The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a camera problem, and it has nothing to do with photo quality

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I’ve spent years trying the latest book-style foldables, but none earned a permanent spot in my pocket once I finished testing them. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 came the closest with a thin-and-light design and truly flagship specs. Unfortunately, it suffered from the same problems as every other folding phone with a squarish inner screen aspect ratio.

The form factor isn’t conducive to widescreen video content, as you’ll see large black bars at the top and bottom of the folding screen. Samsung built the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 to specifically address this pain point, and it quickly won me over. Then, something happened that I didn’t expect. I found myself using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 unfolded in portrait orientation more than landscape.

It’s my favorite way to read, scroll, and type on a foldable — until the selfie camera gets in the way. And it’s so annoying that I wish Samsung would’ve left the camera out altogether.

Book-style folding phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are superb for split-screen multitasking and document editing. The folding display’s nearly 1:1 (square) aspect ratio is perfect for spreadsheets, slide decks, and project management boards. I rarely use my foldables for work and didn’t find the utility of their main screens to be much use. I preferred to use the cover screen or the main screen’s Flex Mode, since both are better suited for vertical and widescreen content than the folding display as a whole.

The wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It doesn’t completely eliminate black bars, unless you’re viewing old TV shows or playing retro video games. Still, the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 7.6-inch folding display handles standard 16:9 videos better than any other foldable I’ve used. I tried it on a long cross-country flight to catch up on my favorite Paramount Plus dramas, and the wide foldable finally upgraded the viewing experience compared to using a traditional slab phone. I didn’t feel like I was missing out using my Galaxy Z Fold 8 instead of the in-flight entertainment screen or a tablet.

Before I tried the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for myself, I assumed that the foldable’s widescreen prowess came at the expense of its portrait mode and its ability to display vertical content. My initial assumptions weren’t completely wrong, as the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 5.5-inch cover screen is short and stout, with a 10:16 aspect ratio. It’s not great for watching TikTok, scrolling Instagram, or reading articles.

The surprise came when I unfolded the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and rotated it 90 degrees. Rotating a squarish foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn’t change much, but rotating the Galaxy Z Fold 8 gave me a portrait mode worth using.