Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra hands-on

Samsung has expanded its foldable lineup this year by introducing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. While the new “Ultra” branding suggests a major leap over previous Fold models, the reality is a little different.

Rather than completely reinventing the device, Samsung has refined the existing formula with a faster chipset, a larger battery, improved charging, a brighter display, and several meaningful hardware upgrades.

The overall design remains familiar, but there are enough changes beneath the surface to make the Fold 8 Ultra feel like a more polished foldable.

After spending some time with the device, here are our first impressions.

At first glance, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks very similar to its predecessor. Samsung hasn't significantly changed the overall footprint, and existing Galaxy Z Fold users will immediately feel at home.

The biggest improvement comes from the redesigned hinge. Opening the device now feels noticeably smoother and more deliberate, with less resistance than before. Samsung has also created a slightly larger gap between the frame halves when folded, making it easier to get a finger between them and unfold the device.

The Fold 8 Ultra is also marginally thinner than its predecessor when unfolded, although the difference is just 0.1mm, which is too small to really matter.

Samsung has continued improving one of the Fold series' biggest weaknesses: the crease. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features a redesigned display structure with a titanium alloy plate beneath the OLED panel, helping reduce the visibility of the crease while also improving durability.

The crease hasn't disappeared completely, but it is noticeably less pronounced than on previous generations and becomes difficult to notice once the display is turned on.

Samsung has also upgraded both displays. Peak brightness on both now reaches 3,000 nits, while pixel density on the foldable display has increased to 422 PPI for a sharper viewing experience.

The foldable display also has an anti-reflection coating, which should make outdoor visibility much better when combined with the higher peak brightness.

These improvements should make the Fold 8 Ultra's large inner display more enjoyable for watching videos, multitasking, and reading content. It's also worth noting that for a change, Samsung has introduced an upgrade in display brightness on a foldable flagship instead of a Galaxy S smartphone.

Powering the Fold 8 Ultra is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, paired with a 5,000mAh battery.

Samsung is also introducing silicon-carbon battery technology to the Fold lineup for the first time. According to the company, it has taken a conservative approach to the technology in order to maximise battery longevity throughout the device's promised software support period of seven years.

Charging has also received an upgrade. The Fold 8 Ultra now supports 45W wired charging, bringing it in line with Samsung's premium flagship devices. Well, except the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which features 60W charging.

We'll need more time with the phone to judge battery life, but the combination of a larger battery, faster charging, and the latest Snapdragon chipset is certainly promising.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra retains its 200MP main camera, accompanied by a new 50MP ultra-wide camera that matches the one used on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

However, not every camera has been upgraded. The primary sensor doesn't benefit from the brighter f/1.4 aperture introduced on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, while the 10MP 3x telephoto camera carries over unchanged from the previous generation.

Even so, the overall camera hardware should continue delivering flagship-quality results, although we'll reserve final judgement until we've spent more time testing it.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra ships with One UI 9 (Android 17) and introduces some new camera and Galaxy AI features that aren't available on the One UI 9 beta for the Galaxy S26 series.

One addition is an improved Dual Recording mode, allowing users to record with both the rear and front cameras simultaneously in either a horizontal or vertical split. The camera also supports Super Steady with Horizontal Lock, which keeps the horizon level no matter how much the camera is rotated.

Samsung has also introduced My FanCam, a new Galaxy AI editing feature. While the existing Auto framing feature follows the subject while video is being recorded, My FanCam lets you choose the subject/person you want to focus on in an existing video, then creates a new video with only that person in it.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't radically change Samsung's flagship foldable formula, despite the new name.

Instead, it focuses on refining the experience through a smoother hinge, a less visible crease, a brighter display, faster charging, silicon-carbon battery technology, and a handful of useful software additions.

Some users may have hoped to see bigger upgrades, such as the return of S Pen support or an improved telephoto camera. Those changes haven't arrived this year.

Even so, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feels like a more mature version of Samsung's existing Fold design. While the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a bold new direction for the lineup, the Fold 8 Ultra continues to refine the flagship experience, and our first impressions are positive.