Tech Blog #274 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8: The Best Flip Phone Gets Better, But Not by Much

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 feels more like a refinement than a complete redesign. #Samsung has kept the basic formula that made the Flip series popular, while making the phone thinner, lighter, faster, and slightly more practical. With a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a 4.1-inch Flex window, 12GB of RAM, and flagship-level performance, the #Flip8 remains one of the most polished compact foldable phones available.

But there is also a problem. The Galaxy Z Flip8 starts at around $1,200, which is $100 more than the previous generation, while many parts of the phone remain almost unchanged. The cameras are still very similar, the battery is still relatively small, and charging remains slow compared to several Chinese competitors. This makes the Flip8 a good upgrade for people coming from an older Flip, but a much less exciting upgrade for Flip7 owners.

The design is still one of the biggest reasons to buy this phone. Samsung has made the Flip8 thinner and lighter, with a weight of just 180g and a thickness of 6.1mm when unfolded. The improved hinge feels stronger, while the reduced crease makes the inner display look more refined. The Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and IP48 water and dust resistance also give the phone good durability. When folded, it becomes a very small device that is extremely easy to carry in a pocket.

The displays remain excellent. Samsung uses a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The screen is sharp, colorful, and very smooth, making it excellent for watching videos, browsing social media, and gaming. The 4.1-inch FlexWindow cover display is also more useful this year. You can access apps, widgets, notifications, and AI features without opening the phone. Samsung still has some work to do here, though, because rival flip phones offer a more flexible cover-screen experience.

Performance is one of the strongest parts of the Flip8. Depending on the market, the phone uses either the #Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy or Samsung's #Exynos 2600 chipset, together with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Everyday performance is extremely smooth, and demanding games and multitasking are handled without major problems. However, heavy gaming can still make the phone quite warm, especially around the camera area. This is something Samsung still needs to improve in such a compact design.

The camera system is good, but this is where Samsung feels too conservative. The Flip8 uses a 50MP main camera with OIS and a 12MP ultrawide camera, together with a 10MP front camera. The main camera takes detailed photos with good dynamic range and Samsung's familiar vibrant colors. FlexCam is also useful because the phone can stand by itself at different angles, making hands-free photography and video recording much easier. However, there is still no dedicated telephoto camera, and the camera hardware is not a major step forward from the previous generation. At this price, photography enthusiasts may expect more.

Battery life gets a small improvement with the 4,300mAh silicon-carbon battery. It should comfortably last a full day for most normal users, although heavy gaming and camera use can reduce endurance quickly. Samsung's charging speeds are still one of the weaker areas. The phone supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, which is far behind some competing foldables that offer much faster charging.

On the software side, the Galaxy Z Flip8 runs One UI 9 based on #Android 17. Samsung continues to offer one of the most polished Android experiences, with Galaxy AI features deeply integrated into the phone. The improved FlexWindow makes it possible to do more without opening the device, while features like Now Brief and Gemini-powered functions make the cover screen more useful. Samsung's promise of seven generations of Android updates and seven years of security updates is also a major advantage.

There are still a few drawbacks:

• The $1,200 starting price makes the phone more difficult to justify.
• Camera hardware is still limited compared with some competitors.
• There is no dedicated telephoto camera.
• The 4,300mAh battery is relatively small.
• 25W charging is far behind many Chinese foldables.
• Heavy gaming can cause noticeable heat.
• The cover screen is better, but still less flexible than some competitors.
• Galaxy Z Flip7 owners have few reasons to upgrade.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 is still a very good foldable phone, but it also shows that Samsung may be becoming too comfortable with the Flip formula. The thinner and lighter body, improved hinge, faster processor, and better FlexWindow experience are all welcome changes. But most of the major hardware remains familiar, while the price has gone up. Recent reviews have also pointed out that the Flip8 is one of Samsung's least exciting foldable upgrades this year.

If you are buying your first flip phone or upgrading from an older Galaxy Z Flip, the Flip8 is an easy recommendation. It offers excellent software, flagship performance, a beautiful display, and a very practical compact design. But if you already own the Galaxy Z Flip7, there is little reason to upgrade. And if your priorities are camera quality, battery life, or fast charging, competitors such as Motorola's Razr Ultra can offer a more impressive hardware package.