Samsung Z Fold 8 (Wide) Impressions: Better Than I Thought!

[00:02] welcome to your first look and hands-on with Samsung folding phones today... in increasing So we've got a new Z Flip 8, then a new Z Fold 8 Ultra,

[00:15] I promise that's the correct order. but it's a bit thinner and, and lighter. which is right in line with what we've been expecting from Samsung.

[00:32] It does get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy to match the S26 series And then little things like they beveled the inner edges to make the phone slightly easier to open.

[00:45] bit more like a regular... outside Pull down from the left for notifications, pull down on the right for quick settings, Is, you know, is being 8 grams lighter and...

[01:00] half a millimeter thinner going to make a difference to someone who has last slow and steady improvement that we've come to expect from Samsung. this is now the eighth generation of the big one,

[01:17] they've been on this slow and steady thing for so long that it's felt like a lot of the more aggressive competition So what did Samsung do with this new generation of the big Fold?

[01:30] but then they also did something So, new Snapdragon chip again, check. check.

[01:43] so it can now shoot 8K video alongside the same 200-megapixel But the biggest change easily is the improved hinge

[01:55] So in that Peak Foldable video I did a few months ago, where they had basically eliminated any visible crease, and left Samsung looking a little bit behind.

[02:07] with a titanium backplate, own crease down the middle. I would say it's not perfect, like it's not quite reaching Oppo's level.

[02:20] 8 and a half out of 10. So probably by the time you turn the display on and plus there's a new anti-reflective coating and a 3,000-nit max brightness,

[02:34] which is awesome. And then bonus! some silicon Now they haven't gone nearly as far as Oppo or,

[02:47] and I guess I shouldn't be surprised given Samsung's history with batteries. but this is the biggest battery ever in a Samsung Fold now at 5,000 milliamp-hours. they're actually updating the charging speed as well,

[03:02] So then Samsung also dropped a new Fold into the lineup... positioning, or at least I think so.

[03:14] 'Cause basically we all expect in a few short months to see Apple unveil... word on the street is it's also going to be... squatter, smaller, like passport-style aspect ratio.

[03:27] This is the eighth generation, like the first Oppo Find N and the first-gen Pixel Fold... But then eventually the industry kind of collectively moved on and

[03:43] where it kind of just looks like a normal slightly tall phone when it's closed So in case Apple's gonna come along and try to change everyone's mind about this

[03:57] brand new innovative passport-shaped fold that's suddenly so reachable is also dropping a passport-shaped fold, and they're positioning it specifically

[04:09] So that's why the candybar shape is now getting the Ultra And this brand new smaller passport-style fold is just... So when Apple comes along in September, "Oh, that's cool.

[04:24] "Well, we have one just like it, but we also have one that's better, this smaller phone is actually really interesting. right? The titanium flex hinge,

[04:36] a little bit of silicon in the battery. Like the whole thing is very thin and really light, It's honestly reminding me, and let me cook here,

[04:52] The good parts, the really nice hardware parts. It weighs about the same as a regular Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus. the outside screen and the inner folding display,

[05:06] And the more I use it and hold it and just mess around with it, Now again, it is clearly less phone than the Ultra. Like it's a smaller outside screen, a smaller inside screen, smaller battery,

[05:20] As you can see, it's just a primary and an ultrawide. But the way they're positioning these, basically the Ultra is, you know, Multiple apps open next to each other at once.

[05:34] That big open screen in the middle is basically two phones side by side. while this is being positioned just a bit more as like a media-focused

[05:46] It's a 10 by 16 aspect ratio with pretty thin bezels all the way around. 7.6 inches instead of 8, and now it's a 4:3 aspect ratio and 3,000 nits max brightness.

[06:01] but the smaller form factor and the smaller displays make it a but legitimately better, I think, Like look at the camera viewfinder when it's closed!

[06:15] all the buttons you can touch with your thumb, That's better than the candy bar-style fold. These photos are often literally 4:3, so they are

[06:29] which is really nice. for an e-reader experience. Of course, widescreen videos aren't gonna be perfect.

[06:42] But So the positioning, to me it's clever, but it makes perfect sense, right? It's between the Ultra, which is the high-end one with everything,

[06:57] it's a 50-megapixel primary camera also instead of the 200... but same idea. It's also cheaper, doesn't really hit quite as hard because

[07:10] So these phones all start at 256 gigs, but the Flip 8 now starts at $1,200. The smaller Z Fold starts at $1,900, and the Fold 8 Ultra starts at over

[07:23] So 100 bucks more than last year, but... definitely a bit more sticker shock now that it starts for over two bands. I would not be shocked if...

[07:35] more expensive than last year because of the memory price increases We know that's gonna be expensive. But like we know that's gonna be expensive.

[07:50] and I can really see myself... dailying it. let me know what you guys want to see in the full review... if you're thinking about picking up one of these much more expensive Folds,

[08:05] because they've got grip cases for all three of Samsung's new phones... also covered, and the new Z Fold 8.

[08:17] And like every other grip from dbrand, it's got great drop protection, they add this magnetic hinge cover that opens and closes alongside especially key to keeping that expensive folding mechanism

[08:32] It's kind of super clever. It's great. screen protectors. dbrand launched these things.

[08:44] just gives you some peace of mind in case you ever drop your phone. fun fact: dbrand is one of only a handful of companies that basically got to get a head start on development with these cases by being a part of Samsung's official

[08:57] they're all compatibility tested alongside Samsung. I'll leave a link down below in the description. of these new Folds.

[09:10] and of course see if they're worth the money... Peace!