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- Samsung’s latest foldables may be thinner and more powerful, but I will not be buying the Galaxy Z Fold8 or Fold8 Ultra.
They are simply too expensive for phones that still come with major compromises.
Too expensive and still too fragile
My biggest issue is durability.
I bought a Samsung Fold around two to three years ago and tried to take good care of it. I used the internal screen less often to reduce battery use and possible wear. I also spent money on expensive screen protectors.
Despite that, the internal screen stopped working just before the phone reached two years old. Replacing the screen would have cost around RM2,000, which was difficult to justify after already paying so much for the phone.
The IP48 rating is also disappointing at this price. A phone costing more than RM7,000 should not require this much care or offer limited protection against dust.
Battery and charging are still behind
Samsung took too long to adopt silicon-carbon battery technology.
While Samsung was making small improvements, rivals such as HONOR, OPPO and vivo continued offering larger batteries and faster charging.
It is now 2026, yet Samsung is still offering only 45W charging on its most expensive foldable. That is difficult to accept when competitors already provide larger batteries with 66W or 80W charging.
Limited upgrades over the Fold7
The Fold8 Ultra does not feel like a major upgrade over the Fold7. There are improvements to the battery, processor, brightness, ultra-wide camera and crease, but most of them feel incremental.
Samsung is charging more, but the overall experience does not appear different enough to justify the higher price, especially for existing Fold users.
The cameras are not Samsung’s best
The Fold8 Ultra has good cameras, but it still does not offer Samsung’s best camera system. It lacks the stronger long-range zoom hardware found on Samsung’s normal Ultra flagship, despite costing much more.
The regular Fold8 makes even bigger camera compromises.
For these prices, buyers should not have to choose between a folding screen and the company’s best camera hardware.
The screen is still vulnerable
The internal screen may be brighter and stronger, but it is still easier to scratch than a normal smartphone display. Users must still be careful with fingernails, hard objects and screen protectors.
The crease is also still visible and can still be felt. It may be less obvious, but this is already Samsung’s eighth generation of Fold devices. By now, I expected a more meaningful improvement to the folding screen itself.
My current setup is more practical
Due to my disappointment with Samsung foldables, I now use a Galaxy S25 Ultra and a Galaxy A55. Both phones are more durable and cheaper to repair. I can use them without constantly worrying about scratching an expensive folding display.
When I need a larger screen, I carry an iPad.
Samsung still offers the best Android software experience and Android security in my opinion. One UI, Samsung Knox and the company’s long software support remain major strengths.
However, good software may no longer be enough to justify an expensive foldable with these compromises.
I am waiting for Apple
I am now waiting to see what Apple brings to the foldable market.
Apple has not confirmed the product or its name, although it has been widely referred to as the iPhone Fold and possibly the iPhone Ultra. It may be even more expensive, but Apple has had years to study the weaknesses of existing foldables.
If Apple can offer better durability, battery life and a less visible crease, it could finally convince me to move from the Samsung ecosystem to the iPhone.
Samsung needs to move faster
Samsung remains one of the strongest smartphone brands, but it cannot rely on customer loyalty forever. The Fold8 series feels expensive, cautious and less innovative than it should be.
With AI expected to shape the future of smartphones, Samsung must improve faster in hardware, software and long-term value.
No company is too big to fall behind. Nokia once dominated the mobile market, and Samsung should not assume the same could never happen to it.
Good software and a folding screen are no longer enough.
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