Reasons to Buy

• Slimmer and easier to carry: The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features 8.9mm folded profile makes the Fold 8 Ultra feel less bulky.
• Excellent 8-inch inner display: The large AMOLED panel works brilliantly for entertainment and multitasking.
• Useful cover screen: The 6.5-inch outer display is practical enough for everyday smartphone use.
• Powerful performance: The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 handles demanding apps, games and multitasking with ease.
• Improved ultra-wide camera: The jump to a 50-megapixel sensor makes the camera system considerably more versatile.
• Bigger battery: The 5,000mAh cell delivers dependable all-day endurance.
• Refined foldable experience: The improved hinge and less distracting crease make the phone easier to live with.

Samsung has spent years refining its foldable formula, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feels like the result of that experience. Rather than making dramatic changes, Samsung has focused on improving the things that matter in everyday use.

At ₹1,99,999, however, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra sits firmly in luxury smartphone territory. It costs ₹25,000 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which launched at ₹1,74,999.

That price increase is significant. However, Samsung has also introduced several meaningful upgrades. The Fold 8 Ultra gets a slimmer body, a larger battery, an improved ultra-wide camera and a refined hinge. It also combines the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with One UI 9.0 to make better use of its large inner display.

So, is the ₹25,000 premium justified? More importantly, can the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra finally work as your primary smartphone without the usual foldable compromises? Here is what I found.

Design

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra immediately feels easier to handle than many large foldables.

At 215 grams, it weighs the same as the Fold 7. However, its 8.9mm folded profile makes it feel considerably slimmer in the hand. When unfolded, the phone measures just 4.1mm at its thinnest point.

That makes a noticeable difference when carrying it around. The weight also feels well distributed, so the phone does not feel awkward during one-handed use.

Samsung has retained the familiar design language, but it has introduced a titanium plate for additional durability. The hinge also feels smoother when opening and closing the phone.

The crease remains, but it is far less distracting than before. You can still feel it when running your finger across the screen. However, it rarely catches your eye during normal use.

The cover uses Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3, while the rear gets Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The phone also carries an IP48 rating for water and dust protection.

Overall, Samsung has taken a design that already worked and made it more comfortable to live with.

Display

The 6.5-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display is one of the biggest improvements to the everyday experience.

It offers a 2520 x 1080 resolution, 422ppi pixel density and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Samsung also claims up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.

The taller screen works particularly well for messages, social media, browsing and other quick tasks. More importantly, I rarely felt that I needed to unfold the phone for basic smartphone functions.

It feels like a proper smartphone display rather than a secondary screen.

Unfold the device and the 8-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display becomes the main attraction. It offers a 2504 x 2256 resolution, 422ppi and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

The larger canvas is excellent for watching videos, reading documents and running multiple apps. Colours look rich, contrast is strong and brightness remains impressive.

The stereo speakers add to the entertainment experience, particularly when watching videos in landscape mode.

The crease remains detectable by touch, but it rarely interferes with viewing. The punch-hole camera can also become visible against certain content, although it is hardly a major issue.

Performance and Software

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 gives the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra flagship-level performance.

My review unit came with 12GB of RAM, and that was more than enough for demanding multitasking. Apps opened quickly, switching between them remained smooth and games ran without major performance issues.

The bigger advantage, however, comes from One UI 9.0 based on Android 17.

Samsung has designed the software around the larger inner screen. Flex Mode lets you position the phone at different angles for hands-free use, while split-screen functionality allows up to three apps to run together.

Floating windows are also useful when working across multiple applications.

Samsung has added features such as Now Bar and Now Nudge, which make notifications easier to access and provide more contextual information.

As a result, the Fold 8 Ultra feels more like a productivity device than simply a smartphone with a folding display.

Camera

The camera system gets one of the most important upgrades this generation.

Samsung retains the 200-megapixel primary camera from the Fold 7. However, the ultra-wide camera now uses a 50-megapixel sensor instead of the older 12-megapixel unit.

The setup also includes a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The main camera supports 2x optical-quality zoom and up to 30x digital zoom.

The ultra-wide also gets a brighter f/1.9 aperture, which helps it capture more light.

In daylight, the primary camera captures detailed images with strong dynamic range. Samsung’s processing continues to deliver punchy colours, but the output remains appealing without requiring much editing.

The bigger improvement comes from the ultra-wide. The 50-megapixel sensor retains considerably more detail and makes switching between cameras feel less like a compromise.

The 3x telephoto works well for portraits and distant subjects. Naturally, pushing the zoom further results in some loss of detail.

Portrait shots deliver good subject separation, while selfies from both displays look natural.

Night photography also benefits from the improved hardware. The primary and ultra-wide cameras work with Samsung’s ProVisual Engine to improve detail, colour and noise control in darker conditions.

Video recording supports up to 8K at 30fps. Super Steady with Horizontal Lock is also useful for keeping footage level while moving.

Overall, the camera system now feels much more complete, with the upgraded ultra-wide finally matching the expectations of a phone in this price range.

Battery

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra packs a 5,000mAh battery, compared with 4,400mAh on the Fold 7.

That is a substantial increase, especially considering the phone’s large 8-inch inner display.

In everyday use, the Fold 8 Ultra comfortably lasted a full day with streaming, gaming, browsing, social media and multitasking. Heavy use of the inner screen naturally consumes more power, but I rarely needed to charge the phone before the day ended.

Samsung rates the phone for up to 27 hours of video playback.

The 45W charging support is reasonably quick for topping up the battery. It is not the fastest charging system available, but the larger battery gives the phone more breathing room.

What makes the upgrade more impressive is that Samsung has increased battery capacity without adding to the phone’s weight.

Verdict

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra feels like Samsung has moved beyond experimenting with foldables. Instead, the company has focused on making the format more practical for everyday use. However, ₹1,99,999 is a lot of money. The ₹25,000 premium over the Fold 7 will not make sense for every existing owner.

But if you want Samsung’s most complete foldable experience and can afford the premium, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra makes a strong case. It is no longer a compromise between a phone and a tablet. It feels like a premium smartphone that simply happens to unfold into something much bigger.