Before You Read
Before trying Samsung’s newest foldable phones, I honestly didn’t understand why so many people were excited about them. While I appreciated the engineering behind foldable smartphones, I never saw myself owning one. I simply couldn’t justify carrying a phone that unfolded into a larger screen—especially at its premium price.
During my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 hands-on experience at the Samsung Experience Store in SM Mall of Asia, I finally understood why Samsung’s foldable phones have gained so much attention.
That perspective began to change during my visit to the Samsung Experience Store at SM Mall of Asia, where I had the opportunity to spend time with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8.
This isn’t a long-term review, nor is it a comprehensive technical analysis. Instead, it’s a firsthand account of what surprised me, what changed my perspective, and the questions I think every potential buyer should ask before deciding whether a foldable phone is right for them.
My goal isn’t to convince you to buy one. It’s to help you understand whether Samsung’s latest foldable phones genuinely solve a problem in your daily life—or whether a traditional smartphone may still be the better choice.
🎥 Watch the Hands-On Video
See the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 in action at the Samsung Experience Store in SM Mall of Asia. Then come back here for deeper insights, real-world observations, and practical buying advice that you won’t get from the video alone.
Why I Never Understood Foldable Phones
For years, I’ve watched foldable phones evolve from futuristic concepts into mainstream flagship devices. Every new generation looked more refined, more capable, and more impressive than the last. Yet despite all the excitement surrounding them, I never truly understood why someone would choose a foldable phone over a traditional flagship smartphone.
My biggest question was simple: “Why would I spend significantly more on a phone that folds?”
Sure, the larger screen looked impressive, but I couldn’t see how it would fit into my everyday life. I wasn’t convinced that carrying a foldable phone would be any more practical than carrying a regular smartphone. At the time, it felt like an expensive innovation that I admired from a distance rather than something I genuinely wanted to own.
That mindset stayed with me until I visited the Samsung Experience Store at SM Mall of Asia. My goal wasn’t to convince myself to buy a foldable phone. I simply wanted to experience Samsung’s newest Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 for myself.
Sometimes, the best way to understand a piece of technology isn’t by reading about it—it’s by putting it in your own hands.
First Impressions at the Samsung Experience Store
My Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 hands-on experience immediately challenged my assumptions about foldable smartphones.
Walking into the Samsung Experience Store on the second floor of Cyberzone at SM Mall of Asia, I wasn’t there to admire Samsung’s newest foldable phones. I was there to answer a question that had been on my mind for years: Could a foldable smartphone really fit into my everyday life?
As soon as I entered the store, I was welcomed by a friendly Samsung team and immediately noticed the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 on display. Unlike watching a launch event or browsing photos online, seeing the devices in person gave me the opportunity to understand their size, design, and overall feel.
Before touching any of them, I already had my eyes on the Galaxy Z Fold8. It was the model I was most curious about because it promised something I had always wanted—a larger display that could still fit in my pocket.
I wasn’t there to decide whether I would buy one that day. I simply wanted to discover whether Samsung’s newest foldable phones could solve a problem I had always believed was impossible to solve.
Can a Big Screen Really Fit in Your Pocket?
One of the biggest reasons I never seriously considered a foldable phone was portability. I’ve always wanted a smartphone with a larger display for watching videos, reading articles, browsing the web, and even editing content while on the go. The problem was simple: I didn’t want to carry a bag just to enjoy a bigger screen.
For years, I believed I had to choose between portability and screen size. A regular smartphone was easy to slip into my pocket, but I often wished it had a larger display. On the other hand, tablets offered more screen space but weren’t something I wanted to carry everywhere.
That was the assumption I brought with me to the Samsung Experience Store. I honestly didn’t think a foldable phone could change my mind. But the moment I held the Galaxy Z Fold8 in my hand and folded it shut, I realized it offered something I hadn’t seriously considered before—a device with a large display that could still fit comfortably in my pocket.
For the first time, I began to understand why foldable phones exist. They’re not trying to replace smartphones or tablets. They’re designed to bridge the gap between the two, giving users a larger screen when they need it while remaining compact enough for everyday carry.
Walking Into the Samsung Experience Store
The Feature That Changed Everything for Me
One feature completely changed the way I looked at Samsung’s foldable phones—and surprisingly, it wasn’t the larger display.
As someone who creates videos, I’ve always wanted to use a phone’s main rear cameras for selfies and vlogging because they almost always deliver better image quality than the front-facing camera. The problem is that with a traditional smartphone, you can’t see yourself while recording unless you use an external monitor or simply guess that you’re in frame.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup approaches this differently. By using the cover display as a preview screen, I could finally see myself while recording with the main rear cameras. It sounds like a simple feature, but in practice, it completely changes the experience. Instead of sacrificing image quality just to frame a shot, I could take advantage of the phone’s best cameras while making sure I stayed in the frame.
For content creators, vloggers, and anyone who regularly records themselves, this was one of the moments that made me stop thinking about foldable phones as a novelty. I started seeing them as practical creative tools that solve a real problem.
Putting the Cameras to the Test
One thing I noticed during my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 hands-on was how polished the overall user experience felt, even during quick camera testing.
Of course, great features only matter if they work well in real-world use. After discovering how practical the foldable design could be for content creation, I wanted to see whether Samsung’s cameras could deliver results that matched the experience.
During my hands-on session, I had the opportunity to test the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 using different recording modes, including Full HD (1080p), 4K, and even 8K. Rather than focusing on technical specifications, I paid close attention to image quality, stabilization, framing, and how each phone performed from a creator’s perspective.
One thing I appreciated was being able to preview myself while recording with the main rear cameras. It made shooting feel more natural and gave me confidence that I was properly framed before pressing record. For anyone who regularly creates content for YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, that small workflow improvement can make a surprisingly big difference.
The experience reminded me that cameras aren’t just about megapixels or video resolutions. They’re about making it easier to capture the moments you want without getting in the way of the creative process. That’s exactly what Samsung’s latest foldable phones started to show me.
Which Foldable Stood Out to Me?
After spending time with all three devices, I found myself repeatedly coming back to one model: the Galaxy Z Fold8.
Going into the Samsung Experience Store, I expected the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra to grab most of my attention because it’s Samsung’s most premium foldable. The Galaxy Z Flip8 also stood out with its compact design and stylish form factor. But the Galaxy Z Fold8 ended up being the device that felt most relevant to how I use technology every day.
It struck a balance that I hadn’t expected. It offered the larger display I had always wanted without making the phone feel impractical to carry. More importantly, it helped me understand that a foldable phone isn’t just about having cutting-edge technology—it’s about making everyday tasks more convenient, whether that’s consuming content, multitasking, or creating videos.
That doesn’t mean the Galaxy Z Fold8 is automatically the right choice for everyone. Each model serves a different type of user, and that’s something I came to appreciate during my hands-on experience. Rather than asking which foldable is objectively the best, the better question is: which one best fits the way you live, work, and create?
Who Should Actually Buy a Foldable Phone?
After spending time with Samsung’s latest foldable lineup, I came away with one important realization: foldable phones aren’t designed for everyone—and that’s perfectly okay.
If you spend most of your day messaging, browsing social media, making calls, and taking occasional photos, a traditional flagship smartphone will likely meet your needs just as well while costing significantly less.
However, if you’re someone who regularly multitasks, enjoys watching videos on a larger display, reads documents on the go, travels frequently, or creates content for platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, a foldable phone starts to make much more sense. The ability to switch between a compact smartphone and a larger display without carrying a separate tablet can genuinely improve the way you work and consume content.
What impressed me most wasn’t a single specification or headline feature. It was how Samsung’s foldable phones solved several everyday inconveniences in one device—from giving me a larger screen when I needed it to making content creation feel more practical through features like rear-camera previews on the cover display.
In the end, choosing a foldable phone isn’t about buying the newest technology. It’s about understanding whether its unique design solves problems that matter in your daily life. That’s the question every buyer should answer before making the investment.
Final Thoughts: Did Samsung Change My Mind?
When I walked into the Samsung Experience Store at SM Mall of Asia, I wasn’t expecting to change my opinion about foldable phones. I simply wanted to understand why so many people were willing to invest in them.
After spending time with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8, I left with a completely different perspective. I still believe foldable phones aren’t the right choice for everyone, and I still think buyers should carefully consider whether they’ll take advantage of everything these devices have to offer. But I no longer see them as expensive novelties or technology searching for a purpose.
Instead, I now understand what Samsung has been trying to achieve with its foldable lineup. These devices are designed for people who want the portability of a smartphone and the flexibility of a larger display without carrying multiple devices. For content creators, professionals, frequent travelers, and anyone who values productivity on the go, that combination can make a meaningful difference.
So, did Samsung’s new Galaxy foldables change my mind?
Yes—but probably not in the way I expected.
They didn’t convince me that everyone should own a foldable phone. They convinced me that the right technology isn’t always the newest or the most expensive—it’s the one that genuinely fits the way you live, work, and create. And for the first time, I finally understood where a foldable phone belongs.
Where to Learn More
Want to learn more about Samsung’s latest Galaxy devices, software updates, product announcements, and upcoming launches? Follow Samsung Philippines through its official channels:
🌐 Website: https://www.samsung.com/ph/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamsungPH/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samsungph/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamsungPhilippines
If you found this article helpful and would like more honest reviews, practical buying guides, real-world comparisons, and creator-focused tech content, I’d love to connect with you as well.
🌐 Website: https://aatechhunter.com/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584038444641
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AATechHunter
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aa.tech.hunter
Thank you for reading, and I hope this article helps you make a smarter technology buying decision.
Aldrich Alexandre is the founder of AA Tech Hunter, a Philippine-based technology publication dedicated to helping people make smarter technology buying decisions through honest reviews, practical buying guides, real-world comparisons, and creator-focused content.
His goal is simple: help readers understand not just what a product can do, but whether it’s the right choice for their needs before they spend their hard-earned money.
Leave a Reply