- Battery is adequate, yet it redefines foldable daily usage.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: Samsung’s newest Fold isn’t trying to become thinner just for the sake of it. Instead, it has done something arguably far more important. It has made foldables genuinely practical. From its compact form factor and gorgeous dual displays to flagship-grade performance, here’s our early verdict after spending over 24 hours with the device.
Samsung isn’t the only company convinced that compact foldables are the future. Huawei perhaps gave us the biggest hint earlier this year with the Pura X Max, while rumours suggest Apple is finally preparing to enter the foldable race with a compact iPhone Fold sometime this September. If those reports are true, the direction of travel for the smartphone industry has become fairly obvious. The next chapter of foldables isn’t about making them bigger, thinner or cramming in more displays. It’s about making them phones people actually want to carry every single day.
That sets up the background for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.
For years, Samsung has led the foldable segment, but there has always been one lingering criticism. Fold devices felt like miniature tablets folded in half rather than smartphones that happened to unfold. They were impressive engineering exercises, but they still demanded compromises from users. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like Samsung has finally listened.
And make no mistake, Samsung has absolutely nailed the form factor this time around.
Unlike previous Fold devices that constantly reminded you they were foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 simply disappears into your daily routine. It slips into your pocket with ease, sits naturally in your hand and, more importantly, never feels intimidating to use. It is one of those rare devices where the hardware quietly fades into the background, allowing you to simply enjoy using the phone.
Now, the question boils down to something simple: Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 worth your money (Rs 1,79,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, Rs 1,99,999 for the 12GB + 512GB model and Rs 2,39,999 for the top-end 16GB + 1TB version)? I have been using the Lavender variant for a little over 24 hours now, and here’s our early review.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: How Does It Feel In Your Hand?
If you have been using Samsung’s Fold series over the past few years, the difference is immediately noticeable the moment you pick up the Galaxy Z Fold 8. At 201g, the phone feels remarkably light, but weight alone doesn’t tell the full story. It is the proportions that completely change the experience.
Personally, I think Samsung has arrived at what could very well become the default shape for foldables over the next few years.
For the longest time, smartphone makers have chased bigger cover displays, larger inner panels and slimmer hinges. Ironically, Samsung has reminded everyone that comfort matters more than dimensions on a specification sheet. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 sits naturally in your palm and can comfortably be operated with one hand without constantly making you adjust your grip.
Like me, if you are coming from a Pixel Pro or an iPhone Pro Max, you will probably appreciate this immediately. Conventional flagship phones have become wider and heavier over the years, whereas the Fold 8 somehow manages to feel considerably more compact without sacrificing usability.
Interestingly, despite carrying one of the nicest folding displays on the market, I probably spent close to 80 per cent of my time on the outer display.
Whether it was catching up on YouTube during breakfast, endlessly doomscrolling Instagram, replying to WhatsApp messages, watching YouTube Shorts or squeezing in a Netflix episode during my commute, I rarely found myself unfolding the phone because the cover display itself was simply that enjoyable to use.
That, for me, is perhaps Samsung’s biggest achievement.
This no longer feels like a secondary display that exists only until you unfold the phone. It feels like a proper smartphone display that just happens to have another larger screen hiding underneath.
Even something as simple as Samsung’s lock screens somehow looks far more elegant on this aspect ratio. Wallpapers feel better framed, widgets appear more balanced and the overall experience feels refreshingly different without trying too hard.
Huawei may have pointed the industry in this direction with the Pura X Max, and Apple may be preparing to follow suit later this year, but Samsung has the advantage of actually bringing this form factor to consumers today.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: How Is The Overall Display?
The compact outer display may be what initially draws you towards the Fold 8, but the inner display is what ultimately convinces you to keep unfolding it throughout the day.
Samsung has equipped the Fold 8 with a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel carrying a QXGA+ resolution of 1848 x 2448 pixels, an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. On paper, those specifications already sound impressive. In actual use, the experience is even better.
I expected to spend most of my time multitasking on the larger display. Instead, I found myself doing something I hadn’t anticipated at all: Reading.
Whether it was catching up on long-form news articles, browsing websites or picking up an ebook for a while, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 quietly encouraged me to read more than I normally would on a smartphone. The larger canvas simply makes text easier on the eyes, while photographs and illustrations appear considerably richer than they do on a conventional flagship.
Samsung has always excelled when it comes to displays, and the Fold 8 continues that tradition effortlessly.
Personally, I kept the display on Samsung’s Vivid colour profile throughout my testing. Colours appear richer, images pop beautifully and videos look spectacular without crossing into oversaturated territory.
Interestingly, I also stumbled upon a small trick while using Facebook. Initially, the app felt slightly awkward on the unfolded display, but simply rotating the phone vertically solved the problem almost instantly. The feed filled the display naturally without looking stretched, making scrolling feel remarkably comfortable.
Instagram, on the other hand, felt almost tailor-made for this device. Reels look fantastic, photographs occupy the display beautifully and everything simply feels more immersive.
Netflix was another pleasant surprise. Stretching content to fill the larger display results in a genuinely enjoyable viewing experience, and thanks to Samsung’s excellent OLED panel, colours remain vibrant while blacks stay beautifully inky.
The anti-reflective coating also deserves mention. Combined with the impressive peak brightness, it makes using the Fold 8 outdoors far easier than I initially expected, even under harsh afternoon sunlight.
As far as displays go, Samsung has genuinely left very little room for criticism here. The company has spent years refining OLED technology, and it certainly shows.
If there is one takeaway from my first day with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, it is this: Samsung hasn’t merely built another foldable. It has built one that makes you want to unfold it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: How Is The Overall Performance?
Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, paired with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage. Unsurprisingly, performance has never once felt like a bottleneck during my time with the phone.
Whether it was juggling multiple social media apps, switching between the cover display and the inner display, editing photographs or simply hopping between YouTube, Netflix, Chrome and WhatsApp, the Fold 8 handled everything with ease. Samsung’s One UI also feels mature enough now that the software almost disappears into the background, allowing the hardware to take centre stage.
Samsung has, of course, loaded the Fold 8 with the latest Galaxy AI features as well. My favourite among the lot is My Fan Cam, which intelligently locks onto a chosen person while recording a video. Whether you’re filming your cat doing dishing out zoomies or recording that uber cool guitarst at a rock concert, the AI automatically follows the selected subject without you having to constantly adjust your framing.
Unlike some AI additions that exist simply because every flagship phone now needs AI somewhere on the spec sheet, this one actually solves a genuine problem.
However, if there is one takeaway after using the Fold 8 for over a day, it is this: this phone isn’t special because of AI. It is special because of its hardware. The software simply complements an already excellent experience.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: How Is The Camera?
Now, let’s come to perhaps the only area where the Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn’t quite feel like an Ultra-grade flagship.
Samsung has equipped the Fold 8 with dual 50MP rear cameras, alongside 10MP selfie cameras on both the cover and inner displays. On paper, the specifications look perfectly respectable, and for the most part, they deliver exactly what you would expect from a premium Samsung smartphone.
Under bright daylight, the cameras perform admirably. Colours remain vibrant without looking exaggerated, dynamic range is wide enough to recover details from bright skies, and the cameras also handle India’s gloomy monsoon afternoons rather well. Images come out detailed, social-media ready and consistent enough that most users will be perfectly happy with the results.
The problems begin once the sun goes down.
Indoor birthday parties, restaurants, pubs or evening get-togethers are where the Fold 8 starts showing its limitations. Images lose some of their sharpness, finer details become softer and noise starts creeping into darker portions of the frame. Samsung’s AI image processing does attempt to recover details, and in many situations it does a commendable job, but you will often find yourself reaching for Galaxy AI’s editing tools after taking the photograph rather than simply sharing it immediately.
That, perhaps, is the biggest difference between the Fold 8 and Samsung’s Ultra lineup.
The Galaxy S Ultra series has reached a point where it can comfortably double up as your primary camera. The Fold 8 doesn’t quite get there.
Having said that, I completely understand why Samsung has made this compromise. Building a compact foldable inevitably leaves less room for bulky camera hardware. Even so, if Samsung somehow manages to bring its 200MP Ultra-grade camera system to this compact Fold in the next generation, there would be very little left for me to complain about.
For now, the cameras are good. They’re just not extraordinary.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: How Is The Battery Performance?
Twenty-four hours is still too early to deliver a final verdict on battery performance, but my initial impressions leave me wanting more. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 packs a 4,800mAh battery with support for 45W wired charging, and on paper, those numbers inspire confidence. Unfortunately, the phone’s biggest strength also becomes its biggest weakness.
You simply don’t want to stop using it.
For example, after charging the phone fully in the morning, I spent my breakfast catching up on YouTube, followed by the usual Instagram doomscrolling before leaving for work. During my commute, I switched to the larger display and spent a good amount of time reading news articles and browsing through an ebook before replying to emails and WhatsApp messages. Later in the afternoon, I watched a few YouTube Shorts, took plenty of photographs, edited a couple of them using Galaxy AI and rounded off the evening with Netflix.
By the time I was preparing to head home, battery anxiety had already started creeping in.
That, for me, is slightly disappointing. This is exactly the sort of phone that encourages you to consume more content, read more, watch more and spend more time on its beautiful displays. Naturally, that also means you’ll expect it to comfortably last an entire day away from a charger.
Personally, I wouldn’t leave home on a day-long trip carrying only the Fold 8. If you’re travelling, hiking or spending an entire day outdoors, I’d strongly recommend carrying a power bank or at least making sure you’ll have access to a charger somewhere along the way.
Hopefully, Samsung can improve endurance further through software optimisation because the hardware itself deserves longer battery life.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 First Review: Should You Buy?
Samsung’s compact Fold comes in three variants:
- 12GB + 256GB: Rs 1,79,999
- 12GB + 512GB: Rs 1,99,999
- 16GB + 1TB: Rs 2,39,999
The phone is available in Graphite, Cream and Lavender colours. We reviewed the Lavender variant, and it is easily one of the nicest colours Samsung has on its repertoire. So far, so good.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like a product Samsung has been trying to build for years. The compact form factor is nothing short of excellent. The cover display is one of the best I’ve used on any foldable, to the point where I rarely felt the need to unfold the phone. And when I eventually did, the larger display made reading, browsing and streaming content genuinely enjoyable in a way very few smartphones manage.
The cameras are perfectly capable but stop short of delivering the sort of experience you’d expect from Samsung’s Ultra lineup. Likewise, the battery is serviceable rather than exceptional, and I do wish it comfortably lasted a full day given just how addictive this phone is to use.
Fix those two shortcomings, and I genuinely believe Samsung would have the perfect foldable on its hands. Even today, though, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is one of the most exciting smartphones you can buy from your local retailer or your favourite ecommerce platform. More importantly, it feels like Samsung has finally answered the question foldables have been asking for years.
The future of foldables is all about about making them feel like smartphones first, but with a whole lot of fun. After all, if I am spending upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh for a phone, it better be a conversation starter. Thankfully, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is.
And if Apple’s compact foldable does arrive later this year, it won’t be introducing a new idea. Samsung has already shown the industry what the future of foldables looks like.
