I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for several weeks, and even though the Z Fold 8 is trouncing it in sales figures, the premium model is still an impressive foldable.

It's likely going to be the main Samsung foldable that Google targets with its much-leaked Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold, continuing the burgeoning rivalry between the lines.

Based on my weeks of testing, there's one spec improvement I'd love to see on the new Pixel Fold to make it a genuine Samsung rival. It's not a flashy tool or new mode, but something incredibly simple.

Battery is the Galaxy Z Fold's big weakness

A big screen, but no lasting power

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery life, a spec in which it matches the "standard" Galaxy Z Fold 8. And neither capacity is enough.

Neither phone has given me a reliable whole-day battery life, not if that day includes using the large inner display. I often have to charge the devices mid-way through a day if I want them to survive.

Gaming or watching videos on the large display drains the battery by a significant amount, enough that a round of Slay The Spire on the bus means I won't see a full day of use.

Battery life issues aren't new for Samsung, and I wrote about battery tests I did on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. But precedent shouldn't be used to justify a lacking spec.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
  •                 **SoC**
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
  •                 **Display type**
  • Dynamic AMOLED 2x 120Hz
  •                 **Display dimensions**
  • 8-inches open / 6.5-inches closed
  •                 **RAM**

  • 12GB / 16GB

  •                     **Battery**
  • 5,000mAh

A long-lasting foldable will win the day

How Google can beat the Z Fold 8 Ultra

Battery life isn't exactly a flashy feature, with some brands having to push 9,000mAh capacities to win a headline. But it's the kind of spec that affects how we use a phone.

We praised the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold for its battery life, and I've often found that Pixel phones last longer than the suggested battery capacity.

That phone had a 5,015mAh power pack, so the difference between its cell and the Z Fold 8 Ultra's is negligible, but the Pixel gains a slight advantage when you consider its lasting power.

However, a slight difference isn't enough. For the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold to steal my heart from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, it needs a battery that lasts significantly longer than Samsung's phone does.

I need a foldable that can last me a plane or train ride of TV or games, and still have stamina on the other side. I need a phone I can use for photo shoots without worrying about navigating home after.

At the moment, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't quite that. I don't know that I can rely on it on those long days and nights. So if the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is to beat the Ultra, its battery is its most important spec.

I don't need flashy features or camera modes

Despite that being Google's bread and butter

Google is primarily a software company. Every time it unveils a new phone, the focus is on its software or new tools, rather than the hardware. We often write about Google Pixel camera features, and it's undeniably the phones' draw.

But that's not the case with foldable phones. The appeal of devices of this form factor is that they bend. They're mobiles that exist as hardware, and fancy software tricks rarely affect their appeal (unless something major is missing).

I consider Samsung the stronger company of the two in terms of hardware. Its displays are second to none, and it nailed the folding architecture. I won't argue that its software competes with Google, though. I'm no One UI fan.

Whatever camera features Google packs into the Pixel 11 phones, I don't really care whether it shows up in the Fold. The point of that phone is the screen, and any other spec that helps me appreciate that screen.

But for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold to compete with Samsung's latest offerings, Google will have to focus more on the hardware it offers to buyers, rather than relying on new software tools to sell the devices.

It's all just a runner-up race anyway

Perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold race doesn't matter. After all, the former isn't even Samsung's frontrunner anymore. The standard Z Fold 8 is selling far better, surprising many (including me).

There's no indication that Google has a rival for this passport-sized mobile in the works. Instead, it's competing with Samsung and the Ultra for the silver trophy in the foldable race.

Or is that the bronze trophy? We've been hearing that the rumored Apple iPhone Ultra could launch this year, perhaps with tools that see it beat Samsung and Google in one fell swoop.