Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 has arrived with the most significant redesign the foldable line has seen in years, and early reviews suggest the changes amount to more than just a cosmetic refresh. Here’s a breakdown of what’s drawing praise from reviewers — and why the device is standing out in an increasingly crowded foldable phone market.

1. A completely new, wider design

For the first time in seven generations, Samsung split its foldable lineup into two distinct devices, and the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 emerged as the more surprising standout. According to Engadget’s review, the phone borrows design elements from Samsung’s own back catalog while also drawing inspiration from rival devices, resulting in a wider, squatter form factor that reviewers say improves the overall experience. Engadget awarded the device a rating of 8.9 out of 10, specifically praising the “new wider design” as a “big win.”

2. Screen dimensions built for how people actually use their phones

Unlike previous Fold models built around a tall, narrow shape, the Z Fold 8 uses a shorter, wider build resembling a passport, according to Bloomberg’s review. That shape translates to screen dimensions better suited for watching video and consuming widescreen content — a meaningful shift, since Bloomberg noted this design direction represents the next major trend in foldable phones, with Apple’s own first foldable iPhone expected to adopt a similar shape later this year.

3. A cover display that’s genuinely useful on its own

Forbes Vetted’s two-week testing period highlighted the phone’s 5.5-inch cover display as a particular standout. According to the review, the smaller external screen proved ideal for quick tasks like responding to Slack messages, while unfolding the phone transformed it into what the reviewer described as “a multitasking powerhouse” for more involved work.

4. A genuine productivity powerhouse when unfolded

Once opened, the Z Fold 8’s 7.6-inch inner display becomes a legitimate workspace. Forbes Vetted’s reviewer described using the phone to review spreadsheets, make real-time edits and triage questions on the fly during an on-site work project — functionality made possible by Samsung DeX, which effectively turns the Android device into a laptop-like experience by allowing apps to open in windowed mode. Paired with a case that includes a stand, along with a wireless keyboard and mouse, the phone can function as a compact computer when needed.

5. Split-screen multitasking built in

Beyond DeX, the Z Fold 8 supports native split-screen functionality, allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously on the expansive inner display — a feature Forbes Vetted specifically called out as helping streamline multitasking during real-world testing.

6. Flagship-level performance

The Z Fold 8 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, according to SamMobile’s detailed specifications breakdown, giving it performance on par with other 2026 flagship devices. While Forbes Vetted noted the phone benchmarked slightly softer than some competitors during testing, the review emphasized that most everyday users are unlikely to notice any meaningful difference in real-world performance or power management.

7. Strong battery life and faster charging

Engadget’s review specifically praised the Z Fold 8’s battery life as a standout strength, alongside improvements to both wired and wireless charging speeds compared with prior generations. According to SamMobile’s specs rundown, the device is equipped with a 4,800mAh battery — a meaningful capacity for a foldable device that has to power two separate displays.

8. Long-term software support

The Z Fold 8 ships with Android 17 and One UI 9, backed by a commitment to seven years of major operating system updates, according to SamMobile. That extended update window puts the device in line with Samsung’s broader push toward longer software longevity across its flagship lineup, a factor that can meaningfully extend a device’s practical usable life well beyond its initial purchase.

9. Improved durability and display technology

Reviewers have also highlighted upgrades to the phone’s underlying construction. According to SamMobile, the Z Fold 8 features a slimmer crease along its foldable display and an improved anti-reflective coating, addressing two of the most persistent criticisms leveled at earlier foldable phones — visible screen creasing and glare in bright environments.

10. Competitive positioning against Apple’s first foldable

Perhaps most notably, the Z Fold 8 arrives positioned to compete directly against Apple’s rumored first folding iPhone, expected to be unveiled later this year, according to Bloomberg’s reporting. With Samsung having already established a wide-format foldable that reviewers are responding to positively, the Z Fold 8 gives the company a meaningful head start in shaping consumer expectations for what a mainstream folding phone should look and feel like — right as competition in the category intensifies.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 was announced July 22, 2026, during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, with the 256GB configuration priced at $1,900 in the U.S. and €2,000 in Europe, according to SamMobile. The device became available for purchase starting Aug. 5, 2026.

A few trade-offs to weigh

Despite the largely positive reception, reviewers noted some drawbacks worth considering. Engadget’s review flagged the phone’s price as a genuine downside, along with the absence of a dedicated zoom camera and the need for a case or additional accessories to take advantage of magnetic charging and accessory attachments. Buyers weighing the standard Z Fold 8 against the pricier Z Fold 8 Ultra should also note that the Ultra offers a taller profile, a larger cover display and improved cameras, making it the better fit for users who prioritize photography and prefer a narrower, more traditional foldable shape.

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LOS ANGELES — Foundations funded and co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos have launched a $200 million initiative aimed at reviving 100 of Earth’s most threatened species, marking what organizers describe as the largest single philanthropic fund in history dedicated exclusively to recovering critically endangered wildlife.

DiCaprio’s conservation organization Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund are jointly leading the new effort, called the Phoenix Species Project, which the groups announced Tuesday. The initiative will target species facing imminent extinction across 30 countries, spanning mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and plants — including endangered lemurs, salamanders, pangolins, pigs and echidnas.

A years-long partnership finally taking shape

The project’s origins trace back several years, growing out of DiCaprio’s long-standing effort to organize a major concerted push to help species whose habitats and survival are threatened by climate change. In 2021, DiCaprio and Re:wild co-founder and CEO Wes Sechrest, a biologist, met with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, a former TV news reporter and host who now serves as vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund alongside her husband, who chairs the organization.

That meeting sparked a series of follow-up conversations involving local governments, environmental groups and Indigenous communities focused on how best to reverse the decline of the world’s most vulnerable species — conversations that ultimately culminated in the Phoenix Species Project’s launch.

How the funding breaks down

The Bezos Earth Fund is committing $100 million to the project, according to Variety, with Re:wild matching that amount through support from DiCaprio, along with additional contributions from Age of Union and the Todd Graves Family Foundation.

The initiative will operate in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, local communities, scientists and conservationists across the participating countries. It also supports broader international efforts tied to Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a global agreement that calls on governments to halt extinctions and improve the conservation status of endangered species. The Reverse the Red Action Partnership will work alongside the project to help governments identify priority species and implement recovery actions, while the IUCN Species Survival Commission — described as the world’s largest volunteer conservation science network — is serving as the initiative’s global knowledge partner.

A direct impact for grant recipients on the ground

Local conservation groups are already receiving support through the initiative. Tiana Andriamanana, executive director of Association Fanamby, one of the organizations set to receive a grant, described the funding as a turning point for efforts to protect the golden-crowned sifaka, a critically endangered lemur species found in Madagascar. “We’ve protected the golden-crowned sifaka for years on a budget that would never match what this species deserves, but letting it go extinct was never an option,” Andriamanana said in a statement. “This funding, this global platform and technical support change what is possible.”

Sánchez Bezos frames the effort as a shift from managing decline to recovery

Lauren Sánchez Bezos framed the initiative’s ambitions in stark terms, emphasizing recovery rather than simply slowing species decline. “This project is our answer,” she said in a statement. “One hundred species, 30 countries and a real commitment to bringing them back. Not managing their decline. Recovering them. That’s the whole difference. We know how to do this. We just have to stay committed long enough to see it through.”

Among the species the project will focus on, according to the Hollywood Reporter, are the golden-crowned sifaka of Madagascar, the ancient shark-like bowmouth guitarfish, a small desert succulent illegally harvested for the ornamental plant trade in western South Africa, and tree-dwelling Hickory Nut Gorge species native to specific mountain habitats.

Part of a longer arc of environmental advocacy for both men

DiCaprio has built a decades-long public profile as an environmental advocate, dating back to founding his own foundation in 1998, shortly after finishing filming “Titanic,” with a focus on protecting the planet’s endangered species across more than 40 countries. His advocacy gained further national attention in 2016, when his best actor Oscar acceptance speech — which became the most-viewed best actor speech in YouTube history — closed with a direct appeal about climate change, urging audiences, “Let us not take this planet for granted.”

Bezos, for his part, established the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020, committing billions of dollars toward climate change and environmental restoration efforts globally. The Phoenix Species Project builds on both men’s separate track records of environmental philanthropy, bringing their respective organizations together under a single, targeted conservation effort focused specifically on species recovery rather than broader climate mitigation work.

Organizers describe the $200 million commitment as an initial investment rather than the full scope of the project’s eventual funding, with the initiative structured to provide long-term support for conservation efforts targeting the 100 identified species over an extended period. Additional details on specific country partnerships and individual species recovery plans are expected to be announced as local grant recipients, including groups like Association Fanamby, begin implementing programs in their respective regions.

Multiple outage-tracking services checked Sunday show no evidence of a widespread Capital One outage currently affecting customers, with automated monitors and crowdsourced report trackers reporting the bank’s systems as operating normally.

According to Outage.Report, which tracks service disruptions using automated monitoring combined with social media signals, Capital One “appears to be working normally,” with report volume described as within the typical range for this time of day and zero user-submitted signals logged over the past 24 hours as of the latest check. The site noted that if a broader outage isn’t being detected, any individual access problems are more likely tied to a person’s local internet connection, device or app rather than a systemwide issue.

Similarly, outage-tracker Downtester reported Capital One as “fully operational with no user-reported issues detected in the last 24 hours,” while automated monitoring service UptimeRobot’s most recent check — run from North America — did not detect any unusual response times or error codes from the bank’s website.

StatusGator, which aggregates issue reports, page visits and signal strength to assess service health, similarly logged Capital One as operational during its most recent check, noting only a small number of user-submitted outage reports over the prior 24-hour period — a volume consistent with the routine background noise most major online services see on any given day, rather than an indication of a confirmed, active outage.

Why isolated complaints don’t always mean a full outage

Even when overall monitoring shows a service as operational, individual users sometimes report frustrations that can look like outage symptoms but stem from more localized issues. According to UptimeRobot’s guidance for troubleshooting suspected outages, users experiencing access problems should first try opening the Capital One website or app from a different browser, device or network — such as a mobile hotspot — and consider clearing their device’s DNS cache, disabling any active VPN connection, or restarting their router before assuming a broader service failure is underway.

Sites like Is The Service Down also continue to log a steady trickle of individual customer complaints on social media platforms, covering issues ranging from mobile check deposit slowdowns to account access frustrations and disputes over rewards points — the kind of routine, scattered customer service complaints that don’t necessarily reflect a confirmed, systemwide technical outage.

A history of past disruptions

Capital One is not new to periodic service disruptions. The bank has previously experienced significant, confirmed outages tied to third-party vendor problems. In one such incident, an outage stemming from a technical issue with vendor Fidelity Information Services, based in Jacksonville, Florida, left some customers without access to deposits, payments and transfers for multiple days. According to reporting from NBC News at the time, FIS said the disruption was caused by a local power outage affecting a data center critical to various banking applications used by Capital One and other financial institutions.

During that earlier incident, Capital One acknowledged the ongoing issues publicly, with a bank representative telling a customer on social media platform X that the company continued working “around the clock to restore full functionality as soon as possible.” Following resolution of that outage, Capital One issued a statement saying, “We have restored full account functionality and processed outstanding transactions for most of our customers, and are completing work to restore full service to all of our customers as soon as possible. We recognize the frustration this issue has caused and will continue to provide updates. We sincerely apologize to our valued customers.”

Financial industry experts note that outages of this kind, while disruptive, are not unusual across the banking sector given the complexity of the technology infrastructure involved. “Outages are not rare in the financial industry,” Phillip Parker, founder of CardPaymentOptions.com, said in comments reported by AOL. “Banks and payment processors use complicated computer systems, and sometimes they break down. They most often occur due to a bungled software update or a failure in a critical part of the infrastructure. Most institutions have backup plans to minimize disruptions, but sometimes outages still occur.”

Research cited in that same coverage, from PYMNTS Intelligence, estimated that service interruptions cost Global 2000 companies roughly $400 billion annually, underscoring the broader financial stakes tied to outages across major service providers, including banks.

What to do if you’re experiencing issues right now

For anyone currently having trouble accessing Capital One’s website, mobile app or account services, checking a live outage tracker like Outage.Report or Downtester can help determine whether the issue is isolated or part of a broader, confirmed disruption. If other users in your area are reporting similar problems, or if Capital One issues an official statement acknowledging a technical issue, that would indicate a genuine, systemwide outage rather than a local connectivity problem.

As of this writing, no official statement from Capital One acknowledging a current outage had been identified, and the balance of available live monitoring data points to normal service.

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