With the Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Flip, Samsung turned a new chapter in its smartphone hardware history by incorporating silicon-carbon batteries for the very first time. The Fold8 Ultra in particular got a 600mAh boost over the Fold7 thanks to its higher-energy-density cell.
But there is one minor downside. According to the EU’s EPREL ratings, the batteries on the new foldables are all rated at 1,200 endurance cycles. For comparison, the Z Flip7 and Z Fold7 were rated at 2,000 cycles. These values show the number of charge cycles after which the phone’s battery would be sitting at 80% of its initial charge capacity.
Galaxy Z Flip8, Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra EPREL labels
This means that the batteries on the new phones will deteriorate faster than traditional lithium-ion cells with graphite anodes. If charged once per day, it would take 3.3 years to reach the 1,200-charge cycle count. This is a well-known limitation of silicon-carbon batteries and should not come as a surprise.
We should also note that the Galaxy S26 series has the exact same 1,200 cycle rating as the new foldables, while the latest Apple iPhones and Google Pixels are rated at 1,000 cycles.
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (EPREL) • Galaxy Z Fold8 (EPREL) • Galaxy Z Flip8 (EPREL)
