DT Next Tech | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: A new direction in the world of foldable smartphones

CHENNAI: Samsung has led the way in the foldable smartphone segment with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldables. The brand has just flipped the script this year with two book-type foldables that were unveiled in July 2026. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 marks a new direction for the brand, it’s part of an imminent global trend where a passport-style form factor for foldable smartphones have gained traction. Foldable smartphones remain buoyant despite stagnant smartphone sales across the globe.

It’s the form factor that will surprise you when you first unbox the Z Fold 8. It’s surprisingly light (just 201 gm), and feels good in your hand. It’s not just the heft, the squat form factor makes it easier to hold and to reach the corners of the device (compared to a conventional book-type foldable like the Z Fold 8 Ultra). The 5.5-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X cover display (1248 x 1972 pixels / 428 PPI) is all you need for most smartphone tasks like texting. The larger, main display gives you 7.6 inches (1828 x 2448 pixels / 403 PPI) of screen real estate. The display’s unique 4:3 aspect ratio adds to its versatility allowing you to flip the orientation depending on the Content you consume. While videos might work best on landscape mode, flipping through E-books worked better in portrait mode.

Samsung has made some key improvements that add to the device’s appeal. The peak brightness now hits 3000 nits while Samsung’s new Flex Titanium technology has made the crease disappear almost entirely. Samsung has also embraced the silicon carbon battery that allows it to bundle this device with a 4800 mAh battery that doesn’t add too much bulk to the device. The device didn’t disappoint in our battery tests, managing a day despite medium to heavy usage. At its heart is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The device comes in multiple storage variants that go all the way to 16GB/1TB. With those specs, it’s no surprise that the Z Fold 8 aced our benchmark tests and gaming marathons.

The foldable smartphone era takes an interesting detour with the Z Fold 8, we’re likely to see more devices (including the upcoming iPhone fold, if the rumour mills have it right) follow this design template. While the Z Fold 8 misses out on a telephoto lens and stylus support, it’s the novel form factor and new user experiences that make this device break the clutter, offering a cool new option if you’re ready to go foldable.

(Rs 1,79,999 onwards)