I almost can’t believe that just two generations prior, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 was one of the chunkiest foldable phones on the market. Samsung had fallen behind in a smartphone category that it itself had popularized, with Chinese competitors overtaking it with much slimmer foldable phones that had less visible display creases and much better specs as well.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6, though a very modern-looking upgrade to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, was thick, heavy, had a more prominent crease, worse cameras, and a much worse battery compared to its competitors.
Honestly, back then, I didn’t think that Samsung was interested in or maybe even capable of making foldables that could measure up to the competition. The Galaxy Z Fold phones were losing sales year after year, after all, and the company was scaling back production because foldables just didn’t seem like they were worth it.
Then came the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and everything changed. And now that we know what Samsung is planning for next year, I can’t help but feel so grateful that it gave the foldable segment a real chance to thrive.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 changed everything
Our hero. | Image by PhoneArena
Somehow, Samsung made a monumental leap from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Customers in certain regions might have recognized the Fold 7 as an improved version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE.
Recommended For You
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Display
8.0-inch . 2184x1968px
Camera
Triple camera
Battery
4400 mAh
Storage
12GB . 256GB
Hardware
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
OS
Android 16
Out of nowhere, Samsung’s flagship foldable was suddenly an extremely sleek phone that looked and felt stunning. Though the battery capacity remained the same, the display crease also saw a significant reduction in visibility. The crease now also remained flatter after sustained use.
Foldable sales jumped through the roof and Samsung suddenly found itself having to ramp production back up again. But it was only getting started.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is it
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 sold me on foldables. | Image by PhoneArena
This year came the Galaxy Z Fold 8, a phone that somehow became even more popular than its revolutionary predecessor. Well, not somehow, it was largely because of its (ironically) smaller form factor.
The crease is pretty much a non-issue at this point, the battery on the Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra saw improvements, and many people are now believers in the new shape. Unfolding into a better aspect ratio for content consumption with the crease running through vertically instead of horizontally? Yes, please.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
OS
Android 17
Display
7.6-inch . 1848x2448px
Camera
Dual camera
Battery
4800 mAh
Storage
12GB . 256GB
Hardware
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
While the Fold 7 made me a believer in foldable phones, the Fold 8 sold me on them. I, myself, will now use foldables for the foreseeable future, starting with the excellent Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Samsung is now on a roll
Let's not forget the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is also excellent. | Image by PhoneArena
It can be argued that Samsung’s success with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 must be attributed to Apple because of the leaked aspect ratio for the iPhone Duo. I remember being exasperated at Samsung following Apple’s design philosophy.
It’s worth noting, however, that Samsung did step up its foldable game with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 before any major details about the iPhone Duo had leaked. Sure, there were whispers that Apple was finally entering the market which might have contributed to Samsung improving upon its foldables to such a large extent, but the aforementioned Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE came out even before that.
And the company isn’t stopping at the Fold 8. Its foldables are now selling incredibly well so, unsurprisingly, Samsung is now going all out.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
Display
8.0-inch . 2256x2504px
Camera
Triple camera
Battery
5000 mAh
Storage
12GB . 256GB
Hardware
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
OS
Android 17
Currently, there are two successors to the Fold 8 being tested. Two different takes on the passport-style foldable design for next year. In addition, the company is reportedly experimenting returning to under-display cameras again for the internal display.
That is a decision that, I admit, was likely made following Apple’s decision to equip the iPhone Duo with an under-display camera. Still, it’s a move that, if it does come to pass, will definitely make some people very happy.
Should Samsung take inspiration from the iPhone Duo?
8 Votes
Lastly, alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 9 and the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra, 2027 will allegedly be the year when Samsung finally releases its sliding phone. This would be a phone that you can simply push or pull on to extend or contract the display size.
Oppo showed off a prototype of such a phone in 2021. | Image by Engadget
If this phone does come out next year, Samsung will have done something astounding with its Z-series flagships for the third year in a row. Perhaps credit is due to Apple for maybe encouraging Samsung to show more love to its foldables but man has Samsung made some fantastic phones recently.
After years of monotony, smartphones are in such an interesting place now and it just makes me so happy.
Get a free Galaxy A17 with Straight Talk. To claim this deal, you need to pair the phone with activation on a Silver Unlimited Plan or higher. This tier costs $45 per month. Offer valid through 01/10/27 while supplies last online.
Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: