Samsung Galaxy: 6 Major Announcements from the Summer 2026 Event
At the latest Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung launched a redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8, a new “Ultra” foldable, and refreshed Galaxy Watches.
Quick Summary:
At its summer event held on Wednesday, Samsung unveiled a new lineup of devices, including watches and foldable smartphones. The company announced the Galaxy Z Fold 8, featuring a completely new design that is more compact and wider than last year’s model. Alongside this, a new “Ultra” foldable, an updated Flip model, and the latest versions of Galaxy smartwatches were also launched.
Key Points:
1. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Launches With a New Wide Design
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
3. Galaxy Z Flip 8
4. Galaxy Watch 9
5. The New Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
6. Google & Galaxy: New Smartglasses Frames
1. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Launches With a New Wide Design
Samsung has made a major redesign.
The new design is smaller but wider than before. It features:
7.6-inch inner display
5.5-inch outer display
The phone is also slightly thicker:
Unfolded: 4.5mm
Folded: 9.7mm
For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures:
Unfolded: 4.2mm
Folded: 8.9mm
The new Fold comes with an updated hinge design that uses Samsung’s new Flex Titanium display technology. This technology makes the crease on the inner screen much less visible compared to previous Samsung foldable phones.
The same Flex Titanium technology is also available in the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor and comes with:
Up to 16GB RAM
Up to 1TB storage
The camera setup has been reduced compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
It includes:
50MP Wide Camera
50MP Ultra Wide Camera
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 had three main rear cameras.
The cover screen selfie camera and the inner selfie camera are both 10MP, just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899.
Available colors:
Lavender
Graphite
Cream
Pistachio
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
While the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 received a new design, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra keeps the same design as last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7.
It is Samsung’s new top-tier foldable phone.
It comes with:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Up to 16GB RAM
Up to 1TB of storage
The battery has also been upgraded.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features:
5,000mAh battery
In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 had a:
4,400mAh battery
Charging has also improved:
45W wired charging
20W wireless charging
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 supported:
25W wired charging
15W wireless charging
The camera setup includes:
200MP Wide Camera
50MP Ultra Wide Camera
10MP Telephoto Camera
Both the cover display and the inner display have:
10MP selfie cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,099.
Available colors:
Graphite
Cream
Violet Shadow
Green Shadow
3. Galaxy Z Flip 8
Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Flip 8 with some improved specifications, but there are no major changes to the design.
It is powered by the:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
This replaces the Exynos 2500 processor used in the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
The phone is available with:
12GB RAM
256GB storage
512GB storage
However, Samsung still does not offer a 1TB storage option.
The display and battery remain the same as the previous model:
6.9-inch inner display
4.1-inch cover display
4,300mAh battery
The cover display is now more useful thanks to new gestures and an improved app drawer.
The phone is also slightly thinner:
Folded: 13.1mm
Unfolded: 6.1mm
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199.
Available colors:
Pink
Graphite
Cream
Mint
4.Galaxy Watch 9
Samsung has also refreshed the Galaxy Watch.
It is now powered by the:
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite processor
The watch comes in two sizes:
44mm
1.47-inch display
445mAh battery
40mm
1.34-inch display
390mAh battery
According to Samsung, both models can last up to 30 hours on a single charge with the Always-On Display enabled.
Both models come with:
2GB RAM
32GB storage
The biggest upgrade is the addition of four new preventive health features:
Vitals
Heart Health Score
Daily Cardio Load
Fitness Index
These features are also available on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and may help Samsung’s smartwatches compete more strongly with Apple’s wearables.
The Galaxy Watch starts at $379.
Available colors:
44mm:
Graphite
Silver
40mm:
Graphite
Cream
5. The New Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Samsung has also announced the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
Do not confuse it with last year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, as this is the second-generation model.
This time, Samsung has significantly increased the battery capacity:
800mAh battery
In comparison, the previous Galaxy Watch Ultra had a:
590mAh battery
Surprisingly, despite the larger battery, the watch case is 12% thinner than the previous model.
Samsung says the watch can last up to 60 hours on a single charge with the Always-On Display enabled.
It also includes the same new preventive health features found on the Galaxy Watch 9.
Specifications:
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite
2GB RAM
64GB storage
47mm size
1.52-inch display
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 starts at $699.
Available colors:
Titanium Silver
Titanium Gray
6. Google & Galaxy: New Smartglasses
Google also took part in this year’s Galaxy Unpacked event.
The company showed two new frame designs for its upcoming smart glasses, which are being developed in partnership with Samsung.
The new designs are from:
Gentle Monster
Warby Parker
Earlier, during Google I/O in May, Google had also announced two designs from these same brands.
According to Google, the first series of these smart glasses is expected to launch later this year.
Conclusion:
At the Samsung Summer 2026 event, the company introduced its latest lineup of Galaxy devices. The biggest highlights were the redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8, the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the refreshed Galaxy Z Flip 8, and the upgraded Galaxy Watch series. This time, Samsung focused on improving foldable design, performance, battery life, charging speeds, and health features. Google also joined the event and showcased new smart glasses designs developed in partnership with Samsung. Overall, the event marked an important step forward for Samsung’s future technology, foldable smartphones, and wearable devices.
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