Samsung delivered loads of upgrades with the Galaxy Z Fold 7; the foldable has a thinner and lighter design than its predecessor, and it holds its personal towards its Chinese language rivals on this regard. That is no small feat contemplating manufacturers like Vivo and Honor have pushed the boundaries on this space lately.
That mentioned, Samsung continues to lag behind with regards to the battery and cameras, and it misses out on different extras which can be commonplace on the likes of the Vivo X Fold 5. I am simply getting began with my Z Fold 7, and that is what I need to see in subsequent 12 months’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Design
Coming in at simply 4.2mm when unfolded, the Z Fold 7 is among the thinnest foldables round. That makes a transparent distinction when utilizing the system subsequent to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Samsung did the correct factor by growing the duvet panel to six.5 inches. This was a significant level of competition prior to now, and it is fortunately not a problem on the Z Fold 7.
It is unlikely Samsung will alter the design subsequent 12 months — it has proven that it desires to retain the same aesthetic 12 months after 12 months — however what I need to see is a slight tweak that makes the system simpler to carry. The flat sides are a smidgen uncomfortable, and the addition of bevels like on the Magic V5 and Vivo X Fold 5 ought to make the Z Fold 8 that a lot simpler to carry and use.
Whereas Samsung pioneered water resistance on foldables, the Z Fold 8 is proscribed to IP48 ingress safety, with the Magic V5 and X Fold 5 that includes IP58 and IP59 mud and water resistance as commonplace. With Google set to ship IP68 on the Pixel 10 Professional Fold, Samsung must ship higher sturdiness subsequent 12 months if it desires to keep up its place on this space.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Battery
As a lot as I like that the Z Fold 7 is significantly thinner, the foldable has the smallest battery of any system I utilized in 2025. The 4,400mAh battery is simply pitiful when even smaller telephones just like the Vivo X200 FE have a 5,300mAh cell, and I do not actually know what Samsung was pondering by placing such a small battery in its newest foldable.
Clearly, that should change in 2026. The Z Fold 8 must have not less than a 5,000mAh battery, contemplating this 12 months’s Magic V5 has a 5,850mAh battery and the X Fold 5 comes with a fair larger 6,000mAh battery. Switching from the X Fold 5 to the Z Fold 7, there is a clear distinction in battery longevity, and that is one thing Samsung has to rectify with the Z Fold 8.
On that observe, 25W charging simply is not sufficient any longer on a tool that is pushing $2,000. All different foldables I used this 12 months not less than have 66W charging, and Samsung is lagging behind by fairly a giant quantity on this space. The largest benefit of a foldable is the elevated actual property made attainable by the inside panel, however that is meaningless if the system would not even handle to final all day.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Cameras
Samsung did the correct factor by upgrading the principle digicam on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to a 200MP unit. This permits the foldable to carry its personal towards Honor and Vivo, and whereas it’s undoubtedly a optimistic transfer, Samsung did not lavish the identical degree of consideration on the auxiliary cameras.
The 12MP wide-angle lens is respectable sufficient, however the 10MP tele lens leaves a lot to be desired, and it simply is not pretty much as good as what you get on the X Fold 5 and Magic V5. Samsung clearly wants to handle this shortcoming with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, as a result of it is not simply the principle digicam that differentiates a foldable, however the general bundle.
With the Galaxy Z Fold 7 simply now beginning to turn into out there, we’ll have to attend till July 2026 to see what the Z Fold 8 has in retailer. Fortunately, we must always get loads of particulars of Samsung’s 2026 foldable earlier than that point, and I am going to replace this publish as and when new data turns into out there.
