I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, but it's not the upgrade I expected

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Close Home Tech Smartphones I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, but it's not the upgrade I expected The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 received the much-needed battery upgrade, but not much else. Written by Prakhar Khanna, Contributing WriterContributing Writer July 22, 2026 at 6:39 a.m.

PT Written by Prakhar Khanna, Contributing WriterContributing Writer July 22, 2026 at 6:39 a.m. PT Samsung wants you to use the Flip 8's flexible capabilities to get new perspectives in your shots.

Prakhar Khanna/ZNDETAt the Galaxy Unpacked event today, Samsung unveiled six products, and only one of them was a flip phone. Unlike previous years, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is launching without an FE model this year. It's got a bigger battery and similar design upgrades as the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, but misses out on things like an anti-reflective coating and faster charging.

Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2026: New foldables, smartwatches, moreI went hands-on with the new Samsung flip phone. While it seems like an incremental upgrade, there are a few key improvements over the Flip 7. Let's break it down.

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 $1,199 at AmazonSubtle upgrades Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe Galaxy Z Flip 8 is slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor. It weighs 180 grams (vs. 188g Flip 7) and measures 13.

1mm when closed and 6.1mm when unfolded. That's not a major difference from Flip 7's 13.

7mm and 6.5mmm thickness when folded and unfolded, respectively. The in-hand feel is similar to the Flip 7, but it is comparatively easier to flip open.

Like last year, Samsung is pushing its Flip 8 for the "expressive crowd": users who seek fun in their phones. It has an all-new coverscreen experience, thanks to One UI 9, which allows more apps to run directly on the cover screen.Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs.

Z Fold 7: After a year of usage, I'm ready to upgradeTill now, you had to jump through several hoops in settings to enable this feature in Labs, but FlexWindow will now allow more insights, actions and apps to run on the 4.1-inch AMOLED front screen (with 120Hz refresh rate).The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage (the same processor as its Fold siblings).

However, it'll come equipped with Samsung's in-house Exynos 2600 chip in some markets.The biggest upgrade comes in the form of battery capacity. Samsung is using silicon-carbon anode cells for the first time, and it has allowed the phonemaker to add a 4,300mAh battery on its new Galaxy Z Flip 8.

However, there's no 45W fast charging. It is still limited to 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging speeds.The misses The folding screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 doesn't have the same anti-reflective coating as the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra.

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETWhen unfolded, you get a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with the same 120Hz variable refresh rate. It has minimal crease but there's no anti-reflective coating.

I'm disappointed because it is one of the biggest experiential upgrades on the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, but the feature isn't coming on the same generation flip phone. It'd have helped with better legibility in direct light and harsh lighting conditions.The new Samsung flip phone has the same camera system as the Flip 7, which had the same optics as the Flip 6.

You get a 50MP main