Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Small refinements make big difference

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra may not be the Samsung's headline product this year, but its thoughtful hardware upgrades and software refinements make it the company's most polished Fold yet

Foldables have spent years asking users to compromise. Accept a heavier phone. Live with a visible crease. Carry a thicker device. Ignore the average battery life because, well, it folds. The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra chips away at nearly every one of those compromises. After using the Galaxy Z Fold 6 previously, the improvements here in the 2026 model are immediately noticeable. The phone is slimmer, lighter, the crease is far less distracting, battery life finally inspires confidence and the upgraded ultra-wide camera is no longer an afterthought.

 

It is not without flaws as Samsung still has a few software gremlins to iron out, and the narrow cover display may continue to divide opinion. But this is easily Samsung's most refined book-style foldable yet.

 

Design: How thin is too thin?

The first thing most people notice is not the large display. It is just how thin the phone feels. In fact, it almost feels as though the USB Type-C port has become the limiting factor. There simply is not much room left to shave off.

 

Coming from the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the difference is substantial. Samsung has managed to make the phone feel much closer to a conventional flagship. It slides into jeans pockets without creating an obvious bulge, does not constantly remind you of its weight, and can comfortably be used folded with one hand for longer periods.

 

Perhaps the biggest compliment is that after a few days, the "foldable" part almost disappears from everyday use.

 

The redesigned hinge also deserves credit. The gap between the two halves is now much smaller, giving the device a cleaner appearance when folded while making it feel denser and more solid in the hand.

Durability appears to have improved too. During the review period, the phone accidentally slipped from pocket height onto a hard floor. Apart from a brief moment of panic, it survived without even a visible scratch. One accidental drop is hardly a durability test, but it certainly inspires more confidence than previous generations.

Displays: The crease finally stops demanding attention

Samsung has significantly reduced the visibility of the crease. It has not disappeared, and anyone claiming otherwise is overselling it. But unlike earlier Fold models where your finger and eyes constantly found it, the crease now fades into the background after a few minutes of use.

 

Reading long documents, browsing websites or watching films, the crease quickly fades into the background. More importantly, it no longer distorts text or content as noticeably when viewed from an angle, making the display feel much closer to a conventional OLED panel than any previous Samsung foldable.

 

Samsung has also added an anti-reflective coating to the inner display while increasing its peak brightness to 3,000 nits. This has a notable effect outdoors. Reflections are better controlled and the display remains easier to read under bright sunlight than previous generations.

The 8-inch AMOLED panel continues to be excellent for multitasking. Samsung's software makes effective use of the nearly square aspect ratio, allowing multiple apps to sit comfortably side by side without feeling cramped. Email alongside a browser, YouTube with Notes, or a floating calculator while editing spreadsheets all feel genuinely practical rather than novelty features. Several apps have also matured considerably, scaling more naturally to the larger display instead of simply stretching phone interfaces.

 

Video playback is equally enjoyable, although the square-ish display inevitably introduces black bars with widescreen content. That is the trade-off for a screen optimised more for productivity than entertainment.

 

The outer display has also improved. It is noticeably wider than previous generations and much easier to type on than older Galaxy Z Fold devices.

 

That said, it still feels narrower than conventional smartphones. Anyone moving from a regular flagship or wider foldables such as Google's Pixel Fold lineup will need some adjustment. It is no longer frustrating, but it still isn't completely natural either.

Performance and software: Foldables no longer need special treatment

Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, paired with up to 16GB RAM, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra never felt short on performance during the review period. Whether it was juggling multiple apps in split-screen mode, editing photos, switching between Galaxy AI features or playing graphics-intensive games, the phone handled everything with ease. One familiar limitation, however, remains. Like most foldable smartphones, the device tends to warm up under sustained workloads, particularly during extended 4K video recording. While the heating never reached a point where performance noticeably dipped, it is still more evident than on conventional flagship smartphones.

 

The bigger story, however, is not raw performance. It is how naturally Samsung's software now complements the hardware.

 

The Fold continues to offer one of the best multitasking experiences on Android. Running three apps simultaneously, dragging content from one window to another or quickly opening apps in floating windows feels genuinely useful. Unlike on regular smartphones, the larger display provides enough room for these tools to make practical sense.

 

App continuity also works reliably. Start replying to an email on the cover screen, unfold the phone midway, and the task carries on without interruption.

 

Samsung's AI features also feel less intrusive than before. Rather than demanding attention, features such as writing assistance, transcription, summarisation and image editing quietly sit in the background until needed. Some will inevitably use them more than others, but unlike last year's wave of AI additions, they now feel better integrated into the overall software experience.

 

That said, One UI is not entirely free of rough edges.

 

One recurring issue appeared while using YouTube in picture-in-picture mode. Folding the phone shut while a video was playing would occasionally send the floating video window into the background even though audio continued playing. The app had not crashed, but the video simply disappeared until it was reopened manually.

 

Thankfully, these are more annoyances than dealbreakers. They are the kind of software quirks that can likely be addressed through future updates, and they do little to take away from an otherwise polished software experience.

Cameras: Finally, the supporting cast gets an upgrade

The Galaxy Z Fold series has rarely disappointed with its primary camera. The compromise has usually come from the rest of the system, particularly the ultra-wide sensor, which often felt like it was there to complete the specification sheet rather than compete with the main camera.

 

Samsung has finally addressed that. The biggest hardware upgrade on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the new 50MP ultra-wide camera, replacing the ageing 12MP sensor from previous generations. It is an upgrade that becomes evident from the first few shots. Images carry noticeably more detail, particularly around edges, while colours remain consistent with those from the primary sensor. More importantly, switching between the two cameras no longer feels like stepping down in quality.

 

The 200MP primary camera continues to deliver the kind of results expected from Samsung's flagship smartphones. Images are rich in detail with a wide dynamic range, and Samsung's image processing produces vibrant colours without pushing them too far. The camera performs reliably across different lighting conditions, from bright daylight to dimly lit indoor environments, with exposure and white balance remaining largely consistent.

 

Samsung has also refined its image processing pipeline this year, helping preserve finer textures while keeping noise under control in low-light scenes. The improvements are subtle rather than transformative, but they contribute to a more consistent camera experience overall.

 

The telephoto camera continues to deliver dependable zoom performance for everyday use. While it may not match the reach offered by Samsung's Ultra slab phones, it remains capable enough for portraits and moderate zoom photography without a noticeable drop in image quality.

 

Video recording is equally dependable. Footage appears well stabilised, autofocus is quick to lock on, and exposure transitions remain smooth when moving between different lighting conditions. Whether recording handheld while walking or capturing short clips for social media, the Fold rarely struggled to keep up.

 

There is, however, one change that I am less convinced about.

 

Samsung has replaced the under-display selfie camera on the inner screen with a conventional punch-hole camera. The decision undoubtedly improves image quality during video calls, but it comes at the cost of immersion. One of the understated charms of previous Fold devices was opening the phone to what felt like an uninterrupted canvas.

Battery: One less compromise to think about

Samsung has managed to increase the battery capacity without making the device feel any thicker or heavier than before, and the optimisation shows in everyday use. During the review period, the Fold comfortably lasted an entire day on a single charge, even with a mix of messaging, navigation, photography, video streaming, social media and occasional gaming.

 

On most days, the phone still had some charge left by bedtime, removing the need to constantly glance at the battery percentage or carry a charger for peace of mind.

 

The improvement is not solely down to the larger battery. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, coupled with Samsung's software optimisation, appears to manage background tasks and power consumption more efficiently, particularly while using the cover display for routine tasks before unfolding the device for more demanding workloads.

 

Charging has also received a welcome boost.

 

Samsung has increased charging speeds this year, making quick top-ups noticeably more useful than before. A short charging session before heading out is often enough to comfortably get through the rest of the day. While the company still trails some Chinese smartphone makers that have pushed charging speeds well beyond the 100W mark, the improvement here is significant enough to be appreciated in everyday use.

Verdict

Much of the spotlight this year has understandably been on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It is the model with the fresh design and the one that generated most of the conversation around Samsung's latest foldables. Quietly sitting alongside it, however, is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and despite the lack of fanfare, it brings together a series of meaningful refinements that make a noticeable difference in everyday use, even for someone who has been using foldables for years.

 

The "Ultra" branding, however, comes with its own baggage.

 

The moment Samsung calls something Ultra, comparisons with the Galaxy S Ultra series become inevitable. It invites questions about whether the cameras match Samsung's best flagship or whether this is the ultimate Galaxy phone. Viewed through that lens, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra occasionally feels like it is trying to live up to expectations set by a completely different product.

 

But perhaps that is the wrong way to look at it.

 

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is not trying to replace the Galaxy S Ultra. It is a productivity-first foldable that prioritises a large immersive display, multitasking and portability without asking users to make as many compromises as previous generations did. Judged on those terms, it is an exceptionally well-rounded device.

 

That does not change one important fact, though. Samsung has priced it like an Ultra.

 

For well over Rs 2 lakh, buyers have every right to expect the best Samsung can offer, which also makes the occasional software glitch, the still-narrow cover display and a few lingering compromises harder to overlook.

 

Even so, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra delivers where it matters most. It does not reinvent Samsung's foldable formula, but it refines it to a point where the Fold no longer feels like a device that demands compromises in return for innovation. For anyone looking for a book-style foldable, this is easily Samsung's most complete effort yet.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Unboxing

 

 

 

 

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