Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Fold 8 Ultra vs Flip 8: Benchmark Performance Breakdown
We put the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8 to the test. See how the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chips perform in our latest benchmarks.
Samsung's 2026 foldable lineup has officially arrived, and for the first time, the entire Z-series—the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the premium Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra—are powered by the formidable Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. After subjecting these devices to rigorous testing in the Tom's Guide labs, we have definitive answers regarding how they perform against each other and their predecessors.
The Power of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Last year saw a split strategy where the Z Flip 7 utilized Samsung's internal Exynos 2500 silicon, while the Z Fold 7 leveraged Qualcomm's flagship power. This year, unification brings all three devices onto a level playing field, and the results are historic, with these models proving to be the most powerful foldables we have ever tested.
GeekBench Performance Analysis
In our GeekBench 6.7 testing, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra emerged as the clear leader, crossing the 3,700 barrier in single-core performance (3,733) and reaching a massive 11,457 in multi-core. Interestingly, while the standard Z Fold 8 holds a slight edge in single-core speed, the compact Z Flip 8 demonstrates superior multi-core efficiency at 11,215, highlighting a 59% jump in single-core performance compared to the Z Flip 7.
3DMark and Graphical Muscle
When testing for gaming and graphical rendering, the results were equally impressive. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra blew past the 30,000 threshold in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited, clocking in at 185.51 fps. The Z Flip 8 once again shocked our testers by outpacing the standard Z Fold 8, securing a score of 29,723. These numbers demonstrate a nearly 50% year-over-year improvement across the board, setting a new standard for mobile gaming on foldable displays.
Competitive Edge
Against the competition, Samsung’s dominance is undeniable. The Z Flip 8 outperformed the Motorola Razr Ultra (2026) by approximately 25% in CPU tasks. Even more staggering is the performance of the Z Fold 8 Ultra against the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold; Samsung's flagship currently holds an 80.9% lead in multi-core performance and a 132.8% lead in graphical rendering capabilities.
The Final Verdict
While the entire 2026 collection represents a massive leap forward, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra stands as the undeniable king of the foldable market. However, the Z Flip 8 is the true surprise of the year, proving that premium power is no longer exclusive to the largest and most expensive devices.
