Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 first impressions: Easy to carry, enjoyable to use

Samsung has just added Galaxy Z Fold 8 to its foldable phone lineup. It is priced and sized in between the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. After playing around with the phone for a bit, my initial reaction is that Samsung have been more about making the Fold 8 easier to carry and more comfortable to use on a daily basis. Also Read: After Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, all eyes on iPhone Ultra: 5 things to expect from Apple's first foldable

The Fold 8 is a compact device, unlike the bigger Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra that looks like a passport or wallet. It easily fits into a shirt pocket and is much easier to hold with one hand when folded. Despite its premium price tag, it’s an easier to handle foldable smartphone, although it’s still a sizeable device compared to the others. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: Everything announced beyond the new foldables and smartwatches

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 price in India

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is positioned between the Galaxy Z Flip 8, priced at Rs. 1,24,999, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which starts at Rs. 1,99,999. Also Read: Enough about the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8: Samsung unveils its first Galaxy Card

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specifications

Compact design

The main thing that jumps out from the first impression is the size. Samsung has decided to go a different way with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and its design is a bit smaller than most book-shaped foldables. It is easy to hold in the hand, and can conveniently be stored in a pocket.

It has a passport-like design that gives it a distinct feel. Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Fold 8 is more compact and convenient to use but without sacrificing the benefits of a foldable screen.

Weighing 201 grams, the phone is not the lightest but the weight is well distributed. It doesn’t get bulky when used normally.

Cover display

The 5.5″ cover display is smaller than what some users might be familiar with, but it does the job. Making calls, browsing on social media, e-mailing and replying to messages is all easy.

The keyboard takes up a lot of the screen, but it is fairly easy to type. This will leave less space for looking over longer conversations or documents as you type.

In general, the smaller cover screen was not an issue to me during the first few days of use.

Inner display

The phone features a 7.6-inch 4:3 aspect ratio main display. It’s distinct from the previous Galaxy Fold phones, making them feel different.

The bigger screen is great for multitasking, watching videos, reading articles and social media. Vertical apps such as Instagram also look more natural on the inner display.

The phone is easy to use when in landscape mode for productivity reasons and portrait mode for reading and scrolling.

Crease is less noticeable

Galaxy Z Fold 8 also features Samsung’s new Flex Titanium display. The company claims it is thinner and harder wearing than its predecessors.

The first use, the display crease wasn’t obvious when viewing the screen. It remains but doesn’t intrude while the software is in use. Samsung has definitely improved in this category.

Processor

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with a maximum of 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage. I haven’t had much time with the phone yet so can’t say much on how it performs in the long run. However, my first experience has been good.

Swiping between apps, cover display and the main screen, and streaming videos and messages appears instant, while opening apps is swift. I also tested with a couple of apps open on the inner display and everything was fine, no slowdowns were experienced.

I haven’t been able to play heavy duty games, compare performance or experience heat build up during prolonged use. Those are topics that will be discussed in my comprehensive review. For the moment, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers a swift, agile performance characteristic you’d expect from a flagship phone.

Camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 comes with two 50-megapixel rear cameras, including a wide and an ultrawide sensor. The one thing I would have liked to have seen is the telephoto camera.

However, in my initial testing the cameras were reliable. During the day, photos were good with some detail, and colours were good. The wide camera mode also turned in decent performance.

I will have to wait longer to make an overall judgement on the camera.

Battery and charging

The phone has a 4,800mAh battery that supports 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging.

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As mentioned before, I haven’t used it long enough to comment on battery life, but the battery capacity on paper seems to be adequate for a day’s worth of normal use. With further testing, the performance of the battery will be clearer.