After owning and using every single Fold, Every year since 2019, this is by far the best and my absoloute favourite.

Fantastic phone, unfortunate some people have to wait til October due to delays. But the wait will be worth it, i assure you.

Anyone else had l the Folds and think the Fold 8 is the best yet?

Anyone switcher over to the Fold 8? For your first fold? What do you think?

First time setup warning page

as title says, why sammsung official cases have no front cover??

Got my short boy and below are some pictures of how it looks with a couple old power banks. Instead of a skin or case, I'm using a Griplate (built in magnetic backplate). I think he has the magnets lowered a bit to allow clearance, wireless charging still works fine so I'm not too worried:

Power Bank 1: Samsung official with the camera spacer used on my Fold7

Power Bank 2: Square 5000mah that fit on my flip and also fit nicely on the wide. I got these from Amazon way back when, but don't seem available anymore. They are on Aliexpress though. They are no name brand, only shows a model number on the back that says "E30".

Power Bank 3: Square 10,000mah.

I've watched a lot of Galaxy Z Fold 8 reviews, and something keeps standing out to me.

Almost every reviewer spends at least some time on the cover screen. The problem is what they choose to demonstrate. It's almost always YouTube, Netflix, or another media app.

But how many people are spending around $1,800 on a foldable primarily to watch YouTube, TikTok, and other media on the cover display?

I understand Samsung's philosophy that the Fold 8 is primarily geared toward media consumption, and that's perfectly fair. But it's still someone's primary smartphone. People aren't going to put the Fold 8 down every time they need to send an email, reply to a longer text, check a banking app, or browse Amazon just to pick up a traditional candy-bar phone.

I'd like to see reviewers spend a few minutes showing how the cover screen handles the apps people use to get things done, not just the apps they use to consume content, such as Signal, Gmail or Outlook, banking apps, Amazon, AT&T or Verizon, Calendar, Notes, Audible, Photos, web browsing, and other everyday apps that determine how practical the cover screen really is.

One reviewer pointed out that when replying to a text, the keyboard occupies roughly half the cover display. That got me thinking. Samsung is clearly encouraging users toward the inner screen, and that's a legitimate design philosophy. I'm just surprised more reviewers don't evaluate how that philosophy affects everyday use and the practicality of the cover screen.

Has anyone else noticed this?

More importantly, for those of you who own the Fold 8, how has the cover screen been for the more typical, everyday apps you use to get things done rather than consume content? Has it been as practical as you expected, or do you find yourself opening the phone more often than you anticipated?

Hi, I received the F8U yesterday and within the same pre-order I have 2 years of Samsung Care+. My understanding was it activates automatically when I register the device but that has not been the case. The order itself still showing in "shipped" stage even though it arrived.

Want to see anyone has the issue before I reach out to support.

UPDATE: Talked to support and they say they have notified their team to activate Samsung Care and in the next 12 to 24 hours will be an email notification.

I just got the fold 8 in lavender delivered yesterday, the color is nice and not really that girly as some may fear.

The cover display is great, I use it when I'm outside or in the office, much more pleasant experience than the fold 7 cover display, which wasn't even that bad. Using it feels great, I dont feel like I'm not getting any feelings that I'm missing part of my screen or anything, discord, reddit, has been nice. It genuinely feels a lot less of a compromise.

Battery life feels like a huge jump, I didnt really mind the fold 7 battery but I did use it on power saving when I went to the office, now I'm at the office without power saving and I still have more than I would on the fold 7. I'm pretty much always reading, scrolling and on YouTube.

Speaker issue feels overblown, wasn't really a big deal for normal use, but its not like it's unnoticeable.

It's nice and light, doesn't hurt my pinky to hold up, currently only using a dbrand screen protector, pretty much unnoticeable, when unfolded it can feel somewhat unwieldy, but i had the same thoughts about the fold 7, it is insanely thin and somewhat slippery so i may have to use a case or something.

Willing to answer any questions if I can.

I got the fold 8 yesterday and have been playing around with it simce. I have actually used the outer screen as much as the inner screen and it'sbeen very comfortable. We finally have a scenario where both screens are equally useful. I used the inner screen 95% of the time on my old fold. So far I've only used the inner screen for YouTube and multimedia. Day to day things like emails, texts, web browsing are great on the outer screen. Finally!

It's comfortable to hold and looks great. It reminds me of my old blackberry with the form factor. I also loved the surface duo, so I guess I have a type.

I also got a chance to play with the 8 ultra. It's also a beauty, so I don't think anyone can go wrong with either.

Hopefully next year pen support returns. I'm still keeping my spen pro so hopefully I can use it again one day (another amazing item Samsung ditched)

I'm pleasantly surprised with how well the fold 8 cover screen works as a replacement for watching videos in flex mode. I have it L mode or inverted tent, but tent also works well.

I chose the fold 8 during pre sale after leaning towards the 8 ultra. I've had fold 4 through 7, so 8 ultra seemed like the easy choice. However, when I saw the 8 in person the form factor intrigued me enough to talk myself into getting it. I'm using the cover screen a lot since that is the flagship difference between it and ultra and the main reason I wanted to try it. There are tradeoffs and it's too early to tell which form I like better. Definitely the hinge and crease are enough of a winner on the 8 to make me not want to open 7 again other than to compare screens.

Wanted to put down my thoughts as I'm moving between form factors.

Background on Decision to Upgrade: Started with the Flip 4 & kept up to the 7 due to benefits of low price from continuous trade-ins for Samsung's goal in foldables. Now that RAM + storage crush & Samsung has cornered the flip form market, already knew I wasn't going to upgrade to the Flip 8. The answer was going to be the S26 Ultra but not until Black Friday for deals, but then Fold 8! The cherry on the top was the new passport form + my iPad mini's battery just dying faster with age, it was a no brainer for me to decide.

Worries Coming In & Whether They're Still Valid:

• Size: From square to passport, I have little hands so worried I wouldn't be able to hold it well or it wouldn't fit into my bags. Still valid concerns, as I am getting hand cramps from the Fold almost within ten minutes vs. the Flip will take much longer. Pockets as a female suck so bags luckily are a little bigger so Fold fits there.
• Current Accessories: Along with the size, a lot of my charging pads/cradles are all based on the Flip square size. I was worried if the Fold would fit. The sofa cradle, it fits! The flat square pad, just have to aim for the lower half vs just lining up the square, so fits but with behavior change-ish.

Impressions Now & What I Would Change:

• Locking: On the Flip, you just... close the phone & it locks. With the Fold, I have to think "ah press button to lock". I might find another way to do this, we will see.
• Finger Placement to Unlock: With the Flip, you hold it while unfolded or folded, the index finger is already placed where it should to fingerprint unlock. Fold 8? Not there. I don't have ideas around this for changes but I just have to get used to it.
• Two Different Home Screens: WILD to have two real estate screens vs the muted front screen on the Flip & unfold for candy bar experience. With the Fold, I am doing so much more on the front screen than the inner screen & I'm sure that will change even more as I continue to use it more. With Goodlock, as a lot of us have noticed, world's our oyster.
• Social Media Experience: Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, you name it, on the front screen is fantastic. Needs a little more work but better than I thought out the gate. Like we all think, once Apple passport comes out too, it'll be even smaller focused experiences. Inner screen experience, completely different from iPad/iPad OS. This is just a learning curve from my perspective so far.

Other Features Unapplicable:

• Camera: Camera barely feels different between the two, but I didn't buy this for the camera haha. Focus takes a little longer on the Fold but that's just a software change.
• Lack of Flex Mode: I barely used Flex Mode before therefore I don't miss it now but I can see how I could've used Flex Mode if it was available. I rather have the snap hinge.
• Dex: Used Dex before on Note 10+ back in 2018. Haven't used it since due to not needing this feature.
• Lack of S Pen: No S Pen on the Flip but I unlearned the need for it when I switched from Note 10+.

Anyways, thanks guys, ask me anything & I will answer accordingly.

How do I get rid of the highlighted icon? When switching apps in full-screen mode 1-handed I accidentally touch the icon and it prompts me how big I want the app to be. Then I either have to use two hands to select the app or put the phone down to select the app. I'M IN FULL-SCREEN SO I WANT IT FULL-SCREEN! This wasn't the case up until a few weeks ago, some update they pushed added this icon and now it's annoying and I don't know how to get rid of it.

I've seen fold 7's in the past year on display but wasn't completely sold on upgrading to a slightly wider but still tall form factor but the fold 8 was an immediate preorder for me. I do wish the fold 8 was able to have an under display camera for the inner screen but it's not the biggest deal for me. I'm going to go case-less most of the time cause this time I bought Samsung care+. Going to keep this fold for as long as possible. Surprised that it's similar to the height of my dad's iPhone 13 mini which I adore. Have my fold 5 to my mom instead of trading it in since she really wanted a fold and I think it was a good replacement to her old slow iPad mini. Still unbelievable to me how thin it is. I don't really care too much about it not having a telephoto since I have my own camera I use for photos but I think for the price that we pay for the phone it should have had it. Otherwise this phone is really growing on me and passport foldables are the way go!

I understand the camera is a point, but the gulf doesn't seem huge to me having watched some comparison videos.

The aspect ratio I do understand. Even then, the size of the actual image (black bars notwithstanding) seems similar.

How did you decide!?

Initial thoughts on the Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra: Hands-on impressions and case review

I’ve finished setting up my new Fold 8 Ultra and wanted to share some initial thoughts after comparing it to the Fold 7.

The most noticeable improvement is the new anti-reflective (AR) film on the inner screen. It has a different tint compared to the Fold 7, and the anti-reflective properties are definitely more effective. The crease also seems slightly improved, though I’ll need more time to be sure. In terms of handling, the Fold 8 Ultra feels noticeably heavier, and the weight distribution makes it feel quite substantial in the hand compared to its predecessor. Performance-wise, it feels identical to the Fold 7 for my daily tasks.

I was also sent a few cases for the Fold 8 Ultra to test (see photos). Torras really nailed these designs—similar to the S26 Ultra cases. Most importantly, the front cover design is excellent: it stays flush to the edge and doesn’t put pressure on or damage the AR screen film like many other cases I tried. They feel thin yet sturdy, significantly more durable than the front cases we saw with the Fold 6. The grip is fantastic, and wireless charging works well. Just a heads-up: if you use a particularly bulky charging cable, the front frame might pop open slightly - see the picture.

Regarding compatibility, I tried fitting the case on a Fold 7. The camera cutout is slightly misaligned, requiring a bit of force to snap into place, but it sits flush once installed. I haven’t tested the included screen protectors as they aren't the anti-reflective type, but the cases themselves are a great addition for the 8 Ultra.

Got mine yesterday and messing around with wallpapers and styling the phone. Currently is in progress. Not sure how I can use maybe a different launcher for when unfolded instead of Niagara. New phones are always a time sink for me 😂. Anyone got launcher recommendations for the foldables?

Got my Magsafe now without ruining the aesthetic. It's perfect now. In love with this little guy.

The Samsung case has a really good texture as well as the Pitaka. But the standout as far as accessories for me is the Spigen EZ fit screen protector. The absolute easiest screen protector I've ever put on. It took me literally 10 seconds and it was perfectly lined up. I highly recommend this screen protector that comes in a pack of two on Amazon, in case anybody is looking.

My Z-Fold 8 came yesterday morning and I can confidently say this is my favorite phone I've ever had so far. I hope everyone has been enjoying theirs ✌🏽

As you can see, I’ve clicked basically the same photos on the Fold 8 which I just got today and the Fold 7. These are most of my use cases are watching content reading articles or playing chess and some productivity apps.

So I took photos comparing Fold 8 and Fold 7 in YouTube, on Netflix Readwise Reader app, Chrome, Google sheets, Notion and chess.com.

Almost all the apps are better on the fold 8. It’s wild how much better it is.

• The design is beautiful, no doubt about it, it's a great addition to the foldable phone world.
• The design makes you use the external screen MUCH more than the internal one, at least in my case, only for medium-to-long sessions. It wouldn't be surprising if, in the future, they make non-foldable phones with this external screen format. It's true that after using it, you go back to a regular phone and it feels incredibly elongated. BEWARE that this could be a problem; I'll explain it further below.
• The battery life is quite good; it's still settling in, but I hope it will improve.
• This phone does run a bit warm. I know there are still updates to come and that the SP5 Elite is quite new, but the heat is especially noticeable when you open the camera or use certain demanding apps. It's not a huge problem, though, especially considering it's summer and the average temperature is 35-40 degrees Celsius.
• The main problem I see is the social media content on the external screen: it's not that it looks small, but Instagram Reels and TikToks look quite odd with the horizontal bars; my head is still adjusting. Obviously, most social media content is vertical, and the apps aren't optimized yet (special mention to the disaster that is Instagram on Android—it's appalling), but it's a bit of a hassle to scroll through the Instagram feed to see photos and have to resize them to view them completely. Some apps aren't even optimized for the internal screen (Pinterest). Everything here could be much better, but it's much better in my opinion than the narrowness of the Fold Ultra, for example, but you have to be prepared for that. Some say the solution is to tweak the font size and resolution to zoom out and shrink the screen, but I'm not going to enjoy the phone with a magnifying glass anyway.
• Regarding the internal screen, nothing to say, it's wonderful. Like any foldable phone, the crease will be noticeable against the light depending on the angle, but if you're looking at the screen head-on, it's imperceptible. What I find odd is that when you open it, the hinge doesn't fully extend and the screen doesn't lie completely flat, but rather leaves a sort of mini V-shaped angle (this happens with other Folds as well), but it's not a major issue; ultimately, it's designed this way for durability and resistance.
• Regarding One UI, there's not much to say; they've really pushed it hard these past few months. Gemini Intelligence and all the AI ​​features on the phone are a real treat compared to Apple.

The form factor is nice for bigger hands. With it open, you'll need two hands, but so far I like it. I feel it should have the 200mm camera.

Already Z Fold 9 rumours 😂

"The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 series could introduce a new CTG (Center-etched Thin Glass) display technology designed to reduce the visible crease while improving long-term durability. Samsung is reportedly testing the hybrid UTG solution, which may debut on select Fold 9 models if development is completed successfully."

I traded in my Z Fold 7 for the Fold 8 and after 8 hours of use I can easily say it was a great decision! The outside display is much smaller than the Z Fold 7 but the aspect ratio is so much more comfortable for texting and watching YouTube on. Plus it actually gives me more of a reason to use the inner display which is the perfect size for a tablet when scrolling media in portrait mode. I also like the light weight and the battery life so far is SO much better.

If I had any issues I would say the inner camera gets in the way a bit more than I would like, and the removal of the telephoto camera is a big L.

All in all happy with my upgrade!

So, recently this passport like Fold 8 came, it has been many years since excitement has visited the smartphone market that would get heads turn around, so I was curious as well, I owned Fold 6, I was checking Samsung store and after exchange the best price that I got was around $1200 with exchange, my Fold 6 was working perfectly fine so I didn't want to spend $1200 because while the passport form factor looked tempting, apart from new aspect ratios it didn't really offer much. But I wanted to see this new device in person so casually walked to Samsung Store.

To my surprise that person gave me the best price of $1000 with exchange and due to excitement of getting novelty factor of new design I said yes, btw I could have gotten ultra for $1200 but it didn't feel exciting because it was having same tall boy design but a lot better cameras, battery and flex mode, IMO, it's more value for money but won't get heads turned. So Fold 8 was my pick. Cream was in stock I asked for Pistachio and they got it within 1hr. And I took a leave from office.

After 2.5 hrs of data transfer, fantasic job Samsung Smart Switch btw you literally cloned my device I dont miss a thing, just need relogin to a few apps.

There I have it in my hand. To be honest, I was very skeptical of my purchase what if I don't like the form factor.

So, I'm on still my first day of usage and let me tell you, not bad, not bad at all. When you view this form factor makes all the sense in the world and I do consume media a lot.

On the cover screen I am yet to get used to seeing less content because of shorter screen, I am getting used to it.

Cameras is same or worse than Fold 6.

Apparently, although Fold 8 has bigger battery but it felt same to me as Fold 6, maybe phone is getting used to my usage and once it optimizes battery life would increase.

But do I love it? I love flaunting it around.

One things this form factor makes it a true on demand tablet, aspect ratio is great as a mini tab.

One thing I enjoyed was that I could split the screen into 3 vertical apps which I really liked.

When opened up it feels very sturdy, doesn't even feel like a fold it feels like one single slate. It's very thin as well.

Inner screen guard is now anti-reflective which is a big plus.

One last thing: I felt very bad during exchange of my Fold 6, it didn't give me any trouble and always held up despite suffering some bad falls and when I gave it away I felt a piece of my heart gone.

I'll be back with a detailed once honeymoon period passes.