GoKawiilEvan Blass
Phone launches no longer feel as special, exhilarating, or enthralling as they once did. The slab phone has long been boring, and to make matters worse, heavyweight brands such as Apple, Google, and Samsung often limit “new” product launches to minimal hardware or software changes. Samsung’s last Unpacked was a prime example of this, where our interest hung by a loose thread on the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display. Sure, there were useful improvements to the other two S26 phones, but they weren’t anything close to spellbinding.
This Unpacked feels different because, in addition to route upgrades for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7, Samsung is bringing an entirely new product — one that could, hopefully, expand into a product line. The star of the show is Samsung’s new wider Fold 8. Adding to its glory are a few tiny but meaningful enhancements that make this one of the most exciting Samsung Unpacked events in many years.
Out of all the different things to expect from Samsung at the Unpacked on July 22 in London, here are my top four picks that make the event far more riveting than previous ones.
Which product from Samsung's upcoming lineup at the Unpacked excites you the most? 52 votes Samsung's new "wide" Fold 8 58 % New Galaxy Watch models 17 % Galaxy Z Flip 8's return to Snapdragon 8 % Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra 15 % One UI 9 2 % Anything else (comment below) 0 %
The wide Fold feels like the return of proper small phones
For years now, the smartphone world has been bereft of a suitable and branded option for a small phone. The so-called small phones we get today have screens bigger than 6 inches. And to me, an unc born in the early 90s and who spent his teenage and early 20s considering 5-inchers “big phones,” it still doesn’t sit right. Options like the OnePlus 13T or the vanilla Galaxy S26 do satisfy the need for a small, sometimes light footprint, but may lag in performance or struggle to meet your entertainment needs without gasping for breath.
Made using Gemini A tentative representation of how vidoes content of different aspect ratio could present on the "wide" Fold 8's expected 3:2 inner display
This is one problem I expect the new, “wide” Galaxy Z Fold 8 to solve. The new foldable has been rumored (and leaked) to come in a passport-shaped form factor, with a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display. The outer screen is said to have a (now) less prevalent 4:3 aspect ratio.
Since it’s far from the taller aspect ratios (18:9 or higher) on modern devices, some letterboxing is expected on content. But beyond videos and games, this should provide ample space for apps to adapt. In addition to the standard portrait orientation, the extra width should also enhance the landscape mode.
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