Image Source: Samsung and PS Photography / Jessica Andrews
By now, you've likely already seen the Samsung "Switchers" campaign [1] taking over the internet featuring one of my favorite "Love Island USA" Season 8 couples, Aniya Harvey and Carl Schmidt [2], as well as "The Traitors" Season 3 alums Ciara Miller and Dylan Efron [3], and football stars Nick Foles and Clay Matthews [4]. The premise of the clever ad campaign, which features the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 [5] ($1,650, originally $1,900), is removing emotional barriers behind switching smartphones with renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Orna Guralnik offering a playful take on unpacking our hesistancy to try out new devices.
While I certainly can't relate, I have to admit I'm an easy sell when it comes to considering a new smartphone; my one and only question is: how good is the camera? As a senior style director and content creator, I need the performance equivalent of a professional camera that's the size of a handheld device I can keep on me at all times. I also need a full-blown miniature version of a laptop so I can keep up with all the editing, emailing, and Zoom meetings I take on the go. A lot to ask of a smartphone, right?
Keep reading to see how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 held up to my admittedly high demands.
About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
- It has a 7.6-inch main inner display with a passport-style 4:3 aspect ratio.
- It has a 50MP dual camera.
- It offers 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage.
- It's available in lavender, cream, and graphite, as well as pistachio exclusively on Samsung.com and in Samsung stores.
Image Source: PS Photography / Jessica Andrews
What I Like About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
As I mentioned, the camera is a major priority for me, which essentially means the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 had me at hello. While Samsung devices [6] are known for their powerful and clear cameras, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 takes it to a new level with an expansive screen that allows me to see every detail of my landscape photos if I'm capturing a fashion show finale or taking pics at a tennis tournament, for example.
But beyond the camera, I almost exclusively watch TV shows on my laptop (ahem, "Love Island" and Bravo's "Summer House" included) and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is the first time I've even considered watching on my smartphone. With an expanded shape, a super-steady video (using horizontal lock), and a bright display, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 offers a seamless content-consuming experience that I've never experienced before on a handheld device. And these features come in handy whether you're watching movies, reading books, gaming, or taking Zoom meetings. What's more, after I'm done, I can fold the phone again and slip it in my pocket or handbag, so it's truly the best of both worlds.
Speaking of, yes, I know the folding capability is the big draw and hype around the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and yes, it delivers. You can easily and effortlessly fold the smartphone, which feels nostalgic in the best way as someone who loved her flip phone in the early 2000s.
Image Source: PS Photography / Jessica Andrews
What's Worth Noting About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
If smartphones with an expansive screen are not your thing, you can opt for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 [7] ($1,200) for the same fun flip-phone experience (and stellar camera!) at a smaller size: a main inner display of 6.9 inches when unfolded and a cover screen of 4.1 inches when folded.
Also, Samsung regularly faces criticism around the "green bubble" and the inconvenience of data transfer between smartphones from other tech companies, something the brand addresses head-on in the aforementioned "Switchers" campaign. The Smart Switch feature promises to alleviate some of that stress by allowing you to transfer contacts, photos, videos, apps, and more from your old phone seamlessly, though it's worth noting it only enables transfer to a Samsung device, not externally to non-Samsung brands.
There's also RCS messaging, which allows you to share hi-res photos and videos between devices but doesn't completely eliminate green bubbles. And finally, the brand is promoting its Quick Share feature as a convenient way to send files; while it still was a bit of a challenge for me, I find that uploading files to Google Photos or Drive helps me share them easily with any device.
Who Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Best For?
Anyone who believes in the art of multitasking. With a larger inner display, you can use the Galazy Z Fold8 for watching TV shows and movies, reading, gaming, video conferences, and more. It even lets you run multiple apps side by side, a dream for someone like me who is always juggling several tasks at once. And it still delivers the powerful camera you'd expect from a Samsung, with even more potential for beautiful landscape photos and videos thanks to the expansive screen.
Where Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Available?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is available at Samsung [8], Amazon [9], and Best Buy [10].
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Jessica C. Andrews [11] (she/her) is an award-winning editor and writer who currently works as the senior style director of PS, overseeing beauty, fashion, shopping, and identity content. With more than 15 years of experience, her areas of expertise include fashion, shopping, and travel. Prior to joining PS, Jessica held senior roles at Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and Bustle and contributed to The New York Times, Elle, Vanity Fair, and Essence. She's appeared on "Good Morning America," NBC, and Fox 5 New York and spoken on various panels about fashion, hair, and Black culture.