Carrying a phone and a tablet, or a phone and a handheld console, is the price most people pay for wanting a big screen away from home. Samsung’s foldable is the device meant to replace both and its newest version is part of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal offers, where Prime members can get the unlocked Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 256 GB for $1,549 instead of $1,899.
Lightest Fold Yet, With a 7.6-Inch Screen Inside
Samsung has changed the shape of the phone this year, with proportions it says were chosen around films and books. Opened, the Fold8 reveals a 7.6-inch AMOLED display running at 120Hz. Closed, it is meant to feel like an ordinary phone for texting and everyday use. The company calls it the world’s lightest fold, a claim that carries a footnote, and the figures on Amazon back up the general idea: at 7.1 ounces, it weighs less than the 7.5 ounces listed for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, a phone that does not fold at all. Unfolded, it is 0.18 inches thick.
Gaming is where that inner screen pays off, and Samsung says so itself. The Fold8 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, described as the most advanced processor in the Z series, with 12GB of memory. Samsung also presents the display as the brightest it has put on a Galaxy phone, which helps outdoors. I’d say this is the use that would tempt me most: a strategy game, a cloud-streamed console title or an emulated classic has room to breathe on a screen this size, and touch controls stop covering half the picture.
For photos, the back carries two 50-megapixel cameras, and video can be recorded at up to 8K. Two software functions stand out. My FanCam reframes a clip after recording to keep one subject in the center, with a concert or a school play in mind. Super Steady Video with Horizontal Lock keeps footage level when you are moving. What the listing does not mention is a telephoto lens, so anyone who zooms often should compare with Samsung’s slab flagships before deciding.
The battery holds 4,800mAh and supports Super Fast Charging 2.0, though the box contents list a USB cable and no charger. Software is Android 17 with One UI 9 and Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, most of which come with footnotes. Samsung Wallet handles payment cards, boarding passes and digital IDs, and the company has added tools for people moving over from an iPhone, covering photos, contacts, alarms and passwords. The phone is sold unlocked for all carriers and described as water resistant, without a rating in the listing. Even at this price it remains one of the most expensive phones you can buy, and I wouldn’t pretend otherwise.
Prime membership is required: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 costs $1,549 on Amazon against a list price of $1,899, in Graphite, Lavender or Cream, as a Prime Big Deal. The page lists 256GB and 512GB capacities, so check which one is selected before ordering. Returns are free, and the phone comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty.
