Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, 2026 in London, pulling back the curtain on its most ambitious hardware lineup in years. The show covered everything from eighth-generation foldable smartphones and refreshed smartwatches to a new wave of AI features built around what Samsung calls Agentic AI — context-aware intelligence that can execute multi-step tasks across apps on your behalf, without you having to orchestrate each step manually.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — Samsung’s First Foldable “Ultra”
The headline announcement was the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, marking the first time Samsung has applied the Ultra designation to a foldable device. It’s a significant move — the Ultra branding typically signals Samsung’s most uncompromising hardware, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra delivers on that:
- 200MP main camera — the highest resolution sensor ever on a Samsung foldable
- 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging
- 3,000-nit main display — noticeably brighter for outdoor visibility
- Retains the thin chassis design established by recent Fold generations
Galaxy Z Fold 8 — Redesigned to Feel Like a Real Phone
The standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 takes a different approach: a complete form-factor overhaul. Samsung has shifted to a shorter and wider aspect ratio (10:16 cover screen), making the phone feel considerably more natural in hand when folded — closer to a traditional smartphone than a tall, narrow slab.
At just 201 grams, it’s also the lightest Z Fold Samsung has ever built — a meaningful improvement for a device that spends a lot of time in pockets.
Galaxy Z Flip 8 — Smarter Cover Display
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 gets a solid upgrade cycle. The big internal change is the move to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, but the more user-facing improvement is on the cover display: the FlexWindow now supports deeper widget customisation and a full app drawer, making it significantly more useful without needing to fully open the phone.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 9
Samsung’s wearable lineup also got refreshed. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 continues the rugged, extended-battery formula of its predecessor, with new biometric and health tracking tools. The Galaxy Watch 9 brings those same health advances to the standard lineup at a more accessible price point.
Smart Glasses — Coming Soon with Google
Samsung teased an upcoming pair of smart glasses developed in collaboration with Google. No launch date or detailed specs were revealed, but the official acknowledgement puts Samsung firmly in the race alongside Meta Ray-Ban and other emerging eyewear platforms.
Flex Titanium — Solving the Crease Problem
One of the most significant engineering announcements was Flex Titanium technology. Samsung has combined a titanium-alloy film with a reinforced titanium plate inside the hinge mechanism across the entire foldable lineup. The result: dramatically reduced screen crease visibility, and devices that lie completely flat when closed. This has been a persistent pain point for foldable sceptics, and Samsung appears to have made genuine progress on it.
Galaxy AI — Three Features Worth Knowing
Samsung’s software push this year centres on Agentic AI — AI that doesn’t just respond to commands but anticipates what you need next. Three standout features:
- Now Nudge — If you copy text containing what looks like a dinner invite, Now Nudge automatically prompts you to open a Calendar split-screen. It reads context across apps and surfaces the next logical action before you think to ask.
- Gemini Notebook — Upload a dense PDF, a long audio recording, or a lecture, and Gemini Notebook processes it on-device to generate summaries, presentation slides, podcasts, or structured quizzes. Useful for students, professionals, and anyone drowning in long-form content.
- My FanCam — An AI video editor that tracks a specific subject across any gallery video and automatically re-frames and crops the footage around them. Think sports footage, concerts, or kids’ events where your subject keeps moving out of frame.
The Big Picture
Galaxy Unpacked 2026 signals that Samsung sees foldables not as a niche premium category but as its primary smartphone story going forward. The Z Fold 8’s redesign addresses the biggest real-world usability complaint (awkward closed form factor), the Ultra variant raises the ceiling for camera hardware, and the AI layer is no longer a demo feature — it’s baked into core workflows.
Pricing and India availability details are expected to be announced closer to the on-sale date. We’ll update this article as more information comes in.
