Updated

Updated · ZDNet · Jul 22

Samsung Unveils $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8 With 7.6-Inch Wide Screen and 4,800mAh Battery

Updated

Updated · ZDNet · Jul 22

Samsung Unveils $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8 With 7.6-Inch Wide Screen and 4,800mAh Battery

Q: With foldable values plummeting, is buying the $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8 a bad investment?

Yes—if you mean “investment” in resale value, the $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a poor one. Foldables have historically depreciated faster than conventional phones, with recent market data showing average first-year value loss around 64.6%, and Samsung Fold models among the biggest dollar losers. That does not mean the Z Fold 8 is a bad buy for everyone. Samsung has made meaningful hardware improvements: a lighter 201-gram body, wider 4:3 inner display, brighter 3,000-nit screens, reduced reflectivity, a larger 4,800mAh silicon-carbon battery, and a refined titanium-based hinge structure. Those changes address real complaints about usability, glare, weight and battery life. For someone who will use the large screen for multitasking, reading, video and work, the device may justify its price as a productivity tool. The risk is that foldables still carry higher ownership costs. Durability concerns have improved but not disappeared, repairs remain expensive, and the Z Fold 8 still makes compromises at this price, including no telephoto camera. Competition is also intensifying, with Apple expected to enter the book-style foldable segment soon and rivals already pushing thinner designs and stronger camera systems. That could pressure resale values further. So the practical answer is this: buy the Z Fold 8 if you want its specific foldable experience and plan to keep it for years. Do not buy it expecting strong trade-in or resale value.

3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 22

A 30-minute hands-on at Samsung’s London Unpacked event found the new Galaxy Z Fold 8’s wider passport-style design more comfortable than expected, with a 7.6-inch 4:3 inner display and 5.5-inch cover screen.
At 201 grams and 9.7mm closed, the Fold 8 is Samsung’s lightest Z Fold yet; new Flex Titanium hinge changes and a slight center gap made opening smoother and let the phone lie fully flat.
Samsung also added anti-reflective coating and raised peak brightness to 3,000 nits from 2,600 on the Fold 7, while claiming 50% lower reflectivity for better outdoor visibility.
The phone uses a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, offers up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage, but drops a telephoto lens in favor of two 50MP rear cameras.
Samsung priced the Fold 8 at $1,899 for 256GB; it packs a 4,800mAh silicon-carbon battery with 45W wired and 20W wireless charging, though the reviewer called its Gemini booking demos unreliable.