Samsung Launches New Square-Style Foldable Galaxy Z Fold 8 with Premium Features

Samsung has introduced the latest generation of its foldable smartphones, rebranding the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and releasing a new Galaxy Z Fold 8 model with a nearly square closed form factor. The device features a compact 5.5-inch external screen and a 7.4-inch internal display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, designed to offer a tablet-like experience ideal for media consumption, gaming, and multitasking. The foldable phone is notably slim at 4.5 mm thick when closed and weighs 201 grams, with a refined aluminum frame and a less visible crease on the AMOLED screens, which support a dynamic 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, 12GB of RAM, and starting at 256GB of storage, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 delivers smooth multitasking and fast performance. The camera setup includes two 50-megapixel sensors (main and ultra-wide) and 10-megapixel selfie cameras on both screens. While daytime photo quality is strong, low-light performance and zoom capabilities are limited due to the absence of a telephoto lens. The device also offers AI-based photo and video editing tools, enhancing usability but not dramatically changing the market landscape.

Battery capacity is 4,800 mAh, an improvement over the previous model but still below the Ultra variant's 5,000 mAh. Samsung claims the phone can last a full day under typical use and supports 45W fast charging, reaching full charge in under an hour. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at 6,100 shekels in Israel and can rise to 8,200 shekels for higher storage configurations, reflecting the premium pricing typical of foldable smartphones.

Globally, Samsung dominates the foldable market in Israel, but faces competition from Google's Pixel Fold and Chinese brands like Honor, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, which are not officially sold in Israel. The foldable category remains niche, with Apple rumored to be entering soon, potentially raising the stakes further. Samsung provided the review unit to Globes for testing.