Samsung claims the Galaxy Z Fold 8's wider shape is ‘the new standard for viewing content’ — but is it really better than the Z Fold 8 Ultra? I tested Netflix, YouTube, and Instagram on both phones to find out

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is smaller, cheaper, and has fewer cameras than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it may end up being the most popular Galaxy foldable to date.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is smaller, cheaper, and has fewer cameras than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it may end up being the most popular Galaxy foldable to date.</p><p>Why? Because its 7.6-inch inner screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is supposedly “the new standard for viewing content,” as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/this-is-why-samsung-built-the-galaxy-z-fold-8-a-passport-sized-foldable-that-sets-the-new-standard-for-viewing-content">Samsung told us in an interview</a> — and if there’s one thing most of us can’t get enough of in 2026, it’s content.</p><p>The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, meanwhile, has an eight-inch inner screen with a 10:9 aspect ratio, which is great for spreadsheets and multitasking, but less brilliant for movies and YouTube videos.</p><p>Don’t believe me (or Samsung)? I compared the experience of streaming Netflix, watching YouTube, and scrolling through Instagram Reels on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — in both portrait and landscape orientations, where possible — to help you visualize the aspect ratio differences between these two devices.</p><p>Check out the side-by-side comparisons for each platform below, and let me know in the comments section which phone you’d prefer to use for watching videos. I've also included a roundup of each model's respective size specs for added context.</p><div ><table><thead><tr><th class="firstcol empty" ></th><th ><p>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra</p></th><th ><p>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8</p></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Dimensions (unfolded):</p></td><td ><p>158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm</p></td><td ><p>161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Dimensions (folded):</p></td><td ><p>158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm</p></td><td ><p>81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Display (unfolded):</p></td><td ><p>8 inches, 10:9</p></td><td ><p>7.6 inches, 4:3</p></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>Display (folded):</p></td><td ><p>6.5 inches, 21:9</p></td><td ><p>5.5 inches. 16:10</p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-netflix"><span>Netflix</span></h3><h2 id="z-fold-8-10-16-z-fold-8-ultra-9-21">Z Fold 8 (10:16) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:21)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="EqkeKYtAP3DKESoXRTJq94" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EqkeKYtAP3DKESoXRTJq94.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-4-3-z-fold-8-ultra-10-9">Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Q7eA5gpjJ65SsGG6AqZc84" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q7eA5gpjJ65SsGG6AqZc84.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-3-4-z-fold-8-ultra-9-10">Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="fsKVajeGtF29VzK39Ef374" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fsKVajeGtF29VzK39Ef374.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-youtube"><span>YouTube</span></h3><h2 id="z-fold-8-16-10-z-fold-8-ultra-21-9">Z Fold 8 (16:10) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (21:9)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="oYNEBEbdDpqA9LUXKCS3fE" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oYNEBEbdDpqA9LUXKCS3fE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">With either phone in this orientation, expanding the YouTube video automatically switches the orientation to landscape (see the next photo) </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-10-16-z-fold-8-ultra-9-21-2">Z Fold 8 (10:16) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:21)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="BazHDf5dVtg3WF8mT5BD8T" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BazHDf5dVtg3WF8mT5BD8T.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-4-3-z-fold-8-ultra-10-9-2">Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="sTs78Nc8rtaYHg8qCrHi7T" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sTs78Nc8rtaYHg8qCrHi7T.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-3-4-z-fold-8-ultra-9-10-2">Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="bKrLvne7TGGmGvcS5jc3oD" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKrLvne7TGGmGvcS5jc3oD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-instagram-reels"><span>Instagram Reels</span></h3><h2 id="z-fold-8-16-10-z-fold-8-ultra-21-9-2">Z Fold 8 (16:10) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (21:9)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="yjFUHVkafyskgQ3mgpE3tS" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yjFUHVkafyskgQ3mgpE3tS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-4-3-z-fold-8-ultra-10-9-3">Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="RvEKZ5NRWcoJeQNzQZ8ZGT" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RvEKZ5NRWcoJeQNzQZ8ZGT.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="z-fold-8-3-4-z-fold-8-ultra-9-10-3">Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10)</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5712px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="C9DxivtWSToLsBK283YAGT" name="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" alt="Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra screen comparison" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C9DxivtWSToLsBK283YAGT.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5712" height="3213" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-verdict"><span>Verdict</span></h3><p>For Netflix and YouTube, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 provides a cleaner viewing experience than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in every orientation except 3:4. The black bars above and below the video are noticeably narrower than those on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and there's no awkward pillarboxing (i.e., bars on either side of the video) when using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in 10:16 (you'll notice that content wraps around the phone's punch-hole camera, which doesn't happen on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra).</p><p>Of course, if you use the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in 3:4, the black bars are much bigger than those on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but Samsung itself admits that this orientation is “more natural for reading e-books or browsing the web,” which gives the smaller device another nice win over the pricier model.</p><p>The Instagram Reels-watching experience is pretty similar across both phones, but given the Galaxy Z Fold 8's lighter weight (201g vs 215g), I'd give it the edge here, too.</p><p>So there you have it: if watching videos and scrolling through social media is your priority, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 <em>is</em> a better buy than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.</p><p>Of course, there is much more to both phones than their respective displays — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has better cameras, for instance — so I wouldn't jump headfirst into buying one over the other until you've read our full <a href="https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-ultra-vs-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8">Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 8</a> comparison.</p><p><em>Side note: You're not able to watch videos in 16:10 (Z Fold 8) or 21:9 (Z Fold 8 Ultra) on Netflix, nor videos in 10:16 (Z Fold 8) or 9:21 (Z Fold 8 Ultra) on Instagram, hence why these options don't appear in the above comparison.</em></p> </article> ]]>