Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Is for Those of Us Who Can’t Stop Scrolling

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Samsung has finally made a book-style foldable that’s geared less toward productivity and more toward entertainment.

It seems the company has realized that some of us just want a better way to scroll and binge-watch. The $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung’s new baseline book-style foldable, sitting between the $1,200 clamshell-style Z Flip 8 and the top-of-the-line $2,100 Z Fold 8 Ultra, which carries on the design of last year’s Z Fold 7. The phones debuted at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, and they’re available for preorder now before hitting shelves on Aug.

7. With a 4:3 aspect ratio and a passport-sized design, the Z Fold 8 feels equally optimized for watching horizontal videos, multitasking in landscape mode and browsing vertically oriented apps in portrait mode. That versatility and compactness make the Z Fold 8 one of the most enjoyable phones I’ve used so far this year — though I still have some lingering questions I look forward to addressing in my full review.

The boldly reimagined Z Fold 8 arrives at a crucial time, as Apple reportedly gears up to launch its first foldable iPhone in the fall. Rumors suggest that device could also have a squarish 4:3 aspect ratio (similar to some iPad models), so this may well be Samsung’s attempt to stay ahead of the curve. And while Apple’s expected entry will mean fresh competition, Samsung has the advantage of several foldable generations — and years of consumer feedback — under its belt.

“This is Samsung going on the offensive,” Francisco Jeronimo, IDC’s vice president of client devices, said. “By bringing a wider, passport-style foldable to market ahead of Apple, Samsung gets to define the new format on its own terms rather than reacting to it later.” He added, “With Apple’s announcement less than two months away, this is the first Unpacked where Samsung has to defend the category it created, and that’s why it cannot play it safe.”

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 takes up less space when closed than many other phones.Andrew Lanxon/CNET What makes the Z Fold 8’s design different I first got my hands on the Z Fold 8 during a visit to Samsung’s Korea headquarters last month, and I was eager to spend more time with it at this week’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London. The phone feels compact and palm-sized while folded.

It’s a welcome break from the monotony of today’s smartphones, including Samsung’s other foldables, which haven’t changed much from last year’s models. The Z Fold 8 fits snugly in my hand, giving the feel of a small pocket notebook you’d use to quickly jot down notes. It’s simply a fun phone to use because of its size and design.

It’s not much thicker than the super-thin Z Fold 8 Ultra, measuring 4.5mm when open and 9.7mm when closed.

It’s also the lightest Z Fold device, clocking in at 201 grams. Samsung EVP Kihwan Kim told me the Z Fold 8 is “very well suited for people who really enjoy media and social networks.” He added that the company “collected a lot of feedback from different types of users” to better understand the needs of people who prioritize media consumption.

I can see myself using the Z Fold 8 in landscape mode when watching a movie or browsing across multiple apps, and then rotating it vertically when I’m on Instagram or reading an ebook. In portrait mode, the Z Fold 8 is great for scrolling through vertical social videos.Andrew Lanxon/CNET Customer feedback also led Samsung to make its new book-style foldables easier to open.

That involved reducing tension on the hinge, which causes the phone to spring open. You won’t be able to unfold the Z Fold 8 partway, unlike the Z Fold 7, but it takes noticeably less force to pry it open. One key spec hasn’t changed: The Z Fold 8 maintains an IP48 rating, meaning it can be submerged in up to 1.

5 meters of water for 30 minutes and is protected against solid objects larger than 1mm, but not dust or sand. That aligns with most foldable phones, though last year’s Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold boasts an IP68 rating, which places its resistance to liquids and particles on par with premium non-folding phones. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Display upgrades on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 The Z Fold 8 has a 5.

5-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inside display. Both screens have an anti-reflective coating, which Samsung says can reduce glare up to 50%.

Paired with a 3,000-nit peak brightness, it should be easier to use apps and watch shows, even in the bright outdoors. I noticed the reduced reflections even while filming the phones indoors ahead of Unpacked. The Z Fold 8 uses a new display technology called Flex Titanium.

It combines a titanium-alloy film with a titanium plate to create a thinner, more durable display structure that should better withstand drops and other impacts. I watched Samsung put those displays through their paces at its headquarters