Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Hands-on: We Mean Business

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is exactly what its name suggests. Rather than replacing the Galaxy Z Fold8, Samsung has created a new flagship tier for users who want the biggest display, the best cameras, and the most immersive foldable experience.

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

Why it matters: Samsung now gives buyers two distinct choices. The Galaxy Z Fold8 focuses on portability and everyday comfort, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is designed for those who want maximum screen real estate without stepping into tablet territory.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Specifications

• Outer Display: 6.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2520 × 1080, 120Hz
• Inner Display: 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2504 × 2256, 120Hz
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
• RAM: 12GB, 16GB
• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• Rear Cameras:
  • 200MP Wide
  • 50MP Ultra-wide
  • 10MP 3x Telephoto
• 10MP Cover and Inner Front Cameras
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• OS: OneUI 9 (Android 17)
• Charging: 45W Wired, 20W Wireless
• Dimensions: 158.4 × 143.2 × 4.1mm (unfolded)
• Colors: Graphite, Cream, Violet Shadow, Green Shadow (Online Exclusive)

The first thing you’ll notice about the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is just how thin it is. Even with a noticeably larger footprint than the standard Fold8, Samsung has managed to keep the chassis impressively slim. Folded shut, it doesn’t feel nearly as bulky as its dimensions suggest, while unfolding it reveals what is essentially an 8-inch tablet that’s only 4.1mm thick.

The Cream finish gives the device a clean, understated appearance, complemented by flat aluminum sides that feel sturdy in hand. Samsung also keeps the rear design minimal, with three individually raised camera rings replacing the larger camera housing seen on previous Fold generations.

Despite being the larger member of the Fold family, weight distribution feels well balanced. During our hands-on session, it never felt top-heavy, and the redesigned hinge opens smoothly while keeping the device feeling rigid regardless of viewing angle.

This is still a large foldable, but Samsung’s thinner construction makes it much easier to carry than its size initially suggests. If the Fold8 is designed to be compact, the Fold8 Ultra exists for the opposite reason.

Opening the device reveals an expansive 8-inch display that immediately feels suited for productivity, multitasking, and media consumption. Whether you’re browsing multiple apps side by side or watching videos, the additional screen space is immediately noticeable over the standard Fold8.

The larger 6.5-inch cover display also feels much closer to using a traditional flagship smartphone. Typing, scrolling social media, and replying to messages all feel natural without needing to unfold the device.

Samsung’s AMOLED panels continue to impress with vibrant colors, deep blacks, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. During our demo, animations remained fluid, while the nearly square inner display provided plenty of room for split-screen multitasking.

The display crease remains visible when viewed from certain angles, but like recent Galaxy Fold devices, it quickly fades into the background during regular use.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra also makes the strongest case yet for replacing both a smartphone and a compact tablet. The larger inner display provides significantly more room for multitasking, document editing, web browsing, and content consumption. Samsung’s One UI continues to take advantage of the available space, allowing multiple apps to run comfortably without feeling cramped.

Combined with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the Fold8 Ultra positions itself as Samsung’s most capable foldable yet, although we’ll reserve judgment on overall performance until we’ve completed our full review.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra packs Samsung’s most advanced camera system in the Fold lineup, led by a 200MP primary sensor alongside a 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. It is also equipped with dual 10MP selfie cameras, a 5,000mAh battery, 45W wired charging, and 20W wireless charging.

These features weren’t fully evaluated during our hands-on session, so we’ll cover camera quality, battery life, charging performance, and sustained performance in our complete review.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Early Thoughts

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra isn’t simply a larger Galaxy Z Fold8. Instead, Samsung has created a new flagship foldable aimed at users who want the biggest possible canvas without sacrificing portability. While the standard Fold8 focuses on being easier to carry every day, the Ultra embraces its larger size with an expansive display, flagship camera hardware, and a remarkably thin design.

From our brief time with the device, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra feels like Samsung’s most complete productivity-focused foldable yet.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (BUY HERE) is available for pre-order in the Philippines in Graphite, Cream, and Violet Shadow, while Green Shadow is offered as an online exclusive.

Pricing starts at PHP 123,990 for the 256GB model, PHP 137,990 for the 512GB model, and PHP 165,990 for the 1TB variant with 16GB of RAM.

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