Engadget has published hands-on impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which the reviewer called their favourite phone of 2025. The piece argues that the Ultra is largely an incremental refresh rather than a major overhaul, and suggests it may be overshadowed by a new, cheaper base Z Fold 8 model that reportedly offers a wider design and larger display alongside the same cameras.

Design-wise, the Z Fold 8 Ultra looks almost identical to its predecessor, retaining the thin aluminium frame, IP48 water and dust resistance, and side-mounted fingerprint reader, with new colour options and slightly more rounded, tapered edges to make it easier to open. It is marginally thinner when unfolded, at 4.1mm, and its screens now reach 3,000 nits of peak brightness, up from 2,600. Internally, a new "Flex Titanium" layer further reduces the crease in the folding display. The phone gains a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, unchanged memory options of up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage, and faster charging at 45 watts wired and 20 watts wireless, though it lacks built-in magnets for Qi 2 accessories unless paired with a compatible case.