There’s a dark side to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s thinner and wider design

Paul Jones / Android AuthorityLast year, Samsung took its first real step toward fixing one of the Fold lineup’s biggest complaints. With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the company finally moved away from the awkwardly narrow cover display and made the phone noticeably thinner. It wasn’t a complete redesign, but it was clear Samsung was heading in a new direction.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 takes that idea much further — it’s wider, thinner, and lighter. It’s impressive on paper, and even more impressive in person. But the longer I look at it, the more I realize Samsung didn’t achieve this redesign without making sacrifices, and some of them are really hard to ignore.So before you get swept away by the Fold 8’s new design, it’s worth taking a closer look at what you’re giving up in return.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is thinner and lighter than ever, but there are trade-offs. Does the sleeker design win you over?0 votesWhere did all those grams go? Before we get into the compromises, let’s first appreciate what Samsung has actually achieved here. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is now the world’s lightest book-style foldable, weighing just 201 grams. For context, last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 already held that title at 215 grams, so Samsung has shaved off another 14 grams.To be honest, 14 grams isn’t something you or I would immediately notice in day-to-day use. It’s only when you have the Fold 8 and Fold 7 in your hands at the same time that you begin to appreciate where those grams have gone. The difference is subtle, but from an engineering perspective, it’s still a remarkable achievement.The difference is subtle, but from an engineering perspective, it's still a remarkable achievement.Open it up, and things get even more impressive. The Fold 8 measures just 4.5mm thick when unfolded. That’s actually thinner than the Galaxy S25 Edge, which measures 5.8mm. Think about that for a second: Samsung has built a device that folds in half, yet it’s thinner than one of its own ultra-slim slab phones. If you want to go even thinner, there’s the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which measures an astonishing 4.1mm when unfolded.But thinness isn’t the only thing Samsung got right this year. The Fold 8 also has a noticeably wider cover display, and I genuinely think that’s one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades. Older Fold models always felt a little too narrow when closed, almost like they expected you to unfold the phone for everything. This time, the cover screen feels much closer to using a regular smartphone — replying to messages and emails, scrolling through social media, or quickly searching for something no longer feels cramped.Zac Kew-Denniss / Android AuthorityThen, when you unfold it, you’re greeted by a display that feels even closer to carrying a tablet in your pocket. That larger canvas makes multitasking, reading, watching videos, editing photos, or simply browsing the web feel far more immersive than any other foldable can offer.What impressed me even more, though, is that Samsung didn’t seem obsessed with winning the “world’s thinnest” race at any cost. It would have been easy to make the Fold 8 slimmer by cutting battery capacity or sacrificing everyday usability, but that’s not what happened here. Despite trimming the Fold 8 down this aggressively, Samsung still managed to fit a 4,800mAh battery inside.Paul Jones / Android AuthorityThat’s only 200mAh smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery, which feels like a very reasonable compromise when you consider just how much lighter and thinner the Fold 8 is. It’s this combination that makes the Fold 8 so easy to like.However, the compromises that follow stand out even more.The devil lives in the detailsPaul Jones / Android AuthorityI actually think Samsung has done an incredible job with the Fold 8. On paper, it’s one of the most impressive foldables the company has ever made. And the good news is that Samsung didn’t reserve all the best hardware for the Ultra model. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the very same chipset you’ll find inside the more expensive Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. That means you aren’t sacrificing raw performance by choosing the cheaper phone.I’ve spent plenty of time using the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and even that phone never left me wanting more performance. Apps opened instantly, multitasking was effortless, and I never felt like the processor was holding the phone back. Sure, getting used to its slimmer design took a little time, but once I did, going back to a regular phone felt strange. So I have very little reason to doubt that the Fold 8 will be even faster.That said, there's one thing I'm genuinely curious about: heat.That said, there’s one thing I’m genuinely curious about: heat. Making a phone this thin inevitably leaves less room to dissipate heat, especially in a foldable, where every millimeter counts. I’m far more interested in seeing how the Fold 8 performs after 30 minutes of gaming, photo editing, video recording, or juggling multiple apps at once. Does it stay comfortably cool, or does the thin chassis become noticeably warm? That’s the real performance test for me, and it’s something I can’t wait to find out.Paul Jones / Android AuthorityThe cameras, however, are where my excitement starts fading. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 comes with just two rear cameras: a 50MP primary sensor and a 50MP ultrawide camera. I’m sure they’ll produce excellent photos because Samsung has consistently delivered reliable cameras over the years. But at nearly $1,900, I can’t help feeling that something is missing. That missing piece is a telephoto camera.Foldables are supposed to represent the very best a company can build. They’re expensive, aspirational, and are positioned as luxury devices. Leaving out a dedicated zoom lens on a phone this expensive feels like an odd decision, especially when phones costing hundreds of dollars less manage to include one.I'm terrible at remembering to charge my phone.Charging, thankfully, is one area where Samsung finally listened. One of my biggest complaints with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was its painfully slow 25W charging. And I’ll admit something slightly embarrassing here: I’m terrible at remembering to charge my phone. I’m the kind of person who realizes their battery is almost dead only when it’s time to leave the house. If that sounds familiar, the Fold 8’s new 45W wired charging could genuinely make a difference. Samsung says it can charge from 0 to 65% in just 30 minutes, and honestly, that’s exactly the kind of upgrade I’ve been waiting for.Paul Jones / Android AuthorityEven better, Samsung hasn’t reserved that faster charging for the Ultra model. Both the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra get the same 45W charging speeds, which is refreshing to see. It almost feels like Samsung looked at both phones and said, “No favorites here.”Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 no longer supports the S Pen. I’ve always felt that foldables and the S Pen were a perfect match. A giant tablet-sized display almost begs you to sketch ideas, annotate documents, sign PDFs, or simply scribble random thoughts. Even if you didn’t use the stylus every day, it was nice knowing the option was there. Taking that away feels like Samsung has stripped away one of the Fold’s most unique advantages.A phone caught in its sibling’s shadowHadlee Simons / Android AuthorityThe Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,900, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra begins at $2,100.At this point, you might be wondering: If the Fold 8 shares so much with the Fold 8 Ultra, what’s the problem? After all, Samsung is giving you many of the Ultra’s biggest strengths for $200 less. On the surface, that sounds like a great deal. And that’s exactly where I think Samsung has created a strange dilemma. The Fold 8 gets the same flagship processor, the same fast 45W charging, and a design that’s every bit as impressive. In many ways, it doesn’t feel like Samsung has cut too many corners. But then you look at the price. At $1,899, the Fold 8 is almost as expensive as the Fold 8 Ultra. That’s the part I can’t wrap my head around.If the Fold 8 shares so much with the Fold 8 Ultra, what's the problem?The best way I can describe it is like booking a long-haul flight. You’ve already decided to spend a fortune on a Premium Economy ticket. Then you’re told Business Class is only another $200. At that point, wouldn’t you at least be tempted to stretch your budget a little further? I know I would. The experience feels much easier to justify. And that’s the awkward position the Fold 8 finds itself in. It’s an excellent phone on its own, but it’s priced so close to the Fold 8 Ultra that it almost ends up competing with its own sibling rather than other foldables.Hadlee Simons / Android AuthorityOf course, there’s still a lot I need to test before I make my final judgment — battery life, cameras, thermals, and real-world performance will ultimately decide how good this phone really is. But based on everything I know today, one question just keeps coming back to me: if I’m already spending $1,899, why wouldn’t I spend $200 more and buy the Fold 8 Ultra instead?That’s the irony of the Fold 8. It’s good enough to make you want one, but priced just high enough to make you buy the Ultra instead.Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.