Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Review: A stylish flip phone with amazing build, which won't appeal to more technical types

Samsung surprised this summer by introducing three foldable phones, and for next year, the company reportedly plans to design five. However, the South Korean manufacturer primarily focuses on the larger and more expensive Galaxy Z Fold8 models, which, it must be noted, are currently doing exceptionally well, and the stylish Galaxy Z Flip8 flip phone essentially receives only necessary generational improvements. While everyone will appreciate the changes Samsung has made compared to the previous generation, with the rising price, the question arises whether it wouldn’t be better to get the now relatively inexpensive ‘seven’. And that the answer should be ‘no’, the new Flip didn’t entirely convince me even after testing.

Package contents: a modest box and (almost) nothing more

Today, packaging simply isn’t a priority, and users have de facto been forced to get used to the fact that they won’t get much extra besides the phone itself. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 box is very nicely designed, but besides the phone, you’ll only find the essential paper minimum, a SIM tray ejector tool, and a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you care about protecting your phone, you’ll have to buy a case yourself.

Design and build quality: Samsung’s thinnest flip phone to date

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 continues on the path paved by previous models. The South Korean manufacturer continues to improve the build, practically on all fronts. Firstly, we can talk about the weight, which has dropped from 188 g to just 180 g. For my part, I can say that testing the Flip was quite a relief in this regard, because the Pixel 11 Pro XL, which I currently use as my primary phone, weighs 226 g. I can assure you that you will truly notice this difference.

The phone’s thickness when unfolded has been reduced to just 6.1 mm, significantly surpassing both the aforementioned Pixel and, for example, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Even the competing flip phone Motorola Razr 70 Ultra doesn’t fare as well, measuring 7.19 mm when unfolded. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 is simply a razor blade, and if you don’t happen to be using an ultra-thin iPhone Air right now, you’ll probably be surprised by how narrow the phone is. 

The Armor FlexHinge also received some improvements; it is thinner itself, and thanks to other minor enhancements, such as optimizing magnetic force or adding a beveled incline to the inner bezel and phone edge, the phone is easier to open and close.

As for materials, the Galaxy Z Flip8’s frame is made of Advanced Armor Aluminum, which gives it a premium feel. The back is half covered by a display, which we’ll get to in the next chapter, and the other half is not covered by classic glass, but rather fiberglass-reinforced polymer. This is how Samsung manages to keep the weight low without compromising durability. 

In hand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 is very pleasant, but I had to get used to it being perhaps too long and not wide enough for my taste. When folded, I also constantly have trouble hitting the power button with my thumb, because I would subconsciously expect it higher (but if Samsung actually moved it a few centimeters, the placement wouldn’t suit me when unfolded, so I can’t blame the manufacturer for that in any way).

Like the competing Razr 70 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Flip8 meets IP48 protection rating. The phone is therefore not bothered by submersion to a depth of 1.5m for 30 minutes, but it is only resistant to particles larger than 1 mm. So if it falls into the sand on the beach, you could expose the hinge to the risk of damage. 

Inner display without crease and smarter rear panel

A quality display is undoubtedly another cornerstone of a successful foldable phone, after a well-crafted build. Samsung has gradually managed to eliminate the crease from the inner panel, so you won’t notice it at all during normal use. You would have to angle the phone specifically, or turn off the display, or at least reduce the brightness to an absolute minimum. You barely feel the crease, even when you run your finger across the screen. 

As for specifications, the inner display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 is designated Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X and measures 6.9 inches diagonally. Thanks to its size, it will be very easy to handle even for users with impaired vision or thicker fingers. The panel operates at a resolution of 1080 x 2520, which represents a rather lower pixel density of 400 ppi. The refresh rate reaches up to 120 Hz, but can drop to just 1 Hz to save energy. Detail-oriented users might be slightly disappointed by the thicker bezels. Compared to its predecessor, the brightness has only slightly increased, from the original 2,600 nits peak to 3,000 nits.

Considering the specifications, the FlexWindow rear panel also didn’t receive any groundbreaking improvements. Again, we’re talking about a Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 948 x 1048 (342 ppi) and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, which, however, can drop to only 60 Hz. Here too, the brightness value increased from 2,600 nits to 3,000 nits. 

The FlexWindow has several uses. After unlocking, it displays important information, calendar items, or current tasks within the Now Brief function. The phone will thus remind you of everything important without you having to open it. Similarly, you can activate the AI assistant Gemini on the folded Flip, ask it something, or ask it to add a meeting to your calendar or write a note in a document, which is again practical.

Furthermore, the rear panel can serve as a camera preview, but that’s already a fairly well-known feature. However, I’d rather mention that if you tweak the Flip a bit, you can de facto run any application on the external screen. By default, you only have access to some system apps, such as Phone, Browser, Calendar, or Recorder, and in addition to those, the phone experimentally offers, for example, Google Messages or Google Maps.

However, once you install the MultiStar app from the Galaxy Store, which the Flip will actually suggest at the end of the app list, you can run practically anything on the external display (whether it’s Instagram, Windy radar, or IDOS). The apps might not work perfectly because they are not optimized for the rear display, but in practice, I haven’t encountered any complications.

If problems do arise, you can use a small button at the bottom of the screen to adjust the app’s aspect ratio so that it doesn’t interfere with the cameras (see gallery above). If the smaller display isn’t explicitly annoying to you and you don’t want to constantly open the phone, it’s definitely worth installing MultiStar.

Performance

It is precisely in the area of performance that one of the most important improvements of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 over the previous model lies. The new flip phone received an improved Exynos 2600 chipset, which also powers the Samsung Galaxy S26. While in some regions the Flip received the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which powers the S26 Ultra or some Chinese flagships, in Europe the manufacturer opted for its own solution. 

The Exynos 2600 has ten cores and can run at a frequency of up to 3.8 GHz. Compared to last year’s Exynos 2500, it promises approximately 28% processor performance, which is certainly not a small improvement. In the Geekbench 7 platform, we measured a maximum of 2,531 points in single-core and 9,271 points in multi-core, while in AnTuTu, the phone scored over 2.5 million points. We obtained a somewhat less satisfactory score from the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, where the stability score was only 43.5%.

In most cases, the Galaxy Z Flip8 maintains a low temperature and does not overheat. After running benchmarks, it naturally heated up a bit, but that’s logical as these are stress tests. The only time I experienced significant overheating and a corresponding drop in performance was when I shared a data connection via USB-C to my desktop computer.

The processor itself is complemented by 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage. 

Speakers and fingerprint reader

The speakers of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 are rather treble-oriented and have weaker bass compared to my Pixel 11 Pro XL, which personally doesn’t suit me much. However, for anyone else, the audio might seem just right, and during casual listening, you probably won’t complain about its quality. I particularly appreciate the clear vocals.

The fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button and objectively performs worse than in-display ultrasonic readers, which are standard for regular flagships. However, this is a compromise you can quite easily forgive in a flip phone, and I don’t expect the fingerprint reader to be a decisive factor for anyone. 

Battery 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 offers rather average to weaker battery life, and if you’re a user who, like me, spends a lot of time on social media, has data turned on, and frequently uses a hotspot while traveling, the phone will last you from morning to evening, but you won’t have much reserve left. So you’ll have to charge it every day. With moderate use, however, I can get a reserve of around 35-40%, which isn’t too bad. But if I wanted to use the phone for two consecutive days without charging it in the evening, I would really have to think intensely about saving energy.

Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 brings no battery improvements as such, and the capacity still remains at 4,300 mAh. While larger foldables received support for faster charging, the most modern South Korean flip phone is still stuck at an already slowly prehistoric 25W wired charging performance. The phone supports Power Delivery 3.0 and Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 protocols.

On the positive side, the phone does not lack wireless charging, although 15W performance is also nothing to boast about (the Fold8 can do at least 20W, and the Razr 70 Ultra even dares to go up to 30W). Don’t count on built-in magnets, but if you still want to use some magnetic accessories, you can buy a special case. Original ones are even available directly from Samsung. 

Cameras

The rear sensors of the Galaxy Z Flip8 protrude from the rear display, and quite frankly, their software capabilities are more interesting than their hardware ones. First and foremost, it’s important to note that, like the base Fold8, the latest South Korean flip phone also lacks a telephoto lens. Personally, I regret this and would gladly swap it for an ultrawide camera, which I rarely use. The Motorola Razr 70 Ultra is no different in this regard, so I wouldn’t gain much from the competition (unless Xiaomi repeated what it did with the Mix Flip, which prioritized zoom over ultrawide).

The main camera of the Galaxy Z Flip8 features a 50Mpx sensor with a size of 1/1.57″, which isn’t a very large area, but it’s understandable for a foldable phone of this type. The lens aperture is f/1.8. 

The Galaxy Z Flip8 is certainly not a phone for photographers, but despite that, it offers solid photos taken with the main sensor in practically any lighting condition. Their color reproduction is nice both day and night, but compared to classic flagship smartphones, they are slightly less detailed. 

Photography with zooms greater than 2x or 4x is best avoided due to the loss of detail, especially at night. The photos simply won’t ever be like those taken with even a cheaper phone equipped with a telephoto lens. Again, it’s about Samsung’s approach – Flip phones are primarily meant to be compact and stylish, not to excel in everything.

The ultrawide camera is powered by a tiny 1/3.2″ sensor, which results in even weaker image detail and significantly more noise during night photography. However, during the day, this 12Mpx camera provides satisfactory results.

An advantage of the Flip, which I touched upon in the display chapter, is the ability to easily take selfies using the main camera. By using the rear display as a viewfinder, where you can see a preview of the final photo, it’s a breeze. It’s also useful for group photos with a self-timer. 

I was also impressed by the software features for video recording. The Galaxy Z Flip8 boasts a Camcorder Grip mode, with which you can hold the phone like a classic camcorder (see image below). And if you’re filming someone who would like to see themselves, you can show them a preview on the rear screen.

More action-oriented creators will also appreciate the Super Steady stabilizer with its horizontal axis image lock function. I also like how smooth the switching between the ultrawide and main camera is during recording. The only problem might be color inconsistency.

System

The Galaxy Z Flip8 runs out of the box on Android 17 with the latest One UI 9 overlay, with the manufacturer promising seven years of system and security updates. In my opinion, Samsung is moving in a very good direction in terms of software, especially after the major redesign with One UI 7. The system is now visually very nice, using modern rounded elements and plenty of colors everywhere, yet it doesn’t feel overly cluttered. 

Foldable phones require specific software in many respects, and Samsung truly succeeds in delivering a smooth environment where everything works as the user would expect. This also applies to the rear screen interface, whose functionalities I have already described above. 

Thanks to close cooperation with Google, Samsung’s flagship phones, including its foldables, often offer new features first. We’re talking about, for example, AirDrop support via Quick Share or the Circle to Search feature. Naturally, the Galaxy Z Flip8 also features the integration of the AI assistant Gemini, which can be invoked by the side button, even on the rear display. The Samsung DeX feature then allows for a full-fledged desktop environment on an external monitor.

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 is available on the Czech market for a recommended price of 31,990 CZK for the 12/256GB version. The 12/512GB configuration costs 36,990 CZK.

The phone can be purchased in black, white, and pink variants. It can also be ordered in a mint green finish from Samsung’s official e-shop. 

Final evaluation

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 excellently continues the established trend. It’s an incredibly stylish flip phone that has further improved its build and comes in nice color options (the pink color I tested looks great, and I’m probably not even the target audience). The rear screen isn’t just marketing and is a joy to use, especially with its high brightness and 120Hz refresh rate. On the inner display, you won’t see any crease most of the time, so it feels like you’re using a classic smartphone.

My problem is more with the phone’s hardware side. Technical improvements compared to the previous generation are scarce, and apart from the new processor, there’s essentially nothing to celebrate. While the Galaxy Z Flip7 has mostly disappeared from stores, it can still be purchased from some retailers for around 21,000 to 23,000 CZK. And honestly? It’s almost an identical phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 is still behind in some aspects. It offers a maximum of 25W wired charging, the 4,300 mAh battery capacity is certainly not impressive, and instead of an ultrawide camera, I would have preferred a telephoto lens (though this is more a matter of personal preference). Even at 31,990 CZK, it will certainly find its fans, but I would rather buy the seven, or at least wait for a significant discount.

Editor’s rating: 75 / 100