Welcome to Galaxy Unpacked 2026 (the sequel)
Hello, and welcome to our liveblog for Samsung’s second big phone launch of the year, Galaxy Unpacked 2026.
We’ll be reporting live from the London event, which kicks off at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST. But first, it’s time to take you through all of the last-minute rumors on what we’re expecting to see — and we certainly haven’t been short of leaks…
The Z Fold 8 is winning the hype battle
Hey guys, let’s guess what he’s holding? @julska July 21, 2026
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is emerging as the potential star of today’s Unpacked event — and the foldable has just appeared in a new teaser poster (above).
It’s the Z Fold 8’s wider, passport-style design, which will likely separate it from the taller Fold 8 Ultra, that makes it the one I’m most interested in from today’s launches. Partly because it also probably gives us an early peak of the iPhone Ultra’s likely form factor.
We’re expecting to see a 5.5-inch cover display and 7.6-inch inner display, both with a 120Hz refresh rate. The teaser poster matches some of the leaked dummy units that we saw earlier this year (below).
First look at dummy units of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Wide, and Z Flip8. The Fold8 Wide lines up closely with the expected size of the iPhone Fold. @julska April 27, 2026
What are you most excited to see?
We’ve done a full rundown of everything we’re expecting to see at Unpacked 2026, so that’s worth a read as we get closer to kick-off (in just over two hours).
But the short version is that we’re expecting three foldables (a Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8), plus two Galaxy Watches (the Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 9), and (potentially) also Samsung’s first smart glasses.
Which one are you most excited about? Let us know in the poll below…
Will Samsung finally solve foldable creases?
There’s a good chance that we’ll see another big step towards crease-free foldables today. We recently visited Samsung Display’s secret labs where it talked to us, among many other things, about its new “Flex Titanium Technology”.
This includes a special structure at the fold to give added flexibility and help reduce crease visibility. We’ve recently seen more leaks on that theme — and while the image above doesn’t look like a particularly fair comparison in terms of lighting, I’m hoping this new feature lives up to the hype when we see it in person later.
If you host an event in London…
(Image credit: Future)
The umbrellas are already out at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 queue. We’ve had what feels like months without rain in London, but right on cue the dark clouds are forming.
It’s now just over 90 minutes till kick-off time, so hopefully we’ll be ushered inside soon…
Brace yourself for price hikes
(Image credit: Future)
Some slightly less positive news from today’s Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event is likely to be price hikes for the Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8.
A recent report from Korea (via Phone Arena) suggested that both foldables could be about $130 pricier than their predecessors. In the grand scheme of RAMageddon, that wouldn’t be too bad — and the Fold and Flip series have never been the most affordable phones anyway.
Samsung has also already increased the prices of the Z Fold and Flip 7 series over the past year, so hopefully that will soften today’s potential price rises…
A self-healing crease?
Exclusive!Galaxy Z Fold8 series creases are self-healing. July 22, 2026
Samsung’s upcoming foldables might not just have smaller creases than their predecessors, they could also have self-healing ones if the latest leak (above) is to be believed.
It’s unclear how this would work, but perhaps it would ensure the crease doesn’t become more visible over time. It also reminds us of the self-healing finish on the LG G Flex series, which could automatically fill in minor scratches.
It will be interesting to see how Samsung’s take on this works, but if this leak is accurate then it could be Samsung’s secret weapon against the upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra.
All the specs have already leaked
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Samsung might not have too many surprises today if you’ve been following the leaks and rumors, as WinFuture.de recently leaked complete specs lists for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8.
Highlights if this leak is accurate include a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for the two Z Folds and — at least in Europe — an Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy Z Flip 8.
We’ll also apparently get a higher-capacity and faster charging 5,000mAh / 45W battery in the Z Fold 8 Ultra, but the real highlight could be the base Z Fold 8, since this is widely expected to have a new shorter, wider form factor, which according to this leak will allow for a 7.6-inch foldable screen and a 5.5-inch cover display.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might live up to its name
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
(Image credit: Future)
We’re also expecting various wearables today, and WinFuture has spilled the beans on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in a detailed leak.
The latter could have a slightly larger and much brighter display than its predecessor, coming in at 1.52 inches and 5,000 nits, and joined by a colossal — by smartwatch standards — 800mAh battery, along with a build that’s designed with divers in mind.
This is sure to be expensive, but the standard Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 should be a cheaper option for anyone who doesn’t need all the bells and whistles offered by the Ultra. Sadly though we’re not expecting a new Classic model this year.
Five minutes to go…
(Image credit: Future)
It’s now just five minutes till kick off, and TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff has shared some final thoughts on this year’s second Unpacked.
“We pretty much all know the shape of things to come, but I’m super curious to see the reaction from the crowd here and online. Is different better or just different? Can more fold shapes expand the market? Or can only Apple do that?” he says.
We won’t have to wait long to find out…
Get your popcorn ready
(Image credit: Future)
We’re just a minute away from the start of Unpacked, and the expected arrival of its new foldables and smartwatches.
A final thought from TechRadar’s Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, who’s at the event right now. “What may be missing from this event is any kind of surprise. Samsung is very leaky, and most of the excitement tends to be muted by the time they tell us what we already knew or read about somewhere,” he says.
“For Samsung, the goal is to generate Apple-level energy for its latest foldables and any other products they pull out of their back pocket. It’s especially important to build that kind of momentum before Apple begins its product rollout juggernaut in September,” he adds.
And we’re off
(Image credit: Samsung)
TechRadar’s Phones editor Axel Metz has some final pre-Unpacked thoughts as we go through Samsung’s pre-amble.
“I’m curious to see whether Samsung positions the shorter, wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 as its hero product this year — i.e. the foldable it hopes and expects people to buy — or simply as a more affordable alternative to the premium Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra,” he says.
“In making the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Samsung is acknowledging that the taller, narrower form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn’t very ‘Gen Z’, and with Apple rumored to be releasing a similarly sized iPhone Ultra later this year, I — and probably Samsung — expect this new aspect ratio to become the foldable mainstream. Where does that leave the Ultra in years to come?” he says.
The Samsung Glasses are coming
(Image credit: Future)
Samsung could be about to make smart glasses more mainstream, as its first pair is rumored to be included in today’s announcements, and the Samsung Galaxy Glasses as we’re calling them for now have been extensively leaked.
A detailed new leak on WinFuture tallies with what we’ve heard before, including that these apparently won’t have a screen, and will instead rely on cameras and access to Gemini, which should be able to see what you can.
They sound a lot like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and like those they apparently use a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset, which is now three years old. Still, with supposedly 9 hours of battery life, Gemini access, and a big brand name behind them, they could be a hit.
It’s time for smart glasses
(Image credit: Samsung)
As expected, Samsung’s ‘one more thing’ at Unpacked is its Intelligent Eyewear — and it does look pretty impressive.
Samsung has partnered with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker in its attempt to take on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which is something we already knew. But we’ve just learned a bit more about their design and specs, including a new hinge design that has a power slider next to it.
Samsung is claiming nine hours of battery life from a single charge with ‘mixed use’ — which is seemingly around 90 minutes of notifications, 30 minutes of calls, 35 AI conversations, 12 message read alouds, 60 minutes of music playback, nine photo captures, and three one-minute videos.
It also says you’ll be able to charge them more than seven times overs using their case. They’ll apparently be lighter than most AI glasses (although their exact weight is still TBC) and will be powered by a Snapdragon AR1 chipset.
That’s a wrap
(Image credit: Samsung)
So that’s it for Samsung’s second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year. We’ve already been hands-on with all of the devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 8, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the Samsung Intelligent Eyewear.
There weren’t many surprises given the leaks were so generous, but we did all the official pricing — and the hikes aren’t quite as bad as many feared. Samsung’s Intelligent Eyewear (surely they’re going to get a snappier nickname) also looks very interesting, if it can navigate the Great Smartglasses Backlash.
For the latest insights and live coverage of the entire Unpacked event, click here.
Image Credit: www.techradar.com
