The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is at its best when there’s friction

<figure> <img alt="" data-caption="The Z Flip 8 is designed to be used shut more than ever before. | Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-8-review-13.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> The Z Flip 8 is designed to be used shut more than ever before. | Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge </figcaption> </figure> <p class="has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph">What do you want from a flip phone when it's closed? A simple interface, perhaps notifications and a widget or two, for handling the basics? Or a fully fledged Android experience shrunk down for the Flip form factor? For years, Samsung has insisted on the former, even as some fans - and Razr rival Motorola - have pushed for the latter. With the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung has given in.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Although the Z Flip 8's hardware is almost unchanged year-on-year, Samsung has fundamentally rethought how this phone is meant to be used when shut. The cover screen feels more like a regular Android phone, with easier access to the full versions of every single …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/986033/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-8-review">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>