Samsung held its traditional Unpacked event to not only reveal updates to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, but it also showed off an all-new foldable model that looks a lot like what Apple might introduce in September. Samsung has upgraded what was once the Fold 7 to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which takes even more features from the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Meanwhile, the new entry-level foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, now has a 5.5-inch exterior screen with a 10:16 aspect ratio, and when unfolded it has a 7.6-inch screen with a 4:3 ratio, like older tube TVs had – this format is what Apple is expected to unveil as its first foldable.
Samsung says this product has been “reinvented” for users who want a foldable device that feels “natural in moments when curiosity evolves into deeper discovery” because the display ratios have been designed based on “the way people naturally consume content throughout the day.” The company also claims that this format provides “a more immersive experience, whether users are browsing, watching, reading, or playing.”
From what I’ve seen from early hands-on experiences from media and influencers, the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn’t solve current problems, and it only creates solutions to problems that most people don’t have. Even with high-end specs, it’s not a productivity device, but it could be your new favorite and expensive Kindle.
Here are some issues with the Galaxy Z Fold 8
Technology evolves over time. While foldable devices are no longer just an experiment, they also don’t represent a big market even after eight years of existence. In Europe, for example, it only represents 1.5% of the smartphone market, and even though Counterpoint Research says the US market could grow 68% with Apple, that doesn’t mean 20% of all phones sold in any next quarter will be foldable.
Market aside, what would entice someone to spend over $1,800 on a passport-style foldable device? When using social networks like Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat, the 10:16 aspect ratio is far from ideal. Even when you have software that supports the 4:3 aspect ratio, like Instagram now offers an iPad app, every time you consume Reels or Stories you just get huge black bars. The solution? Maybe you want to have TikTok and Instagram side by side to watch double the videos; It wouldn’t be weird at all.
Another important point mentioned by media and technology companies is that these foldable devices, when opened, can increase productivity. With MKBHD’s hands-on video on YouTube, for example, you can see how it opens a web browser while scrolling through the Weather app. Heavy multitasker, I know. Every time you need to start typing, the keyboard takes up half of the entire display and productivity disappears. Sure, you can drag and drop files back and forth, but is it worth the high price?
Can Apple solve foldable phones?
The market agrees that once Apple joins the foldable race, it will solve the segment’s biggest problems. Yet year after year, fans continue to ask the company to make the iPad a true productivity machine, and it continues to deliver a beautiful device with several limitations that a Mac doesn’t have. In a scenario where the memory crisis forces the company to increase its prices, the truth is that the first foldable will cost more than $2,000. That’s a lot of money for a phone that allegedly won’t even have a telephoto lens.
Obviously, Apple will give its nice foldable rounded corners, the best of iPadOS like Window Tiling or at least Split View and Slide Over, and the product will probably look beautiful. Still, the company will offer a strange aspect ratio that might not be useful for daily tasks. On my iPhone, I chat with friends, watch TikTok-like videos, take photos, and every time I’m on YouTube, I already have the ideal aspect ratio in landscape mode. I’d say you’re probably doing the same thing.
I’m all for innovation, but when innovation gives me fewer features and overloads the experience, I feel like Apple will truly release two iPhone Airs stacked on top of each other. It will be beautiful, thin, “something only Apple can do”, but just like its ultra-thin phone, it might suffer from not serving a purpose, no matter what tech reviewers and influencers might try to tell you. The iPhone Fold could be doomed to failure before its release, and Samsung has already shown that.
