These are the first 5 apps I would install on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

He Galaxy Z Fold 8 It was officially presented this week and its most notable feature is the huge 8-inch unfolded screen. It can serve as a proper productivity machine or simply a much better entertainment device compared to standard bar phones.

That got me thinking about what apps I would download first on a device like this, and I came up with a list. While there are plenty of apps that take advantage of the device’s massive screen or split-screen feature, these are the five I’d install on day one.

Obsidian It’s the only app that keeps me on top of the important things in life. I use it at work to keep track of all the projects I’m working on, store ideas, and even write articles. I also use it for personal matters, tracking my fitness tripwrite down my thoughts and more.

The experience on a standard phone isn’t bad, but it really improves on a device like the Fold 8 Ultra. On the large interior screen, Obsidian stops looking like a mobile app and starts looking like the desktop version. There is much more space, which is useful for viewing notes, especially those that include tables, as less (or zero) side scrolling is required.

Then there is the design itself. I can keep the side menu permanently docked with quick access to all my files and folders, and the notes themselves appear on the right side of the screen, just like on a PC. It saves me time and multiple swipes and taps that I would like to avoid as much as possible. I can even split the editor and keep a research note open right next to the article I’m writing. With all that in mind, Obsidian is the first app you would download on your phone and use daily.

Inoreader It is a fantastic RSS reader. It saves me from visiting multiple news websites by showing me everything I’m interested in in one place and is packed with features that make the experience seamless. It also looks great.

Using it on a device like the Fold 8 Ultra makes the experience much better. The increase in space makes reading articles much easier on my eyes, especially after prolonged use. But then there’s the dual-pane stand that splits the screen in half: a list of posts on one side, and when I tap one, it appears on the other. The magazine view also unfolds in a proper multi-column grid, so I’m flipping through twice as many headlines per screen before deciding what’s worth my time.

It is basically the desktop version of Inoreader for mobile devices. On my current phone, every time I tap on an article, it opens in a new window. When I read it, I have to tap back to go back to the main source, and this goes on and on and on. It’s not the most annoying thing in the world once you get used to it, but as soon as you switch to a device like the Z Fold 8 Ultra, you immediately notice the difference, making it difficult to go back.

Maybe I’m cheating a little, since this is one of the applications that comes pre-installed on each android phoneso I won’t even need to download it. However, it would be among my most used, as the Z Fold 8 Ultra absolutely raises the youtube experience.

The screen size is obviously the main reason why the app excels on the Fold 8 Ultra. It’s easier to search for videos and find the one I want to watch, and when I do, the screen offers a much better experience than a standard bar phone. My eyes are not very happy after watching YouTube for an hour and a half on a phone like the Pixel 10abut there’s not much to complain about when switching to Samsung’s latest foldable model.

However, the big screen is only half the story. The dual pane view is also useful as I can watch a video while scrolling through the comments. Of course, I can do that on a non-foldable phone too, but the video ends up being so small that it’s barely usable, at least for me.

There’s also Flex mode, which turns the Fold 8 Ultra into its own stand. I can fold the phone halfway, place it on a desk or kitchen counter, and watch it with the video on the top half of the screen and the controls on the bottom. No stand case, no resting your phone against a coffee mug: it’s the one trick no bar phone or tablet can pull off.

I have a Kindle Paperwhite, but since I don’t always have it with me, I often read through the Kindle app on my Android phone when I’m out and about. The experience is poor compared to my Kindle, as an e-ink screen is simply better at this task and made even worse by my phone’s smaller screen.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra won’t solve all of these problems (it’s still not as easy on the eyes as the E-Ink), but the large screen improves the reading experience quite a bit compared to a standard phone. Every time I get into a book I really like, I can read for hours and eye strain is substantially reduced on a screen this size. That alone makes the Kindle app one of the first you would download on the device.

I also really like how I can see two pages on the screen at once, side by side. Sure, the text can be made a little smaller, but it makes me feel like I’m holding a real book. So with a device like the Z Fold 8 Ultra, I would think twice before taking my Kindle on vacation, as the foldable device could easily replace it when I’m out and about.

I love nature and since it is around me in my part of the world, I take advantage of it. I love hiking, trail running, and even mountain biking to some extent. However, it’s easy to get lost in the woods, especially when heading to a new location.

I tried using Google Maps to plan my hikes and other adventures, and it didn’t go as planned, to say the least. This is where Komoot comes in: an app created to find, plan and follow routes. I really like how each route provides details on length, elevation gain, duration, and difficulty.

It’s a good app to use on any phone, but it’s much better on a foldable phone like the Fold 8 Ultra as it takes advantage of the large screen. This is useful when looking at a map, as I have to zoom in and out a lot less: I can see the entire route and everything around it at once, with the elevation profile right below the map, so I know exactly what kind of climb I’m aiming for as I continue to adjust the route. Although admittedly I sometimes just use the smaller cover screen while on the move as it’s easier to hold in one hand and look at when going up a steep hill. But in the planning phase, and every time I stop to take a break, the unfolded screen is the star of the show.

Please note that while route planning is free anywhere in the world, navigation only works in a free region of your choice; Going further now requires an additional purchase.

These are the first five apps I would download on the Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra and now I want to hear your picks. Let me know the details below.