The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's arrival coincided with a Lego event I was attending, and the Motorola Razr Fold was sitting next to it on my desk.

The opportunity to test the cameras seemed too good to miss, as these big-screen folding phones share a 3x optical zoom telephoto capability, making it possible to get up close to the Lego sets on display at the event.

While the event didn't have as many sets to photograph as I wanted, I tested the cameras throughout the day, and the results were fascinating. Let's find out which one is the winner.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Camera specs and prices

Price makes a difference

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a 200-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), plus a 50MP wide-angle camera and a 10MP telephoto with OIS enabling a 3x optical zoom.

The Motorola Razr Fold has a 50MP main camera with an f/1.6 aperture and OIS, plus a 50MP wide-angle camera. It has a 50MP periscope telephoto with OIS, which also enables 3x optical zoom photos.

In the image comparisons below, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's photos are on the left, and the Motorola Razr Fold's photos are on the right.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is more expensive than the Razr Fold. It costs $2,100 compared to the Razr Fold's $1,900.

This test is about the camera, but having used them back-to-back, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's screens are brighter, there's less of a crease on the inner screen, and the hinge has a smoother, more confidence-inspiring motion.

Despite both phones coming out in 2026, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks and feels like a more modern phone.

There's nothing wrong with the Razr Fold, but it is possible to tell why the Z Fold 8 Ultra is more expensive, just from the design and advancements made to the inner screen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Lego at 3x zoom

An early Motorola lead

We're going to look at the 3x zoom photos first, but it will be split into two sections. Here, it's about Lego indoors, and in the second section we'll look at how the 3x cameras perform outdoors.

Immediately, it's obvious the Razr Fold's 3x periscope telephoto takes better indoor 3x photos.

I tapped-to-focus on the orange mini-figure in the image above, and the depth of field in the Razr Fold's photo is much more pronounced. Colors are brighter and more vibrant, there's less noise, and the photo is sharper.

These elements are visible in the second photo too. However, it also emphasizes the Z Fold 8 Ultra's warmer tone and slightly better optimized white balance.

The Razr Fold tends to overexpose photos. The Z Fold 8 Ultra's image is slightly closer to the actual colors and tone of the scene in real life.

In the third photo, I tapped-to-focus on the black mini-figure, and the Razr Fold's sharp focus and excellent detail levels shine through. From the dust on the helmet to the clarity of the Lego text on the blue studs, it captures the scene far more attractively.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: 3x zoom outdoors

Samsung fights back

The Motorola Razr Fold has the Z Fold 8 Ultra's telephoto zoom beaten indoors, but what happens outside?

The differences seen in the indoor photos are less easy to spot.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra's 3x photo of the car is well-balanced, and the colors are more natural. The Razr Fold's strong HDR effect adds punch, but it doesn't truly represent the scene.

It's the same with the 3x photo of the metal horse statue.

The Razr Fold's HDR effect strips away realism in its quest to make photos social-media-friendly, but it's the Z Fold 8 Ultra's less intense treatment of the scene that makes it the more appealing image.

Considering the Razr Fold's performance indoors, the way it loses out to the Z Fold 8 Ultra outside is a surprise. How about when we compare the main camera?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Main cameras

The Razr Fold's issues continue

It doesn't take an expert to see the differences between the main cameras based on the first photo, taken indoors at the Lego event. It highlights how the Razr Fold handles white balance and exposure in a completely different way to the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

The reality was somewhere between the two. Not as stark as the Razr Fold's photo, and not as warm as the Z Fold 8 Ultra's photo.

Take the cameras outside, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra's more realistic, less over-exposed photos look great. There's more detail, deeper colors, and a subtle depth-of-field that keeps more of the subject in focus.

Shoot a more traditional scene, and while the Razr Fold's HDR effect ensures colors are striking, the Z Fold 8 Ultra's photo has more defined detail, less haze, and a more accurate representation of real life.

However, the Razr Fold's photo is more likely to be shared on social media without edits.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Wide-angle cameras

Little to separate them

The wide-angle photo of the scene above again shows how the Razr Fold's exposure levels change the look of an image.

Both are consistent with their respective main camera's performance, but that means if you preferred one over the other before, there's not much to change your mind here.

Detail levels are similar. However, there is more noise in the Z Fold 8 Ultra's sky, something you can see in the wide-angle photo taken inside the Lego event.

Unless you're really cropping down the image, it's unlikely the small differences will bother anyone, and overall performance from both is decent for a wide-angle camera.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Fold: Which camera wins?

A telephoto winner, and a test champion

The aim of this test was to compare the 3x optical zoom capabilities of the Razr Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's the Motorola phone which has come out on top. The photo above is another example of its prowess.

Its photos have more detail, less noise, sharper focus, and more vibrant colors than 3x indoor photos taken with the Z Fold 8 Ultra's telephoto, which was a disappointment.

However, when you take the phones outside, the situation is reversed.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra's better-optimized exposure and more realistic colors and white balance mean both outdoor 3x performance and the main camera improve on the photos taken with the Razr Fold.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
  •                 **SoC**
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
  •                 **Display type**
  • Dynamic AMOLED 2x 120Hz
  •                 **Display dimensions**
  • 8-inches open / 6.5-inches closed
  •                 **RAM**
  • 12GB / 16GB
  •                 **Storage**
  • 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
  •                 **Battery**
  • 5,000mAh

This is where the test shocked. There was such a pronounced difference in indoor 3x telephoto performance, it was a surprise not to see the Razr Fold go on to beat the Z Fold 8 Ultra elsewhere.

However, the Razr Fold really only beat the Z Fold 8 Ultra indoors, and at 3x zoom. Everywhere else, I preferred Samsung's camera performance.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has to win the overall test, but it also illustrates how the 10MP 3x telephoto underperforms, and why Samsung should look to improve it for future phones.

Motorola Razr Fold
  •                 **SoC**
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
  •                 **Display type**
  • pOLED inner / pOLED cover
  •                 **Display dimensions**
  • 8.1-inch inner / 6.56-inch cover
  •                 **Display resolution**

  • 2484 x 2232 pixels inner / 2520 x 1080 pixels cover

  •                     **RAM**
  • 16GB
  •                 **Storage**
  • 512GB