Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Hands-on: The New Everyday Foldable

Samsung is taking a different approach with the Galaxy Z Fold8. Rather than simply updating last year’s Fold, the company has repositioned the series by introducing a noticeably more compact form factor, leaving the larger experience to the new Galaxy Z Fold Ultra.

We had the opportunity to spend some time with the Galaxy Z Fold8 during Samsung’s local preview event. Here’s our first look at the company’s newest foldable.

Why it matters: For years, Samsung’s Fold series has prioritized screen size, often resulting in devices that felt bulky for everyday use. With the introduction of the Fold Ultra, Samsung now has room to make the Galaxy Z Fold8 a more compact alternative without giving up the productivity experience that the series is known for.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Specifications

• Outer Display: 5.5-inch, 1972 × 1248, 120Hz
• Inner Display: 7.6-inch, 2448 × 1848, 120Hz
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
• Rear Cameras: 50MP Wide, 50MP Ultra-wide
• Front Cameras: 10MP (Outer), 10MP (Inner)
• Memory: 12GB RAM
• Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
• Battery: 4,800mAh
• Charging: 45W wired, 20W Wireless
• Dimensions (Unfolded): 161.4 × 12.39 × 4.5mm
• Colors: Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Pistachio (Online Exclusive)

The first thing you’ll notice about the Galaxy Z Fold8 isn’t necessarily its larger display or faster processor. It’s how much easier it is to hold.

Compared to previous Galaxy Z Fold devices, the Fold8 adopts a noticeably more compact footprint. While the Fold Ultra now serves users looking for the biggest foldable experience, the Fold8 focuses on everyday portability.

Its slimmer profile immediately stands out. Whether folded or unfolded, the phone feels significantly thinner than older Fold models, making it easier to slip into a pocket, small sling bag, or even hold for extended periods without feeling cumbersome.

Samsung also keeps the industrial design clean and understated. The Cream finish pairs well with the flat aluminum frame, while the vertically arranged rear cameras maintain the familiar Galaxy identity without adding unnecessary bulk.

The hinge feels solid throughout its range of motion, opening smoothly while allowing both halves to close tightly together. The reduced thickness makes the Fold8 feel considerably less intimidating than earlier Fold devices, particularly for users trying a book-style foldable for the first time.

The display experience is where Samsung’s redesign becomes even more apparent. The Galaxy Z Fold8 adopts a much squarer 4:3 aspect ratio, both on its outer display and the expansive inner display.

When folded, the cover display is noticeably easier to navigate with one hand. Reaching icons near the top of the screen or typing messages doesn’t require as much finger stretching as before, making the Fold8 feel much closer to using a conventional smartphone.

Unfolding the device reveals the familiar tablet-sized experience, but the 4:3 aspect ratio makes content feel more natural. Photos, websites, office documents, and videos all benefit from the wider canvas, while multitasking also feels less cramped.

During our hands-on session, the inner display appeared bright and responsive, with the 120Hz refresh rate making navigation feel fluid. The crease remains visible when viewed from certain angles, although it quickly fades into the background during actual use.

Powering the Galaxy Z Fold8 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. There’s also OneUI 9.0 based on Android 17, and it’s surprisingly easy to use with the Fold’s recognizable app and multitasking dock.

The Fold8 also features a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, dual 10MP selfie cameras, a 4,800mAh battery, and 45W wired charging with a 20-watt wireless charging, a first in this foldable series. We weren’t able to fully evaluate these components during our preview, so we’ll reserve our assessment until we’ve completed our full review.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: Early Thoughts

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from our hands-on isn’t a specific hardware specification. Instead, it’s how approachable the Galaxy Z Fold8 feels.

Earlier Fold devices often reminded you that you were carrying a foldable. The Fold8 does far less of that. Its slimmer profile, lighter feel, and more compact dimensions make it easier to bring anywhere without sacrificing the productivity benefits of having a large internal display.

From our brief time with the device, Samsung has succeeded in making the Fold feel more practical for everyday carry. The thinner body, compact dimensions, and 4:3 display proportions make it one of the most comfortable book-style foldables we’ve held, while still offering the large-screen experience that defines the series.

Combined with the new 4:3 proportions, Samsung appears to have prioritized usability just as much as screen size. Whether replying to messages on the cover display or opening the device for work, the Fold8 feels designed to reduce compromises that earlier Fold models sometimes demanded.

We’ll have more to say once we’ve had the opportunity to fully test its cameras, battery life, performance, and multitasking capabilities in our full review.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 (BUY HERE) is now available for pre-order in the Philippines in Graphite, Cream, Lavender, and the online-exclusive Pistachio, available exclusively through Samsung’s online store.

Pricing starts at PHP 109,990 for the 256GB model, while the 512GB and 1TB variants are priced at PHP 123,990 and PHP 151,990, respectively.

We’ll have our full review once we spend more time testing the Galaxy Z Fold8’s cameras, performance, battery life, and overall user experience.