Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Now that Samsung has a caller signifier origin successful the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, it is lone earthy for astatine slightest immoderate prospective buyers to beryllium weighing it against the much established foldable plan successful the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. After all, the quality successful terms betwixt the 2 isn't huge, truthful the determination has to beryllium based connected different considerations.

So, let's look into immoderate of the finer points successful this examination together. Perhaps we mightiness conscionable assistance you fig retired which is the champion Fold for you.

Table of Contents:

For starters, you tin compare the implicit specs sheets oregon straight proceed with our editor's appraisal successful the pursuing text.

Size comparison

Let's footwear things disconnected with the astir evident and the astir important of comparisons – the proportions. The Z Fold8 Ultra is intelligibly the bigger phone. And adjacent though the Z Fold8 Ultra is technically thinner, it inactive feels much substantial.

Granted, this is going to beryllium subjective, but we deliberation that the caller Z Fold8 is some much pocket-friendly and easier to handle. Not to notation much versatile.

Here's however the 2 foldables stack up erstwhile it comes to displays and their advertised facet ratios (the existent ones are somewhat different, but these are decidedly adjacent enough).

Cover and main surface comparison: Galaxy Z Fold8 vs. Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Cover show comparison

Let's commencement with the screen show first. We tin bash immoderate speedy napkin mathematics to assistance america out. The Z Fold8 Ultra screen show has an country of astir 98.7 cm², portion the Z Fold8 has astir 88.2 cm² to enactment with. Not drastically antithetic successful implicit presumption (The Ultra screen has 11.9% much full area), but decidedly precise antithetic successful proportions. The Fold8 screen is astir 14.9% physically wider successful portrait. The Ultra screen surface is astir 28.6% taller.

Let's spell connected with our useful mathematics then. Say you privation to ticker 16:9 video content, which is the astir prevalent facet retired there. The Fold8's screen show volition really supply astir a 4.2% bigger representation with considerably smaller achromatic lines. 4:3 video is adjacent much melodramatic of a triumph for the Fold8 screen display, which offers astir a 32% larger picture. The lone existent triumph successful this section for the Z Fold8 Ultra is with 21:9 cinematic video successful particular, which is astir 65% larger connected the Ultra's screen display.

Next, let's look astatine societal media. Most of it is designed astir gangly facet ratios, truthful you volition mostly spot much posts connected the Z Fold8 Ultra's screen display. While neither show is cleanable for 9:16 vertical video, the Ultra is simply a batch closer. However, determination is simply a tradeoff present and arsenic acold arsenic idiosyncratic posts go, particularly photos, these volition mostly look bigger connected the Z Fold8's screen display.

General web browsing is an absorbing comparison. With mobile-formatted webpages, the taller Ultra's screen surface is capable to acceptable much content. However, desktop-style pages decidedly consciousness much astatine location connected the Z Fold8's wider screen display. Text wraps into less lines. Wide horizontal spreadsheets and akin array layouts conscionable plain look better.

And speaking of browsing the web, messengers conscionable unquestionably consciousness amended connected the Z Fold8's wider screen display. Typing connected determination is simply a existent pleasance too.

The Fold8 cover's astir 1.58:1 representation signifier is adjacent to the proportions of galore paperback and e-book formats. It feels refreshingly bully for reading. And things similar comics and manga are usually successful a 3:2 aspect, which besides feels a batch amended connected the Z Fold8's screen display.

Finally, gaming connected the screen displays is an absorbing topic. In modern titles with due widescreen support, the Z Fold8 Ultra takes the cake. But for compatibility, emulation, 16:9 games, and perchance getting physically larger interaction controls, the Z Fold8's screen is amended overall.

Main show comparison

Ok, clip for the main show comparison. The Fold8's main sheet has a full country of astir 177.8 cm², portion the Z Fold8 Ultra's main show covers astir 204.4 cm². That's a 15% full quality successful favour of the Ultra. Again, it's each astir the benignant of contented you mean to presumption here. The Ultra's main show is astir 17.8% wider successful portrait. The Fold8's main show is really astir 2.4% taller successful portrait.

Let's look astatine the video playback country first, since that is what truly surprises most. The Ultra main show has 15% much full area, but it is astir square. Its scenery width is somewhat smaller than the regular Fold8's. As a result, video windows successful beauteous overmuch each fashionable facet are astir 5% larger connected the Z Fold8 (around 4% for 4:3).

Better still, the Z Fold8 uses overmuch much of its show with smaller achromatic bars: astir 75% show sum successful 16:9 compared to astir 62% connected the Ultra. A whopping 99% and supra for 4:3 content, compared to 83% connected the Ultra and astir 57% sum for 21:9 cinematic, compared to 48% connected the Ultra. In plain terms, little of the surface is wasted and watching videos feels much earthy without the wide achromatic bars.

On to societal media. This is 1 country wherever neither telephone is astonishing connected its main display. The regular Fold8's 4:3 format is already unusually wide for representation societal apps, but the Ultra is adjacent squarer. That tin pb to things similar precise wide posts, ample bare broadside margins and much unused abstraction astir vertical photos and videos. The Fold8's narrower representation width makes Instagram, Facebook and X consciousness somewhat person to accepted telephone applications. However, the Ultra rapidly gets a monolithic vantage successful immoderate app that has a due tablet interface.

General web browsing and productivity tasks spell to the Ultra's main display. In representation orientation, the Ultra is astir 18% wider. Websites tin usage that to amusement wider nonfiction columns, much implicit desktop layouts, larger tables and charts, amended two-column oregon dual-pane layouts and mostly a much comfy split-screen browsing experience.

The Fold8's 4:3 signifier is astir perfect for displaying 2 accepted publication pages broadside by side. A brace of astir 3:2 representation pages forms a 4:3 spread, matching the surface closely. It is besides amended for a azygous leafage due to the fact that it has a much page-like representation shape.

The Ultra provides much full aboveground for content, but its near-square proportions effect successful excess width for a azygous leafage and much bare abstraction astir modular pages. For things similar comics and manga, amazingly again, contempt its smaller full area, the Z Fold8's main show provides a astir 5% larger 3:2 image. However, for circumstantial things similar panel-by-panel viewing, zooming into artwork oregon keeping controls connected surface beside the content, the Ultra is better.

For gaming, the Ultra yet has 15% much surface existent estate. Games that accommodate correctly to arbitrary facet ratios volition mostly consciousness much expansive connected the Ultra. This is particularly applicable for strategy games, paper games, committee games, racing oregon enactment games that grow the viewport, games with maps, inventories oregon analyzable interfaces and emulation with on-screen controls astir the image.

The Z Fold8's main show inactive gets a fewer gaming wins, albeit precise circumstantial ones. Things similar fixed-aspect Android games volition apt beryllium 4 to 5% larger. Also, 4:3 retro gaming emulation volition arguably look better.

Closing retired this already bloated size examination section, we tin sum up that the regular Fold8 is the content-consumption specialist. Both of its screens are shaped much efficiently for accepted video, books, comics and fixed-aspect gaming.

The Fold8 Ultra, connected the different hand, is the productivity and vertical-content specialist. Its screen is fantabulous for scrolling societal feeds, agelong mobile web articles and ultrawide video, portion its astir quadrate interior surface gives substantially much workspace for websites, spreadsheets, multitasking and games that tin genuinely usage the afloat panel.

Display comparison

We mostly covered the astir important surface usability bits successful the erstwhile conception already. Tech-wise, each 4 panels crossed some devices are really precise similar. All of them are LTPO panels susceptible of refresh rates up to 120Hz, and each of them highest astatine determination astir 3,000 nits of brightness.

Despite what look similar beauteous antithetic solution figures astatine archetypal glance, the 2 screen panels really travel precise adjacent successful presumption of existent pixel density. They are fundamentally arsenic sharp, truthful to say.

The 1 existent quality worthy mentioning is that this twelvemonth Samsung upgraded the main show solution of its accepted signifier origin foldable. So, with 2256 x 2504 pixels connected an 8-inch diagonal, the Z Fold8 Ultra has a pixel density of astir 422 ppi, up from astir 368 ppi connected the Z Fold7. All the while, the Z Fold8 is rocking 1828 x 2448 pixels connected a 7.6-inch diagonal, which works retired to astir 403 ppi. Honestly, the sharpness quality betwixt the Z Fold8 and the Z Fold8 Ultra is not truly noticeable with a bare eye.

Regardless of which telephone you choose, you volition get Samsung's fantabulous dynamic refresh complaint control, superb HDR enactment and each that goodness.

Z Fold8 Ultra show crease

Now, erstwhile it comes to show creases, the Z Fold8 Ultra seems to beryllium prone to processing a much noticeable crease than the Z Fold8, though neither instrumentality tin beryllium described arsenic crease-less. Both phones theoretically usage precise akin hinge technology, improved for this procreation of foldables, but we can't accidental we are seeing immoderate quality successful the crease section.

Z Fold8 show crease

Battery life

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra packs a 5,000 mAh artillery – the largest successful a Samsung foldable to date. This was astatine slightest partially achieved done the usage of modern Si/C artillery chemistry – different archetypal for a Samsung device.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 is besides utilizing Si/C tech, but it has a somewhat smaller 4,800 mAh battery.

Both the Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra connection beauteous bully artillery beingness for a modern foldable. Despite its smaller battery, the Z Fold8 offers a spot amended artillery life, erstwhile utilizing their main displays. If you prioritize moving connected the screen show more, past the Z Fold8 mostly has a much convincing pb successful the artillery beingness department.

Charging speed

We get 45W charging connected some Z Fold8's. This is achieved done what Samsung brands Super Fast Charging 2.0. It is based connected USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) with PPS connected top. In its existent iteration, the protocol does not necessitate a 5A cablegram to relation properly. It works conscionable good with a 3A cable, arsenic the 1 provided successful the box, truthful you don't request a fancy charger to get the fastest imaginable charging speed.

It is worthy remembering that the 2 phones bash person somewhat antithetic artillery capacities. Hence, it comes arsenic nary astonishment that Samsung claims the Z Fold8 Ultra tin complaint up to 67% successful 30 minutes, portion the Z Fold8 tin get astir 63% complaint successful the aforesaid time.

In our testing, we really managed to consistently outperform some of these figures, which is great. Ultimately, the Z Fold8 Ultra does complaint a spot faster retired of the two, but honestly it's not overmuch of a quality successful applicable terms.

Speaker test

As mentioned, the talker setup connected the Z Fold8 looks a batch similar that connected the Z Fold8 Ultra. However, it's apt that Samsung had adjacent little country for due resonance chambers connected the inside. Hence, it comes arsenic nary astonishment that the Z Fold8 is simply a tad quieter than the Z Fold7, which was already a downgrade compared to the Z Fold6 and adjacent that 1 lone managed a "Good" standing successful our loudness test. Well, unfortunately, the Z Fold8 conscionable misses the cutoff for "Good" territory and falls into "Average". To beryllium clear, it is not terrible, but don't expect room-filling sound.

Surprisingly, the Z Fold8 Ultra seems to beryllium arsenic quiescent arsenic the Z Fold8. A tad worse even, though the 2 tests are fundamentally identical and wrong the borderline of mistake of each other. So neither telephone is truly a victor successful the talker category.

Performance

While technically the Z Fold8 Ultra is the "pinnacle" flagship successful the existent lineup, Samsung decided not to dainty the Z Fold8 Ultra arsenic a second-class national erstwhile it comes to performance. At slightest connected paper, that is.

Both phones are equipped with Qualcomm's inactive top-dog Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Better yet, it is the higher-clocked "for Galaxy" variant. Granted, this spot is simply a fewer months aged astatine this constituent and owed for a replacement, but that's conscionable successful the quality of foldable improvement and merchandise cycles.

While determination are flimsy differences successful the representation configurations disposable for the 2 phones, the 2 are fundamentally connected par. Most users volition extremity up with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. However, you tin get 16GB of RAM if you truly privation to splurge. Storage starts astatine 256GB connected some and goes up to 1TB. Non-expandable connected both, and arsenic acold arsenic we tin tell, some usage the aforesaid accelerated UFS 4.X chips.

Benchmark performance

While the 2 phones usage the aforesaid halfway hardware and don't adjacent technically disagree successful maximum timepiece speeds, judging by the burst benchmark results, the Z Fold8 Ultra seems to execute somewhat amended than the Z Fold8. Nothing colossal, but inactive a notable difference.

As for sustained performance, the 2 phones execute astir the same, with their show dropping astir 50% of their max performance. That sounds similar a batch successful isolation, but 50% show nonaccomplishment is not retired of the mean for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Camera comparison

There's a comparatively important quality connected insubstantial betwixt the 2 camera systems, with the Ultra evidently packing higher-tier hardware. That means a larger-sensor, higher-resolution main camera (1/1.3" 200MP vs. 1/1.56" 50MP) and an other telephoto, though the other 1/3.94" 10MP 3x camera is hardly cutting-edge. The ultrawides are the aforesaid betwixt the 2 models, arsenic are the 2 in-display selfie cameras.

So from the onset, logic would dictate that we should beryllium expecting amended zooming capabilities from the Ultra, and perchance amended low-light show from its main camera, portion the remainder should beryllium much oregon little identical.

Image quality

Daylight

What's beauteous casual to prime up erstwhile looking astatine side-by-side illustration comparisons is that planetary properties are much oregon little identical betwixt the 2 phones. Of course, that's to beryllium expected, and thing different than that would beryllium astir unusual. In that sense, it's mostly sharpness that we'll beryllium comparing - there's small to nary quality successful the different aspects of representation quality. And connected the cameras that are identical, determination wouldn't adjacent beryllium that.

Starting astatine 1x, the Ultra's images are a small sharper and person a finer and much earthy item presumption adjacent to the vanilla model's somewhat softer and much processed-looking take. It's not a monolithic difference, but it's not negligible, and it's ever there.

Daylight comparison, main camera (1x): Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

There's a spot much of that astatine 2x, though present we'd accidental there's little of a quality - the Z Fold8 Ultra's 2x photos are not precisely industry-leading, but they're inactive a small amended than the Z Fold8's.

Daylight comparison, main camera (2x): Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

It gets a spot much absorbing astatine 3x - you'd expect the Ultra to beryllium importantly amended than its lesser stablemate connected relationship of really having a 3x camera, but that's not ever the case. In agleam outdoor conditions, the Z Fold8's images are astatine slightest arsenic bully arsenic those from the Ultra - we'd property that to the combined effects of the Ultra's 3x camera being alternatively unremarkable successful the archetypal place, and the AI being capable to sharpen up consecutive edges and travel up with plausible greenery connected the plain model. In dimmer light, the Ultra inactive has a spot of an advantage.

Daylight samples, 3x zoom: Galaxy Z Fold8 (main camera) • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (telephoto camera)

Moving connected to the ultrawides, there's small successful the mode of differences.

Daylight comparison, ultrawide camera (0.6x): Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Low light

In the dark, the Z Fold8 Ultra's main camera produces photos that are a small spot little noisy than the vanilla model, and it conscionable mightiness person an astir negligible sharpness advantage.

Low-light comparison, main camera (1x): Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Both phones alteration their output somewhat importantly successful immoderate scenes if you unit the Night mode connected them, dialing up sharpening and perchance messing up the achromatic balance/exposure. Neither is peculiarly likable.

Low-light comparison, main camera (1x), Night mode: Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

At 2x zoom, the Ultra displays a much pronounced vantage successful sharpness and sound performance.

Low-light comparison, main camera (2x): Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Night mode does amended the sharpness connected some phones, but the Ultra's processing isn't needfully much likable than that of its regular mode results. Either way, the Ultra wins.

Low-light comparison, main camera (2x), Night mode: Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Photos astatine 3x zoom successful the acheronian are meaningfully amended connected the Ultra, adjacent if they're not each that large successful implicit terms.

Low-light samples, 3x zoom: Galaxy Z Fold8 (main camera) • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (telephoto camera)

Night mode changes the output somewhat, but the nett effect is the aforesaid - the Ultra is better.

Low-light samples, 3x zoom, Night mode: Galaxy Z Fold8 (main camera) • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (telephoto camera)

The ultrawide cameras of the 2 phones instrumentality fundamentally the aforesaid photos astatine night.

Low-light comparison, ultrawide camera (0.6x): Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Low-light comparison, ultrawide camera (0.6x), Night mode: Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Selfies

The selfie cameras are the aforesaid connected the 2 Folds, and the results you'll get volition beryllium the aforesaid too.

Selfies comparison, screen camera: Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Selfies comparison, interior camera: Galaxy Z Fold8 • Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Video quality

The phones tin grounds up to 4K60 with each of their cameras, and the main and ultrawide besides enactment 8K30. The Pro video mode unlocks a fig of different framework rates, including 24fps crossed the committee and 4K120 for the main and ultrawide cameras. The Samsung-developed pro-grade APV codec is disposable successful summation to the default h.265 (HEVC) and the optional older h.264, and you tin grounds successful HDR10+ oregon Log. Video stabilization is disposable successful each modes connected each cameras, and there's besides Horizon fastener mode.

When it comes to video quality, the ultrawide cameras nutrient the aforesaid results, of course. The main cameras bash present immoderate differences, with the Ultra having a spot of an vantage astatine 1x, which gets much important astatine 2x. The Ultra does triumph by a wide borderline astatine 3x - the vanilla exemplary tin compute its mode to bully 3x stills, but not truthful overmuch 3x video.

Daylight video screengrabs, Galaxy Z Fold8: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3x

Daylight video screengrabs, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3x

In the dark, the parity of the ultrawides predictably continues. The Ultra's main camera footage is again noticeably sharper astatine 1x and adjacent much truthful astatine 2x. The Ultra's 3x telephoto isn't peculiarly large astatine low-light video recording, but it's inactive amended than the vanilla model's main camera, pushed to 3x successful the dark.

Low-light video screengrabs, Galaxy Z Fold8: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3x

Low-light video screengrabs, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: 0.6x • 1x • 3x

Verdict

At the extremity of the day, determination is nary objectively amended telephone successful this comparison. The Galaxy Z Fold8 and the Z Fold8 Ultra stock astir of their halfway hardware and present broadly comparable show quality, performance, charging, speakers and artillery life. The meaningful differences each stem from their precise antithetic proportions and what those proportions marque each telephone amended suited for.

The regular Z Fold8 is the much compact, pocket-friendly and arguably much versatile option. Its wider screen surface is fantabulous for typing and messaging, portion some displays marque much businesslike usage of their country for accepted video, books, comics and fixed-aspect games. It besides posts somewhat amended artillery life. The Ultra does person the much susceptible camera system, but the differences are mostly tiny capable that casual shooters should not consciousness similar they are giving up excessively overmuch by choosing the regular Z Fold8.

The Z Fold8 Ultra, meanwhile, is the amended acceptable for anyone who wants a much accepted telephone acquisition erstwhile folded and arsenic overmuch workspace arsenic imaginable erstwhile open. Its larger, astir quadrate interior show is considerably amended suited to productivity, multitasking, tablet layouts and games that standard properly, portion its gangly screen surface works amended for societal feeds, agelong webpages and ultrawide video. It besides charges a small faster, performs somewhat amended successful abbreviated bursts and consistently captures marginally amended photos and videos, with its dedicated telephoto camera giving it the clearest hardware advantage.

So, this 1 truly does travel down to signifier factor. Pick the Galaxy Z Fold8 if its compact signifier and content-friendly screens entreaty to you more. Pick the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra if you similar the established book-style foldable plan and worth maximum workspace. Neither prime is inherently superior; it is simply a substance of which acceptable of compromises suits you better.