GoKawiilPrakhar Khanna/ZDNET
Samsung announced several new products at its July Unpacked 2026 event in London, but the one I've been waiting for is the all-new, wide-format Galaxy Z Fold 8. I was skeptical about how it would feel in the hand when I saw it in leaked photos -- the passport-sized form factor is not the norm in 2026 -- so I went in with low expectations.
Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2026: New foldables, smartwatches, more
After a 30-minute hands-on session, however, I had (mostly) changed my mind. I quite like the size, but I have my doubts about the new aspect ratios. Nonetheless, it is a refreshing foldable and my favorite Samsung product out of the six devices launched today.
It's all about the aspect ratios
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 (left) offers less letterboxing than the Z Fold 8 Ultra (right) when watching videos. in landscape orientation. Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch AMOLED inner screen (120Hz refresh rate) in a 4:3 aspect ratio that's convenient for both watching video and reading. Personally, I like it as a media consumption device more than the traditional book-style foldables (Galaxy Z Fold 7, Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Oppo Find N6, etc.)
In comparison, you get less letterboxing (black borders on top and bottom) when watching videos. And if you want to read, you can rotate the device for a readable screen. I quite liked browsing through the web and watching trailers of upcoming movies during my hands-on session.
Also: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: We tried both, and here's who wins
When you close the device, you get a 5.5-inch AMOLED coverscreen (120Hz refresh rate) in a 10:16 aspect ratio. Samsung says it is for "the short moments people return to most often, such as messaging, social updates, browsing and short-form video." I'm not sure if I'd like to scroll through videos on this display, but the reading experience was nice. I have my doubts about how the apps will resize to this aspect ratio, but Android 17's new app scaling abilities should help.
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