00:00This video is not like all the other Galaxy Z Fold 8 videos that are in your feed right now.
00:05That's because I just didn't go hands-on with these flagship foldables.
00:08I actually went to Samsung's headquarters in South Korea to see how they're made.
00:12The Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrives in Samsung's widest form factor yet,
00:15while both it and the renamed Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra introduce a crease-free display.
00:21I'll tell you outright, next to the Z Fold 7, the difference is dramatic.
00:25This is the story of how the next generation of Z Foldables came together
00:28and my early impressions on which one I'd actually buy.
00:33Let's start with the one that completely rewrites the Fold playbook, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.
00:38If you've hated the narrow, TV-remote feeling of past folds, this is the solution.
00:43The Z Fold 8 pivots to a wider, shorter form factor
00:46that also happens to be the lightest fold Samsung has ever built.
00:51Samsung told me they wanted a natural, immersive, content-first experience.
00:55After spending some time watching TikToks on the cover screen, I think that's been achieved.
01:00And while the keyboard is finally wide enough for human thumbs,
01:03the device is almost too wide for comfortable one-handed navigation.
01:07There are always trade-offs.
01:09For example, the Fold 8 doesn't get a flex mode?
01:11And there's no S Pen here or in the Ultra.
01:14I know that could be a deal-breaker for some.
01:17You also lose the telephoto camera.
01:19This is a dual-camera system.
01:21If you want the ultimate camera powerhouse, Samsung wants you to look towards the Ultra.
01:27This is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
01:29At first glance, it looks like a slightly refined Z Fold 7.
01:32But the moment I opened it, I realized that this is not the same phone.
01:37That's because the interior crease is practically gone.
01:40Yes, Samsung finally figured out how to minimize the crease to the point where you barely notice it.
01:44They've also slapped on a gorgeous anti-reflective coating that completely cuts down on glare.
01:50And did I mention that this is also Samsung's brightest fold yet at 3,000 nits?
01:55Even better, it folds perfectly flat, which was my biggest complaint about the Fold 7's design.
02:01And it's ridiculously thin.
02:03The right edge of the phone has this subtle groove that makes it easier to open.
02:07And it's this level of detail and engineering that really makes this feel like an Ultra phone.
02:12But let's back up to the crease, or lack thereof.
02:15I visited Samsung Display and saw the science behind the magic.
02:19In an earlier video here on the channel, we introduced the Flex Titanium Display.
02:24I was one of the first people allowed inside to see a 360 view of this technology.
02:29Flex Titanium consists of a titanium alloy film and a titanium plate.
02:33The film sits below the OLED panel and is 20 times stiffer than traditional plastic support films,
02:38while measuring just 30% the thickness of a human hair.
02:42The plate minimizes the air gaps under the screen, which is exactly why the crease is so hard to see.
02:47I actually got to see the absolutely brutal torture test Samsung uses to prove this new display can survive real
02:53life.
02:55If you want to see more behind the scenes at Samsung's labs, be sure to check out my other video.
03:00From Samsung Display, I traveled to Gumi, where Samsung manufactures about 14% of its global phones, including this new
03:06family of folds.
03:07This place is an automated marvel.
03:09We're talking about robotic arms assembling the main chassis, aligning the cameras, and dropping in the batteries.
03:15And speaking of batteries, we have a major engineering breakthrough here.
03:18For the first time, Samsung has embraced silicon carbon battery technology to pack more energy density into a smaller footprint.
03:26We're talking about 5,000 milliamp hours for the Fold 8 Ultra, compared to 4,400 for the Fold 7.
03:31To be fair, competitors like Motorola are already pushing the envelope with even bigger batteries inside their foldable phones,
03:37but it's nice to see Samsung catching up with new technology and embracing silicon carbon.
03:42Wireless charging also gets a bump to 25 watts,
03:44though, frustratingly, there are still no built-in magnets for a MagSafe-like experience.
03:49Gumi is also where Samsung performs its rigorous robotic camera calibration.
03:53The Z Fold 8 features a 50-megapixel wide and 50-megapixel ultra-wide setup,
03:58while the Z Fold 8 Ultra steps things up with a massive 200-megapixel main sensor,
04:03an upgraded 50-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens.
04:08Both benefit from Samsung's improved night-tography processing,
04:11which should make night video look incredibly clean.
04:15We can't talk about photos and videos and phones these days without talking about AI.
04:20Look, I talked to Samsung about AI fatigue being real,
04:23so I think what they're trying to deliver this time are features that are practical and useful.
04:28In other words, not too many gimmicks here.
04:30Starting with video, with fan cam, you can now shoot a chaotic clip,
04:34select a subject in post-production,
04:36and the AI will automatically crop, track, and smoothly pan to keep them centered.
04:42Now Nudge seems like a solid upgrade, too.
04:44If you get a text about setting up a meeting, for example,
04:46a quick tap opens your calendar instantly in a split-screen window on the right.
04:51No more copying, pasting, and app switching.
04:53And on a macro level, Google's Gemini is deeply integrated now,
04:57acting like an agent to do things like booking a vacation in the background while keeping you in the loop.
05:03Okay, let's talk about our tab.
05:04The Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $18.99, which is not too bad,
05:08but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is now $20.99, which is $100 more than the Z Fold 7.
05:14So it's clear that Samsung is passing some of the costs of Ramageddon onto you.
05:17But at least now you have two distinct design choices instead of being forced into a one-size-fits-all.
05:22If you want the ultimate multitasking and camera beast, the Ultra is the clear winner.
05:27But after banking some hours shooting and playing with both,
05:30I'm personally leaning towards the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.
05:33The Passport-style form factor is just so much more practical for daily use.
05:38And you still get the incredible, crease-free, flex-titanium display breakthrough.
05:42I just wish I didn't have to sacrifice that telephoto zoom to get it.
05:49So you guys tell me, which foldable are you leaning towards?
05:52How do you feel about the wide-aspect Fold 8?
05:54Or are you waiting for what Apple does instead?
05:57Let me know in the comments and make sure you subscribe and check out our full review when it's ready.
06:01For Tom's Guide, this is Mark Spoonhour.
06:03Keep on talking.
06:09Take care.
06:09Bye.
06:09Bye.
06:16Bye.
06:19Bye.
06:19Bye.
06:19Bye.
06:21You
