Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 10

Samsung Launches $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8, but New 7.6-Inch Shape Compromises Phone Use

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 10

Samsung Launches $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8, but New 7.6-Inch Shape Compromises Phone Use

Q: Why did Samsung abandon the standard phone shape for a passport design, and will it ruin everyday texting?

Samsung switched to the passport-style Fold 8 to make the device better at what many people now do most on phones: watch video, read, browse and multitask. The wider 10:16 cover screen and 4:3 inner display are designed around content rather than the old goal of mimicking a normal tall smartphone. Opened up, the Fold 8 works more like a compact tablet, with less wasted space for websites, ebooks, split-screen apps and landscape video. Samsung has also positioned it as the “immersive” model in a broader foldable range, leaving the more conventional phone-like shape to the Fold 8 Ultra. That design is a trade-off, not a mistake. Reviewers consistently found the Fold 8 excellent for media and reading, and some said the short, wide shape becomes natural after a few days. The wider keyboard can even help with two-thumb typing. But the cover screen is shorter, so you see less of messages, email and app feeds at once, and the keyboard takes up a larger share of the display. So, no, it probably will not ruin everyday texting, but it can make it less convenient than on a standard phone. One-handed typing is the weak point, especially for smaller hands, because the folded phone is wider and requires more grip. Two-handed texting is generally easier, and many users will simply open the phone when they want more room. In short, Samsung gave up the standard phone shape to prioritize a better small-tablet experience, and the cost is some everyday phone practicality.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 10

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a short, passport-like foldable design at $1,899, pairing a 5.5-inch outer screen with a 7.6-inch inner display that works better as a tablet than as a phone.
That trade-off shows up most when closed: the 9.7mm-thick device is harder to use one-handed, and the on-screen keyboard consumes more than half of the cover display, limiting space for messaging and other phone tasks.
Inside, the 4:3 OLED panel is bright, smooth and well suited to websites, apps and video, but landscape video appears almost the same size as on the Fold 7 or Fold 8 Ultra despite slimmer black bars.
Samsung offsets the awkward shape with strong internals — a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, up to 16GB RAM, roughly 40-hour battery life and One UI 9 multitasking features — but the phone lacks a telephoto camera.
The review concludes the Fold 8 is a technically impressive but niche experiment, with its unusual form, £1,699 starting price and costly repairs making the more conventional Fold 8 Ultra or rival foldables easier buys.