Samsung’s latest Flip is polished, powerful and wonderfully compact, but it left me wondering what really changed this time. Here's our review.
The price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at Rs. 1,24,999 in India
With the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung has arguably done more than any other company to make the clamshell form factor mainstream. It has spent years turning the form factor from a novelty into a phone you can actually use day to day. But after several generations of refinement, it seems that there may be a point approaching where there isn't much left to change. The latest example of this is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8. It doesn't have sweeping changes, but we've made subtle additions to the parts you interact with every day.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at Rs. 1,24,999 in India. It is a considerable step up from its predecessor, which makes the handset a clear non-impulse purchase. After spending time with it, I think Samsung has made the Flip better in ways that are easy to appreciate, but the upgrade isn't particularly exciting.
You won't need more than a couple of seconds to recognise the Galaxy Z Flip 8 if you've given its predecessor a try. Now I know that Samsung isn't going to win any awards for the most innovative design in the flip-style category this year. But I don't think it needed to. The clamshell form factor itself is the main reason to buy this phone in the first place.
I'll begin with the on-paper changes. Samsung claims Galaxy Z Flip 8 is its thinnest and lightest Flip yet. It weighs about 180g and is only 6.1mm thick when unfolded. The smaller size makes the foldable easy to carry. Once folded, it slips into even the smallest pockets, where a regular smartphone would have felt cumbersome.
I tested the Pink variant of the Galaxy Z Flip 8, and I think it is probably the most attention-grabbing colour of the lot. Samsung also offers Cream, Graphite, and the really nice-looking Mint finish.
The overall design remains very similar to the Flip 7. Open it up, and it still has that "oh, that's a foldable" factor that regular slab smartphones lack. The snapping-shut action still feels like an alligator's bite, thanks to the strong magnets on both halves of the foldable. While this makes it easier to fold the Flip 8 with one hand, unfolding it is as tricky. I'd recommend a case that helps you avoid accidentally dropping it while unfolding.
The new Armor FlexHinge introduced this year makes a difference. The hinge feels smoother when you open and close the phone. I also compared the Flip 8 to my Moto Razr 40 Ultra, which, although it had stood the test of time, instantly felt obsolete when up against Samsung's shiny new foldable in terms of design.
The fingerprint sensor is built into the power button on the right, with the volume keys sitting just above it. The left side is completely bare. Down below, you get the USB Type-C port and the speaker grille. Samsung has also retained the IP48 rating, so you get at least some protection against dust and water.
The 6.9-inch inner display is another part of the Flip 8 that hasn't really changed from last year's model. Honestly, I don't think it needed to. I spent a good chunk of my time on Instagram, YouTube and Chrome, and the screen was never something I had to think about. Everything looked sharp, colours had enough punch, and the 120Hz refresh rate kept scrolling feeling properly smooth.
The tall aspect ratio takes some getting used to, though. Certain videos still end up with black bars, while typing on the narrow-ish screen isn't quite as natural as it is on a conventional phone. I eventually stopped thinking about it, but it is one of the unavoidable compromises of the form factor.
The usual foldable caveat still applies. The crease is visible if you look for it, particularly under certain lighting conditions. I eventually stopped noticing it, but if you've never used a foldable before, it will probably catch your eye during the first few days.
Now coming to the most interesting part: the cover display. It hasn't changed dramatically in terms of the core hardware. However, the software has improved massively, and I think the Galaxy Z Flip 8's cover display now feels like it could finally fulfil its potential as more than a glorified notification panel.
The apps tray is particularly useful. You can now access more of the phone without unfolding it, and you can arrange widgets for things like Gallery, Weather, Health, and Calendar directly on the cover screen.
I found myself leaving the Flip closed more often than I expected. That's perhaps the best compliment I can give the FlexWindow. It isn't simply there because Samsung needs to put a screen on the outside of a foldable; it actually reduces the number of times you need to open the phone.
Samsung has gone with the Exynos 2600 for the Indian Galaxy Z Flip 8, while the US, China, and Japan get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. I've already used the Exynos 2600 in the Galaxy S26 and S26+, and the Flip 8 doesn't change my opinion — it is fast, capable, and more than enough for everyday use.
The Flip 8 never gave me a reason to complain about performance, either. My usual routine of jumping between Chrome, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Spotify was handled without a hitch.
| Benchmark | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Display Resolution | FHD+ | FHD+ |
| Chipset | Exynos 2600 (2nm) | Exynos 2500 (3nm) |
| AnTuTu v10/11 | 20,15,140 | 16,84,939 |
| PCMark Work Performance 3.0 | 19,760 | FTR |
| Geekbench 6 CPU Single Core | 2,881 | 2,083 |
| Geekbench 6 CPU Multi Core | 10,105 | 7,340 |
| Geekbench AI CPU (Quantized) | FTR | NA |
| Geekbench AI GPU (Quantized) | FTR | NA |
| 3DM Wild Life | Maxed Out! | Maxed Out! |
| 3DM Wild Life Unlimited | 24,116 | 20,092 |
| 3DM Steel Nomad Light | 2,955 | NA |
Games were a similar story. BGMI ran smoothly at 90fps. Asphalt 9 was another easy win, even with the graphics pushed all the way up. I then moved on to Bright Memory: Infinite and Genshin Impact, which are a much better test of what the hardware can actually do. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 handled both games surprisingly well, but after around 30 minutes, the back became noticeably warm.
However impressive the performance might be, I would still take Snapdragon without a second thought. It's been the safer bet for sustained performance and gaming for years. It feels a little odd that Samsung still splits its flagship lineup by region in 2026.
Samsung's One UI 9 software experience, meanwhile, remains one of the phone's strongest aspects. The interface is polished, animations are smooth, and plenty of useful functionality is built around the foldable form factor.
I think the bigger story here is what Samsung has done with the FlexWindow. With the Android 17-based skin, the cover display behaves like some miniature version of the main phone. I could easily access an apps tray, use widgets, check Samsung Health information, and interact with supported apps without unfolding the handset.
Another capability I liked is using the Now Bar and Now Brief from the outer display, too. However, not every third-party app behaves perfectly on the cover display. It is much better than before, though.
Galaxy AI remains a major part of the experience. Some functionality has expanded, and you'll find AI tools that work with the phone's cameras and other apps. The experience remains the same as the one on the company's new book-style foldables, and you can read about it in our Galaxy Z Fold 8 review here.
The software support is another strong point. Samsung promises seven years of Android and security updates, which means the Z Flip 8 should remain supported for a very long time.
The camera hardware is almost unchanged from the previous generation. The improvements are coming largely from processing and software. That isn't necessarily a deal-breaker because the Flip's camera system has always been good enough for everyday photography. But at this price, and particularly when Samsung is positioning its foldables as flagship devices, I expected a little more ambition.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 primary camera samples (tap to expand)
The main camera does a pretty decent job in daylight. Photos come out with punchy colours, decent detail, and fair contrast, and the dynamic range is usually good enough. I did notice the typical Samsung processing that makes photos slightly brighter than in real life, but I don't think it is a deal breaker.
In low light, however, details became softer, and I also noticed a slight loss of colour.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 primary camera samples (tap to expand)
The ultra-wide-angle camera is more of a mixed bag. It is only useful when you have a group of people or a landscape in the frame. But image quality drops significantly compared to the main sensor, and it's not worth the trade-off more often than not.
The foldable form does come in handy when taking selfies, though. I could leave the phone partially folded on a table and use the FlexWindow to see myself in the frame.
And talking about selfies, the 10-megapixel shooter is fairly dependable. In good lighting, you will get decent detail and well-handled skin tones. But because it is a smaller sensor, softness creeps in when you snap pictures in low light.
Battery life has always been the Achilles' heel of Samsung's Flip phones. Sadly, that hasn't changed dramatically with the latest Galaxy Z Flip 8 either.
The 4,300mAh cell is enough to get through a normal day, at least in my experience. With the usual mix of Instagram, WhatsApp, a few calls and some photos, I still had enough charge left by evening. Android Auto changed that equation, though. On days when I used navigation regularly, the battery was pretty much done by the time I got home.
I wouldn't confidently take the Galaxy Z Flip 8 on a long trip without a power bank.
The 25W charging is probably my biggest complaint with the Flip 8's battery setup. I plugged the phone in for about 30 minutes, and it only charged to 28 percent. A full charge usually took about an hour and 55 minutes, which is a long time to be asking someone to sit with their phone plugged in.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a very good foldable. First, the positives. It is a good-looking phone, the displays are excellent, and One UI is polished. The company's proprietary Exynos 2600 has enough muscle to handle pretty much anything I threw at it. The slimmer body is nice too.
The problem is that I kept asking myself, “What has really changed?” The answer isn't very convincing. A lot of what I liked about the Z Flip 7 is still here, and a lot of what I didn't like is here too. The battery and charging situation, for instance, haven't suddenly become less frustrating. Samsung seems to be taking bigger risks with the Fold models, while with the Flip line, the company has found a formula it is comfortable sticking with.
If you already own a Galaxy Z Flip 7, I don't see a compelling reason to rush out and upgrade. For someone buying their first flip-style foldable, however, it remains one of the most polished options around.
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