Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Review: The Foldable That Finally Feels Like a True Ultra

Samsung has been refining its Galaxy Z Fold formula for years, and with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the company is taking a much more confident approach to its flagship foldable. This generation isn’t simply about making the phone thinner or adding faster hardware. Samsung has reworked almost every part of the experience, from the redesigned form factor and larger displays to the camera system, performance, battery life and multitasking capabilities.

After using it for about a few weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, what stands out most is how much more natural the device feels. Previous Fold models often felt like impressive technology that required users to adapt to the compromises of a foldable. The Fold8 Ultra feels much closer to a conventional flagship smartphone that happens to transform into a tablet when you need it. And that makes a huge difference.

Well, if you have not read the first impression, CLICK HERE.

The Unboxing

A Much Thinner and More Refined Fold

The first thing that catches your attention is the design. Samsung has managed to reduce the unfolded thickness to just 4.1mm, while keeping the overall construction feeling solid and premium. At 215 grams, it is still heavier than most conventional smartphones, but considering that this device transforms into an 8-inch tablet, the weight is surprisingly manageable. The slimmer profile also makes the phone much more comfortable to carry.

Previous Fold generations could feel somewhat bulky when folded, particularly when compared with Samsung’s regular Galaxy S Ultra models. The Fold8 Ultra feels noticeably more refined, with a slimmer silhouette that makes it easier to slip into a pocket or bag.

Samsung has also widened the outer display, which makes the folded phone considerably more practical. The 6.5-inch cover display now feels much closer to using a normal smartphone. Typing, browsing, replying to messages and checking social media no longer feel like compromises simply because the phone is folded. I found myself leaving the phone closed for many everyday tasks and only opening it when I actually needed the larger screen. That is exactly how a foldable should work.

Open It Up and Everything Changes

The real magic happens when you unfold the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. Samsung has equipped it with an 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display, providing a massive canvas for productivity, entertainment and multitasking. The 120Hz refresh rate makes everything feel fluid, from scrolling through websites to navigating menus and playing games.

Colours are vibrant, blacks are deep and contrast is excellent. Samsung’s AMOLED technology remains one of the strongest aspects of its flagship smartphones, and the Fold8 Ultra’s inner screen is no exception. But the biggest advantage isn’t necessarily image quality. It’s the amount of space available.

A website that feels cramped on a regular smartphone suddenly becomes much easier to read. Documents become more comfortable to edit. Videos feel considerably more immersive, and applications can be arranged side-by-side without everything becoming too small. This is where the Fold8 Ultra starts to justify its existence. It isn’t simply a phone with a larger screen but it can genuinely replace a small tablet for many users.

Foldable displays have always come with one obvious compromise which is the crease. Samsung has continued refining the display and hinge mechanism, and the crease on the Fold8 Ultra is less distracting during normal use. You can still see and feel it if you deliberately look for it, particularly when light reflects across the screen. However, after using the phone for a while, I largely stopped noticing it.

Lets talk about the front, the 6.5 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is pretty much the same if you are comparing it to the Fold7 on the eye level, in fact one major advantage is the much smaller bezel gap that makes it much easier to use on one hand and two hand mode. The 120Hz fast display remains a standard on most Samsung flagships and the new Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 provides improved protection over the display outer panel.

A Better Hinge and Stronger Construction

Samsung’s redesigned Armor FlexHinge contributes significantly to the Fold8 Ultra’s thinner profile. The hinge feels smooth and controlled when opening and closing the phone, while still providing enough resistance to keep the display securely positioned.

Samsung has also incorporated titanium reinforcement and additional structural improvements into the device. The Fold8 Ultra feels premium in the hand, but I would still treat it differently from a conventional smartphone. The inner display remains a flexible panel, and the hinge introduces additional moving parts that don’t exist on a standard phone. Samsung has also given the device an IP48 rating, offering protection against dust particles larger than 1mm and water exposure. It is reassuring, but I would still avoid treating the Fold8 Ultra like a rugged phone.

Flagship Performance Without Compromise

Underneath the slim design is serious flagship hardware.The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, providing the performance you’d expect from a top-tier 2026 smartphone. Daily usage wise, it performs as it should be with no noticeable lags and smooth sailing all the way even towards multitasking and heavy applications.

The combination of flagship processing power and the large inner display allows the Fold8 Ultra to handle workloads that would feel awkward on a conventional smartphone. I could have a browser open alongside a messaging application, work on a document while referencing another application or quickly switch between several demanding apps. This is where the Fold8 Ultra feels less like a smartphone and more like a portable computer that you can just carry it in your pocket.

Gaming on a Massive Foldable Screen

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy provides enough performance to run demanding games at high settings, while the 120Hz display makes fast-moving titles feel smooth. The larger screen also provides more room for controls and game information.

However, extended gaming sessions can still generate heat that is just a tad warm, but overall still reasonable. That’s not necessarily a criticism unique to Samsung, as high-performance mobile hardware will naturally produce heat when pushed hard. But the combination of an extremely thin chassis and powerful processor means serious gamers should expect the phone to become warm during prolonged sessions.

Benchmarks

*Last updated : 10th August 2026 (Subjected to change from time to time)

Samsung Finally Gives the Fold a Serious Camera System

One of the biggest improvements this generation is the camera setup.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra features:

• 200MP main camera
• 50MP ultra-wide camera
• 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom
• Up to 30x digital zoom
• 8K video recording

This is a major step forward for Samsung’s foldable photography experience. The 200MP primary camera produces detailed images with strong dynamic range and the familiar Samsung colour processing.

In good lighting, photos look sharp and vibrant, with plenty of detail available for cropping. The higher-resolution sensor is particularly useful when you want to capture a wider scene and later crop into the image.

Ultra-Wide Photography Is Much Better

The 50MP ultra-wide camera is another important upgrade which can often become the weak point of multi-camera smartphone systems, particularly in lower light. The higher-resolution sensor on the Fold8 Ultra provides considerably more flexibility.

Landscape photography benefits from the wider field of view, while architecture and group photography become easier without sacrificing as much detail. The camera also performs well when switching between the main and ultra-wide lenses, with Samsung doing a good job of maintaining a consistent look between them.

Zoom and Portrait Photography

The 10MP telephoto camera provides 3x optical zoom, which is useful for portraits, street photography and distant subjects which the image processing also helps extend the usable zoom range beyond the native optical capability. The 30x digital zoom shouldn’t be mistaken for optical zoom, it can still be surprisingly useful when you simply need to capture something far away.

Portrait photography is also strong with Samsung’s processing does a good job separating subjects from backgrounds, while the telephoto perspective produces a more natural-looking portrait compared with shooting close-up using the main camera.

Stronger Low-Light Performance

Night photography has also improved. Samsung’s computational photography helps brighten darker scenes while controlling noise and preserving detail. The main camera performs particularly well in challenging lighting, while the improved ultra-wide camera is more usable than previous generations when shooting at night.

There are still situations where Samsung’s processing can become slightly aggressive, especially with very dark scenes with some noise on the images, but overall the Fold8 Ultra is now much closer to what I expect from a flagship camera system. I don’t feel like I’m accepting a significant camera compromise simply because I’m choosing a foldable, and that is because Samsung improves this ahead and deserve a praise on this.

Battery Life Finally Feels More Appropriate

Samsung has equipped the Fold8 Ultra with a 5,000mAh Silicon Carbon battery. That is a welcome improvement and helps address one of the biggest concerns surrounding large foldable phones.

With normal daily usage, battery life is capable of getting through a full day including browsing, social media, messaging, photography, video streaming and regular multitasking.

Heavy users who spend hours gaming or recording high-resolution video will obviously see the battery drain more quickly, but for general use, battery life is no longer something I would consider a major weakness. The newer processor also contributes to better efficiency, helping Samsung balance performance and battery consumption.

Multitasking Is Still the Biggest Reason to Buy It

After spending time with the Fold8 Ultra, I think multitasking remains its strongest feature. Samsung’s software takes advantage of the large display with split-screen layouts, floating windows and multi-app workflows. This means the phone can become a surprisingly capable productivity machine. You can keep a browser open while writing notes, watch a video while messaging someone or work with a document while using a calculator while on a conventional smartphone, these workflows often involve constantly switching between applications. On the Fold8 Ultra, everything can remain visible. Samsung’s software takes advantage of the large display with split-screen layouts, floating windows and multi-app workflows. This means the phone can become a surprisingly capable productivity machine. You can keep a browser open while writing notes, watch a video while messaging someone or work with a document while using a calculator while on a conventional smartphone, these workflows often involve constantly switching between applications. On the Fold8 Ultra, everything can remain visible.

The Fold8 Ultra doesn’t just provide more room for AI features. It provides more room to actually interact with them. For users who regularly work with documents, emails, notes or research material, this can become a genuinely useful advantage.

Who Is the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra For?

The Fold8 Ultra isn’t a phone for everyone. If you simply want a conventional flagship smartphone with the best possible camera experience, a traditional Galaxy Ultra model may still be the better choice.

It is particularly appealing to professionals who work with documents and multiple applications, travellers who want one device instead of carrying both a phone and tablet, content creators who can take advantage of FlexCam and power users who want maximum screen space without carrying a separate tablet. The large AMOLED display makes watching movies, browsing YouTube and reading content much more enjoyable than on a conventional smartphone.

Final Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the most convincing version of Samsung’s foldable concept yet. It is thinner, more comfortable to use, more powerful and significantly more capable than earlier generations. The 6.5-inch cover display makes the phone practical when folded, while the 8-inch inner display transforms it into a compact tablet when you need more space.

The 200MP camera, improved 50MP ultra-wide, 3x telephoto and 8K video recording also mean the Fold8 Ultra no longer feels like a foldable that compromises heavily on photography while performance wise it’s excellent, battery life is much more reassuring and Samsung’s multitasking software makes excellent use of the larger display.

A minor disappointment remains the lack of S Pen support. And, of course, the price will put the Fold8 Ultra firmly into premium territory, however if you can afford it and actually make use of its unique capabilities, the Fold8 Ultra offers something a conventional flagship simply cannot. After using it, I found myself appreciating the concept of a foldable more than I expected. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra doesn’t feel like a technology demonstration anymore. This is a genuinely practical flagship smartphone that happens to fold into a tablet and the best Samsung has made with the Galaxy Z Fold series.

Pros

• Extremely thin 4.1mm unfolded design
• Excellent 6.5-inch cover display
• Huge 8-inch inner AMOLED display
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
• Excellent 200MP primary camera
• Improved 50MP ultra-wide camera
• Useful 3x telephoto
• Strong low-light photography
• 8K video recording
• Excellent multitasking capabilities
• 5,000mAh battery
• Premium construction and improved hinge

Cons

• No S Pen support
• Still considerably more expensive than conventional flagship phones
• Can become warm during extended gaming
• Inner display still requires more care than a standard smartphone

This represents Samsung’s most mature foldable experience yet. It successfully combines the convenience of a smartphone with much of the functionality of a tablet, while finally bringing the camera and performance experience closer to what you’d expect from an Ultra-class flagship. For users who want the ultimate all-in-one Galaxy device, this is one of the most impressive foldables Samsung has produced.