Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 review

Displays & Durability

Folded, the phone is short but 13.1mm thick. Unfolded, the body is just 6.1mm thick. Those measurements explain why it can fit a shallow bag more readily than a long slab yet feel quite substantial in a tight pocket. The cover screen is handy for checking a notification. Tom’s Guide found limitations in which apps were convenient on it, so expect to open the phone for longer tasks. ¹

Samsung rates the phone IP48. The first digit covers larger solid objects and does not certify the hinge against fine dust or sand. Think about the bench, beach bag or workshop where the folded phone will live. A folding screen deserves more care than an ordinary front glass panel.

Cameras

The fold changes how you use familiar camera hardware. Use the cover screen as the viewfinder and you can take a selfie with the main rear camera. Set the phone partly open and both hands are free for a demonstration or a family picture. Tom’s Guide used the cover screen to frame photos and video this way. ¹

A parent watching from the stands might prefer a phone with an optical telephoto. The Flip8 gives you the main and ultrawide viewpoints, as the Flip7 did. The convenience of being in the family photograph yourself is a more meaningful upgrade from a slab than the camera specifications alone suggest. ¹

Performance & Storage

Both US storage options have 12GB of RAM. Long video clips may justify 512GB, but neither capacity changes the battery or the processor. The Flip7 already had the same display sizes and battery capacity. Tom’s Guide measured a brighter inner screen on the Flip8. ¹ If your Flip7 already opens apps quickly and you can read that screen where you use it, neither the new chip nor the extra brightness gives you much reason to switch.

Battery & Charging

The Flip8 carries a 4,300mAh typical battery in its folding body. Samsung specifies up to 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. A compatible pad is convenient when you set the folded phone down for the night, while a cable offers the higher ceiling when time is short. Wireless PowerShare can use the phone’s own charge to top up compatible accessories.

Connectivity

A physical nano-SIM and eSIM give the unlocked Flip8 two ways to activate service, subject to carrier support. USB 3.2 is useful if you use the outer viewfinder for video and want to move the resulting clips to a computer. Wi-Fi 7 requires a compatible router to use its newer network features.

Software & Support

The Flip8 ships with Android 17 and One UI 9. Samsung promises seven operating-system upgrades and seven years of security updates. For a buyer keeping a folding phone through multiple hand-me-downs, that policy helps establish how long Samsung intends to maintain the software. The hinge and inner screen still need the day-to-day care described above.

Alternatives

Buying your first foldable? Price the Flip7 alongside the Flip8. Both can sit partly open on a shelf and let everyone frame a hands-free group shot. The base 256GB Flip8 launched in the US at $1,199.99, $100 above the Flip7’s US launch price. ^{2 3} Tom’s Guide found the two took similar stills in most of its side-by-side scenes, with a clearer advantage for the Flip8 in near darkness. ¹ Keep a Flip7 if its hinge, battery and outer screen are serving you well. If you mostly photograph distant subjects, the regular US Galaxy S26 adds a dedicated 3× camera.

Verdict

The Flip8 earns its hinge when the outer viewfinder or hands-free camera gets used more than occasionally. I’d choose it for that flexibility and the short folded shape. Someone who wants every app immediately accessible and rarely photographs themselves is better served by a conventional phone.