 Ultra incorporates several significant enhancements, including a more powerful processor, upgraded camera capabilities, and a larger battery that supports faster charging.
Historically, foldable phones have lagged behind traditional flagships in specifications and pricing, but the Fold8 Ultra's internals finally align with high-end smartphone expectations. Its features include a refined display with less visible creasing and a satisfying hinge mechanism.
The Fold8 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, identical to that found in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This enables it to manage multiple applications smoothly, allowing users to engage in tasks such as summarizing text or running high-quality games. While this chip is also used in the standard Z Fold8 and Z Flip8, the Fold8 Ultra's expansive 8-inch display enhances multitasking capabilities, enabling users to run several apps simultaneously, or use Flex Mode, which transforms the device into a mini-laptop.
Equipped with a triple-camera setup similar to the S26 Ultra, the Fold8 Ultra features a 50MP main camera and a 50MP ultrawide camera, providing high-quality photography. However, the 10MP telephoto lens remains unchanged from the previous model and is considered less impressive compared to its competitors. Despite this, the Fold8 Ultra excels in overall camera performance, especially for regular photography needs.
The device houses a 5,000-milliampere-hour battery, comparable to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, offering a full day of usage on a single charge. Although it supports 45-watt charging, which is slower than the S26 Ultra, this marks a step up from its predecessor.
Running Android 17 with Samsung’s One UI 9 interface, the Fold8 Ultra is future-proofed with seven years of guaranteed updates, ensuring long-term viability for users.
For those considering an upgrade, the Fold8 Ultra presents compelling reasons to invest an additional $200 over the standard Z Fold8, primarily for its multitasking prowess, camera performance, and superior battery life. However, if a basic foldable experience is sufficient, the Z Fold8 offers a user-friendly design that is better suited for general use, including video watching and casual browsing. Additionally, the upcoming Pixel 11 Pro Fold will be evaluated soon, providing further context in the folding phone market.