Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: The ultra foldable with an ultra price

Samsung has been at the forefront of the foldable phone market, but they are no longer the sole provider of this innovative technology. Now, competition from Google, Motorola, and various Chinese manufacturers has entered the foldable phone arena. The question remains - does the latest Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra maintain its status as the ultimate foldable?

This phone eschews the larger frame of the new Z Fold 8 and instead mirrors the size and shape of Samsung's previous tablet-style foldables. The Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't a significant departure from its predecessors, but it aligns with Samsung's tradition of incremental enhancements to foldable designs. At this juncture, there isn't much left to innovate.

The challenges associated with using a foldable instead of a conventional flat phone have largely been mitigated with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Well, with one notable exception - the price. Earlier foldable devices were bulky, effectively functioning as two phones merged together. Over the years, Samsung has made strides in reducing the thickness of its foldables, with the Z Fold 7 setting a new standard of slimness last year.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is marginally thinner than that model, but the difference is almost undetectable to the touch. It still houses the same buttons in familiar positions, including a fingerprint sensor nestled within the power button.