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ZDNET's key takeaways
Samsung launched three new foldable phones and two smartwatches at Galaxy Unpacked in London.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 takes a bold design with a 4:3 aspect ratio, bigger battery, and less crease.
The phones will compete with a rumored foldable iPhone this fall.
Samsung just held its 2026 Galaxy Unpacked event in London, and ZDNET was there going hands-on with all the new tech. This year, Samsung is uniquely positioned to deliver foldable phones to rival the rumored foldable iPhone launching this fall. That means bolder designs and an emphasis on its mature engineering -- after all, Samsung has been making flagship foldables for seven years now.
Also: 4 surprise products we could see at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked (including the Galaxy Glasses)
The highlight is the Galaxy Z Fold 8, a unique phone with a 7.6-inch AMOLED inner screen (120Hz refresh rate), a bigger battery (finally), and anti-reflective coating that looks especially good. There's also a Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, with a more traditional narrow design and a 5,000mAh (up from 4,400mAh) battery.
Beyond the new phones, Samsung also announced two smartwatches -- the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 -- and teased some new smart glasses. Everything is on pre-order now and expected to ship on August 7, 2026.
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