Where the reviewers agree
- The phone is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with a compact flip design. — Tom's Guide, Wired, The Verge, Android Central, Tech Advisor, Tweakers, CNET, Phonandroid, PC-Welt
- The cover screen is more usable, with support for full apps and better navigation. — The Verge, Android Central, Tech Advisor, CNET, PC-Welt
- The price is $100 higher than the Z Flip 7, which several reviewers see as hard to justify. — Tom's Guide, Wired, The Verge, Android Central, CNET
- Camera hardware is largely unchanged from the previous model. — Tom's Guide, Wired, Android Central, Tech Advisor, CNET, PC-Welt
Where they disagree
- Battery life is rated differently: The Verge calls it reliable for a full day and Tech Advisor says it improved, while Wired calls it average and CNET says it is weaker than rivals. — The Verge, Tech Advisor, Wired, CNET
- Performance is praised as top-tier by some, while Tweakers and Phonandroid note the Exynos 2600 in some regions and PC-Welt says the Exynos chip trails flagship Snapdragon performance. — Tweakers, Phonandroid, PC-Welt, CNET
- Camera verdicts vary: Tweakers and The Verge praise the main camera and selfies, while Phonandroid and PC-Welt call night and ultra-wide shots weak. — Tweakers, The Verge, Phonandroid, PC-Welt
Bottom line: Suits buyers wanting a slim, compact flip with a more capable cover screen and do not mind paying more. Trade-offs are a $100 price rise for modest hardware changes, unchanged cameras, slow 25W charging and only IP48 dust and water resistance.
Summarised with AI from the 9 reviews below — each one is linked in full.
What the reviewers said
A refined, compact and lightweight flip phone with top-tier performance, but only a small upgrade over last year and at a higher price.
- Compact and lightweight clamshell design
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Solid 50MP main camera
- Useful cover screen and handy AI features
- Seven years of software updates
- Costs $100 more with only minor upgrades
- No telephoto camera
- Average battery life
- Slow 25W wired and 15W wireless charging
- Cover screen still limited for third-party apps
Phonandroid FR
No scoreSep 18, 2026An excellent flip foldable for fans of the clamshell format, with a complete spec sheet and slim design, though heat, dust and water resistance are format drawbacks. The reviewer personally…
- Very light and slim for a flip foldable
- Very good performance with Exynos 2600
- Bright inner and outer displays with good color accuracy
- Pocket-friendly when folded
- Versatile camera setup, strong daytime photos
- Only IP48 rating, vulnerable to dust and splashes
- Tends to heat up
- Night ultra-wide and zooms are unusable
- Stagnant compared to previous generation
- Noticeable imbalance between stereo speakers
The Verge US
8/10Aug 29, 2026Samsung's Z Flip 8 makes the cover screen far more usable with full apps, though hardware barely changes and the $100 price hike is hard to justify over the Z…
- Can run any app on the cover screen
- Thinner and lighter than predecessor
- Reliable full-day battery life
- Main 50MP camera impressive and usable for selfies
- Cover screen navigation feels more like a regular phone
- Hardware mostly a rehash of last year's phone
- Still only IP48 rated, vulnerable to dust
- $100 more expensive than Z Flip 7
- Visible crease, though less than Fold 8
- Slow 25W wired charging, Qi2 requires magnetic case
Tech Advisor UK
4/5Aug 25, 2026Slimmer and more flexible with better battery life and a more useful outer screen, though hardware changes are modest and the camera is unchanged.
- Lighter, thinner and easier to open one-handed
- Improved battery life from efficient Exynos 2600
- Outer screen now supports more apps and layout control
- Seven years of system updates
- Camera same as previous model, limited in places
- Charging remains slow at 25W wired
- Price increased compared to Flip 7
- Smaller battery than many rivals
PC-Welt DE
4/5Aug 25, 2026A thinner Flip with better battery life and more outer-screen control, but weaker cameras and slower charging keep it from beating Motorola's Razr.
- Thinner and lighter than the previous Flip
- Better efficiency and battery life from new chip
- Outer screen now runs many installed apps
- Seven years of system updates
- Cameras unchanged and weaker, especially ultra-wide and night shots
- Charging only half as fast as rivals
- Price rose to 1,299 euros
- Exynos chip trails flagship Snapdragon performance
Android Central US
4/5Aug 23, 2026A modest refresh with a new chip, thinner body and better cover screen, but cameras, battery and charging are unchanged and the $100 premium is hard to justify.
- Thin, lightweight design
- Excellent performance from Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Revamped cover screen UI
- Useful AI features like Now Brief and My FanCam
- Battery life is just okay
- Relatively slow 25W charging
- Cameras unchanged from predecessor
- $100 price increase over Galaxy Z Flip 7
Tweakers NL
No scoreAug 8, 2026Excellent selfie phone and slightly slimmer and lighter, but offers little real news over the Flip7; mainly a faster chip.
- Selfies from main camera are excellent quality
- Slimmer and lighter than the Flip7
- Exynos 2600 chip brings speed and efficiency gains
- Bright inner and outer displays with accurate colours
- Flex Mode works well for hands-free photos
- Little genuinely new compared with the Flip7
- No Titanium Flex hinge, so the fold stays visible
- Main camera overall only decent, not top-tier
- Rear camera results lag behind Motorola razr 70 ultra
- Lacks upgrades like bigger battery or better durability
CNET US
8/10Best upgrade pickAug 3, 2026A thin, light and powerful flip phone with a more useful cover screen, but the higher price and weaker battery life temper the upgrade case.
- Thin and light design for a flip phone
- Much more usable cover screen with navigation options
- Fastest flip phone CNET has tested, with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Strong benchmark and gaming performance
- Higher price than the Z Flip 7
- Battery life and charging similar to last year, weaker than rivals
- Galaxy AI features feel pushy and not compelling
- Camera hardware unchanged from Z Flip 7
Tom's Guide US
3.5/5Aug 1, 2026A sleek, refined flip phone with real performance and screen gains, but a $100 price hike and minor changes make it hard to recommend as an upgrade.
- Substantial processing performance gains from Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Brighter screen easier to view outdoors
- Horizon Lock keeps vlogging footage level
- Compact pocketable flip form factor
- $100 price increase over the previous model
- Battery life improvement is minor
- Design is starting to look boring
- Camera performance mostly unchanged
- Lacks anti-reflective coating found on Fold 8 models
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
