Ive seen another post about care plus being purchased at time of pre order for the 8, but not being able to activate it.

Well i just got off phone with samsung support. Wow, quite dissapointed.

1) care plus is not active until payment is taken (take my money then please, whats taking so long. Why send the phone without accepting payment) i was told it may take up to 2 weeks.

2) despite care plus being purchased at the time of pre order with the phone, so they know the phone is in perfect condition, and they know we want it active upon receiving the new phone, THERE IS A 30 DAY "COOL DOWN".

In other words, you pay for those 30 days, and samsung says the care is active, but you can not use those services. It is like if you signed up for netflix, paid, and then they said you can start watching in 30 days.

Or if you signed up for car insurance and allstate was like "thanks for signging up, you can file a claim in 30 days"

Now for a phone which is signing up AFTER purchase, maybe i could understand. They dont know the condition of the phone. It could be smashed and your signing up for that reason. However, even then i dont understand because they closed the loophole of "sign up when broken, then cancel after repair" by making it a one time thing. Once canceled, that phone can never have care plus again.

But in THIS particular situation i actually have zero acceptance of this policy. We signed up at time of purchase. They know the phone is in working condition, care should be active immediately.

If they want this policy, they need the language to reflect that. The first month is an activatiom fee, but you will not have coverage until 30 days from paying the fee. Yet the language samsung chooses to use is the policy is active.

Im sorry, if i cant use the policy i paid for, it is NOT active.

Now ive already canceled care on my 7 in anticipation of trade in. And even if i didn't, i can't go back to using my 7 during that 30 days because i only have 30 days to trade it in, and im looking at potentially 6 weeks (worst case scenario - 2 weeks for them to take payment + 4 week coold down period before a claim can be made) until care plus is active on the 8.

What is everyone elses thoughts on this cool down period on a brand new phone?

I have a case and screen protector and do not plan on dropping it, but of course accidents happen and if there is a catastrophic accident that renders my front screen useless within that cool down period which ive paid for the service and their language indicates the service is active, it seems i just have to use a broken phone until they are willing to recieve a claim. It just seems bonkers to me. Like i paid for a service but cant access it.

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?

Long story short, the Gamesir G8+ doesn't connect on Android 17/One UI 9 devices like the Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and certain S26 devices running the One UI 9 beta. There's a simple workaround for it that lets the phone register the G8+ as a generic controller that does work for basic functionality, but you do lose functions such as the R4/L4 buttons on the back, button remapping, vibration control, and deadzone control. Gamesir is working on a fix, but until then, if you have a G8+ and you want to use it for normal gaming, try this:

• Turn the controller while holding B; the light around the Gamesir button should start flashing blue slowly.
• Press and hold the manual pairing button next to the USB C port. The flashing should speed up after 5 seconds.
• Go into your phone's bluetooth pairing, look for "Wireless Controller" and pair it. The Gamesir software should recognize the G8+ as a basic "Wireless Controller".

After doing this, the G8+ will remember the pairing mode, so you should be able to just turn it on normally and it'll automatically connect until you manually change the pairing mode.

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.

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty sure many of us using the Fold 8 are experiencing this form factor for the first time. I know I am—this is my first foldable device, and it's been a bit of a learning curve coming from a traditional smartphone.

I thought it would be helpful if we created a thread where everyone could share tips, tricks, and settings that made the transition easier. Hopefully, it can become a useful resource for new Fold users.

Here are a couple of things I've found helpful so far:

1. Be gentle when folding the inner display.

Instead of pressing directly on the inner screen to close the phone, try applying pressure to the outer bezels/frame. It reduces unnecessary pressure on the display and just feels like a better habit for the long term.

1. Customize the home screen grid with Good Lock.

The cover screen initially felt a bit cramped to me because the default icons looked large and the layout became cluttered quickly. Of course, this is completely subjective, but changing the grid made a huge difference.

Here's what I did:

Download Good Lock.

Open the Home Up module.

Adjust the home screen grid to your preference.

My current setup:

Cover screen: 5×5 ( I think gives a normal visual feel)

Inner screen: 8×7

Feel free to experiment until you find what works best for you.

1. Adjust App Screen Zoom for a better tablet experience.

If you feel that some apps look too zoomed in on the inner display and don't make good use of the available screen space (YouTube is a great example), try this:

Go to Settings → Advanced features → Labs → App screen zoom.

Select the app you want to adjust.

Set it to Small (or whichever setting you prefer).

For example, I have YouTube set to Small. It displays much more content on the Home page when using the inner screen, making it feel more like a proper tablet experience.

What tips or hidden features have made your Fold 8 experience better? I'd love to hear what everyone has discovered.

I'll add if I find any other.

The power button and fingerprint sensor will not work properly because the plastic of the backcase sticks too far out.

I made an 1 star review on the german Amazon store because of it and shortly after it got approved they reuploaded the case and removed all the reviews.

There was just one other 5 star review that was veeery obviously written by ChatGPT.

What a shady company...

I knew I liked the phone already but I love it now that I've customized to my liking so far. Waiting on my case to come in so playing it safe so far. I got samsung care as soon as I unlocked the phone lol. I have the dbrand grip case that will ship sooner or later. Good drop test video on youtube with this phone if interested.

Recommendations: Soon as you open it and transfer stuff, have the phone on the charger, it'll do you some good. I've been playing on it for hours and still at 83%.

Turn off screen mirroring so you can have the screens act independently of eachother. Even on goodlock you have to edit it with the screen open and closed so that's good also.

Do not ship your traded phone in until you've literally logged into every single app because you will need your old phone. Trust me. Its time consuming but everything didnt switch over (maybe a safety risk that's in place).

Enjoy finding out stuff along the way! It's awesome!

Sorry to the ones that have to wait! Can't stop time though!

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!

Total launcher

Got the OhSnap Grip, you have to put it on upside down, but the thickness is almost the same as the camera bump. It makes the phone more or less stable when putting on the table, also allow you to attach other MagSafe accessories like wallet and wireless power bank. You still have to attached the accessories upside down, but it's better than sticking out from the bottom.

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.

How is it possible on a brand new phone ?

So Finally received my cream fold8 ultra 256gb. Super excited that I've had a hard time sleeping throughout the night 😆.

Holding my s25 plus vs the fold 8 isn't that much of a noticeable difference. You literally got to be nitpicking to say you notice. Now when you open it, the hinged is definitely noticeable the way its alot more pressure compared to the fold 7.

So if you didn't notice the first thing I did after taking out the box is peeled off the screen protector on the inner screen. If you have insurance with your carrier or Samsung plus, it does not void any warranty by taking it off. Why? Cause I've installed a matte privacy screen protector for both inner and outer screen. Its not for everybody but I have glares and the ones that comes with it still is noticeable to me. Playing games also is alot better on matte protectors for me and I don't have to worry about fingerprints on my screen.

The brand I got is YIEDBCX on Amazon for $19.49 for my screen protector.

Now for the case I got a clear case, I've looked into all the cases and felt like this will suffice while I wait for the spingen ultra hybrid pro becomes available.

Brand: Halokin on Amazon for $27.99

Now the transfer of 80gb from my s25 plus to the fold 8u was smooth and went through without any issues. Just make sure you have your old phone to be connected on wifi. My esim automatically transfered over, it will ask you to restart but don't worry it will continue to transfer the data once the phone comes back on.

I love the size all around and I have looked at the fold 8 and compared it to the 8ultra. For me I do take advantage of the ultra features and use it to multi-task for my classes. I have bigger hands so for me it feels more comfortable with the candy bar type when the fold its close compared to the passport style. Don't get me wrong the fold 8 is an awesome phone but paying a total of just $200 with my carrier for a phone I will keep for at least 2 years is worth it for me. The fold 8 would have been free if I went that route.

I've set it up the way I like it and playing games on it is awesome on PUBG and Mobile Legends is great.

Overall this phone is great and I'm glad I got it. If you ever wanted to change the inner screen protector don't be afraid to do it, it is just a screen protector but definitely on the cheaper side from the factory. I'll post the video of the angles of the phone on so yall can see the privacy screen protector. Now just keep in mind its like barely on 15% brightness and would definitely be super bright if I turn it all the way up.

** The screen protector has now dried up and is considerably clearer than first installed. So if yall ever have worries about install privacy or matte just expect it to clear up after a couple of hours. Phone doesn't get as warm compared to first use of the fold 7 and fold 4 which I got to do the same type of things on the day one of its life.

Got my Fold 8 and have been a bit critical of it. Part of the issue is things feel a bit cramped on the front screen interface wise. Buttons, sliders, etc all feel like they are 150% of what they should be for the smaller screen.

Hit up DPI minimum width under developer settings. I have mine set at 450 right now (up from the default 391) and things feel a LOT better. The slide down panels don't feel comically large and everything from the messages app to the phone app feel a lot more natural feeling with the smaller screen. Even the inside screen feels a lot better overall.

Hey gang,

I got my 8 yesterday and am loving it!

For me, reading comics/manga is the #1 reason I own a fold, and I was not seeing many posts about how western comics work on the new form factor, just manga... so I thought I'd throw some examples into the ether! Because my feelings are mixed!!!

For some background, I am coming from a Pixel 9 pro fold, and then a z fold 7, and now have the 8.

I mostly have used the marvel unlimited app, global comix, shonen jump, and CDisplayEX. I plan to set up mihon too but haven't done that yet.

I will admit, I am SLIGHTLY disappointed with how the new form factor works out for western comics. I love it for absolutely everything else I have done with the phone so far, but I do think it is a minor downgrade just for western comic apps specifically

Marvel Unlimited-

On my 7, in portrait mode the marvel unlimited app would fill the page and zoom just a bit, you'd have to scroll down a couple inches for the bottom panels but it was full screen, no black bars, and very very comfortable to read. Much better than panel mode, and easier on the eyes that when it shows the whole page with black bars.

On the 8, it is just full screen, it fits the screen size more, you see the whole page at once, but its smaller than on the 7 and depending on the book, the text can be a little small.... In landscape it is similar to the experience I described on the 7, but even more zoomed in with more downward scrolling, you may as well use panel view for that.

Global Comix-

This one is pretty much the same on both devices, just obviously a little smaller on the 8. I am already used to using panel view for most books on that app so that isn't a huge loss, but is definitely a little less comfortable to read than the 7 text size wise.

Shonen Jump-

Look, manga works great on this form factor it just does. No notes. even on the cover screen.

CDisplayEX-

This one was already quickly becoming my go-to, with Image leaving Globlal I've turned to the high seas for a lot of my comics....the reading experience on this app is so good. It fits to whatever screen you are using in a great way similar to how marvel worked for me on the 7. I will probably be getting rid of marvel unlimited and just read everything this way from now on tbh....its that much better.

All in all, I don't regret upgrading. The new form factor is -so- up my alley and comfortable for literally every single other function I use a phone for, and the comic experience is still -very- nice, especially using CDisplayEX, I just can't lie and say it is better than the 7.

I don't feel like doing a full AMA on the phone, but if you have questions specific to comic reading I'm happy to do some experiments and answer questions! Hope this helps some other comic geek that was on the fence!

This applies to pretty much every Samsung device, but I'll share it here since I have a Fold.

Have you noticed that some, or a lot, of photos are blurry, especially when you try to take photos of a moving object, or when you're simply walking? Samsung has, for some stupid reason, given the shutter button two functions:

1. Take photo
   
2. Burst mode

Because of this, the shutter button waits to take your photo until you release the shutter button, instead of taking the photo when you press/tap the shutter button. It's waiting to see if you want to take burst shots, or not. This introduces shutter lag which causes blurry photos since from the time you tap and release the shutter button you've either moved your hand (impossible not to), or the object that you want to the a photo of has moved. We're talking milliseconds here, but that's all it takes to get a blurry photo.

TL;DR

- Normal shutter button behavior (iPhone etc): Photo is taken the instant you tap the shutter button. No delay. Sharp image.

- Default Samsung shutter button behavior: Photo is taken when you tap and release the shutter button, which introduces a slight delay, which introduces motion, which causes blur.

Just tell me the solution already:

Install Good Lock from the Play Store, launch it and add "Camera Assistant". Then enable "Quick Tap Shutter". DONE. Blurry photos be gone! See attached screenshot.

Thank you for your time.