Remember me
After months of leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is finally official, and with it come many question marks around Samsung's current foldable phone lineup.
Obviously, the clamshell phone is still a "Flip," but it's the other two book-style foldables — the Folds — that are confusing, especially from a naming perspective.
What baffled me the most was that Samsung hasn't said anything to justify the "Ultra" part of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. It's a marketing trick that you shouldn't fall for; there's nothing ultra here. Let me explain.
Related
Adding "Ultra" to the Z Fold 8 doesn't make it ultra
This is literally a Galaxy Z Fold 7 v2
Looking at the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, you'd be hard-pressed to find a difference between it and last year's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. The phones look identical and there's hardly anything on the surface to indicate any upgrade.
The two phones have the same weight, almost the exact same dimensions, the same outer display, a very similar camera setup, and a nearly identical design with those familiar corners and small curves.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Display (closed)
6-5 inch
1080 x 2520 pixels
6-5 inch
1080 x 2520 pixels
Display (open)
8-inch
1968 x 2184 pixels
2600 nits
8-inch
2256 x 2504 pixels
3000 nits
RAM
12GB or 16GB
12GB or 16GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Battery
4,400mAh
5,000mAh
Charging speed
25W wired
15W wireless
45W wired
20W wireless
Front camera
10MP cover
10MP main
10MP cover
10MP main
Rear camera
200MP main
10MP 3x telephoto
12MP ultrawide
200MP main
10MP 3x telephoto
50MP ultrawide
Dimensions
158.4 x 143.2 x 4.2 mm unfolded
158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm folded
158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm unfolded
158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm folded
Weight
215g
215g
IP rating
IP48
IP48
Sure, the hinge and inner display have been vastly improved — more on that later — but what I'm saying is that there's nothing here to justify tacking on an "Ultra" to the phone's name to pretend it's some superior version of a Z Fold.
Compared to the latest Ultra of the Galaxy S26 series, there's no 5x telephoto lens, no built-in S Pen (not even support for external pens like previous Fold models allowed), and no IP68 rating with proper dust ingress.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is essentially a direct continuation from last year's non-Ultra Galaxy Z Fold 7 and has done nothing to earn the fancy upgrade in name or the aura that bestows.
A few upgrades that matter But still don't justify the new name
Close
Of course, the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't just a copy-paste of last year's Z Fold 7. Samsung has implemented some under-the-hood changes that are worth praising; they're just not worthy of an "Ultra" monicker.
The new Flex Titanium panel coupled with the anti-reflective coating, higher brightness, and new hinge is a huge upgrade. We don't know how it'll behave after thousands of folds and unfolds, but it's very promising.
It already looks significantly better under all lighting conditions. Plus, it should, hopefully, reduce the annoying friction and bump I've felt each time I've swiped or tapped right in the middle of other foldables' creases.
Switching to Silicon Carbon batteries is another fantastic improvement, since it allows Samsung to cram in a larger battery in the same footprint, without adding any weight or thickness to the phone. Faster charging is more than welcome, too.
None of these fundamentally change anything about the phone, though, despite all the improvements.
Everything you can do with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra today you could do with the "regular" Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year.
Put simply, everything you can do with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra today you could do with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year, and that was not an "Ultra" phone. So what even is a Galaxy Ultra, and why is Samsung diluting the brand?
I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that question other than the fact the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 had to have a better marketing name than "Wide," so it won the regular Fold 8 name, while the tall one suddenly became an ultra without doing anything to earn it.
Related
Sure, Samsung, let's all pretend this is an Ultra phone
The Ultra part of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is just a marketing move and a portfolio naming solution — there's no other way to say it. Don't fall for the lie.
If you're going to buy this phone, you should do so knowing fully well what to expect. This is not a foldable version of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra; it's an upgraded Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a few improvements, but nothing more.
It should still be an excellent foldable, for sure, but what I'm saying is it's not an exciting leap forward in Samsung's foldable lineup. And for that reason, I am a bit bitter. I would've loved something more innovative for a real "Ultra" foldable.