Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Tall order or must-order?

I've been using Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra foldable for a week for this review. And while it's veritably better than its Galaxy Z Fold 7 predecessor, in the current market context it's arguably weaker. Say what?

To explain: Samsung also revealed the shorter-and-wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 at its Unpacked summer 2026 event, which I used for the week prior to this Ultra review. And that device changed the way I think about folding phones.

As such, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is a technological marvel, yet a tall order – quite literally – given its higher asking price than before. It's as if Samsung has spent the last seven years perfecting the imperfect format, but we just hadn't quite realised.

What's clear is that this Ultra foldable is the most advanced to date. Its Flex Titanium display is impressive. It's the thinnest Samsung folding phone yet. It finally bolsters the battery technology. The cameras are even better. It's truly brilliant in so many ways.

But in this brave new world of folding phones, it's got competition not only from Motorola, Honor, Google and others, but even pressure from within Samsung's own camp. And with Apple's answer to come, could this be the beginning of the end for the classic, tall foldable?

Price & Availability

This is the first 'Ultra' in Samsung's foldable range, but that's more a marker to separate it from the base Z Fold 8 – and perhaps argue the 'ultra' price tag that's being commanded, too.

At launch, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is priced from £1,899 in the UK, $2,099 in the USA, and AU$2,999 in Australia. Also known as 'a lot of money' – particularly as it's pricier than last year's equivalent.

What's New?

• New Silicon-Carbon battery, increased capacity (4400mAh to 5000mAh)
• Increased charging speeds (25W to 45W wired; wireless 15W to 20W)
• Latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 'for Galaxy' chip
• Flex Titanium technology for flatter internal display
• Wide-angle camera now 50MP (up from 12MP)
• Thinnest ever Z Fold – just 4.1mm unfolded
• Brighter displays (2600 nits to 3000 nits)
• Internal display resolution increase
• New colourway: Violet Shadow

Here's where the Z Fold 8 Ultra brings some exciting updates over its Z Fold 7 equivalent predecessor. While it might look and feel much the same from the outside, it's got some other benefits going on inside.

A major addition is an upgraded battery type (now Si-C, not Li-Po), which has greater capacity and offers faster charging than before. However, other competitors have even higher capacities and faster charging speeds.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra's internal display is now higher resolution and brighter, too, plus it's backed by Flex Titanium technology – literally titanium that can flex to hold the display rigid and avoid as bothersome a crease – for even better visuals.

A new-and-upgraded chipset, better ultra-wide camera sensor and resolution, thinner overall design, and new colourways tick off the other main highlights.

Design & Displays

• Colourways: Graphite, Cream, Violet Shadow
• 6.5-inch AMOLED external display
  • 21:9 aspect ratio
  • 1080 x 2520 resolution
• 8-inch AMOLED internal display
  • Approximately 5:6 aspect ratio
  • 2256 x 2504 resolution
• 4.1mm thin, 215g weight

Of all the folding phones you can buy, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has the flattest internal display of the lot. The caveat is one foldable you can't buy: Oppo's Find N6, which gives Samsung a run for its money – but is a moot point (for markets outside of China).

I've long said that Samsung's tall-and-narrow format prompts me to open its Z Fold devices more than other wider foldables, such as Google's Pixel Fold Pro series. I still find that the case – although, personally, I find the shorter-and-wider Z Fold 8 better still.

Nonetheless, once opened, the Z Fold 8 Ultra's panel is mighty impressive. Is the crease invisible? Not quite; it isn't on any foldable. But it's barely noticeable – and certainly of no bother when face-on during use.

This massive display is opulent to the max, so great for side-by-side apps, with Samsung's One UI software handling split-screen and floating windows well. There are even swipe gestures to launch apps in specific ways, which is handy.

You won't want to swipe to excess, though, as like with any folding phone, the screen's coating isn't able to negate fingerprint smears. This is more pronounced on a folding panel than a typical flagship phone's glass. I await the day when R&D finds a solution to this.

The main competitor to give Samsung a run for its money, however, is Motorola. The Razr Fold, which has also only just launched, has a panel that's marginally larger and brighter overall.

Considering that device has more storage, making it effectively more affordable, it's a tempting proposition – and one that works with a stylus pen, unlike Samsung, which ditched its S Pen compatibility from its foldable two generations ago.

When closed, the Z Fold 8 Ultra's form remains the same conundrum as ever – and it's not going to please everyone. That's because the 21:9 aspect ratio might be a bit too narrow and too tall for some. But you do always have that squarer panel ratio within, so it's not as if anything's lost.

Performance & Battery

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 'for Galaxy', 12GB RAM
• 5000mAh Si-C battery type, 45W charging
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (+16GB) options

Samsung has gone with the top-tier overclocked 'for Galaxy' Qualcomm chipset in the Z Fold 8 Ultra. You'll know about that in some scenarios, such as when gaming, as the device gets pretty hot when it's shut – as heat dissipates better when it's open.

That's part of the reason that the Z Fold 8 Ultra can deliver ultimate results, but it's not endlessly 'ultra'. If the software knows it needs a break then the screen will auto-dim, for example. And despite more cooling provisions than the equivalent previous generation, throttling of that top-tier chipset will happen if you push it for too long.

Fortunately, the new battery technology can take a bit more abuse than the previous generation. The addition of silicon-carbon type to a 5,000mAh capacity is around a 14% rise. It's faster to charge, which helps with quicker top-ups as needed.

Not that I've found myself getting nervous with the battery remaining at the end of a day. I've been hitting 15% remaining after 16 hours of considerable use across a range of media and screen time, including gaming, Bluetooth connectivity, tethering and so forth.

No, it's not the best battery capacity of a foldable. Motorola and Honor both beat Samsung's latest for sake of longevity. No question about that. But Samsung has spent a long time ensuring battery safety for its device, which is why it has taken the time to get this far.

Still, I find the usability here well balanced. There's plenty of power, that big internal display to make the most of, and a much-needed battery boost for this generation.

Cameras

• Main (triple):
  • 200-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture, optical stabilisation (OIS)
  • 10MP 3x optical zoom (67mm equivalent), f/2.4, OIS
  • 50MP ultrawide, f/1.9
• Under-display cameras:
  • Both: 10MP, f/2.2
  • 18mm equivalent (cover), 24mm (interior)

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, per its Ultra name, closes the gap with the Galaxy S26 Ultra flagship. It doesn't seal that gap shut, though, as the latter non-foldable has the upper hand with a higher-resolution selfie camera and improved aperture speeds across its lenses too.

Nonetheless, the Z Fold 8 Ultra delivers a suite of cameras that any other foldable is going to struggle to compete with. Yes, it's still a massive rear protrusion – that causes that pain-in-the-ass 'desk wobble' for everyday on-the-desk use – but it's full of quality photographic potential.

It needs such cameras, though, given the Ultra name – and this is a big part of what you're paying extra to have as part of this package. The base Z Fold 8, by comparison, isn't nearly as accomplished – and lacks an optical zoom altogether.

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The star of the show is the main 200-megapixel snapper, which delivers sharp and balanced results. It's best in daylight, but the Nightography mode still sees it as mighty capable when the light dips. It's good with close-up shooting too, although the macro mode can auto-engage a bit too easily sometimes when you might not need it.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra clears up one aspect of its predecessor's biggest weakness, too, by delivering a 50-megapixel ultra-wide that's much improved in delivering clear and crisp results thanks to its higher resolution.

The telephoto remains the same 10-megapixel offering as previously, though, which could really do with a boost. Easier said than done, on account of space limitations, but I have really enjoyed using the zoom optic in this device – it's pointed out to me on repeat that it's a big omission from the base Z Fold 8.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is, in many ways, the ultimate folding phone. It's the most refined ever, just as it should be after the seven generations preceding it.

But there's a problem: the Ultra enters a new landscape, one where the much wider Z Fold 8 has just rewritten the foldables rulebook for the better (save for the cameras).

It's in that context that the Ultra seems almost like a victim of Samsung's own success. Indeed, any other current foldable now feels too narrow as a result of this whole new world – and we'll see in time whether that marks the beginning of a new chapter.

No, the Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't compromise, but for this sort of money and without the cameras going yet further, the base Z Fold 8 is where most attention will rightly be focused.

It's strange how context can change in such a short period. Samsung has undoubtedly created its most technologically adept foldable ever, but the competition is now abundant, and we're atop a precipice of imminent change.

Also Consider

If the Z Fold 8 Ultra's exterior display is too narrow for you, but you think the base Z Fold 8's might be too wide, then it's Google's Pixel 10 Pro Fold that sits in between – although it's so much like a 'normal' flagship when folded that you might never unfold it.

Otherwise, there's no ignoring the previous Z Fold 7 product, which is largely similar to the Z Fold 8 Ultra, just lacking in the Flex Titanium display technology and upgraded battery and charging tech. A big enough saving might negate that, though.

Elsewhere, Honor's Magic V6 goes big on discounts to lure you in – offering a lot of spec for less money. Or Motorola's Razr Fold dangles a carrot in the form of an included stylus for its brand new release – offering a key point of difference.