Unlike previous years, Samsung has done something different with its foldable lineup this time. The South Korean brand has changed the entire shape of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It is shorter, wider and when folded, feels more like carrying a small passport than a usual foldable smartphone. I have been reviewing Samsung's foldable phones for several years now and I have always had one question in my mind - When will a foldable actually feel like a phone I want to use every day rather than a phone I enjoy showing people? After spending a few weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, I think Samsung has finally come very close to answering that question. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 costs Rs 1,84,999 in India, which immediately puts it in the ultra-premium category. That is a lot of money for a smartphone even by flagship standards. To be honest, there is no doubt that the Fold 8 is impressive. But after spending weeks with it, I kept coming back to one question -- is the improved foldable experience enough to justify that price? Here's what I feel. The first thing I noticed about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is its design. The Korean giant has made it wider and shorter this time. When folded, it has a 5.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display. It may sound smaller than the screen on most regular phones but I found the wider shape more comfortable to use. I was able to comfortably hold the phone in one hand and do most of the things like checking notifications, scrolling through social media, reading messages, browsing websites and watching videos on YouTube. I did not have to stretch my thumb to reach the top of the screen, which made the phone easier to use. I noticed this even more when I was using my primary iPhone 17 Pro. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels compact when it is closed but the moment you open it, the experience changes completely. You get a 7.6-inch display with a roughly 4:3 aspect ratio and this is where the Fold 8 starts making much more sense. Samsung has created a phone that can behave like a regular smartphone when you need it and a small tablet when you want more screen space. And unlike some foldables where I felt that the phone was too thick, tall or too heavy, the Fold 8 is surprisingly on the lighter side. It weighs 201 grams and measures just 4.5mm when unfolded. For something that carries two displays, a hinge, two batteries and flagship hardware, it is impressive. There is one thing I would recommend here is a case. The phone has a very premium finish but I found it slippery to be honest. Since I was using it without a case for much of my review period, I had a few mini-heart attack moments. The hinge was also one of the best parts of the phone. Opening it felt smoother and I did not have to use much force at the start. Another thing which I noticed was when I placed the phone on a table, it wobbled quite a lot because of the camera module on the back especially noticeable when I tried to use the phone while it was lying flat on my office table. The phone also comes with an IP48 rating, which gives it protection against water and dust. Overall, the build quality feels properly premium. There is no feeling that Samsung has cut corners just because this is a foldable. I did not expect the cover display to become one of my favourite parts of the Fold 8. Usually, when I use a foldable, I end up opening it for almost everything because the outer display feels too narrow. That is not really the case here. The 5.5-inch cover screen is wider and I found it much easier to use with one hand. Reading text is more comfortable, and apps such as Instagram have more horizontal space. The cover screen worked well for typing and I felt it easy to use.