I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's truly like having an iPad mini or a Kindle in your pocket

What happened

Recommended (Image credit: &copy Future) TechRadar Verdict The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a shot in the arm for the foldables market. Samsung has adapted familiar elements to make a phone that's ready to fit your lifestyle with its practical size, excellent screens, and plenty of software and performance potential. It’s still costly, and the lack of some features seems extra disappointing given the price, but what’s here gels together in a wonderfully cohesive way.

Practical impact for readers

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test. With devices, practical impact usually shows up in battery life, heat, stability, and long-term usability rather than in a few flashy headline numbers. The readers who should care most are the ones planning to replace a device, buy an accessory, or upgrade a work setup in the next few months.

Details worth verifying

Jump To: Price & availability Specs Design Displays Software Cameras Performance Battery Should you buy it? Also consider How I tested Samsung Galaxy Fold 8: Two-minute review It’s high praise that one of my biggest problems with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that I wish it had a different name. The readers who should care most are the ones planning to replace a device, buy an accessory, or upgrade a work setup in the next few months. The next step is to see whether the current signals harden into a durable change or fade as a short-lived experiment.

Who should act or wait

The fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has taken up the mantle of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and all previous Galaxy Z Fold models is a little confusing. But titles aside, what Samsung has actually done here with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — that is, build a new kind of foldable for a new kind of audience — deserves recognition, and I'm glad the South Korean giant has once again moved the category forward in a meaningful way.

What is still unclear

Ideal Galaxy Z Fold 8 users are those focused on mobile entertainment and exploring new ideas with a pair of screens that Samsung has shaped specifically for watching video and reading, respectively. That is why the useful reading move is not to stop at the headline, but to compare the promise, the workflow change, and the likely cost before deciding anything.

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