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Why the Galaxy Z Flip 8 already feels underwhelming

Like any other flip phone, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip’s purpose is to be fun, stylish, and portable. That, and to be accessible enough to attract people who might never consider the much more expensive Galaxy Z Fold.Based on everything we know about the Galaxy Z Flip 8, though, it may end up being one of the most underwhelming phones of 2026.

The camera situation already looks bad

Galaxy Z Flip cover screen showing camera preview selfie

Image by PhoneArena

Person using a Galaxy Z Flip to take a photo outdoors

Image by PhoneArena

I want to start with the cameras because that’s the area Samsung has neglected the most throughout the Z Flip’s history.

According to reports, Samsung will keep the camera system unchanged with the Galaxy Z Flip 8. In other words, this would be the third generation in a roll without any camera upgrades, so users are stuck with a 50 MP main camera and a 12 MP ultra-wide, along with the same 10 MP selfie camera.

In fact, Samsung has been using basically the same 10 MP front camera since the original Galaxy Z Flip launched back in 2020.To be fair, Samsung’s image processing has helped the Z Flip punch above its weight in camera quality. But even so, launching another $1,000 phone with nearly identical camera hardware three generations in a row feels lazy at best.

Same thing with the battery and charging

Galaxy phone battery graphic highlighting 4300 mAh capacity

Leaks suggest the Z Flip 8 will feature the same dual-cell 4,300 mAh battery, just like the Z Flip 7.Now, the Flip 7 did perform rather well in our battery tests, especially for a flip phone, but that doesn’t change the fact that there is no improvement.The bigger disappointment for me is that charging speeds are also expected to remain unchanged, which means you are stuck with 25 W wired and 15 W wireless charging.

Only incremental changes are rumored so far

The few rumored “upgrades” are equally underwhelming.The most visible differences may come in the form of a thinner and lighter design, while some rumors suggest the phone could weigh around 180 grams, slightly less than the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s 188 grams.There was one wild rumor suggesting the device might weigh just 150 grams, which would be a major upgrade and a monumental achievement for this form factor. Unfortunately, most credible sources consider that extremely unlikely.

Samsung itself does not seem very confident

Perhaps the most telling sign about the Galaxy Z Flip 8’s prospects comes from Samsung’s own expectations. Reports from Korean media state that the company plans to manufacture significantly more Galaxy Z Fold 8 units than Galaxy Z Flip 8 units this year, which is a major shift from previous generations.Historically, the Z Flip models have been produced in larger quantities because they are cheaper and appeal to a broader audience. This time around, though, Samsung is supposedly planning around 3.5 million Z Fold 8 units compared to roughly 2.5 to 3 million Z Flip 8 units.That leads me to believe that Samsung expects the Fold lineup to generate more excitement than the Flip series in 2026. Frankly, based on the Z Flip 8’s lack of upgrades, that assumption makes sense.

The only real upgrade may be the chipset

Samsung Exynos 2600 chip with 5G branding

One of the few meaningful changes expected for the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is the processor.Current rumors point to Samsung using its new Exynos 2600 chip, which is reportedly built on an advanced 2 nm process. The company may even use the Flip lineup as a way to showcase its latest in-house silicon.That could be good news, and the Flip would be a safe testing ground to see how the chip performs. Samsung’s foundry division has struggled in recent years, and a successful Exynos comeback would benefit the company significantly.But that, alongside the fewer planned units, only tells me that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is somewhat of an experiment.

So, will the Galaxy Z Flip 8 be the biggest disappointment of the year?

There is still time for Samsung to surprise us. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is expected to launch in July, which means several months of rumors and leaks are still ahead.But if the current reports are accurate, Samsung’s next clamshell foldable may struggle to generate excitement.