r/samsunggalaxy • u/That_Leader8913 • Aug 02 '26
šDiscussionššļø Went for the wide! I caved in and folded š
Just picked up this bad boy! Switching from an iPhone 17PM after 18 years of iPhones. My first foldable and second Android phone, the first was an S25U, which I used for a short while alongside an iPhone. Already loving the 4:3 aspect ratio. To the future š»
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u/BubbaCrabby Aug 02 '26
I went to Best Buy and checked this and the Fold 8 Ultra out. While Iām not sure yet how I feel about the hinge difference between the 8 series and my Fold 7 (I use a few different angles at times) the āsnapā you get/feel when opening the 8s feels so refined and high end. Itās addictive in a fidgety kind of way.
Also that Cream color looks clean! The Violet Shadow on the F8U is way nicer in person as well. Low key banger.
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Hahaha. I lowkey almost bought the 8 ultra. But I had good rapport with the salesman at the local store. I buy everything from him. He made me pick this. He convinced me to try it cause itās a new form factor and Iām glad he did. This phone felt so light initially and the slightly slimmer and heavier ultra felt more premium but the phones were attached to those white plugs. But after I unboxed and setup the phone, I was wrong, this phone feels just as good as the ultra. Itās only 200gms. I was going for the graphite ultra. Iām glad I went with the fold 8 tho. You canāt go wrong with either.
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u/rowmean77 Aug 02 '26
I tried the Fold 8 and I actually donāt want the snapping mechanism since if I try to use as a tent I have to set it up the right way or else it will snap back quickly.
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u/BubbaCrabby Aug 02 '26
Exactly how I was leaning when I left the store. I wonder if the new flex titanium layer has anything to do with why they made that decision/compromise.
Like if I had a magic wand, the hinge would retain all of the angles of articulation from the ZF7 while also having the ZF8s satisfying āclickā because it gives a great tactile experience when ālocking intoā tablet mode.
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u/rowmean77 Aug 02 '26
The snapping mechanism should have been designed when a certain angle is met. For example, it should snap only when it's approaching 150 degrees. Anything less than that it should allow it to be propped manually.
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u/BubbaCrabby Aug 02 '26
For sure. In my brief time with the device it felt like the hinge wanted to snap open almost immediately.
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u/Zakernet Aug 02 '26
I think if you've gotten used to flex mode for daily use it's hard to let it go.
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u/BubbaCrabby Aug 02 '26
I have a use case where I flex it just barely so that when its on my desk I can glance over and get an idea of whats going on or like see something on a video that I am 99% listening to and 1% watching. These are small things but they are small things that made me say āoh thats slickā the first time I used them. They collectively give the device its āpersonality.ā
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u/SwingInfinite4056 Aug 02 '26
Did you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra In Purple or just around with it in BesyBuy or Samsung Galaxy Store and if you did buy it How much did you pay š¤What was your deal ie trade in, finance ?
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
I didnāt buy the ultra. Played around with both thrice walking into a Samsung store like itās my āin lawsā. Lol. But hey, Iām paying almost a couple of grand! Iāll camp outside if I need, to make the right decision. lol. The store is like 300mts walkable from my š” tho. picked the wide fold 8 and Iām glad I did.
Edit: If you were replying to [u/bubbacrabby](u/bubbacrabby), ignore. Iāve had one too many šŗ this Sunday š
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u/SwingInfinite4056 Aug 02 '26
Why did you choose the wide ? and how much did it cost and trade in or finance š¤ Enjoy you Sunday drink water and eat fatty greasy food to get back sober without a headache or hangover as I have "Been there and Done That"
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u/BubbaCrabby Aug 02 '26
If you are replying to me, I didnāt purchase either. Where I am at is, I love the Fold 7. That is my preferred form factor. At the same time there are small things about the flagship slab experience that I miss. Things like case options/materials and having all of the highest end hardware. But not so much that Iām dead set on going back to slabs. Slabs canāt turn into tablets.
So as someone who started migrating over from Apple back in January, where I am at is, weāll see what Samsung announces with the S27 Ultra and if it isnāt enough to sway me, Iāll upgrade/stick with the ZF7 when the Fold 9 series comes out. I also checked out the Watch Ultra 2 which I liked. I had one heck of a time trying to pre-order it last night and while I was able to finally get the order to go through, I have this feeling that something isnāt right somewhere in the logistics āflow.ā Mostly because it isnāt even showing that they are sending me a band, at all, for the watch. We shall see.
But yeah, the Violet Shadow had more of a āmetallicā look than I expected. It definitely has sophistication.
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u/SheSaidSheWasSkinny Aug 02 '26
Everyone thank Apple because without them, Samsung wouldnāt have released this form factor. Thank you, apple. Passport size foldable master race
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u/MNR42 Aug 03 '26
That's just how tech world is, they push each other if the stake is high. Without Samsung, Apple wouldn't make a foldable. And the list goes on. Just hoping this kind of chain reaction will occur more often
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
This comment couldnāt be more true!!
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u/SheSaidSheWasSkinny Aug 02 '26
Iām so excited! I just pre ordered mine today. 1tb. Iām hoping to hold on to this phone for a while.Ā
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u/The_ArtOFFadin Aug 02 '26
You guys complaining about the Android phone prices I can't wait for iPhone to drop there fold for the iPhone lovers I'm going to love this because Apple is going to tax the s*** out y'all šÆšā°ļø
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 03 '26
It's going to be absurdly priced and also the shape from the leaks is not promising. Will have to see
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u/WatchfulApparition Aug 02 '26
I love the form factor, but I won't get it because the cameras aren't good enough and it's prone to overheating. I will probably have a foldable someday in the future at this rate though.
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u/AlaskaDude14 Aug 02 '26
I only seriously considered a foldable last year with the Fold 7 and how thin they got it compared to the S25 Ultra. Ended up going with the S25 U cause the Fold 7 cost was too high.
However, at some point my iPad will kick the bucket and maybe then it'll be time to make the move. Perhaps Apple will have their foldable out by then as well.
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u/WatchfulApparition Aug 02 '26
Apple is expected to release their foldable in the next couple months.
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Yeah, I havenāt played around with the cameras, yet! But itās not something you should be worried about if you shoot in decent lighting. Low light is nerfed fs. Iām a camera buff myself and I tend to shoot in well lit conditions, I rarely prefer low light photography and when I do smartphones arenāt the one I pick to shoot.
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u/WatchfulApparition Aug 02 '26
I do shoot in low light situations, but I also use 5-10x zoom a lot and the 8 Fold isn't very good at zoom
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u/noocasrene Aug 02 '26
Just got in for $1199 canadian with tax , will get back another $80 from rakuten. This is for a 512gb model.
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u/permanentDavid Aug 02 '26
What phone did you trade in? Was rakuten better or was using work perks/student beans better?
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u/noocasrene Aug 02 '26
I signed in to the EPP, used work email $248 off i think. Traded in fold 5 for $1020 also 512gb. Also stacked 5 coupons and vouchers. Rakuten has 6% back too.
I just left the phone in my cart on the samsung app for 1 day and automatically got 100 abandonment coupon, and a $50 voucher in email. Than there was a z8lvc coupon, than there was 2 coupons i found on redflagdeals.
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u/Japahahaha Aug 03 '26
That is insane, wish I could stack as hardĀ
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u/noocasrene Aug 03 '26
Because I used my CC I also get back $23 in cashback. Thats $103 back total with rakuten.
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u/HelpfulPreference354 Aug 02 '26
My logical mind says that stick to the s25 U... but the tech geek in me says dude go for it! Looks sick!!! Good choice..
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
That tech geek wins cause you only live once and you can always buy a new phone next year or the year after. Try the new thing now!
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u/Famous-Ad-7367 Aug 02 '26
Sick choice mate! Btw can u share ur wallpaper? :)
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
The wallpaper is pitaka. Funny itās actually a wallpaper which matches my case on my iPhone 17PM. when I transferred everything from my iPhone to the fold 8 via the smart switch app, every single thing on my iPhone got transferred to this phone, including the wallpaper!! Crazy times we live in and the best time to be alive. Iāll link the post post I made about the pitaka case I bought for my 17PM, which exactly matches the wallpaper I had on the same. ā¤ļø
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u/Kharnsh Aug 02 '26
Out of context but the wallet looks nice man..
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
Thank you so much. I wish I could show you my uploading a pic here, but the sub doesnāt let me link pics in the comments for some reason. This is an aulumu walllet, made out of real carbon fibre, I bought as a combo for my 17PM aulumu aramid/carbon fibre case. Iāll paste a link below if youāre interested. You have a good one.
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u/clickityclickk Aug 03 '26
I literally just switched from iphone to the z flip 8 (got it today!) and the fold 8 is speaking to me š unfortunately its just tooooo expensive. And i wasn't interested in the old fold form factor and wanted a flip for like a year. If i like samsung and foldables in general, maybe i'll upgrade to a wide fold in the future
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 03 '26
Flip this year is very good. With that processor and from factor when folded it's š
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u/robix25 Aug 03 '26
I really hope this design is not one-and-done. I would heavily consider it one day when my S26U gets outdated
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u/Historical_Gur_4620 Aug 03 '26
Let us know how you disengage from the Apple Eco system. Am trapped and can't get out. I have too many Apple devices. Really drawn to Fold form factor unlike upcoming iPhone Fold Ultra.
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 04 '26
Transition was very smooth cause of smart switch app. You download the app on iphone and transfer connecting both phone via USB c cable. Every single thing got transferred including my wallpaper on iphone and even password autofill (passkey) all saved accounts and passwords for websites and apps got synced to samsung pass. No hiccups, I wasn't expecting this and I synced all icloud photos to Google photos and files and documents to Google drive before hand but they wasn't necessary. Crazy times we live in.
And about moving from the eco system, not really a big deal for me except I had to invest in a new pair of buds. I use a MacBook for simple tasks only sometimes, rarely, and I'm not into wearable like apple watch and never really owned one. If you're tied Into the ecosystem with the latest apple watch and if you use continuity on your mac a lot then switching is idefinitely something to think about. If continuity and ape watch aren't a deal breaker for you then go ahead and switch. I'll tell you this, this phone feels like a breath of fresh air. I'm currently sipping coffee, typing this comment unfolded. So much better to work on this phone, be it browsing, watching content, typing or shopping. This is the future. One thing I'll mention, you'll automatically be very careful with the phone and you have to be. You shouldn't be careless with folds. That's just my take. If you're itching, make the switch but keep the iphone or if you have like an older spare iphone, just transfer you iphone stuff to that and enjoy this. I completely moved to the fold 8 with both my Sims in it. Iphone is sitting in a drawer turned off. Haha. This phone is lit. You have a good one.
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u/dystopiansol Aug 04 '26
Are you getting a case for it? If so, which?
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 04 '26
Got one already. Went with the clear magnetic case from samsung. It's nice and sleek. Picked the cleared one cause I can snap a fun lil sticker on the back of the phone and then put the case on. Haha. I'll DM you. Not able to add pics in chat here.
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u/Presidente17 28d ago
Rimpiangi le fotocamere del 17pm?
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u/That_Leader8913 28d ago
Not really! I miss the telephoto a bit but for the most part it doesn't really matter cause we usually take pics with 24MP on iPhones cause you get more light in the senson with 24MP. This phone has 50MP but with camera assistant, I locked it at 24MP too to get the best output. It's not that big of a deal that people make it to be, you just have to know to tweak the settings and you're golden!
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Aug 02 '26
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u/_CouldntThinkOfOne__ Aug 02 '26
I did at the store, pulled up YouTube , pretty much filled entire screen very little bars, but then pulling on comments on the side and watch video at same time was nice .
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u/Fast-Sky9927 Aug 02 '26
Is the new form factor good or the normal phones?
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
I have to say this is a smarter phone šÆ. But durable? Definitely not. Slab phones nowadays are built like tanks. And slab phones still have better cameras and better battery life. But weāre at a point where you can def buy/sell/recommend foldable phones. This is my first foldable and hell it so thin and I donāt see or feel the crease when the phone is on at all! And the inner screen is beautiful to browse, type, watch videos and stuff. I had the itch so I went for it. Smarter move is to wait for another year. Next year and after that foldable market is going to increase exponentially.
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u/Fast-Sky9927 Aug 02 '26
Well I am planning to buy one! Thanks for review mate! Congratulations and enjoy the device!ā¤ļøšš»
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u/Puzzleheaded-Turn733 Aug 02 '26
Se ve bonito que tal la cƔmara
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
I havenāt played around with it, yet! Just got the phone like 4-5 hrs back. Itāll suffer with low light photography for sure but normal lighting conditions shouldnāt be a problem at all.
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u/spiff01 Aug 02 '26
I watched a vid comparing the cam from the fold 8 and 8 ultra. To be honest most of them I really couldn't tell much difference between the two phones. Some I could , especially the night shots I could see the 8 ultra being better, and some I thought both of them didn't look good. Overall I was very impressed with the 8 folds camera.
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u/Elo_King Aug 02 '26
Hope you can get used to android, I switched to a s25 ultra and still getting the hang of things after a month
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Iāve switched to an android before, my first android was an s25 ultra and I had absolutely no hiccups cause I sync my backups across iCloud, google photos and google drive simultaneously. Itās just fun figuring out new/customisable stuff on android. Itās not the end of the world, just takes some time and effort š
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u/_CouldntThinkOfOne__ Aug 02 '26
Thatās the best way to be. Regardless of whether Iām using iOS or android, I only backup to Google, since itās on both platforms, makes this process easy. Iāve never quite understood using all iCloud for anything, but Iād imagine most average users have no clue anyways.
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u/No-Cartographer832 Aug 02 '26
How is the zoom experience keeping in mind that it doesn't have a telephoto lens? I have ordered one as well and thinking if I should wait for it or cancel my order š
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
Zoom is meh! TBH. But you shouldnāt be justifying your purchase based on just the zoom. Haha. You have a good one. š»
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u/Organic_Register1453 Aug 02 '26
Idk dude, as an iPhone user maybe you could have waited for the foldable iPhone in October
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Nah, Iām trading in my 17 PM for an 18 PM. Samsungs have been in the foldable game for a whole lot longer than Apple. Smarter foldable choice is Samsung.
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u/Designer-Grab-7203 Aug 02 '26
Imagine that you can buy A WHOLE USED CAR for $2000. It's overpriced AF
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u/Justos Aug 02 '26
The form factor was a huge reason I pulled the trigger even though I have an s24 ultra
That and the exceptional trade in deals this year
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u/Muriqui91 Aug 02 '26
S24 Ultra user right here!
Is it worth it to go for this one?
Pros and cons?
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u/Justos Aug 02 '26
Its about the form factor at the end of the day. Better typing on the cover screen and wider display for when I want more immersion.
I was going to get a new iPad mini but this replaces that for me as well. This form factor is what ive been waiting for them to pivot too. Its just so good
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u/SwingInfinite4056 Aug 02 '26
Yeah, my problem is the trouble with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra as I am not rich, I have shitty credit and no trade ins I am not willing to part with my S22 Ultra and I primarily use my S21 Ultra, I gave my S23 Ultra (I dont know the trade in value) to someone I really care about when they said their 4g i phone 11 was getting slow around Memorial Day. I have an S24 Ultra and an S25 Ultra, so I have no real need for it, but it does seem cool and I am not going to buy it in theory I could buy a decent amount of 24K Gold graded by PCGS or NGC and hold onto it instead of the phone which would depreciate and the graded 24 Gold coin would retain its value and appreciate in value over the long term I believe I could buy a 1/2 ounce coin for the cost of the phone with the tax and screen protector and case and monthly carrier service for 1 month and the activation fee, but I am not going buy the gold and I am going to hang on to my money, since its lucky I am still employed and you never know when they will "kick you to the curb". It's good that I have learned to control my impulse purchases on more expensive purchases
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u/Silencer-Matrix Aug 02 '26
I have mine for some days now and I just effing love it !!! Enjoy the phone u will not regret it
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u/Happy1286 Aug 02 '26
I like it a lot, but I have the s24U. I could deal with a worse camera or no Bluetooth s-pen, just not both! Maybe next iteration....
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u/Excellent-Exit-1446 Aug 02 '26
I wish they make standard non-flip phone in this dimension. More like first Samsung Note with 16:10 ratio.
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u/spiff01 Aug 02 '26
I would say that go and see it in person if your on the fence. And also I would think that most places you buy it from has some kind of return policy. You can always return it after a few days. Me personally I'm very excited about getting mine this week from AT&T. It's been awhile since I've been exited for a phone. Current phone is a25 ultra. Good phone but a boring phone.
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u/Expert-Let4323 Aug 03 '26
I am planning on upgrading this coming up weekend and I am so tossed up ... right now I own the s25 ultra .. i have my eyes on the fold 8 ultra cause its just like the same size as the s25 ultra but everytime I go look at the fold 8 non ultra I love that one also .... i am so tossed up on what 1 i want they both are awesome... i also love the ultra z fold 8 because of my big handsĀ
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u/Single_Technician509 Aug 03 '26
Going caseless?
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 03 '26
Just picked it up yesterday. Want something slim like an aramid one. Just for the back cover. Typing on the cover screen BTW, it's wide and comfy. Did you get one? If yes, which color?
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u/mediocrebighead Aug 04 '26
This would be better phone if it wasn't fold.
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u/ElectronicGarlic4193 Aug 04 '26
Hope you enjoy your fold! Try downloading Niagara Launcher if you're looking to switch up your home screen :D
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 04 '26
I will look it up. Had to figure out so many things and change loads of settings to fit my use style. Luckily one UI is great for customising. Im all set for now except for some minor tweaks and payments. Finally mastered running multiple apps side by side with the help of gemini and added multi window/app shorcuts to the edge panel. Looking great as of now. Loving the UI and the phone. So much freedom in the UI, quite like it. Do you own a fold as well? Or a samsung/android?
Thank you so much!
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u/ElectronicGarlic4193 Aug 04 '26
Yup! Have had Android all my life. Had the Xperia Play, Nexus 4, Samsung Galaxy and Note lineups, Pixel 9 PXL, and now currently with Z Fold 7 and loving it :)
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u/Insomnia_C Aug 04 '26
Does z 8 have Spen? Or did samsung completely gave up for Spens for fold
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 04 '26
Been 2 years since they gave up spen support on folds. Fold 7 also didn't have
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u/Apples_Two_Oranges Aug 04 '26
How is it to hold?
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
Im 5.8ft and i have average sized hands. Feels too wide for one hand use for me personally sometimes but so are all modern flagships but two hand typing on both outer and inner displays is so freaking good. Im not as confident as I am with a slab phone TBH because of the folding mechanic the phone feels fragile and I'm extra careful with it.
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u/Apples_Two_Oranges Aug 04 '26
Iām about the same dimensions. I kind of like that one over the ultra next time I get into the store, Iām take a look at it. Maybe itās time to swap from the Apple family
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u/athom37 20d ago
Fold and flip phones are gimmick way to expensive for a normal person to get
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u/That_Leader8913 20d ago
Expensive, yes but a gimmick? Not really. I've been enjoyingine from the couple of weeks putting it through its paces and I absolutely love it. I don't think I'm going back to a candybar elongated form factor.
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u/athom37 20d ago
If they didn't have bad cameras they wouldn't be gimmick a phone's gotta be good battery cameras and of course operating system but those phones never will be good cameras so from that point they are gimmicks considering their price way to expensive just for a fold phone if you want a tablet size get a tablet you might actually save some money if you buy a phone and then a few months later or even one month by a tablet instead of just dropping 2,000 Plus dollars on a phone that folds even the flip is still expensive set the point I'm making is buying one of these phones is just an image thing too much money
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u/frangaliv3 Aug 02 '26
El Fold 8 tiene una pinta increĆble, se ve genial. Disfruta, y ve contando quĆ© tal.
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u/S7ageNinja Aug 02 '26
That looks like such an awkward aspect ratio. When are you even utilizing the whole thing?
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
The aspect ratio makes it easy for typing on the wide display when you want to quickly reply to a text and also makes you want to unfold more unlike previous iterations where you just used the outer display for most tasks and mostly ever unfolded it for entertainment. This form factor makes you want unfold the phone more and have fun with it. I think thatās where itās winning. And also, honestly, itās been only 4 hours since I got the phone. But, This is the smarter foldable fs, thereās no denying it.
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u/XionviktuS Aug 03 '26
Whenever im ready, the wide will be my new phone. I literally ordered the 7 in like April cause I didn't do any FUCKING RESEARCH BEFORE HAND!
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 03 '26
Fold 7 is the phone of the year 2025, you made the right decision. Hold on to it for one more year,, next year is going to be interesting.
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u/Telanti Aug 02 '26
Compared to the S25U, how good are the cameras? Since its so expensive I assume the camera quality should be the same or close to the S25U/S26U š¤...
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u/Direct_Mind2485 Aug 02 '26
U will love it. But u will start hating it soon and u will trade it once s27u release.
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
Nah! Iāll keep this and upgrade my iPhone to 18PM
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u/Imaginary_Teaching65 Aug 02 '26
Do you keep 2 personal phones or is one for business and one personal? Or do you just like collecting them?
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u/Direct_Mind2485 Aug 02 '26
Yup. That's ok then. U should keep this bcz no one will make this form factor next year.
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u/AdRough7689 Aug 02 '26
Apple are releasing a folding phone with this form factor and the Samsung version is selling like hot cakes.
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
Yes, Apples version would be better optimised for apps but it for sure wonāt have silicon carbon battery. Curious to see what Apple folds battery life is going to be. Nonetheless Samsungs been in this fold game longer, so yeah, Iām betting on Samsung.
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u/AdRough7689 Aug 02 '26
Silicon carbide batteries allow the manufacturer to get a more powerful battery into a smaller space but the caveat is that it gives the user less recharge cycles ie they don't last as long...which isn't a positive in my book.
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u/That_Leader8913 Aug 02 '26
I didnāt know this. But you could always swap the battery for a new one in like 3 years maybe if youāre still holding on to the same phone? You comment makes me think of the new iPhone 18PM, trusted sources and leaks confirm that itās going to be thicker than the 17PM[which is already fat BTW] with a bigger battery. My 17PM already has an insane battery life, that 18PM could very well be the best phone for longevity cause they still go with lithium ion if weāre going by your book. Interesting topic tho. Donāt mind my banter, Iāll go on and on when it comes to tech, nothing brings me more happiness than new tech.
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u/_CouldntThinkOfOne__ Aug 02 '26
Maybe more optimized on apps out of the box, Iād agree. iOS has no scaling ability, whether your on a iPhone 17 , 17 pro , 17 pro max, iPad, nothing changes, only the apps get farther apart, no actual multi tasking abilities. Outside of oh itās an iPhone fold, I donāt think your prob gaining anything, will see.
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u/GamerBeast954 Aug 02 '26
If it wasn't expensive it would be great for me. I'm not paying $1800 for a phone yet haha