Samsung did something genuinely interesting at Galaxy Unpacked 2026. For the first time in the history of its Galaxy Z foldable lineup, it split the book-style foldable line into two entirely different devices. Whether it had something to do with Apple\u2019s purported iPhone Ultra is a conversation for another time, but for now, anyone visiting a Samsung experience center has two Fold phones to choose from: the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Fold 8 is wider, lighter in hand, and built specifically for one-hand use on the cover screen and content consumption on the inner screen. The Fold 8 Ultra, on the other hand, carries forward the tall and thin design. After spending some hands-on time with both devices, I\u2019ve come to a conclusion.<\/p>\n
While I genuinely appreciate what the Fold 8 is trying to do, I won\u2019t buy it with my own money. I\u2019ll spend the extra $200 on the Ultra, and I wouldn\u2019t think twice about it. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n
As I was reading the embargoed spec sheets of both phones, one thing caught me off guard. Even though the Fold 8 weighs 201 grams, which basically makes it the lightest Samsung Fold ever, it\u2019s not the thinnest foldable. That honor belongs to the Ultra.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Fold 8 sits at 4.5mm when unfolded, while the Fold 8 Ultra measures 4.1mm. Folded, the Ultra is 8.9mm against the Fold 8\u2019s 9.7mm. You might think that I\u2019m making a fuss over a laughably small difference, but the moment you hold both devices in hand, you\u2019ll understand what I\u2019m saying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To me, the Ultra feels flatter, sleeker, and more refined. I strongly believe that Samsung has managed to shave off the bulk that usually comes with a book-style foldable. At 8.9mm, the phone sits more naturally in the palm, feels less chunky, and far less brick-like.<\/p>\n
I know we already have conventional flagships breaching the 8mm mark. The S26 Ultra is only 7.9mm thick, which already gives it a remarkably slim yet balanced in-hand feel, but the fact that the Fold 8 Ultra is almost as thick as the iPhone 17 Pro or a mere 0.4mm thicker than the Pixel 10 Pro XL says that it\u2019s already operating in the same physical territory as regular flagship phones.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m perfectly aware that some Chinese foldables are thinner, but you can\u2019t buy them in the US, at least not through official channels. They simply aren\u2019t an option for the average American consumer, so I\u2019m putting them out of the question.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve run One UI 9\u2019s split-screen setup on both phones, and I have some very strong thoughts about it. Yes, the Fold 8\u2019s 4:3 inner display is a great screen for watching content. But as a tool for getting some serious work done, it comes up short.<\/p>\n
To me, the landscape split-screen option on the 7.6-inch Fold 8 feels slightly cramped vertically. It looks like two browser windows fighting for elbow room on a small desk. The Ultra\u2019s 8-inch display, with its near-1:1 aspect ratio, provides a meaningfully larger vertical canvas to work with.<\/p>\n
As someone who has to go through a couple dozen emails every single day, read as many words as fast as possible in news articles on Chrome, and generally squeeze as much information onto the screen as possible, that\u2019s the difference between an annoyingly short and a genuinely usable split-screen setup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every additional line of text directly means less scrolling, fewer page turns, and less time spent moving things around.<\/p>\n
Fun fact: the regular Fold 8 lets you use three apps in a vertical split-screen setup side by side, but the individual app windows get way too tight in my opinion. The standard one-plus-two layout works the best for me, and the Fold 8 Ultra\u2019s display plays perfectly into that setup.<\/p>\n
If I\u2019m buying a foldable, I\u2019m going to use the additional screen estate to its best, and for that, the Ultra remains the better one. What\u2019s the point of carrying around a tablet-sized inner display if I\u2019m constantly fighting for space on it anyway?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure about everyone, but I love to capture portraits on a smartphone. And I can\u2019t stress this enough, but the kind of subject magnification a dedicated telephoto camera adds is simply unmatched. No in-sensor 2x crop can match that, not the one on my iPhone 17, and neither the one on the Fold 8.\u00a0<\/p>\n