Samsung's Z Flip 8 opens up full apps on its cover screen, but the tiny display still shapes the experience

Samsung's latest flip phone keeps the same hardware but reworks the cover screen to run full Android apps, letting users scroll social feeds, watch videos, and play games without unfolding the device. Not every application adapts well to the small square display with its camera cutouts, yet the awkwardness of using a cramped screen can actually reduce mindless phone time. The device is thinner and lighter with reliable battery life, but it remains vulnerable to dust and costs $100 more than its predecessor.

EXPANDED:

The Z Flip 8's 4-inch cover screen now functions much like a standard Android homescreen, with gesture-based access to notifications, quick settings, and an app drawer. Samsung has made MultiStar, the Good Lock module that unlocks any app for the outer display, far easier to find than in previous generations, where it was buried deep in settings.

App performance varies dramatically on the square screen. The Withings health app renders graphs too large to navigate, while Google Maps feels cluttered and difficult to zoom.