The moment I sat down to experience the latest Galaxy Z8 series, I immediately knew which phone I was most excited about. In fact, I walked into the room thinking about the latest Fold Ultra model, but as soon as I saw the standard Fold 8, I was sold. That was the phone I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. And if you have read my first impressions of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, that’s exactly what I did. Over the next couple of hours, I’ll be honest, I shot a lot of b-roll, clicked pictures, and spent most of my time switching between the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. Somewhere in between all of that, I also picked up the Galaxy Z Flip 8. And before I get to the Flip, I’ll admit it. The Fold has always appealed more to the enthusiast in me. A bigger display, and getting that tablet-like productivity from something that still fits in your pocket has always sounded far more exciting.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in Digit Test Labs: The ultimate foldable at an ultimate price
But the longer I spent with Samsung’s latest lineup, the more I realised something: while the Fold gets productivity, the Flip gets personality. And perhaps that’s exactly how Samsung wants these two products to coexist. Here are my first impressions.
The funny thing about the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is that it isn’t competing with the Fold at all.
In fact, here’s my biggest takeaway from the latest Z8 series launch. The Fold 8 Ultra wants to replace your tablet. The Fold 8, with its fresh new form factor, wants to rethink how a book-style foldable should have been in the first place. Whereas the Flip 8, on the other hand, wants to make using your phone more enjoyable.
Even after more than two decades, there’s some good satisfaction about a flip phone. The moment you snap it shut, there’s something oddly satisfying about it. Plus, the form factor is compact enough to vanish into almost any pocket, yet opening with a slight flick of the wrist never gets old. If anything, it makes interacting with the phone feel a little more intentional.
Of course, Samsung has also done a good job refining the hardware over the years. The hinge feels reassuringly solid, the phone snaps shut with confidence, and despite its compact form factor, it still feels unmistakably premium in the hand.
And yes, even after all these years, that novelty of the Galaxy Z Flip hasn’t completely worn off.
If there was one thing I kept coming back to during my hands-on session, it was the FlexWindow. Now, personally, I didn’t get a chance to use the Flip 7, but I remember using the Flip 6 from two years ago; I’d often find myself opening the device even for the simplest of tasks. With the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the idea is to do the opposite.
The edge-to-edge 4.1-inch Super AMOLED cover display feels quite useful instead of simply existing to show notifications. The squarish real estate should be more than enough to check messages, reply to them, control music or glance at your calendar for the schedule. The point is to do more with your flip phone without unfolding it. And this is the convenience that gives the Flip its personality.
If the Fold 8 phones want you to do more, with the Galaxy Z Flip 8, you can use the cover screen for quick interactions without even diverting your full attention to the main 6.9-inch, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display. Even for taking photos, the FlexWindow plays a big part in the experience. Being able to preview yourself before taking a selfie or letting someone else see themselves while you’re clicking their picture feels surprisingly natural.
Of course, the hardware underneath is every bit flagship. There’s 12GB RAM, up to 512GB storage, and you also get Samsung’s latest 2nm Exynos 2600 chipset. Yes, if you thought the Flip also gets the Snapdragon Elite love as the Fold 8 models, well, that’s not it. On the bright side, a 50MP primary camera with improved ISP, a larger 4,300mAh silicon-carbon battery and the full suite of Galaxy AI features packed into a body that’s slimmer and lighter than ever before, should appeal to the Flip’s core fanbase.
As I prepare to test Samsung’s latest batch of foldables in the coming days, I know most of my time will be devoted towards the Folds. Especially with the Fold 8, I am looking forward to putting my main SIM into that phone and making it my daily driver. But, somewhere along the way as I was writing this piece, I am also understanding a flip phone user’s perspective. I mean, despite the book-style foldables hogging all the limelight every year, there’s a reason why a good amount of people still gravitate towards the Flip-style foldable.
Understand this: the Galaxy Z Flip 8 isn’t the most powerful foldable in the Z8 series. It won’t be replacing your laptop or tablet. It doesn’t have the new form factor as the standard Fold 8. Yet, this is the phone that wants you to make everyday interactions with your device a little more fun, intentional, and above all, a little more personal.
Also read: Galaxy Z Fold 8 in Digit Test Labs: Samsung has finally cracked the formula!
And perhaps that’s why the Galaxy Z Flip 8 completes Samsung’s foldable lineup so well. I will once again repeat the part that’s in the headline: the Fold gets productivity while the Flip gets the personality. Neither device tries to be the other, and that’s exactly what makes the Galaxy Z8 lineup work.