Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra needs these upgrades to win me over

the Galaxy Z Fold 7 It was one of my favorites Phones The year 2025. It was amazingly thin and lightweight, unlike other Samsung devices Foldable In the past, it looked like a regular phone for everyday use. The Korean phone maker also added some important upgrades like a stronger hinge, a 200-megapixel main camera, and a larger cover display, which helped it win a CNET Editors’ Choice award for Abrar Al-Hiti. review.

A year later, it remains one of the thinnest and lightest book-style foldable phones, paving the way for its rumored successor. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. That’s right, Samsung Rumor To add an “Ultra” title to book style folds, while… New widescreen device It is also rumored that it could be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The two phones will likely be announced in a few weeks, but before the launch, there are tougher competitors.

I am coming from OPPO Find N6 and Honor Magic V6And I noticed several meaningful quality-of-life features that I hope Samsung adds to its next device. I enjoyed using the less reflective internal screen with minimal creasing and didn’t miss out on a good zoom camera.

If Samsung wants to keep the Fold 7’s momentum going and take on Apple’s upcoming foldable phone iPhone Ultra Challenge, you’ll need to do more than just launch a foldable widescreen display. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra needs to borrow these few features from its Chinese rivals to earn a permanent place in people’s pockets.

Add a larger battery

The Galaxy Z Fold 7’s battery has the lowest capacity compared to other recent foldable phones.

Although I liked the battery improvement in the first month of use, with the 4,400 mAh cell getting me through the day, things changed when I started traveling. Once I was on the road, constant navigation, messaging, and camera use didn’t help, and battery life remained average.

By contrast, the Oppo Find N6 (with a 6,000 mAh battery) and Honor Magic V6 (with a 6,600 mAh battery) both performed better in similar usage. The phones have batteries with silicon-carbon anode technology, which allows for greater capacity without adding extra weight. Both the Oppo and Honor phones are a little thicker and heavier than their Samsung rivals, but I don’t mind as they remain comfortable to hold and use with one hand.

I hope that Samsung will adopt silicon-carbon battery technology in its upcoming foldable phones, but there are no rumors indicating any such adoption. However, so is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Leaning Packing a larger 5,000 mAh battery into a thinner design, and weighing the same as the Z Fold 7 at 215 grams.

It is expected to be powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite “for Galaxy” chipset as Qualcomm’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. Considering the efficiency of the processor in this phone, the 5,000 mAh battery in the Z Fold 8 Ultra can provide all-day battery life. Hopefully it will last longer when traveling too.

Folding screen is more immersive

The most noticeable difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Oppo Find N6 is the foldable display. Oppo’s panel has a matte finish with minimal wrinkles, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a foldable display that is reflective and prone to smudges. Every time I open it outside, I have to clear it so I can see my maps navigation clearly.

I didn’t face any such issues with the Find N6. The Oppo phone didn’t attract smudges and was easier to see in direct sunlight, thanks to the less-reflective panel with almost no wrinkles.

Speaking of frizz, you can barely feel it with your nails and it’s hard to see. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s screen notch is deeper and gets deeper over time.

Oppo also addressed this issue in its new foldable phone. The Oppo foldable phone is claimed to offer “338% more resistance to deformation”, so it shouldn’t crease as you continue to use the device. Although my two months of use is too short to judge these claims, the Find N6 remains a more immersive foldable phone currently.

I hope Samsung takes note of these developments to give the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra the glow it deserves. According to the guide Ice universeIt could have a creaseless foldable display similar to the Find N6, which would be great. Samsung Display demonstrated foldable displays Which shows a design with an almost unnoticeable crease, so it’s entirely within the realm of possibility.

I would also like it to have a matte finish similar to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This will be a godsend for people who take advantage of the large canvas on their foldable phones.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra needs a crucial design change

The Galaxy Z Fold series underwent a major design overhaul last year. It went from feeling like I was holding a thick, narrow band to actually holding a regular phone. This was Samsung’s best redesign in years.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a major drawback for left-handed people. You can’t simply hold the phone with your left hand without feeling a sharp edge pressing into your palm.

Samsung’s current generation foldable has flat sides, which feels great in the hand. But the bottom left corner, just below the hinge, is too sharp to hold comfortably. I noticed this when I first held the phone with my left hand and dug it painfully into my palm. Now, I make sure I use it with my right hand.

I haven’t had this problem with any other foldable phone in 2026. Most have curved edges, so they’re more comfortable to use, no matter which hand I’m holding. I hope Samsung fixes this design so that the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will be more comfortable for both hands.

An upgrade to the telephoto camera would be nice

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 got a 200-megapixel camera upgrade last year. Samsung has also updated the ultra-wide camera to a slightly larger sensor. However, the third camera has not been upgraded. As a result, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has the same 10MP 3x optical zoom telephoto camera as the Fold 6, which was the same camera as the Fold 5 and its predecessor as of 2022.

Samsung has been using the same telephoto camera for four years now. Although processing is improved, the 1/3.94-inch sensor size is too small to provide a nice-looking, natural bokeh effect. A larger sensor with a larger physical aperture can help achieve a stronger, more natural bokeh effect by actually narrowing the depth of field. It could allow the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra to have one of the most complete camera systems on a smartphone.

We’ll likely know soon if any of these upgrades will make it to the next line of foldable Galaxy phones. Until then, you can check out what we’ve heard so far about Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in this rumor report.