Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Fold 8: An exciting upgrade if you’re ready for big changes

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has been around since 2023, and it will “soon” receive its last major OS upgrade. The Android 17-based One UI 9 update for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 was spotted in development months ago, and once it goes live, the Fold 5’s journey ends.

Thankfully, if you’re convinced that your next phone after the Fold 5 should also be a foldable, you have more options this year than ever. And the most intriguing option is, no doubt, the new Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Here is everything you can expect if you decide now is the perfect time to upgrade your Galaxy Z Fold 5 and choose the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as your next foldable for years to come.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. The main reason you’d want to pick the Galaxy Z Fold 8 instead of the new Fold 8 Ultra as your Fold 5 successor is the new form factor.

If you ever wished your Galaxy Z Fold 5’s inner screen was wider and more tablet-like, then you will most likely love Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Instead of a 7.6-inch inner display with an odd 21.6:18 aspect ratio, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 boasts a 7.6-inch panel with a much more conventional 4:3 aspect ratio.

This change in form factor has ramifications beyond what most users predicted. Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is part of the Fold series, it feels a lot different, and, to some, better, than all the previous Folds or even the Fold 8 Ultra.

Adding to this new experience is the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 5.5-inch cover screen, which also has an unusual 16:10 aspect ratio. You may not think much of this now, but in practice, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels unlike any other smartphone.

Not only does the 5.5-inch screen helps the Fold 8 feel more compact than most other devices, but the passport-style form factor arguably makes the phone easier to use with one hand.

Beyond their shapes and sizes, both Galaxy Z Fold 8 screens are also much brighter at 3,000 nits. So if you ever had trouble reading your Fold 5’s screen outdoors, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 should give you a much easier time. You will certainly notice the difference, especially when viewing the screen(s) in direct sunlight.

Design and build quality is one area where Samsung’s foldables constantly improve every year, and you can expect some major gains from the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

First and foremost, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is considerably thinner at 8.7mm when folded, versus 13.4mm. It’s also much lighter at 201 grams versus 253 grams.

In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the lightest Fold ever made, and if you think that’s not important, you haven’t used your Fold in tablet mode long enough. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is by far the most comfortable tablet to use, and its lightness is a major factor contributing to the amazing experience.

Other gains revolve around build quality. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 not only uses newer, stronger materials, such as Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 3 and Victus 2, but it also boasts an improved IP48 dust and water resistance rating, up from IPX8.

And perhaps most importantly is the foldable display itself. The Fold 8’s foldable panel is a few generations newer and has Flex Titanium. It’s stronger, flatter, has an almost invisible crease, and an anti-reflective finish.

Nobody should be surprised by the fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 performs much better than the Fold 5. It’s newer and boasts the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.

The more notable internal hardware upgrade is the brand-new battery. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is among Samsung’s first three phones to employ a Silicon-Carbon (Si-C) battery. It has a capacity of 4,800mAh (vs 4,400mAh) and charges faster, both wired (45W vs 25W) and wirelessly (20W vs 15W).

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also benefits from connectivity upgrades, including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will soon receive its final OS upgrade, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s journey begins now with Android 18 and One UI 9.0 on top.

Samsung’s latest foldable ships with the latest Galaxy AI and One UI features, providing the most complete experience you can buy right now.

If you’re worried about long-term support, don’t. Since the Fold 5’s launch, Samsung further improved its firmware update policy. Instead of four, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be supported for up to seven OS generations.

Although the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a vastly superior phone with newer and better tech all around, it’s not a perfect 1:1 upgrade. Some features the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has no longer exist or were removed from the Fold 8 or previous generations. The list is short but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless:

All things considered, if you don’t put too much value on the S Pen, the telephoto camera, or Flex Mode, and if you’ve always felt like your Galaxy Z Fold 5 could’ve been wider and lighter, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a fantastic upgrade.

It’s particularly great if you are craving a new experience or you think foldables have always failed to fully tap their tablet potential.

Among many of its qualities, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is more powerful, arguably more versatile or at least better to use in tablet mode; it has a more compact cover screen that actually works better than tall screens in many cases, a Si-C battery that can actually last one full day comfortably, a more refined design, and a better, stronger, and brighter foldable panel.

Finally, we come to the last point that will probably be the deciding factor for many potential buyers: the price. Similar to the Fold 5 at launch, the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 is not cheap. It starts at $1,899 / €1,999, but you can sometimes find it at a discount. And in select markets, you can lower the price through a trade-in.

Samsung USA, for example, values the Galaxy Z Fold 5 at $550 through the trade-in program. In other words, if the Galaxy Z Fold 5 you want to trade is in good condition, you could buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for $1,349. That’s actually a fantastic price for a premium foldable device, considering it’s only $100 pricier than the Galaxy S26 Ultra.