Samsung Electronics' next foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold8, is expected to hinge on improved camera performance, a bigger battery and price competitiveness. By contrast, there was disappointment about changes that could make the device thicker, such as a return of the S Pen.

On July 4 local time, IT outlet TechRadar reviewed what it wants and does not want to see in the next model, the Z Fold8, based on its experience using the Galaxy Z Fold7 as its main phone for a year.

The first issue it raised was the camera. It assessed the Z Fold7 as strong in its foldable form factor, but said its shooting performance falls short of Samsung's bar-type flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It pointed to wide gaps in the 200-megapixel sensor, telephoto camera setup and zoom performance.

It said that if the Z Fold8 is launched as an Ultra model as leaks suggest, the camera should also deliver Ultra-level performance. It said complaints about overall product completeness could grow if a high-priced foldable phone has weaker camera performance than a standard flagship.

Price is also a variable. As rising memory and storage costs raise the possibility that the Z Fold8 could cost more than its predecessor, there is also speculation that some design changes could lead to cost reductions. Still, it is unclear whether the actual retail price will fall, given talk of a Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th generation processor and 12GB of RAM.

Calls for better battery performance are also strong. The Z Fold7 kept the same 4,400 mAh battery as the previous model, and Samsung said it extended usage time through chipset and software optimisation. But many users said the battery drains faster than expected.

According to leaked information, the Z Fold8 could carry a 4,800 mAh battery, while an Ultra model could have a 5,000 mAh battery. That would not be a dramatic change compared with the trend among Chinese manufacturers to adopt 7,000 mAh-class silicon carbon batteries, but it could help reduce complaints from existing users.

On the display, the privacy display feature applied to the Galaxy S26 Ultra was mentioned. The feature reduces screen exposure in sensitive situations such as mobile banking or entering passwords, and it could become a differentiator if applied to a Z Fold8 Ultra model. But no related leak has been confirmed so far.

By contrast, a negative view was raised about bringing back the S Pen. Since one of the biggest advantages of the Z Fold7 was its thinner profile, it was seen as undesirable for the device to become thick again to store an S Pen. It said there is little need to revive the S Pen at the expense of a foldable phone's portability and grip.

Ultimately, the task for the Z Fold8 is to strike a balance rather than simply adding features. The camera needs to be raised to Ultra level, the battery must reduce real-world complaints, and the price must be convincing for a high-priced foldable phone. At the same time, whether it can maintain the Z Fold7's strengths of thinness and portability is expected to be a key point to watch for the next model.