The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the true heir to last year's Fold: the same tall, book-style shape, the same 215g, but meaningfully upgraded where it counts. It is the most complete big-screen foldable Samsung has ever made. Its problem is not a rival brand, it is the phone sitting right next to it on the shelf. The cheaper, lighter, wider standard Fold8 steals the spotlight, leaving the Ultra as the choice for people who specifically want the biggest screen and the best camera rather than the most exciting new design.
Pre-orders for the Fold8 Ultra are open now, running since 22 July 2026, with general availability in Malaysia from 14 August 2026. It starts at RM8,099 for the 12GB/256GB model, with RM8,899 (512GB) and RM10,499 (1TB) above it.
Table of Contents
Design and build
Look at the Ultra beside last year's model and most people could not tell them apart: this is a refinement of a proven body, not a reinvention. That is not a criticism of the build, which is superb. Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back, IP48 rating, and a hinge that is a little easier to work than before. It is even marginally thinner than its predecessor despite carrying a bigger battery. It remains a two-handed phone to open, and at 215g it is the heavier of the two Folds, but it feels every bit the flagship.
Display
The 8-inch inner display is the largest, sharpest and brightest Samsung has put in a foldable, peaking at 3,000 nits and noticeably crisper than last year. The Flex Titanium panel flattens the crease dramatically, though we would not call it gone: expect it to stay faintly visible up close, and to become a touch more noticeable after weeks of daily folding, the way foldable creases tend to. Paired with Flex Mode, which the standard Fold8 gives up, it is the most flexible big screen in the range for media and hands-free use.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy handles everything with ease, and the extra internal room means it has the space to stay composed under load. This is as fast as Android phones get right now.
Cameras
This is the Ultra's real advantage. A 200MP main sensor, a new 50MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical and up to 30x digital zoom make it the only Samsung foldable that does not ask you to compromise on photography. If you take a lot of photos, especially at a distance, this is the Fold to buy.
Battery and charging
The headline upgrade. The battery grows to 5,000mAh with the switch to silicon-carbon, and remarkably it does so without adding weight. Combine that with 45W charging, around two-thirds in half an hour, and the Ultra finally addresses the Fold line's oldest weakness.
Software
Android 17 with One UI 9, seven years of updates, Flex Mode, and Samsung DeX for a desktop-style workflow make this the most productive foldable in the range. The one glaring omission is the S Pen, which still has no home here despite the "Ultra" badge: the single feature that would have set it decisively apart from its cheaper sibling, and the complaint most likely to cost it a sale.
Pros
- Biggest, brightest, sharpest screen in the range
- The most complete camera system Samsung has folded in half
- Major battery upgrade with no weight penalty, plus 45W charging
- Keeps Flex Mode and adds DeX for real productivity
- Slightly slimmer than last year despite the bigger cell
Cons
- At RM8,099 it costs RM800 more than the excellent standard Fold8 (but that buys zoom, a bigger screen and Flex Mode)
- Design barely moves from last year: a considered upgrade, not a must-have
- Still no S Pen on the model that most deserves one
- Opening it one-handed remains genuinely difficult
Who it's for
Upgraders from older Folds, keen mobile photographers who need the telephoto, and anyone who wants the largest screen and Flex Mode. Two things are true at once here: the standard Fold8's new wide shape has genuinely divided opinion since launch, and the Ultra's familiar, tall shape is the safer pick if you cannot try both in person first. If those things do not top your list, the standard Fold8 gives you most of the experience for less.
Verdict
This is the finest hardware Samsung has ever folded in half: the battery upgrade alone fixes a complaint we have repeated for six generations, and the camera system finally belongs on a phone at this price. But it is an evolution in last year's clothes, and it asks you to care specifically about the things it does better: the bigger screen, the zoom, Flex Mode and the extra endurance. If those are your priorities, nothing else matches it. If they are not, its cheaper, fresher sibling is the smarter buy, and that is the shadow the Ultra has to live in.
Scores
- Design and usability: 8.0/10
- Display: 9.0/10
- Performance: 8.5/10
- Cameras: 8.5/10
- Battery and charging: 8.5/10
- Software: 8.5/10
- Value: 7.5/10
- Overall: 8.4/10 (Recommended)
