I’ve spent an hour with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — and I need to upgrade my Z Fold 7 ASAP

I’ve been using, and loving, my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for the past year — for me it's simply the best phone money can buy.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>I’ve been using, and loving, my <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/ive-used-the-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-for-a-year-these-are-the-4-upgrades-im-hoping-to-see-from-the-fold-8-and-one-change-i-hope-doesnt-happen">Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7</a> for the past year — for me it's simply the best phone money can buy.</p><p>The foldable form factor is perfect for watching videos — either on the massive inner screen, or using the design to prop the phone up and watch on its outer display — and also for gaming, productivity, or capturing selfies with the 200MP main sensor rather than the lower-res selfie cam.</p><p>Its thin design is comfortable to hold and easily slips into any pocket, and the design has been durable enough to survive without me using a case; I did have a case for a few months but I hated it, so I’ve reverted back to my screen-protector only strategy.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.20%;"><img id="TzaHX5GPgB94Pg3UNUSe7E" name="Galaxy Z Fold 7" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 7" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TzaHX5GPgB94Pg3UNUSe7E.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="4000" height="2248" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)</span></figcaption></figure><p>As great as the Z Fold 7 is, though, it isn't flawless. The cameras could be better (a fact highlighted by the excellent cameras Samsung put in the Galaxy S26 Ultra that I also carry with me), the battery life isn’t as good as I need at times, and the crease can be quite noticeable in certain lighting thanks to annoying reflections on the inner display.</p><p>Thankfully, Samsung looks to have addressed a lot of my issues with the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — the true successor to last year's Fold 7 (the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/i-went-hands-on-with-the-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-and-this-passport-shaped-oddity-has-revived-my-interest-in-foldable-phones">new non-Ultra Z Fold 8 adopts a squatter design this year</a>), and the frontrunner to be my favorite phone of 2026, after spending just an hour or so with the new device.</p><h2 id="ultra-by-name-ultra-by-nature">Ultra by name, Ultra by nature</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="huua4YZBAHZuSG9SmHiG4d" name="Galaxy-Z-phones-screens-semi-circle" alt="Samsung Galaxy Z 8 phones early look" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/huua4YZBAHZuSG9SmHiG4d.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Samsung Galaxy Z 8 phone lineup </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks almost identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.</p><p>Unlike the Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra offers the exact same screen dimensions as the Z Fold 7, with an 8-inch inner display and 6.5-inch cover display.</p><p>It’s supremely thin and light, so that even when folded it doesn’t feel like a brick, and it offers a similar camera array to the Z Fold 7 (more on that in a moment).</p><p>The only design change you’ll notice is the redesigned hinge. It makes it easier to open the Z Fold 8 Ultra, and allows the phone to sit more flat when open — which in combination with the inner screen’s new matte coating makes the crease less noticeable.</p><p>Instead of reinventing the wheel in areas where the Z Fold 7 already shines, such as its superb form factor, Samsung has introduced upgrades with the Z Fold 8 Ultra that make this phone even more capable.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="e23RiBy8K7mKkShup89gu7" name="20260706_130205" alt="The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra next to the Fold 7" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e23RiBy8K7mKkShup89gu7.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="4000" height="2252" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>My favorite improvement is new silicon carbide battery tech that allows for a much larger 5,000mAh battery than the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh cell, despite the Z Fold 8 Ultra being (very slightly) slimmer.</p><p>The battery life of the Z Fold 7 isn’t ideal. I frequently find that my typical usage — which admittedly involves streaming a lot of video, gaming, and multitasking to watch and work at the same time while on the go — leaves my battery running low by late afternoon. </p><p>The larger capacity of the Z Fold 8 Ultra probably won’t save me from needing to carry a charger with me ‘just in case’, but I’m hoping it’ll mean that I rarely, if ever, run out of juice completely — which can happen with my Z Fold 7, even when I adapt my usage to be more conservative.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3318px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="NT29L5ogz4wKti2QuYpAK7" name="20260706_130132" alt="The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra next to the Fold 7" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NT29L5ogz4wKti2QuYpAK7.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="3318" height="1866" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Z Fold 8 Ultra's cameras are a solid upgrade too. Alongside the Z Fold 7 I also use the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, because its cameras are so impressive — in particular, I’m in love with its 5x 50MP telephoto lens.</p><p>The Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't, unfortunately, improve on the Z Fold 7’s 12MP 3x telephoto camera, but the existing 200MP main sensor has been enhanced with new HDR abilities to match Samsung’s S26 lineup, and the 12MP ultra-wide has been upgraded to 50MP, making the new phone's array feel more 'Ultra'.</p><p>It also gets the impressive Horizontal Lock video stabilization tech which I've loved on the S26 Ultra.</p><p>Having tried out the new cameras, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is certainly a major upgrade, and I’m keen to test them out further. Sure, the Z Fold 8 Ultra won’t win any prizes for best camera phone of 2026, but the versatility offered by the new camera array should help to make this foldable feel like a supremely capable all-round device, and not a phone with so many compromises that you can’t appreciate its incredible design wins.</p> <div class= "tiktok-wrapper" style="min-height: 750px;"><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@techradar/video/7665336880975645974" data-video-id="7665336880975645974" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@techradar" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@techradar">@techradar</a> <p></p><a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - TechRadar" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7665336904133004054">♬ original sound - TechRadar</a></section> </blockquote></div> <h2 id="a-sort-of-silver-lining">A sort of silver lining</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="RCnFdbqRBmCqiXZnMy4gv7" name="20260706_131441" alt="The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra open" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RCnFdbqRBmCqiXZnMy4gv7.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="4000" height="2252" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>There's also a new chipset — the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy the S26 series is outfitted with — that powers a suite of new AI tools, and a brighter 3,000-nit display, which should help to make colors more vivid on the Z Fold 8.</p><p>As you might expect from a phone that's packed with upgrades and sporting a new Ultra moniker, and which is launching in the middle of the ongoing RAM crisis, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will cost more than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.</p><p>The silver lining is that the price hike isn't as big as I and many others feared — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at<strong> </strong>$2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$TBC, where the Z Fold 7's launch price started at $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,899.</p><p>No price increase is ever ideal, but considering how much worse I was expecting it to be, I’ll happily take the $100 / £100 increase on the chin.</p><p>I can't wait to spend more time with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. I love my Z Fold 7, but after spending just a short time with its successor, I already know that it’s time for an upgrade.</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-Wwqq9X"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/Wwqq9X.js" async></script> </article> ]]>