Where the reviewers agree
- The inner and outer displays are brighter and have less visible crease than the Z Fold 7. — Tom's Guide, The Verge, Tech Advisor, Android Central, Android Police, Engadget, TechRadar, The Guardian, SmartWorld, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
- Battery life is improved, with a much larger battery that lasts longer than the predecessor. — Tom's Guide, The Verge, Tech Advisor, Android Central, Android Police, Engadget, TechRadar, The Guardian, Trusted Reviews
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance is strong, with no lag for multitasking and gaming. — Tom's Guide, Tech Advisor, Android Police, Engadget, TechRadar, The Guardian, SmartWorld, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
- The 3x telephoto camera is a weak point, with reviewers calling it low-quality or disappointing. — Tom's Guide, The Verge, Tech Advisor, Android Central, Android Police, Engadget, The Guardian, SmartWorld, Trusted Reviews
Where they disagree
- Tom's Guide and TechRadar rate the phone highly, while Tech Advisor, Android Central and PC-Welt give lower scores, mainly over price and the case for the cheaper Fold 8. — Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Tech Advisor, Android Central, PC-Welt
- Engadget and SmartWorld say the upgrades are modest or the design is unchanged, while TechRadar and The Guardian call it the best or top foldable available. — Engadget, SmartWorld, TechRadar, The Guardian
- The Verge and Engadget praise the telephoto camera or 3x lens, while Tech Advisor, Android Police and Trusted Reviews call it weak or disappointing. — The Verge, Engadget, Tech Advisor, Android Police, Trusted Reviews
Bottom line: Suits buyers who want the largest, thinnest book-style foldable with strong performance and battery life. Trade-offs are a high price, a weak 3x telephoto, IP48 rating only, and little change from the Z Fold 7. Several reviewers say the smaller Z Fold 8 or cheaper…
Summarised with AI from the 11 reviews below — each one is linked in full.
What the reviewers said
SmartWorld IT
9/10Sep 14, 2026Samsung's Ultra foldable remains the most complete book-style foldable, with easier opening, a stronger inner display and top software, though the zoom camera, price and wobbly hinge-side design hold it…
- Premium build quality and easier opening than predecessor
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Upgraded 50MP ultrawide camera
- Inner display with less visible crease and higher brightness
- Seven years of OS and security updates
- Wobbles noticeably when lying flat on a table
- Expensive pricing
- Disappointing 10MP 3x zoom camera
- Not compatible with S Pen
- Minimal box contents
PC-Welt DE
3.5/5Sep 3, 2026A top book-style foldable with great displays and performance, but too expensive, and the cheaper Fold 8 suits most buyers better.
- Very thin, light foldable for its size (215 g)
- Titan hinge improves durability and reduces crease visibility
- Excellent inner and outer AMOLED displays with anti-glare coating
- Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance with no lag
- Strong cameras and seven years of updates
- Very expensive, starting at 2,199 euros
- Inner display has tall 10:9 ratio, poor for video
- IP48 rating lacks dust protection and water resistance of rivals
- Low PWM dimming frequency may cause eye strain
- No integrated Qi2 wireless charging or fifth telephoto camera
Tech Advisor UK
3.5/5Aug 31, 2026A small but meaningful upgrade over the Z Fold 7 and arguably the best book-style foldable, but the cheaper wide Fold 8 is the better buy for most people.
- Titanium hinge reduces crease visibility and adds impact resistance
- Excellent, bright displays with fast 120Hz refresh
- Superb performance for multitasking and gaming
- Dedicated stereo speakers sound punchy
- Seven years of OS and security updates
- Boxy 10:9 inner display poor for video
- Only IP48 rating; vulnerable to fine sand
- No 5x telephoto camera
- No built-in Qi2 or secure 3D face unlock
- Very expensive; wide Fold 8 is better value
Android Central US
3.75/5Aug 22, 2026Looks identical to the Z Fold 7 but gains a bigger battery, flatter hinge and brighter screens. Camera wobble, weak telephoto and a higher price make it a hard recommendation.
- Just as thin and light as predecessor
- Good performance
- Bigger battery lasts longer
- Bright AMOLED panels inside and out
- Crease less visible than before
- Telephoto lens is average at best
- Rear camera module wobbles on a desk
- No Qi 2 magnets
- Costlier than Z Fold 7
- IP48 rating, no IP68
Android Police US
8.5/10Aug 15, 2026A highly capable, refined big-screen foldable, but it looks like a Galaxy Z Fold 7 successor and is overshadowed by the smaller, more enjoyable Z Fold 8.
- Almost flat inner screen with effective anti-reflective coating
- Immensely powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Software is easy to use for multitasking
- Long battery life
- Hinge is smooth and quiet
- Telephoto camera disappoints
- Galaxy AI features are still niche
- No Qi2 wireless charging built in
- Tall, thin folded shape feels awkward
- Very expensive at $2,100 starting price
The Guardian UK
No scoreAug 13, 2026The best folding phone available, with excellent software and two-day battery life, though not a radical upgrade over the Z Fold 7 and pricey.
- Thin and light book-style body, near-identical to Fold 7
- Crisper, brighter inner screen easier to use outdoors
- Two-day battery life, a 13.6% larger battery
- Top Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance for multitasking
- Excellent One UI 9 software with updates until 2033
- Extremely expensive compared with rivals
- Weak 3x telephoto camera compared with best phones
- Visible crease and fingerprint-prone inner screen
- Only IP48 rating, no dust resistance
- Costly repairs; inside screen repair about £600
The Verge US
8/10Aug 7, 2026A solid, incremental upgrade over the Z Fold 7, with a much bigger battery and a useful telephoto camera. Its tall form factor suits productivity, though the price rise and…
- Much larger 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery lasts a full day
- Faster 45W wired and 20W wireless charging
- Brighter 3,000-nit displays with less visible crease
- Added 10MP 3x telephoto alongside strong 200MP main camera
- Thin, lightweight design with tall cover screen
- Only IP48 dust and water resistance
- No S Pen support
- No Privacy Display
- Costs $100 more than the Z Fold 7
- Not Qi2 magnets built in; needs case for fast wireless
TechRadar UK
4.75/5Aug 5, 2026Despite being less exciting than the smaller Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is still the top foldable thanks to a flatter, lighter body, better battery and cameras,…
- Flatter unfolded design with a much less visible crease
- Latest Snapdragon chip gives strong performance
- Upgraded cameras with a 50MP ultra-wide
- Bigger battery enabled by new tech
- Useful AI features like Photo Assist and Now Brief
- Camera bump stops tablet from lying flat
- Expensive starting price
- No digitizer layer for S Pen
- Telephoto only 3x optical zoom
Engadget US
8.8/10Aug 3, 2026A refined foldable with brighter screens, stronger performance and much longer battery life, but upgrades are too modest to justify the 'ultra' label or an upgrade from the Fold 7.
- Brighter inner and cover displays, peak 3,000 nits
- Class-leading performance with Snapdragon chip
- Three rear cameras including true 3x telephoto
- Much longer battery life in video rundown test
- Faster 45W wired and 25W wireless charging
- Expensive, starting at $2,100
- Design largely unchanged from previous model
- No built-in magnetic ring for Qi2 accessories
- Letterboxing on movies due to near-square inner screen
- Upgrade case is weak for Fold 7 owners
Trusted Reviews UK
4/5Jul 31, 2026A well-rounded premium book-style foldable and a clear improvement over the Z Fold 7, though its zoom camera, cover screen and battery life fall short of the Ultra name and…
- Strong sustained performance with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Thin, light design that is easy to open
- Battery life improved over the Z Fold 7
- Anti-glare internal display is noticeably better than before
- Upgraded 50MP ultrawide camera
- 3x zoom camera is weak and low-resolution
- Battery life still trails competitors
- Narrow cover screen is cramped for two-handed use
- No stylus support
- Only IP48 rating, not fully dust-tight
Tom's Guide US
4.5/5Jul 30, 2026A major upgrade for Samsung's foldable line, with big gains in battery, performance and screen brightness. Weighed down by weak telephoto camera, no S Pen and a higher price.
- Brighter, anti-reflective display
- Excellent battery life for a foldable
- Strong cameras overall
- Flagship-level performance from custom Snapdragon chip
- Helpful new AI features
- No S Pen support
- Weak telephoto camera quality
- $100 price hike for the third year running
- Minimal design changes from predecessor
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.
