Samsung announced new foldable phones and smartwatches on July 22, 2026, at Galaxy Unpacked in London. The company revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8, each designed for different users and use cases.
The event marks a shift in Samsung’s strategy: the Fold 8 Ultra is now the premium device, while the standard Fold 8 becomes the mainstream option. A new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 9 arrived alongside new intelligent eyewear made with Google.
The Foldables Get Refined, Not Revolutionary
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is smaller, built for streaming and gaming. It starts at $1,900. The Z Fold 8 Ultra targets power users with a 50MP ultrawide camera and bigger battery. It costs $2,100.
Samsung tweaked durability, hinge mechanics, and display refresh rates, but didn’t overhaul the form factor. The Z Flip 8 remains a clamshell device for people who want one-handed texting. Samsung is betting that refinement matters more than revolution at this stage in the foldable market.
Smartwatches and Eyewear Mark New Territory
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is Samsung’s thinnest rugged smartwatch ever. It includes hydration guidance software and deeper health tracking. The standard Watch 9 brings health-focused updates to a broader audience.
More significant: Samsung revealed its new intelligent eyewear in partnership with Google. These are AR glasses, not just frames. The partnership with Google signals that Samsung sees eyewear as the next frontier after phones and watches, and it needs Google’s expertise to get it right.
What This Means for Foldable Adoption
Samsung’s strategy is incremental. The Fold 8 is not a must-upgrade from the Fold 7. It’s a catch-up device for people still on older models. The Fold 8 Ultra offers enough new features—better camera, bigger battery—to justify the premium price for people who use their phones as mini-tablets.
Samsung is making foldables boring. That might be exactly what they need to go mainstream.
