Samsung has expanded its premium mobile portfolio with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, a folding device engineered with an ultra thin titanium frame. According to the official Samsung launch announcement, the phone brings a 200MP main camera sensor, a larger 5000mAh silicon carbon battery, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor to the category. This hardware package comes with a steep entry cost, with retail prices starting at 2099 USD.
Samsung is using a material composition called Flex Titanium to reinforce the chassis. This titanium alloy frame reduces the visual prominence of the center crease while increasing the structural rigidity of the hinge. The entire package measures just 4.1 millimeters thick when opened. It weighs 215 grams, which makes it the lightest and thinnest folding option in the history of the company.
The displays have also received major upgrades. On the outside, users get a 6.5 inch display running at a 120Hz refresh rate. Open the device, and you see an 8.0 inch main screen. This interior panel outputs a peak brightness of 3000 nits. Samsung added a specialized anti reflective coating to the glass. It handles harsh outdoor sunlight much better now.
Foldable phones usually compromise on camera quality to maintain a thin profile. Samsung rejected that compromise with this launch. The rear camera module houses a massive 200MP main sensor equipped with optical image stabilization and an f1.7 aperture. It is the same caliber of sensor found in their traditional ultra premium slate phones.
The surrounding lenses are equally capable. An upgraded 50MP ultra wide sensor handles expansive landscapes and close up macro photography. For distant subjects, a 10MP telephoto camera offers 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. Budding filmmakers can record video at 8K resolution at 30 frames per second using the efficient APV codec.
Under the hood, the device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Samsung expanded the internal graphite cooling chamber to keep thermal throttling at bay. Buyers can choose between a 12GB RAM version with either 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage. The top tier model steps up to 16GB of RAM and a massive 1TB of storage.
Power management relies on a brand new 5000mAh battery. Instead of standard lithium chemistry, Samsung adopted a silicon carbon design. This allows for higher energy density in a thinner space. The phone supports 45W charging speeds. You can charge the battery from flat to 67% in only 30 minutes.
