**very early honeymoon phase please keep this in consideration. Just wanted to yap about some minor points I didn't see heavily mentioned in reviews.**

**My Usage ratio: 80:20 Folded/Unfolded**



Folded Form factor: **Big Upgrade**

* Typing is just way better, same feeling I had when I switched from fold 5 to the s24ultra. I have shite hand dexterity so every mm counts ;)
* Reaching top of phone so easily without hand gymnastics is sweet
* The aspect ratio of the screen is just better for reading text. The narrowness of the f7 makes things feel so cramped, and the f7 was already a big improvement over the old folds.
* I'm currently babying this newbie so I'm rocking the **Samsung Silicon Back** case, whereas I used the fold 7 naked. Due to the case, I haven't noticed much difference in weight, although the distribution of weight is more dense due to the smaller size. Proper nugget.
* Really digging the smaller form factor so far, added bonus of staying in pockets better because its short (fold 7 + sport shorts + sitting down = nightmare)
* The power button / fingerprint sensor is a little lower on the f8 compared to f7. I think I prefer the f7 height, but it's not drastic.
* The biggest annoyance I have with this form factor so far is that with the way I hold the phone (pinky on the bottom) my index finger rests on top of the camera lenses. Definitely going to have to clean the camera lens before taking snaps. 
* The f7 was shaped where i could sort of rest of my index finger on the side of the camera bump for leverage. You can sort of do the same thing for the f8 but its a bit too low so it feels unnatural to me.



Hinge: **Peak**

* I think I've used flex mode once in the 5 years I've had a folding phone, it kinda just pissed me off using two long ass screens in landscape, so the loss of flex mode doesn't affect me (YMMV)
* This new hinge is a huge improvement for me. My f7 since day 1 has sounded like crackling leather being unfolded and doesn't open completely to 180 degrees. Both problems non-existent with the f8.
* Crease - never cared since like fold 5. Yeah its good day 1, it always is. Won't be surprised to see it at f7 levels in a few months.



Unfolded Form Factor: **Big Upgrade**

* Am glad they made it way easier to unfold lol, the f7 is honestly a struggle at times.
* As a user that has auto-rotate permanently turned off, this form factor just makes sense. I would say 80% of the time I'm unfolding I want a landscape aspect ratio. 
* ***Just rotate your f7 lol*** \- true. But there's just *something good* about opening your fold and it being exactly the way you want it to be, ready to go without fiddling around.
* One use-case for me where this is **not** true is **manga reading**. Can't win them all I guess. Once rotated, the aspect ratio on the 8 is slightly better for manga (less borders) but this is **way** less important than video black borders. 
* Additionally, the cover screen (folded) is now **surprisingly good** for reading manga - it passes the Hunter X Hunter wall of text test and I have bad ageing eyes. 
* Webtoon/Manhwa readers, no question long narrow > short fat
* Video/Gaming - I'm going to assume you've watched enough reviews on that to form your own opinions. For me it's way better on f8.
* Will be testing gamehub/gamenative for indie games fully expecting thermal throttle. Own a gamesir g8 bt but find the whole telescopic controller shenanigans cumbersome. Do most of my handheld gaming on my lg2 instead.
* Who tf actually uses the inner display camera man, just get rid of it or at least move it to the corner



Speakers: **HMM**

* Yes, the speakers being on the same half is noticeable
* HOWEVER, the speaker quality in general is way better than the 7. Way more balanced, the 7 is tinny and distorted at loud volumes.
* I honestly thought the sound of these foldables were hard to improve on due to the form factor so I've been in hindsight giving the 7 too much slack for how crap it is.
* The sq improvement outweighs the stereo loss for me so it's actually an overall improvement for me, but obviously a possible area to fix in later generations.
* Personally don't really care enough for it to be a major factor. Firstly, my phone is generally folded. Secondly, I use external speakers/earphones when necessary and only really use the phone speakers in situations where I don't really care about the audio.
* Max volume is about the same - low compared to other phones - I work in a noisy environment and wish I could hear my notifications better.



Cameras: **not a camera guy sorry**



CREAM colour: **HMM**

* It's nice. The blue 7 is nicer, but the paint got scratched up. Hoping the silver will hide it better on the 8. Slight buyers remorse not going for graphite but would have preferred a darker black. Think the colours are kinda doodoo this gen



Battery: **Too early**

* It's day 1. Will say I gave it a quick topup and it was generating a fair bit of heat whilst plugged in. Not sure if it's an early thing or what.



Samsung Silicon case: **Bought because of preorder voucher** 

* It's alright, the texture is actually really nice. I honestly couldn't stand half cases on previous generations, because it just felt weird and not that great to open. Feeling much less critical about how it feels on the 8
* Why is the magsafe ring visible on the outside? Seen plenty of magsafe cases where it's not.
* Came with two ar film protectors - they're ok. I botched the application; will be replacing with glass when it arrives.
* If you pay full price for this you are a bozo.



Samsung battery pack: **Bought because of preorder voucher**

* Yeah I fked up, this is not going to fit lmao, guess I'm the bozo. Will be giving this away.
* You've had the fold wide format in the works for so long, cmon Samsung. Give me a pingu battery or something.



Overall: **I love this nugget, best fold yet.**

Some early F7 -> F8 (wide) impressions