If not for the massive “Samsung” display hanging in the vast, minimalist lobby, it would have been hard to tell I was standing inside the headquarters of one of the world’s largest mobile brands.
Safety signs throughout the shimmering steel-and-glass building warned against using phones while walking or riding escalators. I had to reconcile the lack of glowing screens in people’s hands with the reality that I was at the heart of Samsung’s mobile research and development operations in Suwon, South Korea, roughly 20 miles from Seoul. Here, on a sweltering mid-June day, I’d be one of the first people outside the company to see its upcoming foldable phone lineup.
Standing outside Samsung’s research and development building at its global headquarters.
In a sleek wood-paneled room called the Mobile Studio, I got my hands on three unreleased devices, one of which stole the show. The Z Fold 8, which rumors leading up to its reveal dubbed the Fold 8 “Wide,” has a 4:3 aspect ratio and a palm-sized design. The emphasis on a wider rather than taller layout makes it feel fun and fresh, like a pocket-sized notebook a movie character might pull from their coat to jot down a clue.
The room at Samsung’s headquarters in Korea where we were the first people to learn about the Galaxy Z 8 series.
Meanwhile, the book-style Z Fold 8 Ultra is the modestly upgraded follow-up to the Z Fold 7 (with a noticeably less prominent crease). The clamshell Flip 8 similarly packs more subtle upgrades to last year’s phone.
But throughout the hour I spent holding and photographing the devices, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Z Fold 8’s bold, squarish redesign. It’s a first-ever move for Samsung, but one that may hint at the future of foldable phones.
You can turn the Z Fold 8 to optimize for the media you’re consuming. Turning it vertically is ideal for watching short-form video.
Before seeing the Z Fold 8, I wasn’t sure I’d be interested in a device with a 4:3 aspect ratio, since it’s so different from a regular phone. After all, the Z Fold 7 was my favorite foldable I reviewed last year, thanks to its slim profile and a cover display that felt remarkably like a standard slab phone. That configuration helped it land a CNET Editors’ Choice Award.
But after getting my hands on the newly reimagined Z Fold 8, which is around the size of a passport when closed, I understood the appeal. It’s a refreshing, versatile format that appears ideal for browsing through content and watching videos while still being pocketable. The compact size also makes it flat-out adorable; I had to resist the temptation to walk out with it.
I liked using the Z Fold 8’s cover screen to scroll through vertical social videos.
In portrait mode, the 7.6-inch inside display is optimized for streaming movies, watching YouTube videos and playing video games. Turning it to portrait mode is best suited for scrolling through vertical social videos, browsing the web or reading an e-book. I look forward to using the phone in my everyday life and seeing how often I opt for the inside display over the 5.45-inch cover screen.
“There is not one type of foldable user,” Minseok Kang, Samsung’s head of smartphone product planning, told me. “We found some great opportunities regarding consuming media, including social media and videos.”
The Z Fold 8’s main screen is suited for watching videos and simultaneously reading comments.
Supplementing rather than replacing a more standard foldable shape, like the Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Z Fold 8 gives people more options. Those willing to spend the most to get the best cameras and battery life won’t hesitate to shell out for the Ultra. If you’re looking for a more versatile configuration and want to try something new, the Fold 8 may be more alluring.
“The new Fold gives you the best of both worlds, both from a productivity perspective, but more so from a content consumption perspective,” said Carolina Milanesi, president and principal analyst at Creative Strategies. “[Releasing the Z Fold 8] now as an extra product versus changing the Fold is absolutely the right thing to do, because there is a market for both.”
The Z Fold 8’s 4:3 aspect ratio isn’t entirely new. Several earlier foldables had similarly squarish displays, including the Microsoft Surface Duo, original Oppo Find N and the first Google Pixel Fold, which had a larger 6:5 aspect ratio. Those devices were widely praised for their compact, palm-sized design. More recently, book-style foldables with proportions closer to traditional slab phones have become the dominant design, though there are exceptions like the wide-format Huawei Pura X Max.
That trend may be shifting. Samsung’s latest foldables arrive as speculation builds that Apple could finally unveil its long-rumored foldable iPhone this fall. Leaks suggest it, too, could adopt a 4:3 aspect ratio — potentially signaling renewed interest in squarer foldable phones.
Samsung has previously dabbled in 4:3-ratio territory with the Galaxy Z TriFold. The sprawling 10-inch screen makes it feel more like a tablet than a phone when open, but the broad display is great for multitasking and watching videos. The wide-body Z Fold 8, though smaller, could offer a similarly practical interface for media consumption that’s more comfortable to hold and easier to pocket.
The Galaxy Z TriFrold, which came out in the US in January, also has a 4:3 aspect ratio.
“The TriFold is an important milestone for our upcoming innovative devices,” Kang told me. “We introduced that 4:3 display in the TriFold. We learned how much people love to use that kind of ratio in that device, [and] that can be evolved to this new Fold 8.”
The fresh naming convention for the Z Fold 8 Ultra also indicates the way the foldables sector is evolving. Tacking “Ultra” onto the title — while slightly confusing — helps align it with Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its high-end cameras, larger screen and long battery life. And even if the upgrades over the Z Fold 7 are relatively minor, those who want the best foldable Samsung phone are still likely to opt for it, Milanesi says.
Notably, the rumored foldable iPhone could also be called the iPhone Ultra, helping to position it as a high-end device among Apple’s smartphone lineup. Samsung may be attempting to align its own pricey foldable with that of its competitor — and beat it to the punch.
One big way Samsung has improved the Z Fold 8 Ultra is by reducing the crease, as seen in this comparison with last year’s Z Fold 7.
Chinese phone-makers have found considerable success in the foldables market globally. But in the US, where Samsung, Motorola and Google are the primary players, Apple’s entry could give us more options while raising the entire category’s profile.
Samsung is likely wary of the competitive threat, Milanesi said, while also recognizing the upside.”They know that Apple is going to nail the marketing,” she said. “They know that they’re going to put a lot of money behind it and give the category a reason to exist.”
Back at Samsung’s headquarters, I realized I’d gotten an early peek at what could be a pivotal moment for foldables — not just for Samsung, but for the wider category. If Apple enters the race as expected, Samsung’s latest bet could soon face its biggest test yet. Now, it’s time to see how the rest of the world responds.
