Are you fooled by the many Samsung Z Fold and Z Flip phones? Start here

Lavender transformation Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 In my hands, I marveled at how easy and comfortable it was to hold while folding it upright. I got my first look at Samsung’s new product range at the Galaxy Unpacked event in London, but it was the new passport-style foldable model that caught my eye first.

Historically – and by that I mean over the past seven years – I’ve always held a flip bias. It has hints of the foldable feature phones I’ve owned in days gone by, and the idea of ​​making a big phone smaller makes sense to me. But I think my head has been turned by the new Fold 8.

I’ve long called for more variety and fun in phone design, so I applaud Samsung for giving us four phones (if you include Tri-Fold) to choose from. However, there’s a part of me that feels baffled by the amount of choice on offer – and I certainly can’t be the only one.

I asked Rachel Roberts, product manager at Samsung America, to explain who should consider each device and why. She said it all depends on the individual and how you use your phone.

the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra It is all about productivity. “This is the first time we’ve brought the ultra-premium brand into the foldable portfolio,” Roberts said. “So you get premium performance, a better camera system, and better battery and charging.”

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is for people who “want to get lost and immersed.” Whether you’re gaming or streaming in landscape mode, or scrolling social media and reading e-books in portrait orientation, this phone is for anyone looking for a high-end experience, but without the productivity concerns.

Move to Galaxy Z Flip 8The main selling point remains “pocketability,” Roberts said. With more options than ever to use it while closed, the Flex Window and the ability to turn it into a camcorder-style device appeals to people who appreciate the combination of compact design and creativity (Motorola’s Razrs do the same). “Those self-expressive people who really lean into it,” she said.

The Z Fold line was slightly more popular among older people and men, while the Flip line skewed among younger people and females. It will be interesting to see if the new passport-style foldable can split these differences evenly.

“It’s kind of a Goldilocks,” Roberts said, which is perfect for people who find the Z Fold 8 Ultra too large and the Z Flip 8 too small.

Is there a better foldable one? Or just the best foldable for you?

We already are Introducing Samsung’s new family of foldable devices It goes through its paces, but if you’re looking for the “best” option, you’ll need to look beyond the star ratings and think about what you actually need from your phone.

“There is no best foldable format,” said Francisco Geronimo, vice president of data and analytics at IDC. “Each format makes one set of compromises while the other makes, so the decision comes down to what trade-offs the buyer is willing to accept.”

He went on to say that the book-style Fold Ultra offers a familiar smartphone experience with a larger screen option for work, but it’s not the best for watching content given the screen’s aspect ratio. He added that this is a problem that has been solved by the new passport-style fold.

“However, when closed, it remains an unpopular format that is difficult to carry in a pocket, and typing takes up most of the available screen, so it is less practical than a standard smartphone in its folded state,” Geronimo said.

Another trade-off with the Fold 8 is that its camera system is slightly inferior to the supposedly productivity-focused Fold Ultra.

“It’s an interesting decision by Samsung to position the Z Fold 8 as a content-focused device, but not offer it with the best camera specs at the same time,” said Ben Wood, senior analyst at CCS Insight. It probably comes down to the desire to have a range of foldable devices at different prices.

In fact, we have to keep in mind that Samsung wants to have clear marketing messages around each of its phones to differentiate them from each other, but that does not mean that most of us can be neatly divided into people who value productivity, content, or volume.

“Samsung would be naive if it thought there wasn’t much overlap between devices, but it’s understandable that it needs to put a stake in the ground to place products at the launch event,” he said.

There’s also an experimental element to Samsung’s approach to adding new foldable devices. She is not alone in doing so. Motorola has also been building out its portfolio of foldable devices this year, and several Chinese brands are taking a similarly exploratory approach.

“It’s not surprising that manufacturers are throwing around some mud to see which form factors resonate with consumers,” Wood said. “A company that breaks the code and identifies the dominant design for foldable devices has a great opportunity to achieve some positives on these more expensive, high-margin devices.”