Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Samsung’s First Passport-Style Foldable Is Lighter Than an iPhone 17 Pro Max

août 26, 2026 admin

By OFOKI TECH | August 26, 2026

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, 2026, in London introduced two book-style foldables for the first time. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra continued the tall, narrow formula Samsung has used since 2019. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, which Samsung markets simply as the Z Fold 8, abandoned it. The device is shorter, wider, and lighter than any previous Fold, with a cover screen that resembles a passport when closed and an inner display that opens to a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The Shape Is the Entire Story

The Z Fold 8 Wide measures approximately 123.9 by 81.9 by 9.7mm when folded and 123.9 by 161.4 by 4.5mm when unfolded. It weighs 201 grams, which is lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 14 grams lighter than the Z Fold 7 it replaces. The cover screen is a 5.5-inch LTPO OLED with a 16:10 aspect ratio, significantly wider than the 21:9 cover screens on previous Folds. The inner display is a 7.6-inch LTPO OLED at 4:3, closer to an iPad Mini or a laptop screen than to a traditional phone.

Multiple reviewers have noted that the wider cover screen makes one-handed typing more difficult than on the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Forbes’ Ben Sin wrote that « my fingers don’t wrap around and grip the phone as easily as on a conventional phone. » However, Sin also noted that the wider inner screen displays 16:9 YouTube videos 5% larger than the Ultra’s taller screen, despite the Ultra having a larger overall display.

The Crease Is Nearly Gone

Samsung introduced a dual-layer structure called Flex Titanium on both models. PCMag described the crease as « nearly invisible », a significant improvement over the pronounced crease on the Z Fold 7. Forbes confirmed that the crease is « much less noticeable » than on previous generations. The hinge on the Wide model does not support Flex Mode, meaning it cannot hold intermediate angles like the Ultra can. It is either fully open or fully closed.

Performance and Battery

Both models use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. The chip is paired with 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage in 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB configurations. PCMag’s 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test returned a « Maxed out! » message, indicating the chip exceeds the benchmark’s design limits.

The Z Fold 8 Wide carries a 4,800mAh battery, smaller than the Ultra’s 5,000mAh cell but larger than the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh. PCMag’s video playback test recorded 16 hours and 30 minutes, roughly three and a half hours longer than the Z Fold 7. Wired charging is 45W, wireless charging is approximately 20W. A full charge takes about one hour.

The Camera Compromise

Samsung removed the telephoto lens from the Z Fold 8 Wide. The rear array consists of a 50MP main sensor and a 50MP ultrawide. The Ultra retains the 200MP main sensor and 10MP 3x telephoto. Forbes called the omission « a real loss » for buyers who photograph distant subjects, while PCMag noted that the 8K video mode suffers from clarity loss in indoor lighting.

Software and Updates

The Z Fold 8 Wide runs Android 17 with One UI 9. Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates, matching Google’s commitment for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. PCMag highlighted Gemini Notebooks as a genuinely useful AI feature that organizes multi-modal information into scannable infographics.

Pricing

The Z Fold 8 Wide starts at $1,899 for 256GB, $2,099 for 512GB, and $2,499 for 1TB. Samsung offers up to $1,000 in trade-in credit. The Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,099.

Verdict

The Z Fold 8 Wide is Samsung’s most polished foldable. The battery life is finally acceptable. The crease is no longer a distraction. The wider shape makes the cover screen genuinely usable for typing and media. But the missing telephoto is a real loss, and the inability to hold intermediate hinge angles limits its utility as a laptop replacement.

Samsung is betting that the wider form factor, popularized by the Google Pixel Fold and now adopted by Apple for the upcoming iPhone Fold, is the future of book-style foldables. If that bet is correct, the Z Fold 8 Wide is ahead of the curve. If buyers prefer the taller, more pocketable shape, the Ultra remains available. Samsung, for the first time, is offering both.

Sources and further reading

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