Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Review | Samsung’s best foldable experience yet

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra represents the pinnacle of foldable experience from Samsung, elevating the flagship device to new heights. With a price tag of ₹1,99,999, it positions itself as a super-luxury offering, a whopping ₹25,000 more than its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 which launched at ₹1,74,999. While the premium price might seem steep, Samsung has poured in meaningful upgrades that justify the increase in cost.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra boasts an improved camera system, a bigger battery, and a more refined hinge mechanism that enhances durability and user comfort. Priced at ₹1,99,999, the foldable phone competes with the premium segment, offering a robust and stylish experience.

Design-wise, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra inherits the sleek passport-style identity of its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Priced at 215 grams, the phone maintains a similar weight to the Fold 7 while boasting a thin profile of 4.1mm when unfolded and an impressive 8.9mm when folded. Its slim build allows it to slip effortlessly into a pocket, making it convenient to carry around as a primary device.

The hinge mechanism projects the main screen smoothly, and the centre crease is rarely visible. A Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 protects the outer screen, while a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 guards the back. The device also carries an IP48 rating for water and dust protection.

The 6.5-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display serves as the primary interface, offering a 2520 x 1080 resolution, 422ppi, and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The taller format proves practical for everyday tasks such as scrolling, messaging, browsing, and viewing portrait-oriented content. The taller screen format enhances the usability of the phone for quick tasks, making it a practical smartphone experience.

When unfolded, the 8-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display takes over with a resolution of 2504 x 2256 pixels, 422ppi, and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The display delivers an immersive viewing experience with vibrant colours, excellent contrast, and impressive brightness levels. The stereo speakers and the 10 MP ultra-wide lens make it an enjoyable platform for watching videos and consuming multimedia content.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and comes with 12 GB of RAM, ensuring smooth multi-tasking and seamless performance. Qualcomm's top-tier chip efficiently manages thermal output, keeping the phone stable even during intensive tasks. Gaming on the device is a smooth experience, with stable frame rates and a lag-free performance.

The One UI 9.0 operating system, built on Android 17, further enhances the device's productivity capabilities. Flex Mode allows users to prop the phone and use it like a mini laptop, while split-screen layout and floating windows facilitate multitasking. Samsung's Now Bar and Now Nudge features offer contextual suggestions and make it easier to access notifications, enriching the overall user experience.

The camera setup of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a significant upgrade from its predecessor. The 200 MP wide camera remains consistent, but the ultra-wide sensor has been upgraded from 12 MP to 50 MP. Paired with a 10 MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom, the ultra-wide camera also supports 2x optical-quality zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. The ultra-wide camera's wider f/1.9 aperture brings 34% more brightness, proving useful in low-light conditions.

In daylight, the 200 MP primary camera captures images with detailed clarity, good dynamic range, and Samsung's characteristic punchy colour profile. The 50 MP ultra-wide lens excels in retaining detail when switching perspectives. Portrait shots showcase good subject separation, and selfies from both the cover and main-screen cameras appear natural, thanks to Samsung's upgraded AI image signal processing.

Low-light photography also benefits from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, as the larger 200 MP sensor and brighter ultra-wide work in tandem with Samsung's ProVisual Engine to improve detail, colour, and noise control. Video recording receives a major boost with 8K recording at 30fps and the ability to seamlessly transition between the wide and ultra-wide sensors.