Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Unboxing - Initial Thoughts and Use Cases

Every couple of years, I typically look at upgrading my phone. For the past two years, I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. While it’s been an absolute workhorse, looking at the standard candy-bar upgrades just didn't do it for me. Marginal camera improvements or minor processor bumps aren't enough motivation to drop serious money on a new device. I wanted something genuinely different, practical, and exciting, which brought me to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Here are the key takeaways from my unboxing and initial real-world test.

The biggest selling point for me over standard phones or even the Fold Ultra model is the form factor:

• Passport Dimensions: Folded up, the Z Fold 8 has a shorter, slightly wider footprint than tall, narrow slabs. It slides into front and back pockets much easier without awkwardly sticking out.

• iPad Mini in Your Pocket: Unfolded, you get an inner screen comparable to an iPad Mini. It provides massive screen real estate without having to carry a dedicated tablet, a separate gear bag, or fuss with tethered mobile hotspots.

• 4:3 Aspect Ratio: The inner display layout is ideal for browsing web pages, reading documents, and viewing full-frame photos without the cramped cropping typical of traditional phones turned sideways.

Content Creation & Vlogging on the Move

For running Get Fit Over 40, recording workout clips, and posting updates on social media, this setup streamlines mobile production:

• Rear-Camera Selfies: Opening the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 allows you to frame yourself on the front screen while recording with the main 50 MP wide camera. You get maximum sensor quality and dynamic range without being forced to rely on lower-grade inner lenses.

• Minimalist Rig: Paired with a slim MagSafe-compatible case and a compact magnetic selfie stick/tripod, it doubles as an ultra-portable vlogging rig that requires zero bulky camera gear.

• Versatile Field Testing: Initial tests while walking outdoors showed solid stabilization and crisp 4K recording, with easy switching between the ultra-wide, 1x, and 2x digital zoom levels.

In the Box & Initial Setup

The unboxing is standard modern Samsung, minimalist and straightforward:

• Included Accessories: The box includes the phone itself, the SIM removal tool, and a USB-C to USB-C charging cable capable for fast charging. (You will need to supply your own wall adapter).

• Specs Chosen: Opted for the 512 GB graphite model with 12 GB of RAM, which hits the sweet spot for storing high-resolution fitness video footage and daily multitasking.

I’ll be putting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 through its paces over the next few weeks at the gym and outdoors to see how it holds up as my daily driver for workouts, productivity, and video creation. Stay tuned for a possible follow-up review, and make sure to follow along on the website and Rumble for upcoming updates!

• Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Get Pro Quality Stabilized Video and Audio with Your Phone

If you're a content creator, vlogger, or someone over 40 looking to level up your mobile video game without diving into complicated gear, this setup is a game changer.

I recently used a powerful combo that turns my everyday smartphone into a legit video production tool. In my case, I used:

• 📱 Galaxy S24 Ultra

• 🌀 Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra Gimbal

• 🎤 DJI Mic Mini Wireless Microphone

The result? Incredibly smooth video and clean, professional audio, all from a compact, mobile-friendly setup. Whether you're making content for YouTube, Instagram, or just want high-quality videos for personal use, this kind of setup makes it easy.

🔧 Gear Breakdown

Here’s what I used, and why it works:

1. Galaxy S24 Ultra (or Any Modern Higher End Smartphone)

While I used Samsung’s flagship, newer iPhones and other high-end Androids are also more than capable of capturing stunning video. The key is having a solid camera sensor and manual control options when needed.

2. Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra Gimbal (or Similar)

This 3-axis gimbal helps smooth out walking shots, pans, and handheld movement. You don’t need to use this exact model either, brands like DJI, Insta360, and Zhiyun all offer great options depending on your budget and phone type.

3. DJI Mic 2 Mini (or Any Quality Wireless Mic System)

Clean audio can make or break your video. A solid wireless microphone system—like the DJI Mini I used can dramatically improve sound quality. But there are other good options out there too. The point is, if your audio is clear and consistent, everything else looks more polished.

🎬 What You Can Expect

This was my first time putting this exact setup to real use, and I was impressed by how seamlessly everything worked together. The stabilization from the gimbal combined with the high-resolution camera and clean wireless audio elevated the footage noticeably.

And the best part? It's all lightweight, easy to set up, and portable enough to take anywhere.

💡 A Flexible Formula

Here’s the winning recipe, customize it based on your existing gear and budget:

• A modern smartphone (Samsung, iPhone, Pixel, etc.)

• A 3-axis gimbal (Hohem, DJI, Insta360, Zhiyun…)

• A wireless mic system (DJI, Rode, Hollyland, etc.)

This isn’t about brand loyalty. It’s about using the right categories of gear to maximize your phone’s potential. Pairing stabilization with good audio and sharp video gives you pro-level content without the hassle of a full camera rig.

🧠 Final Thoughts

You don’t need a $2,000 camera or complicated editing suite to shoot professional-looking video. With the right accessories, your phone becomes a powerful content creation tool that fits in your pocket.

✅ Clean audio
✅ Smooth stabilized footage
✅ Lightweight, portable, and affordable

🎥 Watch my first-look YouTube video here in 2D or 3D:

Watch 2D Version

Watch 3D Version

• Buy DJI Mic Mini
• Buy the Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra
• Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Whistler and Birch Bay Summer Holiday

My wife and I just came back from a wonderful trip to Whistler BC Canada where we stayed 5 nights, then we traveled a few hours to Birch Bay Washington US for 3 more nights.

We stayed in our WorldMark Timeshare which is always very enjoyable and invited up some good friends and relatives to come and join us for part of each trip. It was a lot of fun being able to spend some of our vacation time with good people!

It was a vacation first and foremost but I like to document my trips al least to some degree with video. So I am able to share parts of the vacation with everyone using my Meta Glasses, HoverAir X1 Selfie Drone, Insta360 X4 and GO2 cameras and even a drone shot of me playing around flying my mini Pavo Pico FPV Drone around the hotel in Whistler.

I hope you enjoy the video of our various walks, outings and just simpel hotel lounging around. If you are thinking of going for a vacation in Whistler or Birch Bay, this video may give you a bit of an idea of what you can expect.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Unboxing Review

I have been rocking my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra now for almost 2 years and before that I had several Samsung Galaxy Phones along with several version of Samsung Galaxy Watches. I even have a pair of their Pro Earbuds so I guess you could say I might just be a Samsung fanboy. I use ot own Apple iPhones and I still have several Apple products in my home including my MacBook Air which is my main computer. The rest of my family also has Apple iPhone and to be honest Android and Apple really do integrate better than you might think, you just need to use Google cloud services on all your devices which makes sharing information super easy. The only real thing I am missing is FaceTime but again there are other services that work similar and are cross platform.

I generally update my phone every 2 years or so as in most cases I have found that a single update to a phone model, at least for me does not offer enough of an upgrade to entice me into buying the new version. The new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra does offer a lot of new features so it was time for an upgrade.

This is really just an unboxing video, so if you want all the details and goods on the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, then there are a ton of videos on YouTube you can checkout comparing it to older versions and also to the iPhone Pro.

For me this upgrade was important since I use my phone a ton and my older S22 Ultra battery was starting to go a bit flat, the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has some significant photo and video upgrades, not so much with the lenses and sensors, but with how it processes images and video utilizing AI for editing and to make the images even better looking. There are also a bunch of other AI features incorporated into the S22 Ultra for language translation and to assist in finding information about something simply by circling it with your finger and completing a search.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to 5 Pro Upgrade Update Unboxing

This is a bit of a multipurpose video Review. I did do an earlier mini review where I talk about switching from my TicWatch Pro 3 to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 but it was super early on and I had not really figured out if the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 was going to be the right fit for me or not. As it turns out it is a great fit and the improvements Samsung has made with their Galaxy line of Watches and their Samsung Health Fitness App has all been very positive.

In this Video I talk about some of the reasons why I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and why I am now upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. I also do a bit of an unboxing of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and talk a bit about the differences between the 4 and 5 Pro and why these differences are important to me.

I do plan on making a follow review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro after using it for a couple of weeks, so far I can tell you the experience on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is much like my experience on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 which is a good thing! And I am happy to say I can see some slight improvements but want to use it for a little bit longer to figure out what is the same, better or worse.