Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra hands-on: Upstaged by the base model
For those familiar with the previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks like a carbon copy, aside from a handful of new color
For those familiar with the previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks like a carbon copy, aside from a handful of new color options that include violet shadow, cream, graphite and green shadow (the latter of which is an online exclusive on Samsung.com). You still get a super thin aluminum frame with IP48 dust and water resistance and a side-mounted fingerprint reader built into its lock button. Even its dimensions are essentially unchanged, with it measuring 8.9mm thick and weighing 215 grams.
However, after picking it up and playing around with it, I did notice some subtle but significant changes. In order to address complaints about last year's phone being hard to open, Samsung added more rounded corners and tapered edges to the Z Fold 8 Ultra. This does the trick while also making the phone feel a tiny bit thinner than it actually is. And in some ways it is, because when unfolded, due to changes on the inside of its frame, Samsung managed to shave off 0.1mm, which technically makes this the skinniest Z Fold Ever at 4.1mm.
The Ultra's 6.5-inch exterior and 8-inch interior displays are also pretty much the same, as they feature rich AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates. But now, peak brightness is a touch higher at 3,000 nits (up from 2,600 nits). Sam Rutherford for Engadget Perhaps the biggest change is on the inside of the phone, where Samsung's Flex Titanium tech adds a new titanium alloy layer beneath the phone's flexible OLED display. This works in combination with the existing rigid titanium plate to ensure that the phone's display is better supported while reducing potential air pockets and minimizing the appearance of a crease.
That said, there is still a very faint indent that runs down the middle of the screen, but it's so minor now that it's basically an afterthought.
The BriefWire