[Review] Galaxy Finds the Golden Ratio... The Best Experience Yet for Enjoying Content

One Week with the Galaxy Z Fold8

'Is this really a Fold?'

That was my first thought when I initially got my hands on Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold8. The device had already attracted attention during the Unpacked event held in London, UK, on July 22 (local time), thanks to its changed screen ratio and new form factor. However, after actually handling the product, it felt more like a regular smartphone than a foldable. Its exterior was so different from previous foldable products, which tended to be tall and narrow when folded, that it seemed almost unfamiliar—but after a brief period of use, that unfamiliarity quickly turned into convenience. Here are my impressions after using the Fold8 for a week.

The form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold8 was inspired by a passport. Photo by Myunghwan Lee

Upon taking the Fold8 out of the box and folding it, I was impressed by how compact, light, and thin it felt. When folded, its dimensions are 8.2cm wide and 12.4cm tall; when unfolded, the width expands to 16.1cm. Its folded size resembles that of a passport, making it easy to hold in one hand. Unlike its predecessor, the Fold7, and the Fold8 Ultra—which both unfold into near-square shapes from a tall, vertical form—the Fold8 offers a distinct feel. The thickness is also remarkable: 4.5mm when unfolded and just 9.7mm when folded, both under one centimeter.

The screen ratio is optimized for enjoying content. When opened, the main display offers a 7.6-inch screen with a 4:3 ratio—similar to a small tablet PC like the iPad Mini. This reduces the black letterboxing when watching videos, allowing for a more immersive experience. The display was also wide enough to comfortably read two pages of documents or e-books side by side with excellent readability. The new screen ratio truly shines when playing mobile games. Unlike previous tall and narrow displays, the 4:3 ratio fills out game graphics, eliminating the cramped feeling.

A person reading two pages of a document displayed on the screen using the Galaxy Z Fold8. Photo by Myunghwan Lee

Using the multi-window feature of the Galaxy Z Fold8 to simultaneously enjoy the game 'Battlegrounds Mobile', strategy posts from the gaming community, and game play videos on YouTube. Photo by Myunghwan Lee

The 'multi-window' feature, which allows you to split the screen into two or three sections, also proved suitable for enjoying multiple types of content at once. With the main screen in landscape orientation, I could open a flight booking app on the left side while browsing travel reviews on the right. In portrait mode, the screen could be divided into three sections for simultaneously running three apps—such as a game app, a web browser, and YouTube—to play a game while searching for reviews and watching game videos.

The crease at the folding section—historically a weak point of foldable smartphones—has been improved to the point where it’s barely visible. When the screen was on and I was watching videos or playing games, the crease was almost imperceptible. It was only noticeable when the screen was off and light was shone directly onto it.

The cover display, when folded, was more than adequate for day-to-day use. It features a 5.5-inch screen with a 16:10 ratio, which was more than sufficient for chatting via messenger apps or navigating with a maps app—there were no inconveniences in these tasks. Watching videos or playing games was also perfectly doable, and the compact size made it possible to operate the phone with one hand in some cases.

The lightweight 201 grams was also impressive. Despite having two screens, its weight was on par with other flagship smartphones. The Fold8 is lighter than both Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro (204g) and the Galaxy S26 Ultra (214g). The combination of lighter weight and one-handed portability means it’s easy to carry around in a pants pocket.

The crease on the main display of the Galaxy Z Fold8. The crease is visible only when the screen is turned off and light is shone on it. Photo by Myunghwan Lee

The performance, powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipset—the fifth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite—handled any task with ease. Even mobile games requiring high performance ran smoothly, free of lag, and the multi-window feature allowed for seamless operation of several apps at once. The ample 12 gigabytes of RAM ensured that background apps almost never froze or shut down unexpectedly.

The battery is one of the standout features that I immediately noticed. The Fold8 is equipped with a 4,800mAh battery and, for the first time in the Galaxy series, uses silicon-carbon (Si-C) battery technology. The silicon-carbon anode material allows for greater capacity at the same size and weight. Even after various activities—watching videos, gaming, and web surfing from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.—the remaining battery still exceeded 50 percent.

Charging speed is another first for Galaxy foldable smartphones: it supports 'Super Fast Charging 2.0' with up to 45W charging. With just 15 percent battery left, I used a compatible charger and reached 55 percent after only 20 minutes and 70 percent after another 10 minutes. It took just over an hour for a full charge from zero to 100 percent.

To achieve the reduced size and weight, one camera has been removed compared to previous Galaxy Z Fold series models. The Fold8 now features a dual-camera setup (wide and ultra-wide), omitting the telephoto camera. However, unless you need distant zoom shots, the flagship-level image quality remains excellent. The external display can also be used for selfies when the device is unfolded and the cover display is facing outward.

Speaker Placement on One Side... Memory Price Surge Drives Up Cost

Photo of the Galaxy Z Fold8 unfolded and viewed from above. The linear section on the left side is the speaker. Photo by Myunghwan Lee

There were a few drawbacks as well. The speakers are positioned at the top and bottom of the cover display, so when the phone is unfolded, sound only emanates from the left side where the cover display is located. This may feel unnatural to users who frequently watch content using the built-in speakers.

The main display’s aspect ratio is also uncommon, and not all apps support it natively. Ideally, content should be formatted to suit the wide, unfolded screen, but some apps simply stretch their vertical layout horizontally, resulting in an inconvenient experience. Adjusting the app’s aspect ratio through custom settings alleviates this inconvenience somewhat.

Unfortunately, the timing coincided with a global memory chip shortage, which left a noticeable mark. The retail price for the Fold8 256GB model is 2,278,100 won—just under 2.3 million won. This is about 100,000 won cheaper than its predecessor, the Fold7, but changes such as a reduced camera count should be considered. The Fold8 Ultra should be viewed as the true successor to the Fold7. That said, Samsung Electronics has set the retail price for the domestic market at the lowest level globally, compared to major international markets.

Final Thoughts: A Confident Answer to 'Why Should You Fold It?'

Galaxy Z Fold8. Samsung Electronics

Seven years ago in 2019, Samsung Electronics unveiled the first-generation Galaxy Fold, marking the advent of foldable smartphones. At that time, the device was heavy and thick, suffered from visible screen creases, and the external display was not very usable. Over subsequent generations, Samsung improved the usability of the external display, addressed the crease issue with new hinge technology, and managed to reduce weight and thickness with last year's Fold7.

The Fold8 is now seen as a model that truly answers why a smartphone should be foldable. The aspect ratio is optimized for content consumption, portability has been enhanced, and the last lingering question about the versatility of the Galaxy Z Fold has been resolved. Thanks to its easy-to-carry size and large screen for content, my regular smartphone screen now feels cramped by comparison.

Samsung Electronics is accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra, and Flip8 until August 3. Devices will be activated for pre-order customers on August 4, with the official launch scheduled for August 7. During the pre-order period, the Fold8 has proven extremely popular, with estimated delivery dates stretching a month out due to high demand.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.