Daniel Mercer
The mid-year Galaxy Unpacked event by Samsung is always an exciting occasion. While the first Unpacked of the year typically highlights the latest in the Galaxy S series, the summer event usually focuses on innovative foldable devices and smartwatches, making it a packed showcase of new products.
As we approach the event scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, it’s crucial to gather all the leaks and rumors that have surfaced, and it appears there’s a wealth of information available.
Unveiling More Resilient Foldables with Reduced Screen Crease Visibility
In recent weeks, there has been a steady stream of leaks regarding Samsung’s upcoming foldable devices. We anticipate the introduction of three new models. A significant enhancement across these foldables is expected to be Samsung’s Flex Titanium technology, which aims to bolster screen durability while minimizing the crease visibility on the inner display.
The upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 is set to succeed last year’s Z Flip 7. WinFuture has released product images along with detailed specifications for this new flip-style foldable device. Contrary to my hopes for a sleeker design, the Z Flip 8 appears to be slightly thicker, although it will be lighter, weighing 180g compared to the 188g of the Z Flip 7. In terms of features, it remains largely unchanged but will be powered by the new Exynos 2600 chip. According to WinFuture, the Z Flip 8 will feature a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED cover screen, and a camera setup that includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera on the exterior, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the interior. It will retain the same 4,300mAh battery, now with enhanced 45W charging capabilities, and storage options of 256GB or 512GB with 12GB of RAM.
The second foldable model is expected to be the newly designed, shorter, and wider Galaxy Z Fold 8. This device will serve as Samsung’s response to Apple’s forthcoming foldable iPhone. We have seen leaked images of the Z Fold 8 for weeks, and now we have comprehensive specifications, also sourced from WinFuture. When fully opened, the Z Fold 8 is said to measure 4.5mm in thickness, with a total weight of 201g. The report indicates that it will include a 7.6-inch inner Dynamic AMOLED 2X display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5.5-inch cover screen, dual rear cameras (both 50 megapixels), and two 10-megapixel hole-punch cameras located on the cover and inner screens. The device is expected to run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, with storage options of 256GB (paired with 12GB of RAM), 512GB, and 1TB (with 16GB of RAM). The battery capacity is said to be 4,800mAh, which is quite substantial.
At the high end, we anticipate the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. As the name implies, this model is expected to feature superior cameras (200-megapixel main camera, 50-megapixel ultrawide, and 10-megapixel 3x telephoto) along with an extended battery life of 5,000mAh. According to leaks from WinFuture, this foldable will be slimmer by 1mm (from 4.2mm to 4.1mm), while gaining an additional 3g (from 215g to 218g). The screen aspect ratios will closely mirror those of the Z Fold 7, featuring an 8-inch inner display and a 6.5-inch cover screen, both with 120Hz refresh rates. The chipset, storage, and RAM configurations are expected to remain consistent with the Z Fold 8.
Elevated Smartwatches with Enhanced Battery Life
In the realm of Samsung smartwatches, two new models are expected: the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the Galaxy Watch 9. Reports suggest both will be thinner and lighter than their predecessors, powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear Elite chip with 2GB of RAM, according to WinFuture.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is rumored to feature an impressive 800mAh battery, representing a substantial increase from the 590mAh battery found in the original Watch Ultra. Leaked specifications indicate a titanium case with 10ATM water resistance, a 1.5-inch display, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, and LTE capabilities.
For the Galaxy Watch 9, we expect it to be available in two sizes once again: a 40mm model with a 1.3-inch display and a 44mm version with a 1.5-inch screen. Compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, the water resistance may be lower at 5ATM. Battery life enhancements could be modest, with the smaller model retaining a 325mAh battery and the larger model featuring a 445mAh battery, a 100mAh increase from the Galaxy Watch 8’s 435mAh.
It seems that Samsung will not introduce a new version of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, which was reintroduced last year with a physical rotating bezel. This might suggest that the bulkier smartwatch did not gain enough popularity.
Expanding Galaxy AI Features
It is almost certain that Samsung will unveil additional features related to Galaxy AI, its suite of artificial intelligence capabilities. Whether it’s enhancements from the Galaxy S26 Ultra integrated into the new foldable devices or smartwatches, Samsung has consistently leveraged Unpacked events in recent years to incorporate AI into its applications. It wouldn’t be surprising to see more predictive AI features, automations utilizing agentic AI, and generative AI for photo editing. The usefulness of these features, however, remains to be seen.
Anticipated Surprises and Innovations
This year is pivotal for smart glasses, yet Samsung has remained discreet about its strategies. Aside from the collaboration with Google to announce “intelligent eyewear” created in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker at Google I/O in May, further details are scarce. We know that both eyewear models will incorporate built-in cameras for capturing photos and videos and speakers for music, phone calls, and audio notifications, resembling Meta’s AI glasses. questions remain about their pricing and privacy policies, especially considering the negative perceptions surrounding Meta’s smart glasses.
There’s speculation about a smart ring. Could we see a glimpse of the Galaxy Ring 2? It has been two years since the launch of the original Galaxy Ring. With Oura now offering a sleeker and more enduring Oura Ring 5, along with Vital Signals’ innovative Signal Ring that may replace traditional blood pressure cuffs, the future of Samsung’s smart ring is uncertain.
Brandon Fletcher
