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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 was one of my favorite phones of 2025. It was spectacularly thin and light, and unlike other Samsung foldables of the past, it felt like a regular phone in everyday use. The Korean phone-maker also added a few crucial upgrades like a stronger hinge, 200-megapixel main camera and a bigger cover screen, helping it win the CNET Editors' Choice Award in Abrar Al-Heeti's review.
A year later, it remains one of the slimmest and lightest book-style folding phones, setting the stage for its successor, the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. That's right, Samsung is rumored to add an "Ultra" moniker to its book-style fold, while the all-new wide-screen device that's also rumored could be named the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The two phones are likely to be announced within a few weeks, but ahead of the launch, there are tougher challengers out there.
I'm coming from the Oppo Find N6 and Honor Magic V6, and I noticed several meaningful quality-of-life features that I wish Samsung would add to its upcoming device. I enjoyed using a less reflective inner screen with a minimal crease and didn't miss out on a good zoom camera.
If Samsung wants to retain the Fold 7 momentum and take on Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra challenge, it'll need to do more than just launch a wide-screen foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra needs to borrow these few features from its Chinese rivals to earn a permanent spot in people's pockets.
Add a bigger battery
Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn't even compete with rivals like the Honor Magic V6 (left) and Oppo Find N6 (right) in terms of battery capacity.
Prakhar Khanna/CNETThe Galaxy Z Fold 7's battery has the lowest capacity compared with other recent book-style foldable phones.
While I liked its battery optimization in my first month of use, during which the 4,400-mAh cell was getting me through the day, things changed when I started traveling. Once I was on the road, the constant navigation, messaging and camera use didn't help, and I was left with middling battery life.
By contrast, both the Oppo Find N6 (with a 6,000-mAh battery) and Honor Magic V6 (with a 6,600-mAh battery) fared better in similar usage. The phones have batteries with silicon-carbon anode tech, which allows for more capacity without adding additional weight. Both the Oppo and Honor phones are slightly thicker and heavier than their Samsung rival, but I don't mind because they remain comfortable to hold and use with one hand.
I hope Samsung adopts silicon-carbon battery technology for its upcoming foldable phones, but there are no rumors pointing towards any such adoption. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is tipped to pack a larger 5,000-mAh battery in a thinner design, weighing the same 215 grams as the Z Fold 7.
It is expected to be powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite "for Galaxy" chip as the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Going by the processor's efficiency on that phone, a 5,000-mAh battery on the Z Fold 8 Ultra could potentially deliver an all-day battery life. Hopefully, it'll last longer when traveling too.
A more immersive folding screen
The Oppo Find N6 (left) has an anti-reflective coating on the folding screen, which makes it more legible as compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (right). Both screens are on maximum brightness.
Prakhar Khanna/CNETThe most noticeable difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Oppo Find N6 is the folding screen. Oppo's panel has a matte finish with minimal crease, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a reflective and smudge-prone folding screen. Each time I unfold it outdoors, I have to wipe it to see my Maps navigation clearly.
I didn't have any such issues on the Find N6. The Oppo phone didn't attract smudges and it was easier to view in direct sunlight, thanks to a less-reflective panel with almost no crease.
Talking about the crease, you can barely feel it with your nail and it's hard to see it. In contrast, my Galaxy Z Fold 7's screen bump is deeper and has deepened over time.
The Oppo Find N6 has almost eliminated the crease, as compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Prakhar Khanna/CNETOppo also tackled this problem on its new foldable. The Oppo foldable is claimed to offer "338% greater deformation resistance," so it shouldn't develop a crease as you continue using the device. While my two months of use is too short to judge these claims, the Find N6 remains a more immersive folding phone currently.
I hope Samsung notices these advancements to give its Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra the glow-up it deserves. According to tipster Ice Universe, it could have a Find N6-like no-crease folding screen, which would be amazing. Samsung Display has shown off concept foldable displays that show a design with a nearly unnoticeable crease, so it is entirely within the realm of possibility.
I'd also love for it to have a Galaxy S26 Ultra-like matte finish. It'd be a godsend for people who take advantage of the big canvas on their foldable phones.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra needs a crucial design change
Samsung foldables have had sharper-than-preferred hinge corners, which make the phones dig uncomfortably into my palm.
Prakhar Khanna/CNETThe Galaxy Z Fold series had a major design overhaul last year. It went from feeling like I was holding a thick, narrow bar to holding a regular phone. And it was the best Samsung redesign in years.
However, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a massive flaw for left-handed people. You simply can't hold the phone in your left hand without feeling a sharp edge poking into your palm.
The current-gen Samsung foldable has flat sides, which feel premium in the hand. But the bottom-left corner, right below the hinge, is too sharp to hold it comfortably. I noticed this when I first held the phone in my left hand and it painfully dug into my palm. Now, I make sure I use it with my right hand.
I haven't had this issue on any other folding phone in 2026. Most of them have curved edges, so they are more comfortable to use, no matter which hand I'm holding them in. I hope Samsung fixes this design so the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will be more comfortable for both hands.
A telephoto camera upgrade would be nice
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold lineup is in desperate need of a telephoto upgrade.
Prakhar Khanna/CNETThe Galaxy Z Fold 7 got a much-needed 200-megapixel camera upgrade last year. Samsung also updated the ultrawide camera to a slightly bigger sensor. However, it didn't upgrade the third camera. As a result, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 had the same 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom telephoto camera as the Fold 6, which was the same as the Fold 5 and its predecessor from 2022.
Samsung has been using the same telephoto camera for four years now. While it has improved the processing, its 1/3.94-inch sensor size is too small to offer a pleasing-looking natural bokeh. A bigger sensor with larger physical aperture can help with stronger, more natural bokeh effect by physically narrowing the depth of field. It could allow the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra to have one of the most complete camera systems on a smartphone.
We'll likely know soon whether any of these upgrades make it into the next line of Galaxy foldable phones. Until then, you can check out what we've heard so far about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in this rumor roundup.
Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide Spotted in the Wild and It Looks Real
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