GoKawiilPaul Jones / Android Authority
Last 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? 35 votes Yes, thin and light is exactly what I want in a foldable. 43 % Depends, it comes down to what got sacrificed. 31 % No, I'd rather have a chunkier phone that doesn't compromise. 17 % Still not sold on the whole Fold concept. 9 %
Where 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.
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