Samsung’s latest foldables have arrived with great fanfare. There’s the uniquely proportioned Galaxy Z Fold 8, which appears to be the precursor to the foldable iPhone Ultra later this year; the more conventional Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra; and Samsung’s thinnest and lightest flip phone ever, the Galaxy Z Flip 8.
The first two of these three phones feature Samsung’s new Flex Titanium display technology, which gives them thinner, flatter, and sturdier screens than any Galaxy foldable before them. And having already spent some time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, I was impressed by the progress Samsung has made in reducing the appearance of the crease, in particular.
From the front, you can barely make out the crease, and from an angle it’s less obvious than on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Running my finger across the middle of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s screen, there’s only a very subtle ripple in the center. It’s so subtle that I’d bet you’ll stop signing up, even after spending a few weeks with the new phone.
And yet, as impressed as I am with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s screen, I know there’s something better already available.
Enter the competitor
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The Oppo Find N6 launched in March 2026, four months earlier than Samsung’s Z8 series, and the main selling point was the claim that Oppo had managed to remove the foldable screen crease entirely.
Now, even if that’s not entirely true — at some sharp angles you can still see the crease — what’s going on? East What’s quite amazing is the fact that you can swipe your finger across the entire 8.12-inch screen without feeling any interruption from the screen bending when folded.
I’ve had a chance to use most foldable devices, including reviewing the original Galaxy Fold, and the screen crease has always been there.
Most of the time when you look directly at the screen, it disappears as your eyes focus on the content, but if the light hits it at a certain angle or runs your finger over it, you’ll immediately remember the minor imperfection.
I was stunned when I first got my hands on the Oppo Find N6. Sliding my finger back and forth across the middle of the screen without feeling anything, I thought, “This is the next frontier in foldable devices.” »
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To make sure I wasn’t just looking at the Oppo through rose-tinted specs, I showed it off at Samsung’s preview event so I could experience it side-by-side with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. And of course, the Oppo continued to impress with a smoother, flatter screen than Samsung’s, but not by much.
Which one is right for you?
Make no mistake, these are two very accomplished flagship foldables. Both have similarly sized exterior and interior displays, and both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is thinner, lighter and actually available in several markets. It also has a brighter display (a peak brightness of 3,000 nits vs 2,500 nits on the Oppo) and the firm’s Galaxy AI, Now Brief, and Now Nudge features on top of Google’s Gemini assistant.
The Oppo Find N6 has the smoothest, flattest foldable display, an edge in camera hardware, a bigger battery and faster charging – but availability is limited to a few Asian markets at the time of writing.
So the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra wins by default, which doesn’t seem particularly satisfying in conclusion, but it shouldn’t diminish the progress made.
The main problem with foldable screens has been solved. The next major hurdle manufacturers must overcome is price.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra is available for pre-order at the hefty price of $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, making it Samsung’s most expensive foldable (if you ignore the limited edition TriFold). The Z Fold 8 (from $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699) and Z Flip 8 (from $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949) are cheaper, but they’re still not cheap.
So if a manufacturer can find a way to offer the same high-end features for less than $1,200/£1,200/AU$1,500, they could open the foldable floodgates.
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