The $1,200 Z Flip 8 fees slower than a $300 Android cellphone

Samsung’s flagships have come beneath hearth over time for lagging behind the most effective {hardware} in the marketplace in a technique or one other. Charging energy has been on the coronary heart of many criticisms, traditionally lagging a way behind the competitors. That’s modified considerably this yr. First, the Galaxy S26 Extremely jumped to 60W, and now the Z Fold 8 and eight Extremely are shifting as much as 45W as effectively. Not the quickest within the enterprise, however undoubtedly extra within the combine than a few years in the past.

Nevertheless, this has left the brand new Galaxy Z Flip 8 trying fairly sluggish in comparison with its finest flagships, and even its nippy midrangers. Samsung’s compact foldable nonetheless fees at simply 25W. For a 2026 foldable that prices $1,200, that’s simply insane. Particularly when you think about that $300 telephones can outpace it when it comes to energy.

Take the Moto G (2026), for instance. Motorola’s $300 funds cellphone manages to cram 30W into the cellphone, leading to a cost time that bested final yr’s Z Flip 7 to full by a minute. However bear in mind, the little Moto G is filling a 5,200mAh cell in comparison with Samsung’s way more modest 4,300mAh. The foldable’s battery capability is unchanged this yr, so we must always count on the Z Flip 8 to be simply as sluggish because the Flip 7.

The Nothing Telephone 4a is one other prime instance of a cellphone that prices considerably lower than Samsung’s newest foldable but packs extra charging energy. £349 (~$473) nets you 50W right into a 5,080mAh cell, with a full cost time in just below an hour in comparison with the Flip’s over 90 minutes. On the subject of battery anxiousness, not solely is that this funds cellphone prone to last more, nevertheless it additionally will get again on its ft a lot sooner, too.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 can fake to cover behind the thermal constraints of the clamshell kind issue all it likes, however that’s hardly a sturdy protection for a cellphone charging $1,200. For the previous couple of generations, the Motorola Razr Extremely collection (admittedly priced barely above Samsung’s Flip) has delivered as much as 68W of energy in a compact clamshell, leading to sub-hour charging instances.

It may be completed, however Samsung appears unwilling to prioritize sooner charging for Flip clients. It clearly has the expertise to help 45W and even 60W energy ranges in its different flagship merchandise, however the trick is to spend money on energy ICs, sturdy batteries, and thermal administration to make quick charging work in a clamshell foldable, too. For $1,200 — the Flip 8’s new beginning worth — that shouldn’t be an excessive amount of to ask, particularly since telephones costing a fraction of that may do it.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 collection proving Samsung can ship meaningfully sooner charging in its foldables, the Z Flip 8’s 25W restrict feels much less like an engineering constraint and extra like a selection. Whether or not it’s cost-cutting, element prioritization, or just a blind spot, the consequence is similar: Samsung’s costliest clamshell is outpaced by telephones a 3rd of its worth. The Z Flip 9 can be time to repair that.