Galaxy Z Fold8

A regular person review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. 😉

Quick specs:

model: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
color: lavender
capacity: 512 GB

For more information, check out Samsung’s page on it.

impressions

I might have been coveting this phone since its announcement. I was so intrigued by the form factor. When Google had come out with their first foldable, it was similar to the Z Fold8’s dimensions– short and wide. Then Google went conventional with their foldables and I was no longer tempted by the book-style foldable. (And yes, so expensive!)

The Z Fold8 is just such a fun phone already. I LOVE the form factor. I can do regular slab phone stuff on the front display when it’s closed but lo, when it’s open, there’s the mini tablet. From the first day, I’ve been wishing that the Z Fold8 was my main phone. I can do almost everything with it except reply to my iMessages. (If only I could get my family/friends to use Telegram or any other messaging app that will work on both my iPhone and Z Fold8!) And fine, it’s not as easy to take pictures on it as with the iPhone.

As much as I adored the Flips, especially my last one, the Z Flip7, the Z Fold8 is so much more functional. In my first few day with it, I was already using it more than my Flip. I don’t have to open the phone unless I want to do. I’ve caught myself a few times, remembering that unlike the Z Flip7, the front display operates like a regular smartphone. Opening to reveal the inner display is merely bonus. And what a bonus!

camera

My Android phones have served as my secondary mobiles, so I’m not as fussy about their capabilities compared to my main phone. I carry a second phone more to keep myself knowledgeable of Android OS as much as just to satisfy my curiosity about the foldable form factors. Camera performance isn’t as important to me as it would be if it were my iPhone. Innovation and fun are the draw for me with my Android phones.

the first shot from my Z Fold8 — *the first shot taken by my Z Fold8*

All that said, the camera on the Z Fold8 is decent enough. I haven’t put it through the paces yet and I’m not sure I’ll trust it as my main photo taking device for our upcoming concerts. Maybe I’ll use it to take pictures of the Homecoming Parade in September. Maybe. As far as every day shots, it’s done pretty well. I do miss the flex mode when taking selfies. With the Z Flip7, I could fold it and point the camera at myself and get a preview of the shot. Selfies with the Z Fold8’s main cameras need either a tripod or some creative folding of the phone. I’m still learning.

battery

I am usually a little paranoid about my mobile device batteries but since the Z Fold8 isn’t my main phone, I don’t baby the battery as much as I do my iPhone. I have been using it to play my mobile games during my lunch breaks and at other times and the phone is usually above 50% by bedtime, so not bad at all. It’s almost 2200 hrs and the battery is at 64% right now. Considering I use the inner display whenever I can, that really isn’t so bad.

other stuff

I have a cheap-ish case on the Z Fold8 right now and after days of watching videos and doing price comparisons, I chose a Thinborne case to protect my new phone. It should be here by the weekend. Even though I’m using a case, I also put the phone in one of my Coach wristlets for even more protection. Must protect the expensive piece of tech!

I am very much enjoying the Z Fold8 and I wish that it was my main device. When it was announced, I was immediately trying to talk myself out of seriously figuring a way out to get it. Wait until the Apple Event, I told myself. Rumors are they’re going to announce a passport style foldable. I tried to listen to that practical voice. I reminded myself that my next upgrade was supposed to be the iPhone. But as I watched reviews of the Z Fold8, I was ever intrigued. I reasoned that even if Apple announced a foldable, it would probably be very expensive. And was I really considering having two foldables as my mobile device? That’s just madness.

No regrets, the husband warned after the Z Fold8 was ordered. No regrets, I agreed. And so far, I have none. I find it to be so dang cool. Sure, some of it might be the novelty of a book-style foldable. It’s just right in size and weight. If it had a better camera, it would be super tempting to have it be my main.

And now that it’s the weekend, I have my new case! I already love it so much more than the first case I bought. It’s nice and thin and it has MagSafe. Yes! It’s the next best thing to rockin’ it naked.

in conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is a fun device with a lot of functionality. Closed, it’s a short, wide phone that does whatever the usual slab phone does. Opened, it’s a tablet you can use in landscape mode as well as portrait. It small enough to fit in your pocket or purse (or wristlet, as is the case for me). The battery does a decent job of it and the camera will do.

Yes, it’s a pricey device. If you can get a good deal on a trade-in, that’s probably the best way to get it. (It’s how I got mine.) I would not recommend to it to just anyone but if you’re in the market for a something new and fun and the cost isn’t prohibitive, I say go for it.

As someone who uses an iPhone as my daily driver, the smart play would have been to wait and see what Apple will be offering on the foldable front. And yes, I did think about it. Then I realized it would be silly to have two foldable phones. So the Z Fold8 it is.

Now for some photos taken by the Z Fold8…