Samsung surprised everyone by introducing not one, but two book-style foldables this year. Alongside the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the company also unveiled the all-new Galaxy Z Fold8, offering users two distinct takes on the foldable experience.

We’ve only spent a short time with both devices, so this isn’t a full comparison. Think of this as a quick side-by-side look at what immediately stood out during our first hands-on.

In the hand

The biggest difference becomes apparent before you even unfold either device.

Folded shut, the Galaxy Z Fold8 immediately feels more natural in the hand. It’s easier to grip, feels better balanced, and slips into a pocket more comfortably. If you’ve been waiting for a foldable that behaves more like a conventional smartphone when closed, the Fold8 leaves a strong first impression.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, on the other hand, feels more familiar. It carries forward the traditional book-style Fold experience with a larger footprint that longtime Fold users will instantly recognize.

When it’s time to work

Once unfolded, the gap narrows considerably.

Both devices offer enough room to comfortably write, edit documents, answer emails, or multitask without feeling cramped. During our hands-on, neither device felt noticeably better for productivity.

The same goes for typing. Both provide enough keyboard space to comfortably write articles, answer emails, or even draft letters you’ll never send.

At least from our limited time with both devices, there’s no clear winner here.

Watching videos

Media consumption is where the Galaxy Z Fold8 stands out.

Its wider display makes videos feel more at home, with fewer black bars when watching content like YouTube. It’s a subtle difference, but one that’s immediately noticeable once both devices are unfolded side by side.

The Ultra still offers a larger display overall, but its proportions remain closer to what we’ve come to expect from traditional book-style foldables.

The hinge

Samsung’s two foldables also differ slightly in how they open and close.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra’s hinge feels firmer and more deliberate. It comfortably holds its position across multiple angles, making Flex Mode feel a little more reassuring.

The Galaxy Z Fold8, meanwhile, feels smoother throughout the motion. Once it reaches a certain point while opening or closing, it naturally continues the movement on its own instead of holding intermediate angles as firmly as the Ultra.

Neither approach is inherently better. They simply offer a different feel in everyday use.

First impressions

After a brief hands-on, it’s clear that Samsung isn’t positioning these devices as direct replacements for one another.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra continues to refine the company’s established Fold formula. The Galaxy Z Fold8, meanwhile, explores a different direction—one that prioritizes a more familiar in-hand feel while keeping the productivity benefits that make foldables unique.

It’s still too early to draw conclusions about cameras, battery life, or long-term performance. Those answers will have to wait until we’ve spent more time with both devices.

For now, these are the differences that stood out most after our first look.

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy Z8 Series in the Philippines, bringing three foldables to the local market. The lineup includes the new passport-style Galaxy Z Fold8, the flagship Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip8.

Pre-orders are now open nationwide. Alongside updated Galaxy AI experiences, Samsung’s latest foldables cater to different lifestyles—from productivity-focused power users and those looking for a more portable Fold experience to fans of compact flip phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z8 Series price in the Philippines

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at PHP 123,990, while the new Galaxy Z Fold8 begins at PHP 109,990. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip8 starts at PHP 77,990.

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Colors: Violet Shadow, Cream, Graphite, Green Shadow (Online Exclusive)

Galaxy Z Fold8

Colors: Lavender, Cream, Graphite, Pistachio (Online Exclusive)

Galaxy Z Flip8

Colors: Coral, Cream, Graphite, Mint

Availability and pre-order offers

Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Z8 Series in the Philippines run from July 23 to August 13.

During the pre-order period, customers can enjoy a free storage upgrade worth up to PHP 7,000, trade-in savings of up to PHP 14,000, and three months of Samsung Care+ at no additional cost.

Samsung is also offering up to 15% off and 0% installment for up to 36 months through participating banks. Monthly installment plans start at PHP 1,841.43 for the Galaxy Z8 Series and PHP 542.82 for the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9.

Participating banks include BDO, BPI, UnionBank, Metrobank, EastWest Bank, PNB, Security Bank, HSBC, RCBC, and Chinabank.

Customers can also take advantage of Samsung’s trade-in program through CompAsia and bolttech, with guaranteed trade-in values of up to PHP 16,000 for the Galaxy Z8 Series and up to PHP 7,000 for the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9.

For added peace of mind, Samsung is offering up to 36% off Samsung Care+ through bolttech. The protection plan includes unlimited repairs for up to two years, up to two device replacements, global coverage across 55 countries, and free nationwide pick-up and delivery.

Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a new Fold experience

Headlining the lineup is the new Galaxy Z Fold8, which introduces an entirely new take on Samsung’s book-style foldable.

Instead of simply shrinking its flagship Fold, Samsung designed the Fold8 around a different idea: making a book-style foldable that’s easier to carry and use every day. Its passport-inspired form factor prioritizes portability and one-handed usability while retaining the large inner display for multitasking, productivity, and entertainment.

The new Fold8 joins—not replaces—the Fold8 Ultra, giving buyers another option depending on how they use their foldable.

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra builds on Samsung’s flagship foldable

Existing Fold users should note that the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the direct successor to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold7. This year, Samsung renames its traditional book-style foldable as the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra while introducing an entirely new model simply called the Galaxy Z Fold8.

Rather than redesigning the device, Samsung focuses on refinement. The Fold8 Ultra features a 200MP main camera, Flex Titanium Technology, a brighter display, improved performance, and expanded Galaxy AI capabilities for users who want Samsung’s most advanced foldable.

Galaxy Z Flip8 refines Samsung’s compact foldable

Samsung also updates its clamshell foldable with the Galaxy Z Flip8.

The latest model builds on its familiar design with upgrades to FlexWindow, FlexCam, Galaxy AI, and overall performance. Samsung says the larger cover display allows users to accomplish more everyday tasks without unfolding the device, while its compact design continues to make it the most pocket-friendly model in the lineup.

Galaxy AI powers the Galaxy Z8 Series

Galaxy AI remains a central part of Samsung’s latest foldables.

The company introduces new features such as Gemini-powered Notebooks for organizing information from multiple sources, alongside expanded Photo Assist editing tools and My Filter for more personalized image creation. Across the Fold lineup, Samsung also continues to optimize AI features for multitasking and productivity on larger displays.

The moment the Galaxy Z Fold8 rested on my palm, I smiled.

Not because it was new. Not because it folded. Not because I was at Galaxy Unpacked (I wasn’t.

I smiled because it finally felt real.

Months ago, I wrote about why wide foldables genuinely excite me. At the time, the Galaxy Z Fold8 was little more than leaks and speculation. I remember feeling eager anticipation with cautious optimism. I wanted Samsung to build this device because I genuinely believed there was room for a different kind of Fold.

The moment someone finally handed it to me, all the experiences I had built up in my head suddenly had something tangible to latch onto.

I remember thinking, “Yes. This is it. This is exactly it.”

It was real. It was one of those rare moments where reality met expectations. And somehow, it even exceeded them.

More than just a wide foldable

The first thing that struck me wasn’t a spec sheet. It was how the Galaxy Z Fold8 felt.

It’s smaller, thinner, and lighter than I expected. Folded shut, it sits naturally on my palm. It’s balanced. I can browse, swipe, and scroll exactly the way I would on any other smartphone. It never feels awkward or top-heavy.

Then I unfold it.

Suddenly, I have enough room to write comfortably without feeling cramped by the keyboard. I can review articles, respond to emails, and work on documents without constantly wishing I had just a little more screen space.

Turn it sideways and videos feel equally at home. There’s less wasted space and fewer compromises than I’ve come to expect from smartphones.

I keep coming back to one word: Natural.

It surprised me not because Samsung made a foldable that’s easier to use. But because using it felt instinctive.

Maybe we’ve been thinking about smartphones the wrong way

For the longest time, we’ve accepted that smartphones should look like… well, smartphones.

A long rectangular slab that fits in your pocket.

But that’s not really how I use mine anymore. In fact, I rarely use my smartphone as a phone.

It’s where I coordinate conversations across multiple messaging apps. It’s where I answer emails. It’s where I write. It’s where I edit articles, review reels before they go live, leave comments for the team, catch up on news, and occasionally lose myself scrolling through photos and clips of Momo, Chaewon, or whoever happens to make my day a little lighter.

Somewhere along the way, the phone call became secondary. My smartphone quietly became my Palm PC.

Once I looked at it that way, the Galaxy Z Fold8 started making even more sense.

It isn’t trying to be a regular smartphone that unfolds into a tablet. It feels like it’s designed around how many of us already use our devices today.

The part that excites me most

What excites me isn’t that Samsung finally made a wider foldable. It’s that Samsung was willing to try.

The safest thing the company could have done this year was release another refinement of its existing Fold. It would’ve been thinner. Faster. Smarter. We’d all nod in approval before moving on to the next launch.

If Samsung had launched only the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra this year, I honestly think it would’ve been an underwhelming announcement.

Instead, Samsung challenged an assumption. It looked at a category it has helped define and asked if there was another way to approach it.

Samsung didn’t invent this form factor. It simply has the scale to make more people pay attention to it. It gives this form factor a legitimate chance to reach more people than ever before. And I’m genuinely excited to see where that leads.

Why this one feels different

New technology should be exciting.

Not simply because it’s new, but because it either solves an obvious problem or asks us to look at something familiar from a different perspective.

The best products leave you thinking, “You know what? That actually makes sense.”

That’s exactly how I felt after spending time with the Galaxy Z Fold8.

Maybe it won’t change how everyone uses a smartphone. But it changed how I think about one. And after waiting for this moment for so long, that’s more than enough.

On my way home, there was one thought I couldn’t shake. I wanted to hand it to someone. Not another journalist. Not someone looking for benchmark scores or camera samples. Just someone whose opinion I genuinely value. Someone who prefers lighter devices.

Someone I’d simply say, “I can’t wait for you to try this. I think this matches how you work and how you use your smartphone.”

Maybe that’s the highest compliment I can give the Galaxy Z Fold8. For all the conversations around AI, performance, cameras, and thinner designs, what I’ll remember most is much simpler.

For the first time in a long time, a piece of consumer tech made me smile the moment I picked it up. Sometimes, that’s the reminder I need about why I fell in love with this industry in the first place.