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A CNET reviewer says the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has become their favorite phone to use daily, citing its slim 4.5mm unfolded profile, 9.7mm folded thickness, and light 201-gram weight. The device lacks a telephoto camera and has an average 4,800-mAh battery, but its compact form factor and versatile display have made it stand out compared to past innovative designs like the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a wider 16:10 cover screen and 4:3 main display ships without Flex Mode, the laptop-like propped-open feature Samsung has offered on foldables since the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The change stems from a hinge redesign that no longer locks the device at a half-open angle, a tradeoff a reviewer initially feared but ultimately found preferable after using the phone.
Google Photos on Android has begun rolling out the ability to manually group photos into stacks, a feature that has been available on iOS since May 2025. Users can create a stack by pressing and holding on multiple photos, giving more control over library organization than the app's automatic stacking. The feature appears to be rolling out server-side, as it's showing up on some devices like Pixel phones but not yet on others such as the Galaxy Z Fold.
Apple will hold its 'Surprise and shine' launch event on September 9th at Apple Park, streamed live via its website, Apple TV, and YouTube. Reports suggest the standard iPhone 18 will be delayed until next year alongside an iPhone 18E and refreshed iPhone Air, while the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to debut with larger batteries, a smaller Dynamic Island, and possibly a variable aperture camera.
A hands-on comparison from Android Authority weighs Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 against Motorola's book-style Razr Fold, noting the Fold 8's wider 5.5-inch cover screen and 7.6-inch inner display make multitasking and everyday use smoother than past Samsung foldables. The reviewer says Motorola's alternative undercuts the $1,900 Fold 8 Ultra on price while still offering a traditional foldable experience for buyers who don't need flagship cameras.
Xiaomi showed off its Fold 18 Pro foldable at IFA 2026 in a striking red color, letting attendees view but not handle the device. The company revealed the phone will use its own in-house XRING 03 chip, described as a 'Flagship AI SoC' combining CPU, GPU and NPU functions, potentially skipping Qualcomm or MediaTek chips altogether. Full specs and pricing are expected when the phone officially launches in China on September 7.
Amazon has issued its first discount on the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, lowering the price from $2,099.99 to $1,799.99, a 14% reduction. The Ultra is Samsung's premium foldable variant, featuring a larger 6.5-inch cover display, 8-inch main screen, Snapdragon flagship chip, roughly 5,000mAh battery, and a 200MP main camera.
Xiaomi's mobile division president Lu Weibing posted official renders confirming the Xiaomi 18 Fold will debut in China on September 7, 2026, two days before Apple's expected iPhone Ultra foldable reveal. The device features a 5.38-inch cover display, a 7.58-inch inner screen, a triple rear camera system, and Xiaomi's new XRing O3 chipset, with leaks pointing to a 3.5x optical zoom telephoto lens.
Best Buy is offering the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for $1,799.99, a $300 discount that marks the lowest price since the phone debuted last month. The foldable brings brighter screens, sharper cameras, faster charging, and a larger 5,000mAh battery compared to its predecessor, though its hinge durability and IP48 rating trail some rival foldables.
A ZDNET tester took Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold to Germany to compare their camera systems side by side. The Z Fold 8 relies on two 50-megapixel wide and ultrawide sensors, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold pairs a 48-megapixel main camera with a 5x telephoto lens and a 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, giving it a zoom advantage the Samsung device lacks.
Samsung is reportedly diverting Display Driver IC components originally set aside for future foldable production to sustain current Galaxy Z Fold 8 manufacturing, according to ZDNet Korea. The move comes as demand for the foldable has exceeded Samsung's forecasts, while supplier UMC's 22nm production line is already running at capacity and unable to expedite output.
A year after buying the Galaxy S25 Edge outright, a reviewer traded it in for a Galaxy Z Fold 8, citing persistent battery and screen shortcomings that undercut its ultra-thin, lightweight design. Despite flagship specs like the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a 200MP camera packed into a 5.8mm body, Samsung has shown no sign of releasing a follow-up model.