Folding smartphones have always impressed me, but until now I’ve never found a compelling reason to actually buy one. I’ve tested almost every foldable released over the past few years. Every time I’ve been wowed by the engineering, spent a few weeks enjoying the novelty, then packed the phone back in its box and returned to a regular smartphone. The reasons have always been the same: they’re bulky, durability has been a concern and the main displays have often felt like awkward squares rather than practical screens.

However, Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold8 has changed my mind. For the first time, I can genuinely see why foldables could be the future.

The biggest reason is the redesigned shape. Samsung has adopted a passport-style design, with a compact 5.5-inch cover display that unfolds into a wider 7.6-inch main screen.

Open it up, and it finally feels like a proper mini tablet. It’s brilliant for watching films, gaming, reading books, browsing the web and, inevitably, spending far too long scrolling through TikTok.

The cover display is still a compromise. It feels a little squashed compared to a conventional smartphone, and some apps – TikTok included – don’t yet make perfect use of the unusual aspect ratio, leaving black bars at the sides.

But it’s a compromise I’m finally willing to make.

Samsung has also refined the hinge, making the Fold8 much easier to open, and I’ve found myself using the large inner display for almost everything – checking emails, browsing websites, editing documents and binge-watching boxsets.

As you’d expect from Samsung, the screens are excellent. Colours are vibrant, brightness is superb thanks to Vision Booster technology and the anti-reflective coating makes the display easy to see even in bright sunshine.

The improved design doesn’t stop there.

Closed, the Fold8 is only slightly thicker than a conventional smartphone and, at just 180g, it’s Samsung’s lightest foldable yet. It slips into a pocket without feeling like you’re carrying a brick.

Samsung has also introduced its new Flex Titanium construction. The titanium-based display structure is designed to make the Fold8 thinner while improving durability, helping absorb impacts and reducing crease visibility over time.

It certainly feels reassuringly solid in the hand, although only months or years of real-world use will reveal just how durable it really is.

Power comes courtesy of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Samsung processor and performance is outstanding.

Whether juggling multiple apps, editing photos, cutting together videos or simply switching between tasks, the Fold8 never missed a beat. Gaming can get it a little hot under the collar, but that’s more to do with the slim design than the chip inside.

Battery life has also been excellent. The 4,800mAh cell comfortably lasted me through a full day, often with charge remaining at bedtime, while fast charging gets it from empty to 63% in around 30 minutes.

Wireless charging is included, although Samsung still hasn’t embraced magnetic charging systems such as MagSafe or Google’s PixelSnap, which feels like a surprising omission at this price.

Elsewhere, there’s a fast side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a premium matte finish that resists fingerprints and plenty of Galaxy AI features.

Whether it’s translating languages, improving photos, summarising your day or helping you find information faster, Samsung’s AI tools can be useful for some or switched off if you aren’t a fan.

Of course, like most things in life there are compromises.

One of the main downsides is the camera.

Unlike the new Z Fold8 Ultra, the Fold8 misses out on a telephoto lens. Instead you get a dual-camera setup featuring 50-megapixel wide and ultra-wide sensors.

Photos are colourful, detailed and consistently impressive, but the lack of dedicated optical zoom means it can’t compete with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra or even Samsung’s Galaxy S26 when it comes to photography.

SEE SOME SAMPLE IMAGES BELOW

Video recording is excellent, with support for both 4K and 8K capture, alongside clever features including Dual Recording, which records using the front and rear cameras simultaneously. There’s also an impressive AI tool that can automatically keep a chosen subject in focus after you’ve finished filming.

So while the cameras are good, they aren’t class-leading and you’ll get a better experience on much cheaper devices.

And that leads me nicely onto the next sticking point…the price! Starting at £1,699, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is eye-wateringly expensive.

For comparison, the Galaxy S26 currently starts at just £659 thanks to an Amazon sale, while some excellent mid-range Galaxy phones cost well under £600.

You could argue you’re getting both a phone and a tablet in one device when buying the Fold8, but you could also buy a premium phone and a decent tablet separately for less money.

Even so, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is comfortably the best foldable I’ve ever used.

The redesigned shape finally makes the large inner display feel genuinely practical rather than just impressive. It’s lighter, thinner and feels far more refined than previous generations, while the improved hinge and stronger construction inspire confidence.

Yes, the cover screen is still a little cramped. Yes, the cameras could be better. And yes, the price is difficult to justify.

But none of those things stops this from being the first foldable phone I’ve genuinely wanted to keep using. For years, every foldable I’ve reviewed ended up back in its box.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 won’t.