Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: The Fold Finally Goes ‘Ultra’ In Every Sense

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review:Samsung’s Ultra foldable finally feels like the product the Fold series has always been chasing. With a dramatically reduced crease, Ultra-grade cameras, a brighter display and a much-needed battery upgrade, here’s our early verdict after spending over 24 hours with the device.

Foldables have spent the better part of the last six years trying to solve one fundamental problem. Every generation has become thinner, lighter and more powerful, yet there has always been one visual reminder that you weren’t using a conventional smartphone: the crease running through the middle of the display.

Almost every manufacturer has tried tackling it in one way or another. Oppo came remarkably close with the Find N6, while Honor and Huawei have also steadily refined their hinge designs over the years. Samsung, despite practically creating the modern foldable category, has always been playing catch-up in this particular department.

Unlike the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8, whose biggest achievement is arguably its compact form factor, the Ultra exists for an entirely different reason. Samsung has taken everything users have been asking for over the years and packed it into one device. A flagship-grade 200MP camera. A significantly brighter display. A bigger battery. Faster charging. And perhaps most importantly, a folding display whose crease almost disappears into the background.

Now, the obvious question is this: Is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra worth spending Rs 1,99,999 on (Rs 1,99,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, Rs 2,19,999 for the 12GB + 512GB model and Rs 2,59,999 for the fully-loaded 16GB + 1TB version)? I have been using the Violet Shadow variant for a little over 24 hours now, and here’s our early review.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: How Does It Feel In Your Hand?

If you have been following Samsung’s Fold lineup over the past few years, you might expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra to feel dramatically different in your hand. Surprisingly, it doesn’t. Instead, Samsung has focused on refining almost every little detail that made previous Fold devices feel slightly unfinished.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra measures just 4.1mm when unfolded and 8.9mm when folded, while tipping the scales at 215g. Numbers aside, what really impressed me was how naturally the phone disappears into your daily routine. Despite housing an 8-inch tablet inside, it never once felt cumbersome during my time with it.

Unlike earlier Fold generations, the outer display also feels like a complete smartphone rather than a screen that’s merely there until you unfold the device. Whether I was replying to WhatsApp messages, checking emails, browsing Instagram or catching up on YouTube during my commute, I never felt compelled to unfold the phone unless I genuinely wanted the extra screen real estate.

That, in many ways, mirrors my experience with the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Samsung has clearly realised that foldables first need to function brilliantly as smartphones before convincing users to open them into tablets.

The build quality is exactly what you would expect from Samsung’s Ultra branding. Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 3 protects the cover display, while the Advanced Armor aluminium frame feels reassuringly solid. The hinge also feels tighter and more confidence-inspiring than previous generations, opening with just the right amount of resistance.

Personally, I think Samsung has now reached a point where the Fold series no longer feels experimental. This feels like a mature flagship.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: How Does The Display Feel?

The display, however, is where the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra genuinely separates itself from almost every other foldable currently available. Yes, Samsung has increased peak brightness to an impressive 3,000 nits. Yes, the 8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel carries a crisp 2504 x 2256 resolution and a buttery smooth adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.

Samsung has completely redesigned the display structure using what it calls Flex Titanium technology. Beneath the OLED panel now sits a titanium-alloy layer that’s claimed to be nearly twenty times stiffer than the polymer material used previously. Supporting that is a titanium plate underneath the display stack, giving the entire panel greater rigidity while reducing tiny gaps that traditionally caused the display to dip around the hinge. The difference becomes obvious the moment you begin using the phone.

No, the crease hasn’t disappeared. It probably never will. But for the first time, I genuinely found myself forgetting it existed. During regular use, your eyes simply stop noticing it after a few minutes. Even while reading long-form articles or watching HDR content on Netflix, the crease never became distracting enough to pull me out of the experience.

In fact, I deliberately tilted the phone under direct office lighting just to locate it. That probably tells you everything you need to know.

Even running your fingers across the display feels noticeably different from older Fold models. The familiar bump that your fingers instinctively searched for has become significantly flatter, making swipes across the centre of the display feel remarkably natural.

Personally, this is one of the biggest engineering achievements Samsung has delivered in recent years.

Samsung’s display quality remains exactly as exceptional as you would expect. HDR10+ videos look stunning, colours remain beautifully vibrant, while the sharp 422ppi pixel density makes reading ebooks and lengthy news articles a genuinely enjoyable experience.

Like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I found myself sticking with Samsung’s Vivid display profile almost throughout my testing. Photographs appear richer, colours carry more punch and the entire experience simply feels worthy of a phone costing upwards of Rs 2 lakh.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay Samsung is this. The display no longer feels like impressive foldable technology. It simply feels like one of the best smartphone displays money can buy.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: How Is The Camera?

For years, Samsung’s Fold series has asked users to accept a compromise when it came to cameras. While the Galaxy S Ultra lineup pushed the boundaries of smartphone photography, the Fold devices often settled for capable, but not class-leading, hardware. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra changes that equation in a big way.

Leading the camera system is Samsung’s familiar 200MP primary sensor, accompanied by a significantly upgraded 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The jump from a 12MP to a 50MP ultra-wide sensor is perhaps the biggest upgrade here because it finally brings consistency across focal lengths.

Although I will reserve my final judgement for the detailed review, my first impressions are certainly encouraging.

Under bright daylight, the Fold 8 Ultra captures photographs with excellent detail, balanced colours and impressive dynamic range. The HDR processing has also seen visible improvements, particularly while photographing scenes with bright skies and darker foregrounds. Highlights remain well controlled, while shadow detail is retained without making images appear artificially bright.

Samsung’s image processing continues to favour slightly vibrant colours, but it never crosses the line into looking unrealistic. Landscapes, architecture and food photography all benefit from that subtle punch.

Low-light photography also appears to have taken a noticeable step forward compared to previous Fold generations. Images retain more texture, artificial lighting is handled more gracefully and the larger sensor gathers considerably more light than before. While I would still like to test the cameras extensively over the coming days, the Fold 8 Ultra feels much closer to the Galaxy S26 Ultra than any previous Fold has ever managed.

Video creators will also appreciate Samsung’s decision to introduce APV Codec support. The improved codec promises better image quality while keeping file sizes manageable, something content creators shooting 4K and 8K footage are likely to appreciate.

For the first time, buying Samsung’s Fold no longer feels like accepting a compromise in camera performance.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: How Is The Overall Performance?

Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, the very same chipset that impressed us on the Galaxy S26 Ultra earlier this year. Paired with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.x storage, performance is exactly what you would expect from Samsung’s flagship silicon.

Apps launch almost instantly, multitasking feels effortless and switching between the cover display and the larger inner display happens seamlessly. During my time with the device, I had multiple Chrome tabs open alongside YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Samsung Notes, and the Fold 8 Ultra handled everything without showing the slightest sign of slowing down.

Samsung DeX also continues to be one of the Fold’s strongest advantages. Pair the phone with a monitor and keyboard, and it comfortably transforms into a capable desktop workstation for presentations, document editing or replying to emails.

Samsung has also brought one of my favourite software additions from the Galaxy S26 Ultra to the Fold lineup.

Called Now Nudge, the feature quietly analyses information from your emails, reminders and conversations, subject to the permissions you grant, before suggesting useful actions like creating calendar entries or reminding you about appointments. Unlike several AI features that demand your attention, this one simply works in the background and makes everyday life marginally easier.

That, for me, is where Samsung’s Galaxy AI continues to stand apart. The best AI features are often the ones you stop noticing because they naturally become part of your workflow.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: How Is The Battery Performance?

Battery life has always been one of the biggest talking points around Samsung’s Fold series. Packing a large folding display inside an incredibly slim chassis naturally leaves limited room for a sizeable battery. This year, Samsung has finally addressed one of users’ longest-standing requests.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the first Fold smartphone to feature a 5,000mAh battery, replacing the 4,400mAh unit found on previous generations. Charging has also been upgraded to 45W wired charging, which Samsung claims can replenish the battery to around 67 per cent in roughly half an hour. Wireless charging has also received a welcome boost to 20W.

Twenty-four hours is still too early to arrive at a definitive conclusion, but my early impressions are certainly positive.

After fully charging the Fold 8 Ultra in the morning, I spent a considerable part of the day alternating between both displays. The cover screen handled social media, emails and messaging duties, while the inner display became my preferred screen for reading news articles, watching YouTube, streaming Netflix and browsing through photographs. Add to that a generous amount of camera testing, some AI photo editing and regular work calls, and the Fold 8 Ultra still comfortably made it through the day without making me think about reaching for a charger.

That, perhaps, is the biggest compliment I can give the battery. It quietly does its job while allowing you to enjoy the phone.

Of course, we’ll reserve our final verdict after more extensive testing, but Samsung appears to have finally delivered the battery upgrade Fold users have been asking for over the years.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra First Review: Should You Buy?

As mentioned earilier, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available in three variants:

• 12GB + 256GB: Rs 1,99,999
• 12GB + 512GB: Rs 2,19,999
• 16GB + 1TB: Rs 2,59,999

Colour options include Graphite, Cream and Violet Shadow, while Green Shadow remains exclusive to Samsung’s online store.

After spending over a day with the Fold 8 Ultra, it feels like Samsung has finally brought together every major improvement Fold users have been waiting for.

The crease has been reduced to a point where it rarely interrupts the experience. The display remains among the best you’ll find on any smartphone today. The camera hardware finally belongs in the same conversation as Samsung’s Ultra lineup. Performance is every bit as flagship as expected, while the larger 5,000mAh battery inspires far greater confidence than previous Fold generations.

There will, of course, be questions that only a longer review can answer. Camera consistency across different lighting conditions, long-term battery endurance and everyday durability are aspects we’ll continue testing over the coming days.

Based on these first impressions, though, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feels like Samsung’s most complete foldable to date. More importantly, it feels like a product that has matured rather than merely evolved.

The Fold series no longer feels like an experiment for early adopters or enthusiasts who enjoy trying new technology. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feels ready for anyone looking to replace their traditional flagship smartphone with a foldable without worrying about making significant compromises.

If first impressions are anything to go by, Samsung has delivered its finest Fold yet. The full review will reveal whether it can sustain that promise over the coming weeks, but the early signs are certainly very encouraging. Until then, stay tuned to ABP Live English.

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