Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 3 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want better photos, longer battery life and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Takes the better photos: camera score 9 out of 10, against 7.
- BatterySamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 8 out of 10, against 6. It has a 5000 mAh battery.
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesIt's a tie
- PriceSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Costs 14% less.
Overall, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,54,999 | ₹1,79,999 |
| Launched | 25 February 2026 | 22 July 2026 |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17), launched with One UI 8.5 (Android 16) | One UI 9 (Android 17) (same as launch) |
| Rating | 8.6/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Battery | Lasts longer than last year's model and now charges much faster, to 75% in about 30 minutes. | Gets through a day for most people (about 14 hours in GSMArena's test); 45W wired and 20W wireless charging. |
| Camera | 200MP main camera plus 3x and 5x zoom cameras; very versatile, though not the very best Android camera. | Good 50MP main and 50MP wide-angle cameras, but no zoom lens. |
| Speed | Extremely fast, though it slows down a bit during long heavy games. | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is one of the fastest chips you can buy. |
| Catch | Expensive, small upgrade over the S25 Ultra, and the US price went up another $100 (about ₹9,500) in October 2026. | Very expensive, no zoom camera, only IP48 dust protection and quiet speakers. |
| Updates | 7 years | 7 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2600 nits peak, Privacy Display, Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective | 7.6-inch foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (2448 x 1848, 4:3), 120Hz, 3000 nits peak; 5.5-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X cover screen, 120Hz, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm) |
| CPU | 8-core: 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.74GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz | 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.74GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 840 @ 1.3GHz | Adreno 840 @ 1.3GHz |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.x storage; RAM type not officially stated) | 12GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.x; RAM type not officially stated) |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 4800 mAh |
| Charging | 60W wired PD 3.0 (75% in 30 min), 25W Qi2.2 wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | 45W wired (about 63% in 30 min), 20W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Cameras | 200MP main (f/1.4, 1/1.3", OIS) + 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, 1/3.94", OIS) + 50MP 5x periscope (f/2.9, 1/2.52", OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 1/2.5"); 12MP front | 50MP main (f/1.8, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 1/2.51", 120 degrees, PDAF); 10MP inner and 10MP cover selfie cameras |
| Water and dust | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) | IP48 |
| Size and weight | 7.9mm thick, 214g | 4.5mm unfolded, 9.7mm folded thick, 201g |
| Software | One UI 8.5 (Android 16) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | One UI 9 (Android 17) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 7 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort 1.2 and DeX, UWB | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, UWB, USB-C 3.2, side fingerprint reader |
| Modem | Snapdragon 5G modem integrated in the chipset (exact model not officially stated) | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers (rated Very good by GSMArena, -25.9 LUFS); S Pen included | Stereo speakers (rated Average by GSMArena, -29.0 LUFS); haptics not detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | No high-frequency PWM dimming (GSMArena); touch sampling not officially stated | Not officially stated |
| Cooling | Cooling hardware not officially detailed; GSMArena found significant CPU throttling under sustained load | Not officially stated |
| Colours | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Pistachio |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra₹1,54,999
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8₹1,79,999
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Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want better photos, longer battery life and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- They are about even on speed.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra costs ₹1,54,999, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 costs ₹1,79,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17).