What the reviewers said
Digital Trends
8/10Aug 11, 2026A wider, passport-style foldable that feels like a normal phone when closed, with excellent screens and software, held back by price, thermal throttling, and weak dust protection.
- Passport-style body is light and thin when closed
- Bright 120Hz inner and cover displays
- Hinge holds angles reliably for Flex Mode
- Long software support and feature-rich One UI
- Minimal display crease compared with other foldables
- Expensive at $1,899 starting price
- No dedicated telephoto lens
- Thermal throttling under sustained load
- IP48 rating offers weak dust protection
- Speaker grilles get covered by palms in landscape
TechRadar
4.5/5Aug 3, 2026A strong, cohesive foldable that's lighter and more practical than rivals, though pricey and missing a telephoto camera.
- Light and pocketable for a book-style foldable
- Excellent inner and outer displays
- Useful, fun Galaxy AI and foldable software
- Strong performance and battery specs
- Expensive, with a small gap to the Fold 8 Ultra
- No telephoto camera
- Display hard to read in direct sunlight
- IP48 rating below some rival foldables
Tech Advisor
4.5/5Aug 3, 2026A novel passport-shaped foldable that feels fresh and exciting, though the cramped cover screen, missing telephoto camera and gaming thermals hold it back.
- Compact, pocket-friendly passport-style folded shape
- 4:3 inner screen suits movies and gaming
- Solid battery life and fast charging
- Strong multitasking tools and software support
- Surprisingly advanced video features
- No telephoto camera
- Cover display cramped, hard for one-handed use
- Gaming performance limited by thermal throttling
- Software needs some tweaks
- Single physical SIM slot only
The Verge
8/10Jul 29, 2026A wide, short foldable that feels natural in use, great for video and reading, though it needs to get cheaper.
- Comfortable to use when closed despite unusual shape
- 4:3 inner display is great for reading and video
- Impressive battery life for its slim size
- Lightest Z Fold yet at 201g
- Crease is now nearly unnoticeable
- No telephoto camera; only two rear lenses
- No IP68 rating, only IP48
- Occasional app errors on the outer screen
- Main camera downgraded from previous generation
- Charging speeds sluggish compared to rival Android phones
Engadget
8.9/10Jul 28, 2026The wider base Z Fold 8 is a brilliant foldable for media and gaming, a better buy than the pricier Ultra for most people.
- Wider design suits videos and gaming on inner screen
- Anti-glare coating and 3,000-nit peak brightness
- Same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance as Ultra
- Faster wired and wireless charging than last year
- Strong battery life, 28 hours 14 minutes video rundown
- No dedicated telephoto or zoom camera
- Pricey overall
- Magnetic accessories need a case or add-on
- Home screen layout jumbles when switching to portrait
- Wired charger not included in box
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.