{"id":74761,"date":"2026-07-24T14:17:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T12:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joypad.ch\/?p=74761"},"modified":"2026-07-24T14:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T12:23:08","slug":"unpacked-2026-from-london-samsungs-new-foldables-and-the-future-of-wearables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joypad.ch\/en\/unpacked-2026-da-londra-i-nuovi-foldable-e-il-futuro-dei-wearable-samsung\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpacked 2026: From London, Samsung's new foldables and the future of wearables"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year too, we were fortunate enough to be invited to Samsung's Unpacked event, a trip that took place in the splendid setting of London, just a stone's throw from Tower Bridge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was a truly interesting event that allowed us not only to return home with a ZFold 8 Ultra for the upcoming review, but also to discover the ZFold 8 model with great interest, as well as take a look at the Flip 8, the new watches, and the upcoming AI glasses created in collaboration with Google. The day was much more than just the keynote on stage, as we even took a nice boat ride on the Thames to test out the devices' new camera features firsthand, focusing in particular on person tracking and image stabilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A folding triptych for all tastes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the smartphone front, the Korean company has pushed hard on the artificial intelligence infrastructure by integrating One UI 9.0 and Gemini Intelligence in all three foldable variants, introducing the new AI Assistant Activity dashboard for total control over privacy and the processes running on our behalf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new arrival Galaxy Z Fold8 <\/strong>It presents itself as the lightest foldable ever made by the brand with its 201 grams of weight, offering an external display in 10:16 format that is held like a classic phone and a 4:3 internal screen with 3000 nits of maximum brightness, powered by a generous 4800 mAh battery and a double 50 MP main photographic compartment with the My FanCam and Dual Recording functions to capture both sides of the scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For those looking for the absolute best without compromising there is the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra <\/strong>(the little monster we took home for an in-depth review), a powerhouse of technology measuring just 4.1 mm thick when open, boasting an 8-inch internal display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, 5000 mAh battery with 45W charging, 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and 8K video recording using the new APV codec. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those who love the compact style have not been forgotten, as the Galaxy Z Flip8 <\/strong>It further refines itself, weighing just 180 grams and measuring 6.1 mm thick, bringing its iconic native AI FlexWindow with Now Brief and Now Nudge functions, a 50 MP main sensor with ProVisual Engine and Super Steady mode with Horizontal Lock for perfectly stable videos even when moving a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flex Titanium and silicon-carbon batteries, the engineering breakthroughs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most exciting structural innovations the R&D team unveiled at the event was Flex Titanium technology, a solution designed to make foldable displays significantly thinner without sacrificing strength. This architecture combines a titanium alloy film with an advanced titanium plate placed directly beneath the flexible panel, a combination that dissipates impact pressure while maintaining the flexibility needed to withstand thousands of folds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The use of titanium (the processing of which required a huge engineering effort to reduce its thickness to just a few tens of micrometers while maintaining flexibility with a lattice pattern) not only allows for a lighter body and a thinner display on the 10%, but also distributes mechanical stress evenly when the screen is open, drastically reducing the visibility of the central crease along the hinge. Furthermore, titanium itself aids heat dissipation compared to the polymers used in the past. This gain in internal space has enabled the introduction of new silicon-carbon batteries, a technology that increases energy density and has allowed for the integration of as many as 5000 mAh batteries into ultra-thin bodies without risking heat dissipation or safety issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The wrist ecosystem goes Ultra<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the wearable line, attention was divided between the Galaxy Watch9 <\/strong>and the muscular one Galaxy Watch Ultra2<\/strong>, both powered by the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite SoC on Wear OS 7 and One UI 9 Watch. The Galaxy Watch9 comes in 40mm and 44mm aluminum variants with up to 3,000 nits Super AMOLED displays, 390mAh or 445mAh batteries, and a full BioActive sensor for continuous heart rate and sleep tracking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Galaxy Watch Ultra2, for its part, raises the bar for extreme sports with its titanium case resistant up to 10 ATM and IP69K certification for professional diving, supported by a dedicated app developed in collaboration with Mares to transform the watch into a true dive computer. The display reaches a record-breaking 5,000 nits of maximum brightness (practically a beacon in the night), while battery life is guaranteed by a massive 800 mAh battery (an increase of the 35% compared to the previous generation) housed in a redesigned body that is 12% thinner than the first Ultra, coming to market in 47 mm Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray variants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AI Glasses with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Completing the ecosystem are the smart glasses developed in collaboration with Google and based on the platform Android XR<\/strong> and Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 chip. To avoid the awkward, nerdy-lab prototype effect, Samsung collaborated directly with fashion and eyewear brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, creating elegant, lightweight frames designed for everyday use (the Gentle Monster one sports a square black profile on top and a softer one on the bottom, while the Warby Parker version opts for a more classic brown shade). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The glasses integrate a front-facing camera to provide visual context to the AI, allowing Gemini to analyze what we're looking at in real time, summarize notes on whiteboards, translate conversations on the fly, provide directions, and even share real-time views during calls. All this with an estimated nine hours of battery life, which can be extended to up to seven additional charges using the included charging case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Prices and availability for the Swiss market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The new Galaxy Z series devices and wearables arrive on the market with the following official recommended prices for Switzerland:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the top-of-the-line foldable series, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at CHF 1,899 for the 12GB+256GB version, rises to CHF 2,049 for the 12GB+512GB model, and reaches CHF 2,349 for the maximum 16GB+1TB configuration. The Galaxy Z Fold8 model is priced at CHF 1,729 for the 12GB+256GB model, CHF 1,879 for the 12GB+512GB variant, and CHF 2,179 for the 16GB+1TB version. The smaller and more stylish Galaxy Z Flip8 is priced at CHF 1,149 for the 12GB+256GB model and CHF 1,299 for the 12GB+512GB version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taken with the ZFold 8 Ultra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As for the smartwatch segment, the Galaxy Watch9 Bluetooth versions start at CHF 349 for the 40 mm variant and CHF 379 for the 44 mm one, while the respective LTE versions go up to CHF 399 for the small model and CHF 429 for the large one. Finally, the mighty Galaxy Watch Ultra2 LTE with a 47 mm titanium case is offered at a list price of CHF 649.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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