Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 24
Samsung Says Z Fold 8 Meets 1,200-Cycle EPREL Standard, Not a Battery Downgrade
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 24

Samsung Says Z Fold 8 Meets 1,200-Cycle EPREL Standard, Not a Battery Downgrade

3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 24

Summary

  • Samsung said the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8’s 1,200-cycle rating reflects compliance with the EU’s EPREL standard, countering reports that the new foldables suffered a battery-life downgrade.
  • The company said earlier 2,000-cycle figures on devices like the Z Fold 7 used Samsung’s own testing method, while EPREL applies a standardized measure of battery health and longevity across phones.
  • Under that standard, the new foldables can lose up to 20% capacity after 1,200 charge cycles, yet still compare favorably with rivals such as Google’s Pixel 10 Pro and Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro at 1,000 cycles.
  • Battery capacity also increased in the new lineup, with the Z Fold 8 at 4,800mAh and the Z Fold 8 Ultra at 5,000mAh, suggesting daylong use should remain feasible even as batteries age.
  • The clarification reverses earlier assumptions that Samsung’s first partial silicon-carbon batteries traded lifespan for capacity, reframing the issue as a certification change rather than a hardware setback.

Insights

Will Samsung's new high-capacity silicon batteries force users into expensive replacements before their seven-year software promise ends?
Why are flagship smartphone batteries degrading faster despite breakthrough silicon-carbon technology and massive leaps in hardware performance?