Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 review

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 review: The Cover Screen Has Finally Arrived

The Galaxy Z Flip line has always held a unique place in Samsung’s product range. It’s neither the powerhouse of the Galaxy S series nor the multitasking marvel of the Z Fold. The Z Flip has always focused on style, personality, and the simple pleasure of snapping the phone shut. With the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung has perfected this formula, creating its thinnest and lightest flip phone to date. But with a price tag now reaching $1,200 and core components unchanged, the main question is whether this “stylish and smart” device justifies such a premium.

The Z Flip 8 presents itself as a more refined version of its predecessor. It features a new, more powerful processor (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the US, Exynos 2600 in other markets), a redesigned external display, and a thinner, lighter design. The main question surrounding this device isn’t its performance, but its value for money. Do the novelty of a foldable phone and the new software features justify its higher price, especially since the camera system and battery are virtually identical to those of the previous model?

Quick verdict

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a marvel of design and software refinement. Its slim profile and improved external display make it more practical for everyday use than any previous Z Flip.

Key strengths:

• Slim and lightweight design

• Significantly improved cover screen (FlexWindow) experience
• Powerful and responsive performance

Main weaknesses:

• Unchanged camera equipment for a higher price
• Poor battery life and slow 25W charging
• The visible crease remains a compromise

Ideal for: Style-conscious users, social media enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a unique and ultra-portable smartphone. Its compact size and enhanced external screen make it the perfect choice for those who want a phone that easily slips into a pocket or small bag.

Value: It offers decent value for money for a flip phone , but it struggles to compete in terms of pure value with traditional premium flip phones or even with the more feature-rich Motorola Razr Ultra.

Specifications at a glance

Category	Details
Display	6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X FHD+ main screen, 120 Hz 4.1-inch Super AMOLED screen, 120 Hz (casing)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (USA) / Exynos 2600 (Global)
RAM	12 GB
Storage	256 GB or 512 GB
Main camera	50 MP (wide angle) + 12 MP (ultra wide angle)
Front camera	10 MP (internal screen)
Battery	4300 mAh
Charging	25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless
Operating system	Android 17 with One UI 9
Connectivity	5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC
Weight	180 g
Protection	IP48 Dust and water resistant
Price	Starting from $1,199 (USA), 124,999 rupees (India)

Design and build quality: Slim, lightweight, and pocket-sized

The most tangible improvement in the Galaxy Z Flip 8 lies in its design. At just 6.1 mm thick when unfolded and weighing 180 g, it offers a remarkably slim feel. This is Samsung’s thinnest and lightest flip phone to date, and the difference from its predecessor is striking. Its slimmer profile makes this already compact phone even easier to slip into a pocket.

The Armor aluminum frame and the new, smoother Armor FlexHinge give the device a premium look and feel, while also providing a firm yet soft closure, a major advantage for the flip phone experience. IP48 certified, the phone is protected against dust and water splashes, a significant benefit for its durability. While the push-to-close mechanism is reassuring and pleasant, opening the phone with one hand can be tricky due to the strong magnets. Its design is undeniably a major asset, offering a unique and ultra-portable experience that no traditional flat phone can match.

Display: Two screens, one winner

The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display remains a major asset. With its FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, it offers a smooth, vibrant, and immersive experience, whether browsing social media or watching videos. Its elongated aspect ratio, however, isn’t for everyone. While it makes it easier to hold, it means that many videos still display black bars on the sides, and typing on this narrow screen can feel uncomfortable at first. The central crease remains visible, especially under certain lighting conditions, although most users eventually stop noticing it in everyday use.

The real star of this phone is its completely redesigned 4.1-inch external screen, or FlexWindow. While the hardware remains similar to last year’s model, the software has evolved considerably. You can now access a full app drawer, interact with more widgets (Weather, Health, Calendar), and reply to messages without even opening the phone. It’s a true revolution for flip phone use. As one reviewer pointed out, “I found myself leaving my Flip closed more often than I intended.” The external screen has finally become a genuinely useful tool, and no longer just a notification panel.

Performance: Back on the ‘Dragon’

It’s in terms of performance that the Z Flip 8 sees a significant improvement in fluidity, at least in North America. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip for Galaxy represents a marked upgrade over the previous year’s Exynos processor. Combined with 12GB of RAM, this chip gives the phone exceptional responsiveness and speed.

It handles everyday multitasking, resource-intensive applications, and even demanding games like Asphalt Legends perfectly. In performance tests, the Z Flip 8 scored 3,549 on the Geekbench 6 single-core test and 9,481 on the multi-core test, a significant improvement over the Flip 7’s scores. Its PCMark Work 3.1 score of 20,473 is also very competitive, demonstrating excellent performance in many real-world scenarios.

The international version equipped with the Exynos 2600 processor is no slouch either, with tests showing comparable performance and impressive AnTuTu scores. In everyday use, it’s hard to fault the performance of either chip; the Z Flip 8 is as fast as you’d expect from a phone of this type.

Gaming performance

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a capable smartphone for gaming, even if it’s not the best choice for the most demanding mobile gamers. Its powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and Adreno GPU allow it to run modern, graphically intensive titles like Honkai: Star Rail or Asphalt Legends smoothly at high settings. The 120Hz display ensures optimal image fluidity, and the phone’s overall performance is excellent.

However, there are a few drawbacks. The phone’s slim profile limits the space available for an efficient cooling system, which can lead to overheating of the upper part during extended gaming sessions. More importantly, the 4,300 mAh battery drains relatively quickly under heavy use, requiring more frequent charging than anticipated. This phone is ideal for casual and mid-level gaming and excels during short, intense sessions. For the most demanding gamers, a traditional gaming smartphone or a device with a larger battery and a more powerful cooling system would be a better choice.

Camera system: Good, but not excellent

The Galaxy Z Flip 8’s camera system is one of its weakest points. It uses the same hardware as the Z Flip 7: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP selfie camera. While the hardware remains unchanged, the software and AI processing have been optimized thanks to Samsung’s ProVisual Engine, also found in the Galaxy S26 series.

Main camera

In good lighting, the 50MP main sensor captures sharp, colorful photos with good dynamic range. Samsung has toned down its usual over-saturation, resulting in more natural-looking images while maintaining a pleasing aesthetic. The camera delivers excellent performance in bright environments and manages to capture impressive detail.

Ultra-large

The 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens performs well for capturing expansive landscapes, although it sacrifices some detail and sharpness compared to the main camera. It handles landscapes and architecture well, but slight optical distortion is typical of this type of lens.

Telephoto Lens

There’s no dedicated telephoto lens. The 2x zoom is simply a digital crop of the image from the 50MP sensor; despite image processing, the sharpness is significantly reduced. The 10x zoom delivers acceptable results, but nothing more. This is a major flaw for a $1,200 phone.

Front camera

The 10MP front camera is the phone’s weak point. It captures grainy and blurry images, especially in low light, and fails to match the quality of the main rear camera. Fortunately, it’s easy to do without it. The advantage of the clamshell design lies in using the powerful 50MP main camera for selfies, with the external screen acting as a viewfinder. This yields significantly better results.

Video

The phone records video in up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with excellent stabilization. A unique feature, “My Fan Cam,” uses AI to track a subject and automatically crop the video for social media. Another practical feature is “Horizon Lock,” borrowed from the Galaxy S26 series: it keeps the video horizontal regardless of the phone’s angle.

Overall, the camera system is satisfactory for most users, but it’s clear that Samsung made compromises in this area to keep the price relatively low. It’s a decent camera, but nothing more for its price range.

Battery life and charging: the weak point

Battery life is undoubtedly the Galaxy Z Flip 8’s biggest weakness. It has a 4,300 mAh battery, the same capacity as last year’s model. The phone uses a new silicon-carbon battery, theoretically more efficient, but the practical gains are minimal.

In testing, the Z Flip 8 lasted 18 hours and 15 minutes during continuous video playback, a slight improvement over the Z Flip 7. It can easily last a full day with light to moderate use, but heavy users, especially gamers, may need to recharge it by the end of the day. The smaller battery is a necessary compromise to achieve such a slim phone, but it’s hard to accept when competitors like the Motorola Razr Ultra, with its 5,000 mAh battery, offer significantly better battery life.

Charging speed is another major drawback. The phone only supports 25W wired charging, which is extremely slow compared to the 45W or higher offered by other high-end models in 2026. In a 30-minute wired charging test, the battery went from 0% to 56%, a result below the average for its class. Wireless charging is also slow, at just 15W. The lack of a charger in the box is the final straw.

Software and user experience

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 runs on Android 17 with Samsung’s One UI 9 interface. This operating system is a major advantage for the Z Flip 8. The use of the external screen has been significantly improved, allowing quick access to essential apps, widgets, and functions.

Samsung is also committed to providing seven years of operating system and security updates, an industry first. This is a major advantage for long-term use. The phone will receive new versions of Android until 2033, making it an excellent investment for those who plan to keep their device for many years. Features such as Flex Mode (which optimizes the interface when the phone is folded in half) and various Galaxy AI and Gemini functionalities are integrated into the user experience.

Audio and connectivity

The Z Flip 8 tablet is equipped with stereo speakers that deliver decent and immersive sound for a device of this size. While not the best in their class, they are more than adequate for watching videos, playing casual games, and listening to music.

Connectivity is excellent, with support for 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. The phone also features NFC for contactless payments and dual SIM capability (with eSIM support). A USB Type-C port is standard for charging and data transfer. In short, connectivity is comprehensive and future-proof.

Storage and memory

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available in two configurations, both with 12GB of RAM: 256GB and 512GB of storage. It lacks a microSD card slot, a common shortcoming in many current high-end smartphones.

The base 256GB model is likely sufficient for most users, but if you plan on taking a lot of high-resolution photos and videos, the 512GB option is a worthwhile investment, especially since the phone lacks a telephoto lens and uses digital cropping for zoomed photos. In our comparison chart, the 512GB model is listed at $1,399, a not insignificant $200 price increase.

AI and smart features

Samsung Galaxy’s artificial intelligence features are at the heart of the Z Flip 8 experience. In addition to classic AI photo editing tools (object eraser, generative editing), the Z Flip 8 offers unique features, adapted to its format.

• Now Brief and Now Nudge: these AI-powered features provide a summary of your day and offer helpful tips to help you stay on track.
• My Fan Cam: This app uses AI to track a subject in a video and create a cropped version optimized for social media.
• Horizon lock: This AI feature locks the horizon of your videos, ensuring it remains horizontal even if you rotate your phone.
• Cover screen automation: You can use the cover screen for Gemini-based automations, such as ordering food or scheduling reminders without opening the phone.

These features, far from being mere gimmicks, are seamlessly integrated into the external screen and enhance the phone’s unique design. It’s important to note that while all features are built into the device, some more complex tasks may require an internet connection, but no subscription is needed for the core functionalities.

Price and value

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available starting at $1,199 in the US, which is $100 more than the launch price of the Z Flip 7. The 512GB version is priced at $1,399. This price increase, combined with a camera system and battery life virtually identical to the previous model, makes it difficult to justify its value for money.

The Z Flip 8 doesn’t offer good value for money in the traditional sense. Compared to a classic high-end model like the Galaxy S26, its high price is justified by its foldable design and unique form factor. However, compared to its direct competitor, the Motorola Razr Ultra, the Z Flip 8 is less expensive while offering a similar experience. Its appeal lies in its unique design, excellent portability, and the pleasure of using a flip phone. For someone seeking a classic premium experience, the Z Flip 8 will be less compelling.

Competition

Phone	Strength	Weakness	Ideal for
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8	Thinner, lighter, and more sophisticated software, better protective screen	Cameras unchanged, slower charging, smaller battery, visible crease	For style-conscious people looking for a compact, fun phone that easily fits in a pocket.
Motorola Razr Ultra 2026	Faster 68W charging, larger 5000mAh battery, superior 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera	More expensive at $1,499, heavier, slower processor	Users who prioritize battery life and the camera’s technical specifications.
Samsung Galaxy S26	Better quality cameras, larger 5000 mAh battery, often cheaper	Not foldable, less convenient to slip into a pocket	Demanding users who seek the best camera quality and the longest battery life.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8	Larger screen for multitasking, superior cameras, more powerful hardware	Significantly more expensive, heavier, and bulkier	Passionate about technology and adept at multitasking.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Slim and lightweight design: The thinnest and lightest Z Flip yet, making it incredibly easy to slip into a pocket.
• Redesigned cover screen: FlexWindow is now actually useful, allowing access to apps and widgets without opening the phone.
• Exceptional performance: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip delivers top-tier speed and responsiveness.
• Strong commitment to software: 7 years of operating system updates guarantee long-term use.

Cons

• Unchanged camera system: same cameras as last year, for a higher price, without a telephoto lens.
• Poor battery life: The 4,300 mAh battery is rather small and struggles under heavy use.
• Slow charging: the 25W wired charging is significantly slower than the competition.
• Visible crease: The crease is still visible, testifying to the compromise necessary for folding.
• Price increase: $100 more than its predecessor.

Who is Galaxy Z Flip8 for?

Buy it if you:

1. Value Style and Portability: You want a phone that looks unique and is incredibly easy to slip into a pocket or small bag.
2. Are a Social Media User: You will appreciate the phone’s powerful camera for taking selfies with the rear cameras and the fun, creative features like My Fan Cam.
3. Are a Heavy Cover Screen User: You love the idea of being able to check notifications, use apps, and send quick replies without ever opening your phone.
4. Want Long-Term Software Support: Samsung’s 7-year update policy makes this a future-proof investment for long-term users.

Avoid it if you:

5. Need the Best Camera: The lack of a telephoto lens and the mediocre selfie camera make it a poor choice for photography enthusiasts.
6. Are a Power User: The battery life and slow charging speed will be frustrating if you’re a heavy gamer or constantly on your phone.
7. Prioritize Value: For $1,200, you can get a flagship slab phone with better specs and a superior camera.
8. Can’t Stand the Crease:The visible crease is a fundamental compromise of the technology.

Final verdict

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 worth buying?

The answer is a nuanced yes, with one important caveat. If you’re looking for the unique experience of a stylish foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is definitely worth considering. It’s a refined and enjoyable device to use. Its slim profile gives it the look of a premium accessory, and its improved external display makes it a more practical everyday companion. For those who prioritize style, portability, and the satisfying click of closing their phone, the Z Flip 8 is an ideal choice. As one reviewer aptly summarized, the device is “stylish, smart, and truly practical.” It’s a fantastic option for social media enthusiasts and anyone looking for a phone that’s both a fashion accessory and a work tool.

Its main drawback, however, lies in its price-to-performance ratio. At $1,200, you’re paying a high price for its foldable design. Its camera system, unchanged for this generation, its modest battery life, and its slow charging are all weaknesses compared to traditional high-end smartphones. If the original foldable design doesn’t appeal to you and you’re simply looking for the best value, you’d be better off with the Galaxy S26 or a similar model. The Z Flip 8 is a phone that’s bought with the heart, more than the head. If you understand and accept its compromises, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a fantastic and stylish phone.