Samsung Electronics expanded its foldables lineup with a trio of smartphones at its Galaxy Unpacked event in London, including the first Ultra-branded foldable as it pushed upgraded form factors and AI-powered features.

Leading the charge was the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the first device to carry Samsung’s Ultra branding on a foldable. Measuring 4.1mm when unfolded, Samsung said the device is its thinnest Galaxy Fold model to date.

Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the handset features an 8-inch main display, 5,000mAh battery and a 200MP main camera. It also introduced new Galaxy AI tools including Gemini Notebook, capable of summarising documents and generating content from uploaded files, and Now Nudge, a contextual Galaxy AI feature designed to proactively prompt actions based on user activity.

Samsung also refreshed the Galaxy Z Fold8 with a redesigned display format and adjustable aspect ratios aimed at improving content consumption across video, gaming and reading. The device weighs 201 grams, making it the company’s lightest Fold model, and includes a 4,800mAh battery rated for more than 26 hours of video playback. The Fold8 also introduced an AI-powered editing tool to automatically track and reframe a subject in a video.

In the clamshell segment, Samsung updated the Galaxy Z Flip8 with expanded functionality on its FlexWindow cover display, enabling users to access apps, messages and personalised AI information without opening the handset. The latest Flip model also adds a 50MP main camera and dual recording mode for capturing both subject and creator simultaneously.

Pricing starts at $2,099 for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, $1,899 for the Galaxy Z Fold8 and $1,199 for the Galaxy Z Flip8. All three models will be available from 7 August.

At the event, TM Roh, CEO, president and head of Samsung Electronics’ Device eXperience division, emphasised the importance of foldables in the AI era.

“The question is: if AI is becoming more personal, more proactive, and more multidimensional, what is the optimal device to bring that experience to life? We believe the answer is foldables.”

Wearables
Samsung also refreshed its wearables portfolio with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9, its first watches built on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform.

The smartwatches introduce new AI-powered health features, with the vendor claiming both models received an FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection update. The Galaxy Watch9 starts at $379, while the Watch Ultra2 is priced from $699.

In addition, Samsung unveiled intelligent eyewear, although pricing and a release date were not disclosed.

Doubling down
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said Samsung is “doubling down on foldables at exactly the moment the category is about to get its biggest credibility boost with the much-rumoured arrival of a folding iPhone later in the year.”

He said Apple’s expected entry “could also be the moment that turns foldables from a niche premium category into a mainstream flagship battleground.”

Wood added “Qualcomm is one of the quiet winners from Samsung’s latest launch, securing important design wins across phones, watches and glasses.”

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Consumer use during off-grid travel was cited as a primary driver in early direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity adoption in Australia and New Zealand by Gartner analysts, who forecast more than 1.5 million connections on the service in 2027 across the nations.

The projected number of low Earth orbit (LEO) D2D connections next year would be up from an expected 673,000 in 2026. In 2025 the figure for the two countries stood at 251,000.

Gartner noted end user spending on the service last year was $5 million. This is expected to hit $23 million this year and reach $66 million in 2027.

The rise in use of the technology in the countries comes during a period of early rollouts and limited functionality, with initial launches restricted to specific handsets, areas and messaging.   

Gartner senior director analyst Khurram Shahzad highlighted early adoption was being driven by use for safety and in recreational pursuits by consumers, but enterprise demand was “steadily increasing for field operations in industries such as mining, agriculture, forestry and transportation” due to the need for continuous connectivity for operations and worker safety.

“Australia and New Zealand are among the early adopters of LEO D2D satellite communications due to the vast remoteness and persistent gaps in terrestrial mobile coverage in both countries,” Shahzad said.

“Adoption is accelerating rapidly as services move beyond early trials and into broader commercial availability, demonstrating how satellite connectivity can extend mobile coverage without the need for traditional infrastructure.”

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