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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.
Why? Because its 7.6-inch inner screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is supposedly “the new standard for viewing content,” as Samsung told us in an interview — and if there’s one thing most of us can’t get enough of in 2026, it’s content.
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.
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.
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.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 | |
|---|---|---|
Dimensions (unfolded): | 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm | 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm |
Dimensions (folded): | 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm | 81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm |
Display (unfolded): | 8 inches, 10:9 | 7.6 inches, 4:3 |
Display (folded): | 6.5 inches, 21:9 | 5.5 inches. 16:10 |
Netflix
Z Fold 8 (10:16) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:21)
Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9)
Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10)
YouTube
Z Fold 8 (16:10) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (21:9)
Z Fold 8 (10:16) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:21)
Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9)
Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10)
Instagram Reels
Z Fold 8 (16:10) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (21:9)
Z Fold 8 (4:3) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (10:9)
Z Fold 8 (3:4) / Z Fold 8 Ultra (9:10)
Verdict
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).
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.
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.
So there you have it: if watching videos and scrolling through social media is your priority, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a better buy than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
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 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 comparison.
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.
