It's been a couple of months since Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but I'm still head over heels with it and can't stop raving about the new form factor.
What I initially didn't expect to get impressed by ended up being the most exciting phone of 2026 for me, and I'm now a stern admirer of wallet-style foldables. These are, in fact, the jolt to the system that the foldable phone niche truly needed.
But aside from the exceptional form factor, besides the excellent performance courtesy of the top Snapdragon chip, and barring the phenomenal level of personalization that One UI provides, there are still minor features of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that I don't think get talked about enough.
One of those is the anti-reflective finish of the inner screen that improves the experience so much more.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung's first-ever passport-style device, offering a unique approach to the foldable experience. Right now, you can get the device with a maximum trade-in discount of up to $800. Alternatively, you can get it with a $250 Samsung Instant Savings, no trade-in required.
While it's the Galaxy S26 Ultra that has the most display accommodations in 2026 thanks to its second-generation anti-reflective coating and cool new Privacy Display tech, Samsung has massively improved the anti-reflectivity of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, too.
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The inner AMOLED screens of both phones now have reduced glare in contrast to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7, and that becomes immediately obvious when you view these side-by-side under strong environmental lighting.
The cover screen of the Z Fold 8 is quite useful in most tasks I can think of, but I often have to unfold the phone when I'm out and about, and the reduced reflections are a nice touch that definitely is underappreciated.
But it's not only on the outside that the screen's anti-reflective coating shines, it's under bright artificial lighting that this feature truly shows its usefulness.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8's main screen gets quite bright. | Image by PhoneArena
I've got a couple of wall lamps at home that I've positioned on key spots around the house, and regardless of what I do, I always tend to catch reflections one way or another. With the Z Fold 8, this isn't as unpleasant as with other foldables I've used.
While to my eyes the coating isn't as strong as the one on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the reduced reflections are surely a step in the right direction that all other foldables should strive for.
It's not only the coating that boosts the legibility
While having any sort of anti-reflectivity coating on the inner display is great, the improved peak brightness of that display also greatly boosts the legibility.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 could hit around 2,600 nits of peak brightness, and while I think that's more than enough, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can hit 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
This surely is practical when you're using the phone outside and your device has to compete with the sun for legibility. While I usually pamper my foldables and wouldn't take any of them to the beach for obvious reasons, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 included, I am sure I wouldn't mind to catch up on TV shows or e-books on such a bright and non-reflective display while tanning on the lounger.
A feature all foldables should borrow
Now that peak brightness on most foldables has already hit comfortable enough levels, I think that most other phone manufacturers should take heed from Samsung and follow the example set by the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
A combination of a bright inner display with a lower reflectance would be great to have on any other phone, but we should not forget that it’s the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Z Fold 8 Ultra that set one of the best examples in recent times.
Peter is a skilled writer with over 13 years of experience at PhoneArena. He has published nearly 300 phone reviews and comparisons. This vast experience helps him navigate the mobile tech landscape with ease. He enjoys everything Android but relies on a MacBook Pro daily.
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