Samsung reshapes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a wider design
The $1,899.99 foldable gets a shorter, broader body, a 4:3 inner screen and a bigger battery, but drops the telephoto camera.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Samsung has redesigned the Galaxy Z Fold 8 around a wider, shorter foldable shape, moving away from the taller proportions of its earlier Fold phones. The change matters because it reframes the device as a media-first foldable at a time when rivals, including an expected Apple model, are moving toward similar proportions, according to The Verge.
The Verge’s hands-on report said the Z Fold 8 sits between Samsung’s Flip and Fold designs in size. When opened, its inner display uses a 4:3 aspect ratio, which Samsung is positioning for video, games and reading rather than the split-screen productivity focus of the new Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Samsung’s foldable lineup now includes both the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra. The Verge reported that the Ultra is closer to a direct successor to last year’s Z Fold 7, with a more familiar inner screen shape and a triple rear camera system. The Ultra is priced at $2,099.99, $100 above the Z Fold 7, while the standard Z Fold 8 costs $1,899.99.
The wider model weighs 201 grams, according to Samsung details cited by The Verge. Its closed cover screen uses a 10:16 aspect ratio, and the phone measures 9.7mm thick when shut, making it thicker than the Z Fold 8 Ultra and last year’s Z Fold 7 while still relatively slim for a foldable.
The Verge said the broader design felt more natural in hand than photos suggested. Opened up, the phone was described as more tablet-like than Samsung’s squarer Fold models, though most video still shows black bars because the display is not widescreen. Closed use may depend on cases and app support, with Samsung saying Instagram will be optimized for the shorter outer screen.
Inside, the Z Fold 8 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, tuned with Samsung. The main OLED panel runs at 120Hz and reaches a claimed peak brightness of 3,000 nits, with a new anti-reflective coating. The phone also supports Samsung’s new software features, including Gemini Intelligence task automation and a proactive AI feature called Now Nudge, according to The Verge.
Samsung has also moved to silicon-carbon battery technology for the first time in its foldables, according to the report. The Z Fold 8 has a 4,800mAh battery, up from 4,400mAh in the Z Fold 7, though still below Honor’s 6,660mAh Magic V6. BD Yang, executive vice president of Samsung’s core component technology team, told The Verge that Samsung focused on controlling silicon reactivity, swelling and long-term stability rather than chasing capacity alone.
The clearest compromise is the camera system. The Z Fold 8 has two rear cameras and no telephoto lens, unlike prior Samsung Fold models. Both rear cameras use 50-megapixel sensors, The Verge reported, while noting that the main camera may trail the Z Fold 7’s 200-megapixel unit until fuller specifications and testing are available.
Samsung’s new foldables remain rated IP48, which The Verge said leaves them behind Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold on dust protection. Samsung also revised the hinge and display stack with titanium-alloy materials, but The Verge reported that the crease remains more visible than on recent Oppo and Honor foldables. The phone also lacks the internal magnets needed for full Qi2 wireless charging support.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.