Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 opens into a 4:3 mini-tablet and weighs just 201g

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold range now comes in a second shape — the Galaxy Z Fold8 closes into a short, unusually wide device with a 5.5-inch 10:16 cover screen. But what makes it tick is that 7.6-inch 4:3 mini-tablet form built around reading, video and games.

At 201g, it is Samsung’s lightest Galaxy Z Fold yet. While it is missing the higher-end features of the Fold8 Ultra, the new proportions are the entire point of this phone.

A Fold shaped more like a mini-tablet

The Fold8 measures 81.9mm wide and only 123.9mm tall when closed, making it much shorter and wider than a conventional smartphone. It also measures 9.7mm thick when closed and 4.5mm thick when open.

Its 10:16 cover screen is well-suited for quick interactions such as messaging, browsing, social updates and short-form video. It even looks like a high-end digital audio player (DAP) with a high-end display.

Unfolded, the phone stretches to 161.4mm across and reveals a 7.6-inch 4:3 display. Held one way, the ratio suits games and films. Rotate it, and it becomes a more natural shape for articles, e-books and documents.

A regular 16:9 video should also leave smaller black bars than it would on the near-square displays common to book-style foldables.

While its unique proportions may make for a more coherent mini-tablet — and it only weighs 201g — it could simply trade one set of awkward proportions for another when closed.

Lightweight, without dropping flagship hardware

While it may not have the higher-tier cameras of the Ultra, the Fold8 has most of the quality-of-life perks. The phone also utilises the new Flex Titanium display structure, which combines a titanium alloy film with an enhanced titanium plate. The new tech is supposed to strengthen support beneath the folding screen, absorb pressure and impact, and help reduce crease visibility over time.

Samsung has also adjusted the hinge mechanics, display tension and magnetic force to make the phone feel smoother and lighter when opened. The 4:3 main display reaches a claimed peak brightness of 3,000 nits and uses Vision Booster with a low-reflection finish.

Like the Fold8 Ultra, the Fold8 also uses the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. The 256GB and 512GB models have 12GB of memory, while the 1TB version gets 16GB.

A 4,800mAh dual-cell battery supports 45W wired charging, 20W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare. Samsung says the phone can charge to around 63 per cent in 30 minutes with an optional 45W adapter.

Dual 50MP cameras, but no telephoto

The camera system is where the two Fold phones differ — the rear camera system on the Fold8 pairs a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilisation and a 50MP ultrawide. Unlike the Fold8 Ultra, there is no dedicated telephoto camera.

But like the Fold8 Ultra, it uses two 10MP selfie cameras, one on each display. This enables some interesting tricks: the cover screen can preview shots from the rear cameras, while Dual Recording captures both sides of a scene.

Other notable features include My FanCam, which tracks a selected subject and automatically reframes the footage into a chosen aspect ratio. Also new to this year’s folding phones is Horizontal Lock, a digital stabilisation technique that keeps your video shooting rock solid, so much so that you can even rotate the phone a full 360° without disruption.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 price and availability in Singapore

The Fold8 is not Samsung’s biggest or most comprehensively equipped foldable. Its appeal is simpler: a short, wide phone that opens into something much closer to a conventional mini-tablet. Whether that is a better answer for the foldable concept or just another trade-off is entirely personal. But from our experience, it’s worth a try.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold8 open on 22 July 2026 at 9pm. Customers who pre-order can receive or collect their devices from 10 August, ahead of general availability on 14 August 2026.

The 256GB model costs SGD 2,498, the 512GB version costs SGD 2,798, and the 1TB model with 16GB of memory is priced at SGD 3,398.

Lavender, Cream and Graphite will be sold through the usual channels, while Pistachio is exclusive to the Samsung Online Store and Samsung Shop app.

During the pre-order period, Samsung is offering SGD 150 off the move from 256GB to 512GB and SGD 300 off the upgrade from 512GB to 1TB. The promotion ends on 13 August 2026 at 11.59 pm.