Z Fold8 review: More complete, but there are still trade-offs

(Dan Tri) - Galaxy Z Fold8 impresses with its thin and light design, 4:3 screen and unique folding and opening experience, but there are still limitations in terms of camera, sound and price.

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After more than a week of using the Galaxy Z Fold8 as my main phone, I realized Samsung has finally created a folding phone that meets my expectations for many years.

It doesn't have the best camera, nor is the performance a huge leap compared to the previous generation. But just making me want to open the big screen every time I pick it up is enough to make Fold8 the most memorable folding phone I've ever used.

This article does not focus on analyzing configuration or familiar parameters. These are my impressions after a week of actual use as a normal user: reading news, surfing Facebook, watching YouTube, answering emails and playing a few games of Lien Quan.

If you are using an older Fold and wondering whether the Fold8 is worth upgrading or not, hopefully the experiences below will help you gain more perspective.

Before Fold8, the closest generation of Samsung folding phones I had the opportunity to experience was Fold7. At that time, despite having a large internal screen, most of the time I still tended to use the external screen for daily operations.

It sounds a bit absurd. Because one of the biggest values ​​of a folding phone is the ability to open it to have a larger display space. If you spend tens of millions of dong on a Fold but rarely want to open the big screen, that experience is clearly not truly complete.

With Fold8, this habit of mine began to change.

After more than a week of using it as my main phone, the first thing I realized is that I almost always open the screen every time I pick up the phone. Not out of curiosity, not even because I want to try it out, simply because the Fold8's large screen provides a significantly better experience than just using an external screen.

That is the biggest change that Samsung has made on this year's generation.

Perhaps you have heard a lot about the 4:3 screen on Fold8. But we have to use it in practice to see that this is not just a number. Samsung has significantly changed the design philosophy of the Fold series.

Instead of trying to make a bar phone and then add a folding screen like before, Fold8 is designed in the opposite direction: giving complete priority to the internal screen.

This makes the device more like a mini tablet than a regular phone.

At first I was quite skeptical: Would such a nearly square ratio really bring a better experience? The answer is yes.

I spend quite a lot of time every day reading newspapers and documents. On Fold8, the amount of content displayed is significantly more than on Fold7. The letters are larger and the reading feeling is also more comfortable.

Social media viewing and web browsing both benefit from the new screen ratio. Content is no longer stretched vertically like before but becomes much more balanced.

What surprised me the most was the experience of watching the movie.

When rotated horizontally and switched to full screen mode, the large display space creates a feeling close to a small tablet, more suitable for watching videos, making watching YouTube, Netflix or other movie watching platforms significantly more attractive.

This is the first time I feel that a folding phone really brings out the value of a large screen.

Samsung has accepted trade-offs to create a better experience

Of course, no change comes for free.

To prioritize internal display space, Samsung accepts a trade-off in external screen ratio. Fold8 has an external screen with a fairly narrow ratio, nearly 10:16. If placed next to a regular flagship, the Fold8's external screen looks quite small.

At first I also thought this would be a minus point. But after a week of use, I have a different perspective.

Samsung seems to want users to understand that the external screen only plays a supporting role. It's the place to check the time, quickly read notifications, reply to a few messages or answer the phone. And all the main experiences take place on the inside screen.

It is this philosophy that makes me gradually form a new habit. Instead of trying to do everything on the external screen like before, I just need to open the device and have a much larger display space.

It can be said that Fold8 almost forces users to open the screen.

Of course, this trade-off also brings some inconveniences.

For people with small hands, operating with one hand on the external screen is not easy. It's hard for my thumb to reach the corners of the screen, so sometimes I have to use both hands to operate it.

Fast texting is not really comfortable. Although the keyboard is wider, making it less likely to mistype characters, the overall one-handed experience is still not comparable to traditional bar phones.

Perhaps people with large hands are less likely to have this problem.

So thin and light that you forget you're using a folding phone

If I had to pick the change that impressed me second after the screen, it would definitely be the weight.

Fold8 is so light that I often forgot it was a folding phone. Previously, every time I opened a Fold to read a newspaper for about 20-30 minutes, my wrist started to feel tired.

Fold8 is different. I can lie down and watch YouTube, read stories, surf Facebook or handle work for long periods of time with almost no discomfort.

Samsung making the device thinner also makes a clear difference when held with one hand.

Even when the screen is completely opened, the feeling of holding is still very natural, without the bulkiness that is characteristic of previous folding phones.

This is also the reason I proactively open the screen more instead of using an external screen like before.

The regret on the phone is almost complete

If I only stop at design and screen, Fold8 is probably the folding phone that makes me the most satisfied ever.

But like any technology product, use it long enough to begin to notice the imperfections.

The in-screen camera is still a "thorn" when reading content

I am someone who spends a lot of time reading newspapers, documents and comics on my phone.

Therefore, the detail that annoys me the most is not the broken rear camera, but the selfie camera located in the screen.

Imagine you are reading a very engaging piece of content. When scrolling down, the most important text is covered by a black dot. Not much, but just enough to make your eyes pause for a moment before continuing to read.

That feeling repeated enough times to become something I always noticed every time I turned on the computer.

Samsung has improved a lot compared to previous generations, but if asked what is the detail I want the company to handle most thoroughly in Fold9, it is the in-screen camera.

The crease still exists, just less annoying

Another point that Samsung mentioned quite a lot this year is the fold.

In fact, the first few days I could barely see. However, after about a week of use, when the light is slanted or the screen displays a bright background, the crease begins to become more visible.

However, I think this does not affect the usage experience too much. Unlike the first generations, folds on Fold8 only affect vision and have almost no effect on operation.

In other words, you still see it, but after a few minutes of use, you'll almost forget the crease exists.

The camera is enough, but not worth the price

If I had to pick the point that disappointed me the most on Fold8, it would probably be the camera. I was expecting more.

Not because Samsung makes poor cameras, but because the price of nearly 47 million VND gives users the right to expect more.

In bright enough conditions, photos are of good quality, easy-to-see colors, fast shutter speed and enough to share on social networks.

However, if placed next to other photography-specialized flagships on the market, Fold8 has not created a clear advantage.

In particular, Samsung has reduced the rear camera system from three to two lenses compared to Fold7, and also removed the telephoto camera. I actually feel a bit disappointed.

This is quite confusing. Because Fold is always Samsung's most expensive model, but it does not yet provide a camera system commensurate with the amount of money users spend.

If you are a lover of mobile photography or regularly shoot videos, this will be a point to consider.

The speakers are not commensurate with the large screen

Fold8 offers a very good movie watching experience. Unfortunately, the sound has not kept up.

When holding the device vertically, the two speakers operate quite evenly. But when opening the device horizontally to watch a movie, the sound will deviate to one side.

If held with the right hand, the speaker can easily be covered, causing the volume to decrease significantly. While the screen feels like a mini cinema, the speaker system does not create a wide enough sound effect to complete the experience.

Fold8 is not the optimal choice for gamers

I also spent some time trying to play Lien Quan Mobile on Fold8.

The positive point is that the larger display space helps to observe the map more conveniently. The device also does not get too hot even with high graphics settings. After a few consecutive games, the device's body is only slightly warm but not noticeably hot.

However, there are still applications and games that are not fully optimized for the new screen ratio. Some interfaces leave extra space at the top or sides. This does not affect playability, but makes the overall look not really beautiful.

In my opinion, Fold8 is not a phone for gamers. Its biggest strengths are still reading content, multitasking, watching videos and handling work on a large screen.

Conclude

After more than a week of experience, Fold8 left me with quite a few positive impressions, although there are still a few details that Samsung could do better.

It still has points that make me regret such as the camera is not commensurate with the price, the camera cluster is protruding, the speaker system is not really convincing or some applications are still not optimized for the folding screen.

But the most important thing is that Samsung has changed the way I use my phone.

Instead of picking up and using the external screen like before, Fold8 makes me almost always open the big screen every time I need to read, watch or work.

That is the greatest value of a folding phone. And that alone is a huge step forward compared to Fold7.

So should you upgrade from Fold7?

If you regularly read newspapers, watch videos, multitask or want a thinner and lighter device, Fold8 is an upgrade worth considering. The screen in 4:3 ratio also makes a noticeable difference, especially for those who want to use the large screen more often.

On the contrary, people who prioritize the camera, one-handed operation or playing games should consider carefully. The rear camera system has been shortened, while some games are still not fully optimized for the new screen.

If you are satisfied with Fold7 and mainly use the external screen, upgrading is not really necessary. Fold8 is most worth upgrading for those who want to take advantage of the folding screen more.