I have been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 for almost a week since it was unveiled last Wednesday at Samsung Unpacked in London.
I’ve written a first-impressions piece on the three new foldables over at INQUIRER.net. This post explores some sample photos of the new Fold8 as our group toured Westminster Abbey, among other places in London for our Unpacked sojourn.
I was a bit skeptical about the lack of a telephoto lens for the Fold8, but it seems that Samsung has drawn a line down the middle separating the Fold series with the S-series. At one high tea session with Samsung SEAO President and CEO CU Kim, he mentioned that Samsung Unpacked is usually held in creative cultural settings for the Z Fold series while high tech S-series are usually homed back in the Bay Area.
Nonetheless, I was quite impressed with the digital 10x zoom because it did allow me some creative leeway for tourist shots at Westminster Abbey. If you’re looking for an everyday snapper with rear camera selfie ease of use, the Fold8 delivers. If you’re looking for a concert camera, go for the S26 Ultra.
The most exciting find at Westminster Abbey was the tomb of Gerard Manley Hopkins. I wouldn’t say he was my favorite poet, but he was the most transformational. I studied Pied Beauty in grade school. Thanks to my former professor Mr. Galicia, I was able to see how poetry can push boundaries. Like, “OMG poetry can be that way?” It was a truly foundational piece in my humanities headfaking, which paved the way to how I treat literature.
This is my third Samsung Unpacked in three years. The first was in 2024 for the Fold7 launch timed with the Paris Olympics. The second was earlier this year in San Francisco for the S26 Ultra. A part of me feels like the character Frieren, having been in this industry for almost three decades — with about 8 editorial teams in total. This is the narrative of my current tribe — some new faces, some old ones. I’m here enjoying the ride.
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