Galaxy Z Fold 8 cameras still disappoint, and Fold 9 may not improve them

A reviewer who has used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for about three months still likes the phone, but says the cameras are its big weakness. Early leaks about the next model, the Galaxy Z Fold 9, suggest Samsung may not fix that. The reviewer at 9to5Google calls the cameras "the biggest mistake in this whole package."

What the reviewer found

The Fold 8 has two 50MP cameras, a main and an ultra-wide. It has no third lens. The reviewer says photo quality falls off a cliff beyond 2x zoom. The phone's short design also means a finger often ends up in the bottom of the shot. The main camera does fine, and the saturated colors look good on fall foliage. Still, the reviewer reaches for a second phone for most photos and uses the Fold only for meal photos and document scans.

What the rumors say

Some leakers claim the Fold 9 will keep the same two 50MP sensors. A higher-end Fold 9 Ultra might get a new main sensor, but no major hardware changes are expected there either. These are unconfirmed claims, not announcements.

The reviewer's smaller request is a new camera layout. That could help with finger-in-frame shots, the phone wobbling on a table, and problems with Qi2 wireless charging.

Samsung has not said anything in this report about the Fold 9, and no price or release date is given. For anyone who wants a foldable as their main camera, the rumors point to waiting or looking at other phones.