Samsung unveils 3 new foldables to cheers of 1,200 as Roh declares AI foldable era

"If AI becomes personalized, proactive and capable of taking many different forms, what kind of device would best bring that to life?" — Roh Tae-moon, head of Samsung Electronics' DX Division

Samsung Electronics President Roh Tae-moon declared the dawn of the AI foldable phone era Wednesday, saying foldable devices will serve as the central pillar as AI becomes fundamental infrastructure.

Underpinning that confidence is the Galaxy Z Fold8, a new addition to the Galaxy Z series featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio. Roh signaled that Samsung plans to aggressively expand the Galaxy ecosystem with the Fold8 and the broader evolved Galaxy Z lineup at its core.

Galaxy Unpacked 2026, held Wednesday (local time) at Old Billingsgate in London, drew a packed crowd of media and influencers from around the world — so many that the original 1,000 seats proved insufficient, with attendees filling every edge of the venue.

When Roh unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8, the roughly 1,200 people filling the hall erupted in cheers.

The centerpiece was the Galaxy Z Fold8, designed with content immersion in mind. Its cover screen measures 138.4 mm (16:10 ratio, 9.7 mm thick when folded), suited for messaging, SNS and short-form video. The main screen unfolds to 193.2 mm in a 4:3 ratio at just 4.5 mm thin, optimized for video, reading, gaming and web browsing.

At 201 grams, it is the lightest Fold device ever made, and a 4,800 mAh battery addresses the chronic battery concerns long associated with foldable phones. The device also supports the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Gen 5 mobile platform and a 50-megapixel dual camera.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the flagship of the foldable lineup, measures 164.8 mm when folded (21:9 ratio, 8.9 mm thick) and 203.1 mm when open (20:18 ratio, 4.1 mm thin), weighing 215 grams. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Gen 5 mobile platform for smooth multitasking and packs a 5,000 mAh high-capacity battery.

The Galaxy Z Flip8, optimized for AI experiences, is the thinnest Galaxy Z Flip ever at 6.1 mm and the lightest at 180 grams. Its standout feature is a redesigned Flex Window cover display built around an AI-centric interface, allowing users to access personalized information without unfolding the device.

"We've made a foldable that is thinner, lighter, more durable and more immersive," Roh said. "Samsung Electronics has driven the development of the foldable market as the global leader in foldables."

Alongside the new foldables, Roh signaled that the era of AI foldable phones is now fully underway.

Samsung is building an ecosystem centered on foldable phones, connecting them with the Galaxy Watch9, Watch Ultra2 and smart glasses (Intelligent Eyewear). A collaboration with Google brings Gemini Intelligence to the lineup for the first time, delivering a more advanced level of service.

The goal, Roh said, is to let AI weave naturally into everyday life.

"For most people, the AI experience starts with a smartphone. Mobile is the ideal foundation for realizing agentic AI," he said. "Through the connected Galaxy ecosystem — centered on foldable phones — the AI experience will move with users across devices: a wearable on the wrist, a TV in the living room, AI glasses and beyond."

The Galaxy Watch9 and Watch Ultra2 offer health management features — including sleep tracking, cardiovascular health monitoring and recovery insights — drawing on data accumulated through Samsung Health and clinical research.

Two additional smart glasses models were unveiled at the event, joining the two designs first shown at Google I/O 2026 in May. All four support hands-free real-time translation, navigation, visual information capture, voice calls, music playback and photo taking.

"The most meaningful change that agentic AI will bring is helping us live healthier lives," Roh said. "As new context is added at each touchpoint, the AI experience will become ever more natural and seamless."

The event also drew support from global big-tech executives. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said, "Samsung will build the connected Galaxy ecosystem, Google will advance Gemini Intelligence, and Qualcomm will provide the computing and connectivity."

Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president of platforms and devices, added, "While still early days, Gemini Intelligence is taking shape on the new Galaxy foldables."