Samsung just held its latest Unpacked event, and in a move that proves they love keeping us on our toes, they’ve totally shaken up the foldable formula. Enter the new Galaxy Z Fold8, a device that breaks away from the tall, skinny candy bar of years past and gives us a wider, passport-style form factor. If you’ve been eagerly waiting for a folding phone that doesn’t feel like you’re typing on a TV remote, this might be your jam. But before you rush out to pre-order, you’ll need a flowchart just to figure out where this new device actually belongs in Samsung’s increasingly crowded lineup.

 

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A Naming Convention Only a Mother Could Love

Here is the deal: despite the name, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is not the direct successor to the Galaxy Z Fold7. I know, take a deep breath. Instead, Samsung has introduced an entirely new tier. The Z Fold8 slots comfortably below the newly minted Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, which is the actual hardware successor to last year’s Z Fold7. Confused yet?

Think of the standard Z Fold8 as a brand new branch on the family tree, while the Fold8 Ultra is the firstborn heir getting all the inheritance. The Ultra keeps the familiar, slightly squarish interior screen we’re used to, while the standard Z Fold8 gives us something entirely different.

 

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The Revenge of the 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Unfold the Z Fold8, and you are greeted by a 4:3 aspect ratio. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same shape as the original Pixel Fold and exactly what the rumor mill says the mythical iPhone Ultra will sport. But more importantly, 4:3 is a massive throwback. Remember the pre-widescreen era? The days of lugging around beige CRT computer monitors and boxy tube TVs? Back then, almost everything was 4:3. It wasn’t until HDTV and 720p/1080p resolutions revolutionized our living rooms that 16:9 became the undisputed king of displays.

Turns out, we might be rediscovering the forgotten virtues of 4:3. On a foldable, this squatter shape is actually far better for media consumption and split-screen multitasking than the Z Fold8 Ultra’s near-square canvas.

 

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Choose Your Fighter (and Your Compromises)

Of course, choosing a Galaxy Z series phone is an exercise in picking your compromises. Do you want the absolute best camera setup? Then you are stuck with the traditional, narrower form factor of the Z Fold8 Ultra. Do you crave the superior, wider 4:3 internal display for your Netflix binges and side-by-side apps? You’ll have to sacrifice some of that camera prowess and battery size to get it. Right now, you just can’t have both. But hey, it’s Samsung. Maybe next year they’ll decide to bless us with the best of both worlds. Heaven forbid we end up getting a Galaxy Z Fold9 Extreme Turbo Edition to sort it all out.