Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Choosing the right book-style foldable

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Samsung's Ultra upgradeSamsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra may look familiar to the predecessor Galaxy Z Fold 7, but there are plenty of upgrades under the hood. It comes with a bigger 5,000 mAh battery, a new 200MP primary sensor, and an updated inner foldable display with a less visible crease. Other improvements include the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a slimmer form factor when unfolded. ProsFlagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipBrings a bigger 5,000 mAh battery and 45W chargingCome with a less visible creaseIs both lighter and slimmerConsDesign remains unchangedHigher starting price pointThe battery still remains smaller than the Razr Fold Motorola goes aggressiveMotorola Razr Fold doesn't feel like the company's first book-style foldable at all. It takes a much more aggressive approach and features an 8.1-inch inner display and a 6.6-inch cover screen, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip. It also packs a triple-camera setup, a large 6,000mAh battery, and much faster 80W charging. ProsLower starting priceMuch larger 6,000mAh batteryVery fast 80W chargingBigger internal display (8.1-inch) with support for 165Hz refresh rateSupport for stylus (sold separately)ConsSoftware may not be as refined as SamsungSlightly heavier and thicker than the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8Camera performance may not match what Samsung offers After weeks and months of leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series is finally official. Samsung took the wraps off the lineup at its Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, 2026, launching a new set of foldables. There's the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the "wider" of the two, which is set to take on the foldable iPhone arriving later this year, and then there's what Samsung calls its "Ultra Foldable," the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the successor to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. This new "Ultra" foldable retains many of the same elements as last year's book-style foldable, but there are plenty of upgrades underneath that make it an even more compelling option this year.And while it previously seemed like there wouldn't be much competition in the book-style foldable space in the U.S. this year, that's not quite the case. Motorola has also entered the ring with its Razr Fold.So if you're wondering what sets the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Moto Razr Fold Ultra apart, and how the two compare, here's everything you need to know.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Pricing and availability (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)Motorola officially launched the Razr Fold in the U.S. on April 29, 2026. The book-style foldable is available for $1,899. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, on the other hand, is the more premium of the two, carrying a starting price of $2,099.While Samsung has raised the price of its "taller" book-style foldable, Motorola has undercut the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra by $200, which is a sizable gap. On top of that, the Razr Fold comes in a single configuration with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, meanwhile, starts with just 256GB of storage and only 12GB of RAM.Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of AndroidSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Design and display (Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)The Moto Razr Fold, at first glance, doesn't feel like an entirely new direction for Motorola. It sticks to the company's familiar design language, with a clean back, the Motorola's "M" logo in the center, a Razr logo at the bottom, and a squarish camera module housing the triple camera setup.In typical Motorola fashion, the Razr Fold comes in PANTONE colors like PANTONE Blackened Blue and PANTONE Lily White. It also has slightly rounded corners, along with polished aluminum rails that complement the back panel.On the other hand, Samsung hasn't made major design changes to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra compared to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. You get a similar form factor, with a taller cover screen and a more squarish inner display, in a design with flat-edged, sharp corners. (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)In terms of dimensions, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is pretty much the same as its predecessor. However, Samsung has made the foldable phone even slimmer, so the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is only 4.1 mm thick when unfolded.The Razr Fold is both thicker and heavier in comparison. It measures around 160.1 x 144.5 x 4.7 mm when unfolded and weighs 243 grams, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra comes in at only 215 grams. (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)As for the displays, Motorola seems to have put a lot of focus on them. The Razr Fold ships with a large 6.6-inch P-OLED cover display, which is a 10-bit panel protected by Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3.The company claims it can hit up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness and is Pantone validated for color accuracy. It also supports Dolby Vision, but what really stands out is the 165Hz refresh rate on the cover display, something you don't usually see on foldable phones.Inside, the Razr Fold has an 8.1-inch 2K panel. It goes up to 6,200 nits of peak brightness and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra keeps similar screens to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. That means it comes with a 6.5-inch cover Dynamic AMOLED display and an 8-inch inner display. Both displays top out at 120Hz.The biggest upgrade this time is the less visible crease. Samsung has introduced a new Flex Titanium technology that makes the crease on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra much less noticeable than in previous generations.We haven't had a chance to directly compare it to the Razr Fold yet, but so far it looks pretty seamless. It's pretty similar to the improvements we have seen in other foldable phones this year, including the OPPO Find N6.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Hardware and specs (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)At this price point, you usually expect top-tier hardware and specs, and that's exactly what you get with the Motorola Razr Fold. It ships with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset (not the top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5), but from what we've seen, it's still a very capable chip.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, on the other hand, carries the "Ultra" price tag and comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the same chip used in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which sits a tier above the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 on the Razr Fold. Swipe to scroll horizontally Category Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Motorola Razr Fold Operating System One UI 9 (Android 17) Android 16 Display Inner: 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz, crease-free; Outer: 6.5-inch, AMOLED, 120Hz Inner: 8.1-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2484 x 2232 pixels, 6200 nits (peak); Outer: 6.6-inch, pOLED, 2520 x 1080 pixels, 165Hz Stylus support No Yes Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 RAM 12GB, 16GB 16GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 512GB Rear cameras 200MP wide camera, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto 3x zoom 50MP wide camera, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto 3x zoom Front camera 10MP, 10MP 32MP, 20MP Battery 5,000mAh 6,000mAh Charging 45W wired 80W wired, 50W wireless IP rating IP48 IP49 Weight 215 grams 244 grams Dimensions Unfolded: 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm; Folded: 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm Unfolded: 160.02 × 73.66 × 5.08 mm; Folded: 144.78 × 160.02 × 10.16 mm Colors Violet Shadow, Graphite, Cream PANTONE Blackened Blue, PANTONE Lily White Samsung may lose out on starting storage with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it's made major strides elsewhere on the internal hardware front. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra finally brings a much larger 5,000mAh cell, which is the biggest battery jump we've seen on a Samsung foldable in the last five years. It also supports up to 45W wired fast charging.That said, the Motorola Razr Fold one-ups the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra here, packing a massive 6,000mAh battery, the largest we've seen on a foldable in the U.S. market. On top of that, it supports 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, something most foldables still don't come close to. (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)Another hardware advantage for Motorola is the stylus support. The Razr Fold supports the Moto Pen Ultra, which you can use for note-taking or doodling on the large inner display. It's sold separately for around $100, but the phone supports it natively. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra does not support the S Pen.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Cameras (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)Coming to the camera setup, the Moto Razr Fold features a triple camera system on the back. It includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide with a 122-degree field of view, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, which Motorola says can go up to 100x super zoom.On the front, the cover display houses a 32MP selfie camera, while the inner display uses a 20MP sensor. In terms of video, the Razr Fold supports up to 8K at 30fps and 4K at up to 60fps.For the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Samsung has stuck with the same 200MP primary sensor we first saw on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year. There are major changes to the ultra-wide sensor this time around, though, as it jumps from 12MP to 50MP. The 3x telephoto sensor, however, remains unchanged at 10MP.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Which foldable phone is better? (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)The Moto Razr Fold might be Motorola's first move into the book-style foldable market, but the company has been making foldables for over seven years now, and the Razr Fold looks like a strong entry.It brings a large display, a big battery with some of the fastest wired charging we've seen on a foldable (even compared to many flagship phones), along with a capable triple camera setup and stylus support, making it a pretty compelling option.And that $1,899 price tag honestly can't be ignored either. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't a bad foldable by any means, but a higher starting price than last year, less RAM in the base model, and no S Pen support, despite the upgrades to the battery, charging speeds, and cameras, all make it a tougher sell.That said, we'll be going hands-on with both devices and comparing them more deeply in the coming days, so stay tuned. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Ultra price tag, minimal upgradesThe Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra focuses on small upgrades rather than a full redesign. There may not be a complete redesign from last year, but it does bring a newer chipset, a bigger 5,000mAh battery with faster charging, and a much-needed camera hardware upgrade. Big battery, big playThe Motorola Razr Fold might be the brand's first book-style foldable, but it's coming in strong with upgrades like an 8.1-inch inner display, a 6,000mAh battery, 80W charging, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, and a triple camera setup. It may be a bit thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it also comes in cheaper. Sanuj is a tech writer who loves exploring smartphones, tablets, and wearables. He began his journey with a Nokia Lumia and later dived deep into Android and iPhone. He's been writing about tech since 2018, with bylines at Pocketnow, Android Police, Pocket-Lint, and MakeUseOf. When he's not testing gadgets, he's either sipping chai, watching football, or playing cricket.