Samsung has its first Ultra-tier foldable — 4.1 millimetres thick, 215 grams, the thinnest Fold Samsung has ever built. The Flip8 might be the last of its line, according to one leaker. And both new watches lean on AI to tell you how you’re doing, not what you did.
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event took place in London on 22 July, unveiling the eighth-generation Galaxy Z series alongside a refreshed Galaxy Watch lineup. Samsung Electronics introduced three distinct foldable devices — Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 — combining agentic AI with hardware tailored to different lifestyles. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra marks the first Ultra-tier model in Samsung’s foldable portfolio, measuring just 4.1 millimetres (0.16 inches) thick when unfolded and weighing 215 grams (7.6 ounces) — the thinnest Galaxy Z Fold Samsung has built. Alongside the phones, Samsung unveiled Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9, both centred around an expanded Samsung Health experience spanning activity, mindfulness, nutrition, sleep, and vitals.
What’s Happening & Why It Matters
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra — The Flagship Foldable
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event introduced a new tier within the foldable lineup. Within the Galaxy range, the “Ultra” name represents Samsung’s highest level of performance and user experience — and the Fold8 Ultra is the first foldable to carry it. The device pairs an 8-inch main display with AI-powered multitasking built for productivity, alongside ultra-level performance across the board.
By contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold8 (non-Ultra) takes a different form factor — a shorter, wider “passport-style” body with screen ratios optimised for various content types. It includes Galaxy AI-powered My FanCam, which tracks and reframes video subjects during recording, alongside advanced agentic AI features throughout the device. The battery is listed at 5,000 mAh, matching the Galaxy S26 Ultra and offering about 27 hours of video playback — a substantial jump from the Fold7’s 4,400 mAh cell.
Galaxy Z Flip8 May Be for the Last Time
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event gave the compact Galaxy Z Flip8 an enhanced FlexWindow with Now Brief for quick glanceable updates, alongside new camera features including Camcorder Grip, Super Steady with Horizontal Lock, and Dual Recording — capturing both the creator and their subject. Display sizes match the Flip7: a 6.9-inch inner Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel and a 4.1-inch cover display, both running at 120Hz with peak brightness up to 2,600 nits.
By contrast, one detail casts a longer shadow over the line’s future. A Weibo leaker has claimed Samsung may not develop a Galaxy Z Flip9 at all — which would make the Flip8 the last device in the series. Samsung has not commented on that claim. Pricing reportedly starts around $1,200 (€1,059), with the Galaxy Z lineup carrying price increases this cycle — consistent with the memory-driven cost pressures TF has documented across the industry throughout 2026.
Watch Ultra2 and Watch9 + AI: “Always-On Health Gateway”
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event positioned its new wearables around a specific philosophy rather than raw specifications alone. Ahead of launch, Samsung described the new Galaxy Watch as an “always-on gateway” to personalised health insights — continually monitoring users in the background and converting that data into real-time recommendations. Galaxy Watch9 launches as the Watch8’s successor in 44mm (1.47-inch display) and 40mm (1.34-inch display) configurations, both featuring Super AMOLED panels reaching up to 3,000 nits. Both models run on a new 3nm chip and carry larger batteries — 445mAh on the 44mm model, 390mAh on the 40mm.
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is the first Galaxy Watch powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform, delivering faster performance and more precise GPS tracking for high-intensity training and demanding outdoor environments. New Trail Run and Diver-focused automatic tracking modes — developed with diving specialist Mares — will be exclusively available on Watch Ultra2 for the next two years on Wear OS smartwatches.
Sleep Apnea, FDA Clearance, and the Health Features
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event carried its most clinically significant news in a single feature update. The Sleep Apnea feature, backed by new FDA clearance and AI algorithms, delivers deeper insight into breathing disruptions during sleep. Vitals monitors a user’s personal health baseline overnight and provides seamless alerts when readings deviate from that baseline — extending Samsung’s health-tracking ambitions beyond passive data logging into proactive alerting.
Other health-related additions across both watches include heart health monitoring, a Nutrition Alert feature, daily cardiac workload tracking, a Fitness Index score, and a hearing health support function that warns users when they’ve spent extended time in a noisy environment. Both watches ship with the updated Samsung Health platform, unifying all five tracked pillars into a single coherent interface.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 are expected to reach general availability in August 2026. Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 launch alongside the phones. The Mares diving features arrive on Watch Ultra2 “later this year,” requiring a separate app download. Samsung has not confirmed or denied reports that the Flip8 could be the final device in its line.
MY FORECAST: Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 event will position the Fold8 Ultra as the device that gives Samsung premium-tier pricing power in foldables — a category where Samsung has led on volume but never captured the margin structure Apple commands with its standard flagships. By contrast, the Flip9 rumour deserves attention rather than dismissal. If Samsung is consolidating its compact foldable line into the Fold family’s strategy, the Flip8’s launch messaging — emphasising creator-focused camera features over raw specification jumps — reads less like a mid-cycle refresh and more like a farewell tour. Expect Samsung to clarify the Flip line’s future within the next two Unpacked cycles, one way or the other.
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