You wouldn’t know it from the headlines, but Samsung launched two (2) new Galaxy Z Fold phones last month.The wide Fold 8 stole the show, turning the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra into an unusual underdog.Regardless, this is the model that Samsung adorned with the “Ultra” tag, and it did so for good reason.
I’ll admit that, like many people, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was not the model I was most interested in.Samsung has been making foldable phones with this familiar size and shape for seven years—it’s not a novel concept anymore.Of course, the same can be said for every non-foldable phone.
So, the question is, if this is the best that Samsung can put into a foldable, is that still good enough? Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra 9 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 RAM 12GB, 16GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery 5,000mAh silicon-carbon Pros & Cons Surprisingly thin, lightweight design Battery life is excellent Phenomenal performance Cameras are super solid Rear triple-camera bump is substantial Only an IP48 rating See at Samsung See at Amazon Expand Collapse See Our Process How We Test and Review Products at How-To Geek We go hands-on with every product to ensure it's worth your time and money.Posts By Justin Duino Price and availability The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is currently available from Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and most mobile carriers.Pricing starts at $2,100 for 256GB of storage and goes up to $2,700 for 1TB of storage.
In most places, it comes in three colors: Cream, Graphite, and Violet Shadow.Samsung's online store offers an exclusive Green Shadow color.Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Specs SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 RAM 12GB, 16GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery 5,000mAh silicon-carbon Operating System One UI 9, Android 17 Front camera 10 MP, f/2.2, 18mm, 1/3.52", 1.12µm Dimensions 158.4x143.2x4.1mm Camera 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, 3x optical zoom Display type AMOLED Weight 215g Charge speed 45W wired, 20W wireless IP Rating IP48 Main Camera 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", 0.6µm Wide-Angle Camera 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚, 1/2.5", 0.7µm Cover screen 6.5-inches, 120Hz, 1080x2520 Main screen 8-inches, 120Hz, 3000 nits, 2256x2504 Telephoto Camera 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, 3x optical zoom Expand Collapse Samsung has perfected foldable hardware...almost It’s hard to believe foldable phones feel this good Before I fully dive in, I want to mention my history with foldable phones, so you know where I’m coming from.
I’ve used several flip-style foldables for extended periods of time, but I’ve just never been very interested in having a tablet in my pocket.So, it’s been a few years since I gave a phone like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra a real test.My first thought when unboxing the Fold 8 Ultra was that I’ve been missing out.
See, the great thing about flip phones is they have a small footprint, but the trade-off is they’re thick.That’s not the case with the Fold 8 Ultra—it’s only a couple of millimeters thicker than my Pixel 10.In its folded state, the size and weight feel familiar, and I don’t mind the tall, skinny 6.5-inch screen as much as I expected.
Close The design improvements carry over to the inside as well.Samsung used new materials for the 8-inch foldable screen, making it thinner, flatter, and more durable.Past Galaxy Z Folds had a slight cupped effect when folded open, but the Fold 8 Ultra snaps open perfectly flat.
Plus, the crease is essentially invisible both to my eyes and fingers.I do have one small gripe with the design.The camera housing on the back is —nearly 6mm.
That’s over a third of the total thickness of the folded phone.Thickness isn’t the issue, though; it’s the placement.Using the phone while it’s lying flat on a table is like playing with a desktop seesaw.
It wobbles a ridiculous amount, both folded and unfolded.It’s honestly very annoying.Design choices aside, the displays look great.
The front cover display is the same as last year, but the inside display has a slightly higher resolution (2256x2504) and, more importantly, a higher peak brightness of 3,000 nits.That, along with the new anti-reflective coating, makes the inner screen better in direct sunlight—a common issue with foldable screens.Samsung hops on the silicon-carbon train Performance all around is excellent While many of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's improvements are iterative, there’s one area with a pretty significant upgrade.
For the first time, Samsung has equipped a phone with a silicon-carbon battery.This technology allows for fitting more capacity in the same size battery.The Galaxy Z Fold 7 had a 4,400mAh battery, but the Fold 8 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery—and it’s thinner.
On top of that, fast charging has been boosted to 45W wired and 20W wireless.Battery life feels like a tablet.I never had any issues making it through the day, even when using multiple apps at once.
My only complaint on the battery and charging front is the lack of magnetic charging.Samsung has been hesitant to adopt this, claiming it would make the phones thicker.Well, I also have a Pixel 11 Pro Fold on my desk, which does include magnetic charging, and it’s thicker.
I’d rather have the magnets.Close Performance with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is excellent, as expected.I threw the gauntlet at the Fold 8 Ultra, streaming video and split-screening multiple apps at the same time.
It never skipped a beat.My colleague, Bertel King, has used Galaxy Z Folds as his primary computing device, and now I see why.This thing is a powerhouse.
This section perfectly illustrates the phenomenal “boring-ness” of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.It has the latest and greatest processor that easily handles complex multitasking, and the big, cutting-edge battery to keep it going all day.It just works.
Cameras are where the “Ultra” name applies But it might not matter to you Up until this point, most of what I’ve talked about applies to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as well.The one area where the Ultra sets itself apart, aside from the obvious size and shape differences, is in cameras.The Fold 8 Ultra has a bigger main camera and an additional third camera on the back.
It’s essentially three cameras from the Galaxy S26 Ultra: 200MP main camera, 50MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto (the wide Fold does not have a telephoto camera).Personally, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the look of Samsung photos.On a technical level, they look fine—really good, even.
I just always end up preferring the photos taken with a Google Pixel phone.However, I will say Samsung’s portrait mode is the best in the game.Close Cameras aside, there’s not much else that feels “Ultra” about this phone.
That extra camera is a big deal, though.As much as I’m curious about the wide design of the Fold 8, I worry I would miss the telephoto camera.It’s something I use all the time when it’s there.
You know what you’re getting with One UI Samsung software is consistent One UI on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra should be familiar to anyone who has used a Samsung phone.It ships with One UI 9 based on Android 17, which has only been available for a couple of months.Samsung is also still committing to seven years of OS updates and security patches.
Good stuff.In terms of software features, Samsung has a bunch of great foldable-specific things to play with.Split-screening works really well, and the gestures become intuitive in a short time.
There’s even a new “Now Nudge” feature that will automatically switch to split screen for you when you tap certain things.I don’t often use stock launchers, but Samsung’s is hard to beat on a foldable.Close As you would expect, there’s a bunch of AI stuff going on as well.
However, I didn’t find any of it to be too in my face or annoying.I turned off notification summaries, but not much else.There’s a cool new custom card option in the Now Brief.
Gemini Notebook is pre-installed.Advanced task automation with Gemini is also supported.Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra? I started this review by talking about how the wide Fold 8 overshadowed the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
When put up against a completely fresh, new form factor like that, it just feels boring.I’ll even admit to not being very excited about reviewing this phone.Thankfully, it’s a pretty darn good phone.
In fact, the Fold 8 Ultra is surprisingly easy to recommend.It may lack some of “Ultra” features—like S Pen support and Privacy Display—but it’s a clear upgrade over last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7.The few upgrades are significant: improved inside display, bigger-yet-thinner battery, faster charging, and better cameras.
For those who aren’t swayed by tantalizing shapes, the Fold 8 Ultra is the foldable phone to get.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra 9 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 RAM 12GB, 16GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery 5,000mAh silicon-carbon See at Samsung See at Amazon Expand Collapse
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