I tried to put down the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but I can't

A few weeks ago, Samsung sent me the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for some testing. I was keen on getting one because, at the time, all of the rumors and speculation pointed to Apple's first foldable phone having a very similar design. 

Unlike Samsung's previous foldable phones that were taller and more narrow, the Z Fold 8 is more compact, with a similar overall footprint to a passport when closed. (The aptly named BlackBerry Passport comes to mind for those old enough to remember.)

Of course, we now know the rumors were true, and the iPhone Duo has a nearly identical design to the Z Fold 8. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Apple iPhone Duo dimensions

Here are the dimensions of both phones, both open and closed: 

The two designs are incredibly close in overall size.

I received the Z Fold 8 right in the middle of reviewing the new Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL, so it sat on my desk for a couple of weeks. I'd randomly pick it up, poke around, and then go back to a Pixel. I was intrigued, though. 

Immediately after filing my Pixel 11 Pro XL review, I switched to the Z Fold 8. Over the course of a couple of hours, I set up every app and service I could think of, as if I was switching to it as my daily driver. 

At first, I couldn't quite figure out the best way to hold it. When it's closed, the keyboard felt somewhat cramped. When it's open, things start to feel more natural, but there was still a giant learning curve. 

By the end of my setup session, I was starting to feel more comfortable. But I can't stress enough how odd this design looks — and for the first couple of days — felt in the hand.

Each time I picked it up or took it out of my pocket, I questioned every aspect of the design. 

Then, on about the third day, it all started to click. Typing on the front display got easier; I no longer felt like I was mashing on all of the keys and hoping autocorrect fixed it. Scrolling through Instagram and similar media feeds still feels slightly off, but even that's starting to become something I no longer notice. 

The more I opened the Z Fold 8, the more I started rotating it and experimenting with it, the more it just made sense. When it’s opened in landscape orientation, websites, videos and even apps like Fastmail all look, feel and work like they do on a computer. 

When it finally made sense

But the real Aha! moment for me was when I started rotating the Z Fold 8 a quarter of a turn, making the display taller than it is wide. This orientation has become my default for things like scrolling through social media feeds, and reading a long email, document, or news story. 

Better yet, the moment you open the Kindle app, the Z Fold 8 provides a nearly identical experience to a real Kindle. Only, in color, with cellular connectivity and countless alerts and notifications that are sure to distract you — but, it’s easily the best Kindle experience I’ve had on a foldable. 

About that fingerprint sensor placement

That said, I have a big gripe about the design and using it in portrait mode. To me, the natural way to hold the Z Fold 8 in portrait mode is to place the cameras near the bottom. That’s the heavier side of the device, and so having it where your hands are able to provide stability and comfort, just makes sense. 

The fact that Samsung’s own case only covers that side of the phone, with nothing wrapping around the front frame, makes me think Samsung agrees.

However, holding it with the cameras at the bottom also means the volume rocker and sleep/wake button (which doubles as a fingerprint sensor) are all on the bottom.

I have yet to figure out the right method or process to reach the fingerprint sensor on the bottom of the phone and get a successful reading to unlock the device or an app without much effort. 

Every single time, I nearly drop the phone as I shift it around to get my thumb into position over the button. Ultimately what I end up doing is rotating the phone, using the sensor, and then rotating it back. 

It’s super annoying. It’s also the same exact spot that Apple has its Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the Duo. I’m sure it’ll be just as frustrating. (The volume buttons are on the top of the phone in landscape, on the side in portrait.)

A winning design

The Z Fold 8 is a winner, and the future is looking good for Duo users

I'm excited to see what the iPhone Duo brings to the foldable market. Developers are already copying the blurry animation the Duo has when opening and closing it on Pixel and Samsung phones. 

Nonetheless, I keep coming back to the Z Fold 8. It's becoming problematic, actually. I still need to write up my thoughts about the regular Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5, and every time I start testing them, it's only a matter of time before I pick up the Z Fold 8 again. 

Samsung has an absolute winner in the Z Fold 8 that Android users who feel a tinge of jealousy about the Duo will be more than happy with. I know I am.

I simply can't quit it.