If you’ve been sitting on the fence about foldable phones because of that annoying middle crease or mediocre battery life, Samsung just removed your last excuses. At today’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London, they didn’t just update their lineup they completely overhauled how they approach foldables to head off Apple’s upcoming moves.
Here is the quick, no-bs rundown on what was announced, what’s actually worth your money, and what’s just marketing hype.
1. The Foldables: Three Options and a Crease Fix
Samsung split the Fold line into two distinct flavors this year alongside the classic flip.
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 (The “Wide” Passport Model): This is the highlight. Instead of the classic tall-and-skinny design, it’s shorter, wider, and shaped almost like a passport. It folds out to a wide 4:3 inner display perfect for reading, multi-tasking, and watching videos without massive black bars. Starts at $1,899.
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: The ultimate power-user device. It retains the familiar tall form factor from previous generations but packs a massive 5,000mAh battery (up from 4,400mAh), 45W fast charging, and a blinding 3,600-nit screen. Prepare your wallet: it starts at $2,099.
- Galaxy Z Flip 8: The clamshell pocket hero gets a bigger 4,300mAh battery and a cleaner hinge. Rumors suggest this might be the last generation of this exact flip style, but for now, it starts at $1,199.
The Crease Update: Samsung introduced “Flex Titanium” technology a titanium-alloy frame and plate that flattens the internal screen drastically. The notorious center ridge is almost imperceptible under your thumb now.
2. Galaxy Watch 9 & Watch Ultra 2
If you want heavy-duty wrist wear, the wearables side delivered:
- Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: 12% thinner than the original, built with an IP69K durability rating, a massive 800mAh battery, and a screen that hits 5,000 nits (you could use this thing as a flashlight). Starts at $699.
- Galaxy Watch 9: Powered by the new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. Faster response times, better sleep tracking, and hands-free Google Gemini integration.
3. Teaser: Intelligent Eyewear (Smart Glasses)
Samsung also gave us another look at their upcoming smart glasses, developed alongside Google, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker. Powered by Gemini Intelligence, these frames let you do hands-free stuff like booking travel, running errands, and parsing real-world visual info directly through AI. They drop later this fall.
Hardware prices bumped up across the board by about $100. But with bigger batteries, titanium construction that tames the screen crease, and wider screens, Samsung’s 2026 lineup feels like a genuine generation leap rather than a lazy annual spec bump.
