The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is making me question my allegiance to Samsung’s best phone lineup

For a long time, the Galaxy S Ultra has been the easy choice when deciding which Samsung phone I want to use as my main device. I enjoy trying other phones, and my work gives me plenty of opportunities to do that, but the Ultra's cameras keep bringing me back.

That happened again when I switched from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. I'm still using the S26 Ultra, and the reasons I returned to it haven't changed.

What has changed is how often I think about going back to the Fold 8. No previous Galaxy Z Fold has kept tempting me like this after I stopped using it. The Fold 8 is the first one that has made my usual preference for an S Ultra feel a little less certain.

The biggest reason I prefer a Galaxy S Ultra is its camera setup, especially the zoom cameras. Powerful zoom is important to me, and it's something I must have on my main phone.

I might love using another phone, but I still want those cameras available when I need them. That is why the Galaxy S26 Ultra remains the phone I use every day.

Of course, everyone has different priorities. If you mostly take photos with the main camera and rarely zoom in, the camera differences between these phones may not carry much weight for you.

For me, they matter enough that I returned to the S26 Ultra after three months of using the Fold 8. But I haven't stopped missing the latter, and that is what makes this particular Fold different from the ones that came before it.

The Fold 8's low weight is a big part of its appeal. I noticed it while using the phone, and I have continued to miss it since switching back to the S26 Ultra.

I particularly liked being able to walk around with the Fold 8 unfolded and use the inner screen comfortably. Browsing and reading on that big screen are quite enjoyable when the phone feels so light.

Every Galaxy Z Fold has a big screen, but the Fold 8 makes it less of a chore to use that screen when you're not sitting at your desk or on your sofa.

I also like the shorter and wider cover display. This is more about the newness of the form factor than anything practical, though. After years of tall, wide phones (or tall, narrow phones if we're talking about a Galaxy Z Fold), the Fold 8 feels like a breath of fresh air when you're using it folded.

These are things I keep remembering about the Fold 8 while using the S26 Ultra. The Ultra's cameras are the reason I'm sticking with it, but every so often, I find myself wanting to pick up the Fold again.

I haven't forgotten what annoyed me about the Fold 8: I often had to rotate it to portrait after unfolding it to get some apps to fit properly.

Instagram and X are two examples. I like using the larger screen, but having to rotate it after opening it can become a nuisance. It's an additional step between unfolding the phone and actually starting to use it.

Portrait photos in Gallery are another example. The Fold 8 is wider and shorter when unfolded than Samsung's previous Galaxy Z Fold models and the Fold 8 Ultra.

That means there are particularly large black bars on either side when viewing portrait photos in landscape, so I end up rotating the phone again. I would prefer to have the phone in the right orientation as soon as I unfold it, which the Fold 8 doesn't allow.

But this is part of what makes my continued interest in the Fold 8 surprising to me. I remember these frustrations clearly, and I would have to deal with them again if I switched back. But I keep considering it anyway.

Having both phones available might sound like an easy solution. I could use the Fold 8 for the most part and pick up the S26 Ultra when I want to take pictures.

But I only want to use one phone. I don't want to carry two devices around, and I don't want to keep alternating between them depending on what I feel like doing.

Even with access to extra devices through my work, I need one main phone that I use for everything. That means choosing which advantages matter more and accepting what I give up. For now, the cameras keep tipping the balance in the S26 Ultra's favor.

My situation comes with an advantage that is worth acknowledging. I have access to different phones because of my work. If I decide to return to the Fold 8, I can do that without buying another phone, and I can just as easily go back to the S26 Ultra.

Many readers making this choice will be spending their own money on one device. Changing their minds later could involve a return, a sale, or another expensive purchase. That makes it worth thinking carefully about which phone they actually want to use before committing to either one.

If you're considering a Fold, think about how often you would open it and what you would do on the inner display. The wider shape when it's unfolded is great for gaming or watching videos. But it's not perfect if you're going to browse the internet or use social media apps like Instagram and X.

If you can try one in person, spend some time with the apps you use most often on the inner screen. Of course, give the cameras the same thought. If you want proper zoom capabilities, the Fold 8 is not the phone for you.

Think about which compromises you would be happier living with every day. The Fold 8 may be the better choice if you think you would get more use and enjoyment out of its design and larger screen.

I'm still on the S26 Ultra because of how much the cameras matter to me. Yet the Fold 8 is the first Galaxy Z Fold I keep thinking about, even with the things that annoyed me still at the back of my mind.

For now, the Galaxy S Ultra still has my allegiance. The Fold 8 has made me less sure it will always stay that way.