Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 announced to compete with future iPhone Fold | Mashable

Credit: Joe Maldonado / CNET Group

After months of buildup, Samsung finally unveiled its newest, most interesting foldable device — the Galaxy Z Fold 8.<br>At a Galaxy Unpacked event in London, the Korean tech company announced three new foldable phones: the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. However, it's the Z Fold 8 that might be the biggest draw, for two reasons. First, the Z Fold 8 is an entirely new device and form factor. Second, it looks well-placed to compete head-to-head with the still-unannounced iPhone Ultra Fold, which we think will be revealed in September. We expect Apple's first foldable to have a shorter, wider form factor, just like the Z Fold 8.<br>Mashable got the chance to try the new Galaxy foldables ahead of the launch event, but before we get into the details, we have one point of clarification. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 is not really a successor to the Z Fold 7 from a year ago, as you might expect. If you want that, check out the new Z Fold 8 Ultra.

You May Also Like

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

$1,899.99<br>at Samsung

Pre-order Here at Samsung

Pre-order Here at Amazon

Pre-order Here at T-Mobile

The all-new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,899.99. The base model has 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. It's available in four colors — lavender, cream, graphite, and pistachio — and will be widely available starting Aug. 7.<br>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a sizable inner display.<br>Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group

The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 foldable smartphone has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is an ideal size whether in landscape or portrait orientation. The inner display has enough extra real estate for multi-tasking and entertainment. And if you're worried about a crease in the middle of the display, don't be. We got up close with the device, and the crease fully disappears when the display is activated.<br>These are the key specs to know:

Mashable Light Speed

Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?

Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.

Loading...<br>Sign Me Up

Use this instead

By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up!

Inner display: 7.6-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

Outer display: 5.5-inches AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset

Colors: Lavender, cream, graphite, and pistachio

Unfolded dimensions: 123.9 x 161.4 x 4.5 mm

Folded dimensions: 1123.9 x 81.9 x 9.7 mm

Weight: 201 grams

RAM: 12GB to 16GB RAM

Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage

Battery: 4,800mAh battery

Charging: 45W wired, 20W wireless

Cameras: 50MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie cameras

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 key features

Samsung's latest foldables are ultra-thin.<br>Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group

As stated above, the main distinguishing factor of the new Z Fold 8 is its wider 4:3 proportions compared to the Z Fold 8 Ultra. If the latter is a book-style foldable, the former can almost be called a tablet-style foldable, instead. We think the wide screen will serve even better for reading books or multitasking with several apps open at once.<br>Also, at 201g, Samsung is really emphasizing how light the device is. The company is calling it the "world's lightest fold ever."

SEE ALSO:

I tried Samsung's new foldables. They have a cool factor the iPhone can't match.

And while the device may be light, it's no lightweight. Samsung's newest foldable features Flex Titanium technology, which makes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 more durable. Speaking of durability, it also boasts Samsung's advantage hinge technology, Armor Flexhinge.<br>The Z Fold 8 feels like a solid middle point between the premium Z Fold 8 Ultra and the comparatively affordable Z Flip 8. All three phones use the same chip, but the Z Fold 8's 4,800mAh battery is smaller than that of the Z Fold 8 Ultra. However, the Z Fold 8 does have an option for 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage, similar to the Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 debuts at the London Galaxy Unpacked event.<br>Credit: Shannon Connellan / Mashable

Where the Ultra will feel distinctly more premium than the Z Fold 8 is in the camera array. The Ultra comes with a 200MP main shooter, while the Fold 8's is only 50MP. The former also has a telephoto lens, while the latter does not. Its relatively meager camera specs are closer to those of the Z Flip 8, meaning it's probably best for social media shots, not professional photography. However, Samsung says the Fold 8 can still shoot 8K video at 30 frames per second.<br>Speaking of social media, Samsung showed off a brand new feature called My Fancam. This feature can automatically track a person in a video with the help of AI and crop to the desired video dimensions of their choice to create tailor-made clips for...