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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.
Android Authority outlines five foldable phones that could serve as alternatives to Google's new $1,899 Pixel 11 Pro Fold, including Motorola's Razr Fold and Razr Ultra, plus Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. The comparison highlights that despite the Pixel 11 Pro Fold being thinner and lighter than its predecessor, it has a smaller battery than last year's model and faces stiff competition on price, charging speed, and battery capacity.
An Android Authority reviewer who tests dozens of phones annually reports being unable to put down the Galaxy Z Fold 8 nearly two weeks after switching his SIM into it. The writer, who has historically preferred clamshell foldables over book-style ones, says Samsung's latest model finally closes the gap between niche enthusiast gadget and a phone suited for everyday users. Despite acknowledging the device has flaws, the reviewer says its form factor outweighs them.
Despite underwhelming sales, Apple's ultra-thin iPhone Air appears to have served as a testing ground for thinner designs and component choices that could enable a foldable iPhone. Analysts suggest Apple may debut a foldable device, speculatively called the iPhone Ultra, at its September event, with a second-generation Air possibly following in early 2027.
Durability tester JerryRigEverything ran the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra through his usual scratch and bend tests. The cover screen held up similarly to other flagships and the Z Fold 7, but the inner foldable display stopped working after a couple of forceful bends, flickering before going unusable. Dust resistance remained comparable to the previous generation.
Google has quietly updated its developer documentation to reveal that just seven Android phones currently support Gemini Nano 4: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8, Z Fold 8, and Z Fold 8 Ultra. These are the only devices officially equipped to run Google's latest on-device Gemini Intelligence features.
A hands-on video from reviewer Vincent Zhong shows Huawei's new wide-format Pura X View can detect whether it's held in the left or right hand and shift on-screen elements accordingly. The keyboard, call accept/reject buttons, and some music player controls all reposition to match the holding hand, and the power button appears usable to flip e-reader pages.
A ZDNET reviewer who has used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 since its July launch suggests changing four camera settings rather than relying on Samsung's defaults. The phone has two 50MP cameras and no telephoto lens, but the reviewer notes that enabling a hi-res mode and installing the hidden Camera Assistant tool can improve zoomed and detailed shots. Setting the default photo resolution to 24MP is recommended as the best balance of detail and file size.
Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE keeps the same camera setup as the S25 FE—12MP ultrawide, 50MP main, 8MP 3x telephoto and 12MP front—yet launches at a higher price. The main differentiators are software features like My FanCam and Horizontal Lock, which rely on new neural processing hardware exclusive to the S26 FE, while other AI tools such as Now Brief, Now Nudge and Circle to Search are software updates likely to reach the S25 FE too.
Leaked images shared by Weibo user Peter show what appears to be an engineering prototype of the Xiaomi 18 Fold, a book-style folding phone with a camera island resembling the rumored iPhone Ultra design. The device reportedly comes in a dark cherry color, echoing speculation about one of the iPhone 18 Pro's colorways.
Tipster Tarun Vats found a new internal test build ending in "ZZHK" on Samsung's servers, suggesting a seventh One UI 9 beta for the Galaxy S26 series may still be coming despite six betas already released. A separate internal build ending in "BZHI" was also spotted, which Vats speculates could instead be the first stable release candidate.