I’ve been using foldables full-time for roughly four to five years now.

So I’m well past the “getting used to opening and closing my phone” stage. At this point, folding a phone is one of the most natural things I do with a smartphone. Mileage will vary, of course, but if you’re coming from a regular slab, I’d say give it two to three weeks and you’ll start feeling right at home.

When I wrote about why wide foldables genuinely excite me, I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted from this form factor. After living with the Galaxy Z Fold8 for a month and change, I can say that hunch was pretty much right.

I’ve always had a thing for mini tablets. I loved the Nexus 7 back in the day. I still have an iPad mini. There’s something about having a small screen with just enough room to do more without committing to carrying around a full-sized tablet.

And the Galaxy Z Fold8 feels like that idea got remixed.

I don’t want a regular smartphone that unfolds into something bigger.

I want a mini tablet that shrinks into a smaller phone when I don’t need all that extra space.

Here are some things I’ve noticed after living with the Galaxy Z Fold8.

1. The Fold8 made regular phones feel too tall

Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy S26 Ultra

After more than a month with the Galaxy Z Fold8, my usage has settled into a pretty healthy 50/50 split between folded and unfolded.

When it’s folded, I use it like a regular phone. Quick chats. Five to 15 minutes of social media. Doomscrolling Reels, TikTok, and Shorts. Checking my bank account. Making payments. When I need more room, I open it up.

YouTube and streaming are more comfortable. Websites have more breathing room. Writing is easier. I can even do some basic video editing without immediately wishing I had a bigger screen.

It’s also made me notice something I didn’t expect.

Regular phones now feel unnecessarily tall to me.

I’ve gotten so used to having a wider screen when I want one that going back to a tall slab feels strange. The Fold8 gives me a smaller phone when I want a smaller phone, then a wider screen when I actually need the space.

2. My desk fits in my pocket now

The Fold8 is my main phone. I still carry a dedicated smartphone for photos when I’m on coverage, and I have an Insta360 Luna Ultra for Reels.

But I can do around 70 percent of my work away from my desk or laptop.

A lot of that is correspondence — email, chats, and the endless back-and-forth that comes with work. I also write scripts, emails, reviews, and articles on it. I’ve even done basic cut-to-cut Reel edits.

I edited the Wolverine PR Package on the Fold8.

I’ve also put together seven to nine fancams of STAYC’s Isa, who currently lives in my head rent-free.

It’s not replacing my laptop. But there are plenty of moments when I don’t need my laptop anymore.

I can pull out the Fold8, open it, and get things done.

3. Actually useful split-screen scenarios

I’ve used split-screen on Android before. But the Fold8’s wider display makes me use it more often.

The useful examples are pretty simple.

I’ll have an address or contact details open on one side while copying them into a delivery app on the other. I’ll copy sensitive financial details from one app while filling out an online purchase on another. I’ll pull up a caption from my documents app and paste it directly into whatever social platform I’m scheduling for.

Then there are the more important use cases.

I’ve watched two Isa fancams at the same time.

2 LOVE: Android 18 Isa and Pink pigtails Isa

Or, you know, watching Momo and Chaewon at the same time. Gotta make sure my Top 3 are all represented.

The wider screen makes these scenarios feel much more comfortable than trying to do the same thing on a regular phone.

4. Landscape mode just makes sense

This is probably one of the stranger things I’ve noticed with the Fold8.

Portrait still works. In fact, the aspect ratio works really well for it. Browsing, scrolling, and plenty of regular phone stuff still feel natural that way.

But when I unfold it, landscape somehow feels more natural.

I think part of it is that the wider screen harkens back to a time before smartphones started becoming extra long and extra tall. It feels closer to the way we used to think about larger screens: something wider, rather than just a really tall phone.

Even on apps and websites that aren’t perfectly optimized for the form factor, landscape just feels right to me.

It’s not that I always want to use the Fold8 that way.

It just feels like the orientation the bigger screen was meant to have.

5. The Fold8 killed my tablet habit

I still travel with a lot of devices.

That’s not going away anytime soon.

What has changed is that I mostly stopped bringing a small or medium-sized tablet with me. The Fold8 covers that particular role well enough that I don’t feel the need to add another screen to the pile.

That’s one less thing to pack and, more importantly, one less thing to take out at airport security.

It has also changed how I wind down at night during work trips.

I usually don’t watch shows or movies when I’m overseas. I don’t really use them as something to lull me to sleep.

But the Fold8 makes catching up on shows easier. The unfolded screen gives me enough room to watch comfortably, while still being easier to hold than a tablet.

I’ve watched Lanterns, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, The Rookie, and, naturally, various STAYC appearances.

I’m also slowly looking to get into reading comics on it. I’m still figuring out the most economical way to do that, but the screen makes me want to explore it.

The Fold8 hasn’t made me stop traveling with multiple devices.

It has just given me one less screen to bring.

6. The camera hasn’t convinced me to consolidate everything

The Fold8’s cameras are serviceable.

I’ve taken plenty of casual photos with it, and some have turned out well enough that I’ve happily posted them. A recent photoset on Threads even got a nice reaction.

 

View on Threads

 

For everyday shooting, I’m not particularly worried about it.

For work, though, I still bring a dedicated camera phone when I’m covering an event. I wouldn’t rely on the Fold8 as my only camera for coverage.

There’s also a very specific problem I have with it.

I have chubby hands and fingers.

I’ve occasionally covered part of the camera while shooting because of how I’m holding the phone. That’s more of a me problem than a Fold8 problem, but it’s something I’ve had to keep in mind.

So while the Fold8 has replaced my tablet habit, it hasn’t convinced me to consolidate  everything into one device.

7. I just want a case that doesn’t ruin the Fold

Cases have been surprisingly difficult.

What I want isn’t complicated: something thin, back-only, with good hand feel, MagSafe support, and preferably in red.

I’ve tried a few cases from Shopee. CASETiFY was also gracious enough to send me some options.

The problem is that after a few days with the bulkier ones, I kept coming back to the same thought: I like the Fold8’s size and shape. I don’t want to cover that up with something that makes it feel like a completely different phone.

The accessory ecosystem also hasn’t completely caught up.

Most MagSafe accessories are still designed with regular slab phones in mind. That’s understandable. Slab phones have been around forever.

But as more people start using foldables like this, I expect the accessory market to catch up too.

For now, I’m still looking for that one case that gives me the protection I want without getting in the way of the phone I actually enjoy using.

8. This is the kind of foldable I want

I’ve been using foldables long enough to know that I’m not particularly interested in the novelty of a phone that folds.

What I want is a specific kind of foldable.

I want a mini tablet that shrinks into a phone.

That’s what the Galaxy Z Fold8 feels like to me.

Folded, it’s there when I need to answer a message, scroll through social media, check my bank account, or stare at photos of my favorite K-pop girlies.

Unfolded, it gives me the room to write, work, edit, watch, multitask, and eventually, hopefully, read more comics.

It has also meant carrying one less device when I travel.

That’s basically the pitch for me.

Give me the screen when I need it. Get out of the way when I don’t.

That’s the kind of foldable I want.

Apple season is officially here, and you can now secure the all-new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max across all Beyond the Box physical stores and online channels.

As usual, Beyond the Box is stepping up the launch experience with serious perks, full pricing transparency, and flexible payment options.

PhP 22,000 in guaranteed freebies

Pre-ordering either the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max gets you PhP 22,000 worth of premium gear. Beyond the Box breaks down the exact SRP for every item so you know the precise value you are taking home.

The bundle features the Momax iPhone 18 Pro Gift Set valued at PhP 2,670, the Momax 1-Vibe Bottle Magnetic Wireless Speaker Flask worth PhP 3,490, and the Bellroy Lite Tech Kit valued at PhP 3,190.

You also get the Function 101 MagSafe Ring Stand and Grip Holder priced at PhP 990, the Urbanista Malibu Solar-Powered Bluetooth Speaker worth PhP 8,990, and an exclusive Native Union Tote Bag valued at PhP 1,790 as an unboxing incentive.

Earn double tech bites points

Every pre-order earns Double Tech Bites Loyalty Points. Standard rates give you 1 point for every PhP 300 spent, meaning a PhP 100,000 purchase nets you over 600 points once you pick up your unit.

You can redeem these points on your next accessory upgrade or spend them at any restaurant under the Tasteless Food Group.

0% installments & “Lower-Than-Cash” promo deals

Upgrading is made easier with flexible financing. You can spread payments across 24 to 36 months at 0% interest via partner credit cards. Select payment terms also offer exclusive promotional rates that actually come out lower than the cash price.

If you are still deciding on color or storage, you can reserve a unit with a PhP 5,000 downpayment. To guarantee your stock allocation, simply settle the remaining balance on or before October 16.

Given high demand for specific colors and capacities, securing your order early is strongly recommended. Pre-orders are live today at all physical Beyond the Box stores nationwide and through their official online channels.

OPPOOPPOOPPO has announced that the Find X10 Series will launch globally on October 21 in Mallorca, Spain.

The latest flagship lineup focuses heavily on mobile photography, with OPPO positioning the series as a “Hasselblad True-to-Life Camera.” It combines new camera hardware with OPPO’s next-generation LUMO True Image Engine for more natural detail, color, and tones.

Two phones, up to three 200MP cameras

The Find X10 features a Dual 200MP Camera System co-developed with Hasselblad. Meanwhile, the Find X10 Pro Max takes things further with a Triple 200MP Camera System.

The Pro Max is equipped with 200MP sensors for its ultra-wide, main, and telephoto cameras.

OPPO’s LUMO True Image Engine is designed to make the most of the new hardware. It combines computational photography with Master Mode and color information from the True Color Camera to produce more natural-looking images.

The company says the system is designed to preserve details such as skin tones and fine textures while maintaining natural contrast.

4K 120fps and 8K video

The OPPO Find X10 Series also gets upgraded video capabilities.

The Find X10 Pro Max supports 4K video recording at 120fps and 8K at 30fps across all three rear cameras. The Find X10 offers the same capabilities on its two 200MP cameras.

Both models also introduce Open Gate Capture. The feature uses the sensor’s full imaging area, allowing creators to capture more of a scene and later crop or reframe footage for different formats.

Flagship MediaTek chips and 8,000mAh batteries

The Find X10 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9600M, while the Find X10 Pro Max is among the first smartphones to use the 2nm MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro.

Both phones pack an 8,000mAh OPPO Silicon-Carbon Battery. OPPO claims the battery can provide up to two days of typical use and retain more than 80 percent of its original capacity after five years of typical use.

The series will also ship with ColorOS 17, which introduces a new Living Flow Design and AI Mind Pilot with Agent Mode. The latter connects agentic AI with files and photos on the phone to help users complete more complex tasks through a single prompt.

Find X10 Series design

OPPO is giving the Find X10 Series a minimalist design with its new Borderless Design. One-Piece Sculpted Glass flows into the camera module, creating a more seamless look around the camera bump.

The Find X10 will be available in Glacier Blue, Glow Coral, and Mist Grey. The Find X10 Pro Max comes in Titanium Grey and Luna White.

OPPO will reveal the Find X10 Series’ full specifications, pricing, and availability during its global launch event in Mallorca on October 21.