The foldable smartphone market has entered a more mature phase, and Samsung’s latest devices reflect that. Alongside the Galaxy Z Fold8, the company has introduced the Fold8 Ultra – the first ‘Ultra’ model in its foldable portfolio. The idea isn’t to reinvent the foldable, but to give buyers a clearer choice between two premium devices built on the same foundation.
After spending time with both, what stands out is not how different they are, but how similar they feel. Reviewed here in the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, both offer the same refined One UI software experience and both feel equally responsive in everyday use. The Ultra isn’t a different phone; it’s the Fold8 with a little more of everything.
The refinements are easy to spot. Both phones are slimmer than the previous generation, the hinge feels reassuringly solid and the crease has become far less noticeable in everyday use. Neither device feels experimental anymore. Fold them shut and they’re premium smartphones. Open them up and they become surprisingly capable work devices.
This is where the two begin to part ways. The Fold8 is simply the easier phone to carry around. It feels more comfortable in one hand and disappears into a pocket without drawing much attention. The Fold8 Ultra, on the other hand, makes the most of its larger footprint. Its 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display, compared to the Fold8’s 7.6-inch screen, gives you that little bit of extra room that makes a difference when you’re working through presentations, editing spreadsheets or reading long reports. The difference extends to the cover displays as well. The Fold8 features a 5.5-inch outer screen, while the Ultra gets a larger 6.5-inch panel. Both support a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and Samsung’s displays remain among the finest on any smartphone.
Performance isn’t something you’ll think about much – and that’s a compliment. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of RAM, tears through everything from multitasking and gaming to editing photos and switching between productivity apps. More importantly, neither phone becomes uncomfortably warm during prolonged use.
The biggest difference between the two sits on the back. The Fold8 features a dual rear camera setup with a 50MP main wide sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide lens, but it misses out on a dedicated optical zoom camera. It produces photographs that are consistently sharp, balanced and reliable for most everyday situations. The Fold8 Ultra, meanwhile, gets a 200MP primary sensor along with a 10MP telephoto camera, giving Samsung’s first Ultra foldable a clear advantage when shooting distant subjects, cropping heavily or photographing after sunset. In good daylight, the gap isn’t dramatic. Push the cameras a little harder, though, and the Ultra begins to justify its name.
The battery story is much the same. The Fold8 houses a 4,800mAh battery, while the Ultra gets a 5,000mAh unit. The larger battery doesn’t translate into dramatically longer endurance because it’s also powering a bigger display, but both comfortably lasted a full working day during testing. Fast wired charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging are available on both.
Perhaps Samsung’s biggest advantage still lies in its software. One UI has evolved alongside the Fold, and it shows. Split-screen multitasking, floating windows, drag-and-drop between apps and Galaxy AI features feel like natural extensions of the larger display rather than features added to pad out a spec sheet. It’s one of the few foldables where the software consistently makes the hardware feel worthwhile.
In the end, choosing between these two phones has little to do with performance because there’s virtually nothing separating them on that front. The decision rests on whether the Ultra’s larger display, more capable camera system and slightly bigger battery justify the premium for the way you use your smartphone.
The Fold8 Ultra also marks an important addition to Samsung’s foldable lineup. Rather than replacing the Fold8, it expands the range by offering a premium option for buyers who want a larger display and a more versatile camera system. For everyone else, the standard Fold8 delivers much the same experience in a more compact form.
Estimated street price:
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Rs 1,99,999
Samsung Galaxy Fold8: Rs 1,79,999