Samsung Unpacked: 5 Things to Watch – AI Glasses & Wider Fold Innovations

Samsung Electronics is gearing up to showcase its highly anticipated next-generation foldable smartphones and advanced wearable devices at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22. This global launch is expected to highlight a groundbreaking wider, book-style foldable phone, an exclusive Ultra foldable model, and an expanded range of devices powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

Promising “A New Shape Unfolds,” the event is poised to deliver more than just the annual refresh of Samsung’s popular book-style Fold and sleek clamshell Flip lineups, signaling a significant evolution in its mobile technology.

While official product names and specifications remain under wraps, industry analysts widely anticipate the unveiling of the Galaxy Z Flip8, Galaxy Z Fold8, and the premium Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. Additionally, new wearable innovations like the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are expected, alongside potential detailed insights into Samsung’s AI-powered smart glasses.

The spotlight at Unpacked is largely anticipated to fall on a new, shorter and wider book-style foldable device. This marks the most substantial alteration to the Galaxy Fold’s dimensions since its debut in 2019, promising a fresh user experience.

Often likened to a passport in shape, this innovative device is projected to open into a main display featuring an aspect ratio closer to 4:3. The wider cover screen is designed for enhanced usability, offering a more traditional smartphone feel, while the expansive main display will provide a tablet-like canvas ideal for reading, video consumption, and seamless multitasking.

However, the true impact of this design change will depend on Samsung’s software optimization. Applications, multitasking interfaces, and Galaxy AI tools will require careful adaptation to fully leverage the wider screen, ensuring functionality goes beyond mere stretching.

Just a week prior to Unpacked, Samsung introduced Flex Titanium, an innovative display structure incorporating a titanium-alloy film and plate. The company claims this technology is engineered to minimize the visible crease on the foldable display while simultaneously boosting both durability and structural stability.

Samsung is also expected to strategically segment its book-style foldable offerings into distinct standard and Ultra models, catering to a broader range of users.

A prevailing industry speculation suggests the new wider device will carry the Galaxy Z Fold8 moniker, while the taller design, succeeding the previous Fold7, will ascend to the premium Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra category.

This strategic move would provide Samsung with three diverse foldable options: the compact and stylish Flip, a new wider mainstream Fold, and an Ultra model specifically targeting premium users and productivity enthusiasts.

The standard Galaxy Z Fold8 could appeal with its innovative form factor and a potentially more accessible starting price. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is anticipated to feature a larger display, advanced camera systems, a more substantial battery, and sophisticated productivity capabilities.

Samsung will be keen to clearly delineate the differences between these two models, particularly in crucial areas such as camera performance, battery longevity, multitasking prowess, memory capacity, and S Pen stylus support.

The Galaxy Z Flip8 is also projected to undergo significant enhancements, including a thinner and lighter profile. Key improvements are expected in battery life, thermal management, and further reduction of the display crease.

For many consumers, the pricing strategy for these new foldables will be a primary concern.

The surging global demand from AI data centers has led memory chip manufacturers to prioritize high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and server DRAM. This shift has resulted in a tighter supply of mobile memory components, directly increasing production costs for smartphone manufacturers.

According to figures from Counterpoint Research cited in various local reports, memory components constituted approximately 14 percent of the overall component cost for an $800 smartphone in early 2025. This share has reportedly surged to around 40 percent, with the combined cost of DRAM and NAND memory increasing significantly from roughly $63 to $291.

Foldable phones are particularly susceptible to these cost pressures due to their reliance on expensive flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, intricate hinge mechanisms, and high-end processors. Furthermore, the integration of on-device AI capabilities demands greater memory and storage capacities, adding to the expense.

Samsung has already implemented price adjustments for its Galaxy S26 series and certain higher-capacity models of the Fold7 and Flip7. This indicates a clear trend of passing on some of these increased component costs to consumers.

Preliminary European price leaks suggest the wider Galaxy Z Fold8 could potentially maintain a starting price around 1,999 euros ($2,283). However, the premium Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra might begin at 2,199 euros, representing an increase of approximately 100 euros over its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Flip8 could also see a price hike of roughly 100 euros.

While these figures remain unofficial, Samsung may strive to preserve the starting price of the standard Fold model, concentrating price increases on the Ultra variant and higher-storage configurations.

Beyond hardware, personalized AI will be another pivotal theme at Galaxy Unpacked. This represents Samsung’s vision for a more intuitive and responsive mobile ecosystem.

In a Samsung Newsroom column published on July 8, Roh Tae-moon, Samsung Electronics co-CEO and head of the Device eXperience division (which oversees smartphones, TVs, and home appliances), emphasized that the most impactful AI experience stems not from the smartest model, but from the device that profoundly understands its user. “The upcoming Galaxy Unpacked is where we will show what’s next in bringing all this together: more personal, natural AI experiences on a foundation more partners can build on,” he stated.

The focus will extend beyond merely introducing new AI features. Samsung is expected to demonstrate how smartphones, watches, and other Galaxy devices intelligently share context across schedules, tasks, health metrics, and daily routines, creating a truly integrated experience.

Crucially, Samsung will also need to articulate its strategies for safeguarding personal information and empowering users with granular control over how AI services utilize their data, addressing growing privacy concerns.

Samsung’s next generation of Galaxy smartwatches is anticipated to evolve beyond simple health data recording. These devices are expected to interpret a user’s health condition and proactively recommend next steps, offering personalized wellness guidance.

New capabilities could include advanced analysis of sleep patterns, heart rate variability, breathing rates, skin temperature, and blood oxygen levels, subsequently providing tailored advice on exercise intensity and recovery protocols. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, in particular, is poised to cater to outdoor enthusiasts and endurance athletes with its larger battery, brighter display, and expanded storage capacity.

Samsung may also unveil further details concerning its inaugural AI-powered smart glasses, a collaborative effort with Google, built on the Android XR platform and powered by Gemini AI.

These innovative glasses are projected to support a diverse array of functions, including photography, messaging, navigation, object recognition, and real-time translation, facilitated by integrated cameras, microphones, and speakers.

While Samsung and Google showcased two intelligent eyewear designs developed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker at Google I/O in May, specific pricing, detailed technical specifications, and market availability remain unconfirmed. Samsung has yet to officially confirm whether these products will be branded as Galaxy Glasses.

As Samsung approaches this pivotal event, competition in the foldable market is intensifying. Chinese smartphone manufacturers are aggressively expanding their foldable portfolios, and Apple is widely expected to debut its first foldable iPhone – rumored to be a similarly wide, book-style model – alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series in September.

Therefore, how Samsung strategically prices and effectively differentiates its new foldable models, alongside the seamless integration of its software with the wider form factor, will be under intense scrutiny as the foldable smartphone industry enters its next competitive phase.

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