5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series has officially arrived, and for the first time, it introduces an Ultra model to the mix. While the Fold 8 Ultra might sound tempting, it’s also a pretty expensive device, coming in at a hefty $2,100 starting price. It’s never been more important to understand your options.

Although the US has a smaller foldable market than Europe and Asia, there are still a few decent choices. With that in mind, let’s take a look at six alternatives you might want to consider instead.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a pretty mean camera package, a bigger display, a larger battery, and a few other genuine design upgrades that set it apart from the standard model. You’ll also find it’s thinner, though it’s actually slightly heavier.

There’s a lot to like with the Ultra, but if you’re just looking for a solid performer and don’t care about all these extras? You might want to give the Galaxy Z Fold 8 a closer look first.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor as the Ultra model and includes 12GB of RAM. The only difference is that the Ultra also has a 16GB upgrade, though it’s debatable if you’d notice any difference in day-to-day use. You won’t get the 200MP main camera or a telephoto shooter, but the 50MP ultrawide sensor is still fairly capable for those who are less concerned about the best camera and more interested in a “better than average” experience.

The rest of the differences mostly come down to design: the Fold 8 has a smaller, more compact design that mostly borrows the same hinge tech from older models. Meanwhile, the Ultra has a better opening gap and a reworked hinge that makes it feel more durable and less fiddly. This durability is also helped along by the new titanium alloy film on the OLED panel.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 might be a small step down overall, but it’s also $200 cheaper than the Ultra. If value matters more to you, I’d seriously recommend settling for the base model.

Another obvious alternative here is the Galaxy Z Fold 7. While you’ll get a slightly older Snapdragon 8 Elite processor over the current generation, it’s still backed by 12GB or 16GB of RAM. If you don’t want to spend the high asking price of the Fold 8 Ultra, the Fold 7 actually fills the Ultra’s shoes better than the base Fold 8.

Whereas the new Fold 8 has a smaller footprint than the Fold 8 Ultra, opting for a smaller 7.6-inch display, the Fold 7 has the same 8-inch display and thickness as its Ultra-tier successor. Likewise, the camera package is a bit better on the Fold 7 than on the standard Fold 8. The Fold 7 and Fold 8 Ultra both have a 200MP main camera and a 10MP telephoto lens, though the Fold 7 admittedly has a weaker 12MP ultrawide shooter instead.

While the Fold 7 won’t have the improved hinge or gap refinements that the Ultra introduces, you’ll get a model that’s actually a bit closer in parity than the new base Fold 8. Even better, you can now find the Fold 7 through programs like Amazon Renewed for as little as $1,200. Even if you prefer new, you can currently find it on sale for around $1,700 or less. Add it all together, and the Fold 7 is a mighty tempting alternative to the Fold 8 Ultra.

The Motorola Razr Fold is Motorola’s first crack at a book-style foldable, and it gets a lot right here. In fact, it holds a lot in common with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Both are powered by either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. You’ll also get a slightly larger 8.1-inch display on the Razr Fold, plus an even bigger 6,000mAh battery with notably faster 80W wired and 50W wireless charging.

It might not be as thin or light as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but the hardware still looks and feels great with a surprising amount of polish for a first stab at a Fold-style model. There are some downsides, though.

The Razr Fold’s camera has a more impressive 50MP periscope camera, but the main shooter appears less exciting on paper, with a 50MP sensor compared to the Fold 8 Ultra’s 200MP main camera. It’s hard to say how much difference this will make in practice, but it certainly stands out on a spec sheet.

However, with a starting price that’s $200 less than the Z Fold 8 Ultra, those compromises are pretty easy to live with. The Razr Fold is well worth a look.

Into the idea of foldables, but not necessarily locked into the idea of a device that turns into a small tablet? The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a different kind of foldable. While the Fold is meant to be a productivity machine, the Flip is all about standing out with a foldable design that harkens back to the days of flip phones.

The Flip 8 is not only the thinnest and lightest model to date, but it also returns to packing Qualcomm chips. Last year’s model shipped globally with an Exynos 2500 processor, and while Exynos chips will still be used in some markets, we can confirm that US buyers will get a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 12GB of RAM under the hood.

Beyond the return to Snapdragon, the core specs aren’t dramatically different from Flip 8’s predecessor. That means you’ll get a 50MP wide shooter and a 12MP ultrawide lens. This might not be as impressive as the Fold 8 Ultra’s camera, but it should be more than capable of providing a decent photography experience for all but the most discerning users. It might not have tons of new hardware beyond the processor, but there are some software improvements this go-around, including a redesigned home screen, quick settings, and more. There’s also an elevated AI experience compared to last year.

Ultimately, the Flip 8 could be a better choice if you just want something that stands out from the pack. As an added bonus, you’ll also save quite a bit with this one, as it has a much lower starting price of $1,200.

If you’re on a list of foldable alternatives, you’re probably looking for a foldable — I get it. Still, it’s important to take a second and step back here. Do you really want all the baggage that comes with this form factor? I loved foldables, but even I found they were hardly worth the investment for me after about half a decade of messing around with the form factor.

If you want an experience with few compromises in the foldable space, you’re paying over $2,000 for a Fold 8 Ultra or something similar. Even cheaper foldables still hover in the normal flagship price range of about $800-$1,200, yet they often make compromises in the camera and more.

In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra retails for roughly the same price as a Flip 8 and can sometimes be found on sale for even less. Not only will this get you the same high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, but the camera package is also significantly more impressive, packing a 200MP main camera alongside a 50MP ultrawide shooter, a 10MP telephoto shooter, and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra might ditch the larger inner display, but it still has an excellent 6.9-inch AMOLED panel, great battery life, and 60W charging that outshines the 45W charging found on the Fold 8 Ultra. If that’s not enough to get you to take a second look, you’ll also get the S Pen. That’s something neither Fold model offers anymore, and could be a big deal for fans of this niche accessory.