Comparing Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Huawei Pura X Max: Differences in the design philosophy of folding smartphones

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2026 is likely to be the year when the trend of foldable smartphones will clearly change. Apart from the conventional "Fold" series, which had a vertically long body, models that adopt a horizontally long body that resembles a "passport" when closed are appearing one after another.

Representative examples are Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold8 and Huawei's HUAWEI Pura X Max. Although the two devices have similar shapes, their design concepts are completely different. We compared the actual machines to see what differences there are between the two machines.

Check the specs of both models. They seem similar but have slightly different sizes.

First, let's check the main specifications. The main display of the Galaxy Z Fold8 is approximately 7.6 inches (4:3, 1848 x 2448 pixels), and the cover display is approximately 5.5 inches (10:16). The thickness is approximately 4.5mm when unfolded and approximately 9.7mm when folded, and the weight is approximately 201g.

The processor is "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy" and the OS is Android-based "One UI 9". The out-camera has a dual-lens configuration with a wide-angle and an ultra-wide-angle of approximately 50 million pixels, and the battery capacity is 4800mAh, and supports wired 45W and wireless 20W charging. It has a waterproof and dustproof rating of IP48, and prices start from 269,880 yen (open market model). Note that it does not support flex mode, which will be described later.

On the other hand, the main display of HUAWEI Pura X Max is approximately 7.7 inches (14.1:10, 2584 x 1828 pixels), and the cover display is approximately 5.4 inches (1264 x 1848 pixels). The thickness is approximately 5.2 mm when unfolded and approximately 11.2 mm when folded, and the weight is approximately 229 g.

The processor is the uniquely designed "Kirin 9030 Pro" and the OS is Huawei's own "HarmonyOS 6.1". Since it is a proprietary OS that has abolished compatibility with Android apps, Android apps will not work as is.

The out-camera has a three-lens configuration: a wide-angle of about 50 million pixels (variable aperture of F1.4 to F4.0), a periscope telephoto of about 50 million pixels (3.5x optical), and an ultra-wide-angle of about 12.5 million pixels. The battery capacity is 5300mAh, and it supports wired charging at 66W and wireless charging at 50W. The waterproof and dustproof rating complies with IP58/IP59, and the price starts from 10,999 yuan (approximately 230,000 yen).

Just looking at the spec numbers, you can see that Samsung Electronics excels in thinness and lightness, while Huawei excels in cameras, batteries, charging performance, and waterproof performance. Despite the same concept of "specializing in content consumption," Samsung Electronics emphasizes thinness and lightness, while Huawei creates products that are more flagship-like.

When you actually pick it up, the weight difference of about 28g is bigger than you might imagine. The Galaxy Z Fold8 weighs approximately 201g, making it the world's lightest horizontally folding smartphone. The thickness when closed is approximately 9.7mm, so it won't feel strange even if you put it in the inside pocket of your jacket.

The Pura X Max, on the other hand, weighs approximately 229g and is approximately 11.2mm thick when folded. It's not heavy by any means, but if you hold it in one hand and look at SNS for a long time, you'll feel a surprising amount of fatigue in your wrist. This difference gradually affects daily use. Especially when you use it in the closed state, you will be conscious of its heavy weight.