Foldables have spent years asking pockets to tolerate the proportions of a television remote. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 makes a cleaner argument: shorter, wider, and closer to a small notebook when opened.

This is not the direct continuation of Samsung’s familiar flagship Fold. That role now belongs to the Ultra, while the Fold8 introduces a new 5.5-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch 4:3 main display. At 201 grams and 0.38 inches thick when closed, it is notably easier to carry than its unusual silhouette suggests.

The change also gives video, reading, and split-screen work more natural proportions than the narrow foldable lineup that preceded it.

The hardware is appropriately serious: a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, 4,800mAh battery, dual 50-megapixel wide and ultrawide cameras, and Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels reaching 3,000 nits. Samsung’s Flex Titanium display structure reinforces the folding panel, while beveled inner edges make the device easier to open. Android 17 and One UI 9 handle the software side, though the absence of S Pen support keeps the pitch centered on viewing and multitasking rather than sketching.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 is available to preorder now in Graphite, Cream, Lavender, and an online-exclusive Pistachio. It starts at $1,899.99 for 256GB, with general availability beginning August 7.