We've already had one Galaxy Unpacked event this year, but what about the second Galaxy Unpacked? Samsung typically holds two of these events each year, and with the Summer Unpacked event, it focuses on the latest foldables and smartwatches. This year is shaping up to be no exception, with rumors pointing to the next Unpacked taking place in London in July.

This year's event could be a little different, though, because it sounds like Samsung will offer three new foldables this year instead of the usual two. With the iPhone Ultra set to launch later this year, with a wider design, Samsung is expected to release a wider foldable of its own. That's on top of appearances from new versions of the Z Fold and Z Flip models that appear every year.

Here's what you need to know about Galaxy Unpacked Summer 2026 and all the new devices expected to be revealed at the show.

When is Galaxy Unpacked Summer 2026?

Samsung hasn't officially confirmed when the next Unpacked event will take place. But the rumors we've heard suggest the event will be held in London on July 22. We don't have any additional details beyond that, including what time the launch event will take place.

But with July 22 just over a month away, it shouldn't be long before Samsung makes all the details official.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung's reportedly mixing things up with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's expected that two models will bear the name. The standard Z Fold 8 is what people had been referring to as the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, on account of the new wider design Samsung is set to debut in the near future.

The design is remarkably similar to that of Apple's iPhone Ultra, which is supposed to arrive later this year. Various renders and dummy models show a foldable that's shorter and wider than traditional Z Fold models. The folding screen is tipped to be 7.8 inches in size, while the cover display is just 5.4 inches.

Other rumored hardware includes a pair of rear cameras instead of the usual three, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and a 4,800 mAh battery.

There's an awful lot we still don't know about this phone, including details on price and a lot of the basic hardware. However, the reports have made it clear that this new naming convention is happening. Which in turn implies Samsung sees the new wider Z Fold as a long-term addition to its foldable family, rather than a one-off — as we saw with the Galaxy Z TriFold and Z Fold SE.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

The successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is reportedly getting an extra upgrade, thanks to a brand new name. With the Z Fold Wide bearing the standard Z Fold 8 name, what we thought would be the Z Fold 8 is now being promoted to Ultra rank.

The good news is that the name change isn't just for show. Rumor has it that there will be a bunch of major upgrades coming to this year's flagship Galaxy foldable — least of which is the possibility of a creaseless display. That's the one design feature that foldable phone makers have been striving for since their inception nearly a decade ago, and the Z Fold 8 could, at the very least, come close to it being a reality.

Design-wise you're looking at the same basic shape as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, albeit with a slightly larger 8-inch foldable display and a 6.5-inch cover screen. Despite the increased size, the phone is expected to be 15 grams lighter, and if past foldables are anything to go by, it may even be slightly thinner.

Samsung may also finally upgrade the resolution of the main camera lens to 200MP — up from 50MP. The 12MP ultrawide lens is expected to rise to 50MP, with a slightly smaller jump from 10MP to 12MP on the telephoto camera. The two selfie cameras apparently won't be changing, though, so they're sticking at 10MP.

Other rumored hardware includes a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a larger 5,000 mAH battery and a charging boost from 25W to 45W. However the starting price may be higher as a result of the global RAM shortages, with rumors suggesting a $2,199 price tag for a basic 256GB model.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung has mostly neglected the Z Flip series over the years, and the rumors suggest that this year won't be any exception. In other words you should only expect to see incremental upgrades from the Galaxy Z Flip 8 when it arrives at Galaxy Unpacked.

From a design perspective we're likely to see more or less the same phone as last year. A 6.9-inch foldable display paired with a 4.1-inch cover display that surrounds a pair of camera lenses. We haven't heard anything about the kind of camera hardware to expect, but we're likely to see a 50MP main lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens and a 10MP selfie camera. It's also possible we'll see a reduction in weight and thickness, as has been the trend with past Z Flip devices.

From a performance perspective, it's unclear what kind of chipset Samsung will opt for. While the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 would offer the best performance, there's a good chance Samsung will instead opt for an Exynos chip. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 came with an Exynos 2500, and logically that would mean the Z Flip 8 would utilize the 2nm Exynos 2600.

Sadly there have been reports that Samsung may be scrapping the Z Flip series, which means the Galaxy Z Flip 8 may be the last Samsung flip-foldable we see for a while. So if you want a Samsung flip phone, rather than a Motorola Razr, this may be the one you need to buy.

Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2

Galaxy Unpacked won't just be about the phones, and word is that we'll also see two new smartwatches at the July event: The Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. There's a lot still unconfirmed about these wearables, but there have been a couple of rumors and leaks suggesting crucial changes.

The first is a report claiming Samsung has ditched the Exynos 1-series chips in favor of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset. This may be to support more AI features on the watches themselves, rather than passing them off to a smartphone.

It's also speculated that 5G could make an appearance, alongside a more powerful health sensor that improved tracking accuracy of metrics like heart rate, sleep, Afib and more.

Intelligent Eyewear

We've already seen Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear, designer glasses equipped with cameras and AI, at Google I/O back in May. Google's developer conference didn't go into a lot of detail about what to expect from the smart glasses, which means Galaxy Unpacked has plenty of opportunity to fill in the gaps.

At the very least Samsung needs to provide concrete details about pricing and when the glasses will actually go on sale. We'd also like to hear more about hardware specs, features and capabilities, plus any additional brand collaborations that might see different Eyewear designs go on sale in the near future.

Outlook

The star of Galaxy Unpacked is definitely going to be the new foldables, especially since the event is expected to see the debut of a brand new folding Galaxy phone. That doesn't happen very often, and it's going to be interesting to see what Samsung has in store for us — and what this means for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series as a whole.

That's not to say that Unpacked will only be about the phones. Rumors suggest that we'll be seeing updates for Samsung's smartwatches, including some notable upgrades, and we're all but guaranteed to get more information about the Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses. Who knows? Maybe there will be a few more surprises up Samsung's sleeve on the day.

We'll just have to wait for Samsung to confirm when Galaxy Unpacked is going to take place, and what it actually has in store for us on the day.

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We're still several months out from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, but the rumors have started rolling in revealing some of the changes we might be able to expect from the phone. According to leaker yeux1122 over on Naver, there could be some significant changes coming to the phone's hardware — including the loss of a camera lens.

The leaker claims that Samsung will be removing the secondary telephoto camera lens. The fourth lens has long offered 3x optical zoom, and a resolution far below that of the main telephoto camera. The Galaxy S26 Ultra's 3x lens offers just 12MP resolution, compared to the 50MP on its counterpart. This is never a particularly good look, when you're glancing at hardware specs.

There's more to photography than extra megapixels, but it's believed that Samsung has decided the 3x lens is now redundant. Apparently shooting at 3x magnification with the 5x lens produces better quality photos. In other words, removing the camera means Samsung can promise better photos, while reducing the effort and expense needed to manufacture the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Considering phone components have been rising in price over the past few years, in part thanks to the explosion in demand for RAM, reducing the cost of making a Galaxy S27 Ultra could help us avoid a price hike for another year. At the very least it might help to minimize the amount of extra money we're expected to pay if the price does change.

yeux1122 also claims that the loss of the camera lens will allow Samsung to finally increase the size of the S27 Ultra's battery. It's not clear whether this is because the loss of a camera frees up extra internal space, or if it's all down to money. I'd bet on it being a money decision, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a little bit of both.

Considering Samsung's Ultra-tier flagships have featured 5,000 mAh batteries for over six years, since the release of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it's about time we saw some change. After all, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to offer up to 5,200 mAh of battery capacity, while other rivals have exploited silicon carbon technology to offer thousands of extra milliamp hours of stored power.

It's unclear whether silicon carbon batteries will make an appearance in the Galaxy S27 series, but Samsung has confirmed it is exploring the use of technology.

On the topic of hardware changes I'm not sure I believe, yeux1122 also claims that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will feature a horizontal camera bar. This is supposed to allow for magnetic Qi2 wireless charging, similar to that of MagSafe and the Pixel 10's "Pixelsnap."

Samsung previously said magnetic charging wasn't possible because the internal magnet affected the display and prevented the S Pen from working. I can see how the camera hardware might get in the way of a magnetic ring, but I don't understand why Samsung would want to keep that from a secret.

As much as I'd like to see full Qi2 magnetic charging come to more Android phones, it's a shame it might come at the expense of the Galaxy's easily-identifiable design by turning it into a Pixel-looking phone with a stylus.

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Later this summer, it's widely expected that Samsung will launch three foldable phones: the already existing Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8, plus the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide. Previous rumors have suggested that Samsung might go with an "Ultra" moniker for the new foldable that is supposed to rival Apple's iPhone Ultra, which should debut this September.

The Ultra name was seemingly confirmed by the Japanese publication Sumahodigest, which spotted the name in a Bluetooth SIG certification listing. The listing reportedly features five different Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra models.

As for variants, the Z Fold 7 comes in three storage sizes: 256GB, 512GB and 1TB and 12GB or 16GB of RAM. However, with RAMageddon affecting memory prices, it's likely Samsung won't have as many storage or RAM options.

The experimental Galaxy Z Trifold only comes with 16GB of RAM and either 512GB or 1TB storage. This seems more probably for the Ultra model.

However, it appears those different model numbers are for domestic mobile carriers in Japan. One model is an unlocked version.

Based on this confirmation, the lineup at the next Galaxy Unpacked should consist of the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. I will note that the Japanese model names appear similar to one we should see in the US: SM-F971U.

What's next?

We tried digging through the FCC database to see if we could find anything about the Ultra model. Nothing is in the database, but it's possible that the Ultra hasn't received certification in the United States yet.

That said, the wider, more passport-shaped foldable phone is becoming more and more real. This week it was spotted in the wild, though it appeared hidden under an anti-leak protective case. Despite that, you can still see that it's shorter and wider than a normal Galaxy Z Fold.

The foldable Galaxy Unpacked typically takes place in July. This year's edition is currently rumored to take place on July 22 in London. Samsung probably won't announce that date until later this month or early July.

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The end of financial year sales are officially underway, and while Amazon's Mid-Year Sale is a little light on noteworthy smartphone discounts in 2026, the Optus EOFY sale is leading the charge with some truly outstanding deals on flagship devices.

The biggest savings can be had on Google's top two smartphones, the Pixel 10 Pro XL and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which have both been slashed by a whopping AU$800.

Alternatively, you could pick up Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra, which tops our list of the best Android phones in Australia, now discounted by AU$600.

Those aren't the only phones that Optus has discounted — you can also nab the Motorola Signature or the Motorola Edge 70 for 50% off.

To qualify for the discount, simply purchase your preferred device on a payment plan and maintain an active SIM for 24 or 36 months — savings will then be applied across the length of your contract. It's also worth mentioning that no savings will be applied to phones purchased outright.

You have until Sunday, July 5 to take advantage of these Optus EOFY deals, and while that's not a particularly short amount of time, we're expecting stock to go quickly at these prices. T&Cs apply.

Samsung kept things mostly the same with the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year compared to the S25 Ultra outside of the interesting privacy display. But next year's flagship Galaxy S27 Ultra could finally be the upgrade we're looking for.

A pair of leaks popped up over the weekend, which seem to show several major updates, including a crazy idea for cooling the phone. However, the biggest change is reportedly a much larger battery, which would legitimately be shocking since Samsung has kept the Ultra locked at 5,000mAh for the last seven years.

The battery leak comes from tipster Debayan Roy on X who released some specs for the Ultra.

S27 Ultra versus the S26 Ultra

Per Roy, the S27 Ultra should have a better OLED panel, improved chip set and the new LPDDR6 RAM plus a a battery that he has listed as greater than 6,000mAh. He also suggests it will have Qi2 charging, something that was rumored for the S26 Ultra but ultimately did not come to pass.

Here's how Roy's specs compare to the S26 Ultra.

The new 2nm Snapdragon combined with the LPDDR6 RAM should mean the S27 Ultra is far more efficient and powerful than the S26 Ultra. Additionally, it means that it should last longer and that's before you get to how it's getting a larger battery.

For some history, Samsung has used a 5,000 mAh battery in its Ultra series since the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That's seven generations with the same battery capacity. Yes, through more efficient chipsets and optimizations, Samsung has managed to improve battery life every generation — but it's been a surprising oversight on the company's part as rival companies are dropping 10,000 mAh silicon carbon batteries.

Cooling options

According to a new report out of the Korean publication Sisa Journal e, Samsung is apparently considering introducing a liquid cooling system in the S27 series. It's not something you often see in phones, though the RedMagic 11 Pro released in December 2025 does feature such a system.

As far as I know, Samsung last used liquid cooling in the Galaxy Note 9 which launched in 2018.

For the unaware, liquid cooling uses a sealed liquid (usually water) that circulates inside the device to rapidly dissipate heat buildup. Samsung is reportedly exploring liquid cooling or air cooling for its Galaxy phones.

Air cooling is faster than liquid but makes the phones heavier.

“Since liquid cooling using cooling fans has noise issues and many other limitations, we are focusing on liquid cooling and are considering a direction to maximize performance through a structure that connects directly to the AP," said Park Min, a Samsung senior researcher, at a seminar in Korea.

Apparently, Park noted that Apple has already started filing active cooling system patents, and Samsung is trying to be competitive with heat dissipation. "I believe commercialization is not far off," Park reportedly said.

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The rumored launch date for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is coming up fast, and this year, we're expecting to see not one but two book-style foldables come out of Galaxy Unpacked. The first is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which may have been renamed Z Fold 8 Ultra, alongside a squatter passport-shaped Z Fold 8 — previously known as the Z Fold Wide.

In case you were skeptical that the wider foldable would launch later this year, images of what seem to be the Z Fold 8/Wide have surfaced in the real world (via Ice Universe). Though, sadly, it's hidden under what's referred to as an anti-leak protective case, which limits what we can actually see.

The phone was spotted in Korea, in the hands of a person we can only assume is a Samsung employee. There isn't a lot we can actually see about the phone's design, since the case blocks most things, and Ice Universe claims that this is an internal case designed to protect prototype devices and prevent leaks. Considering how often unreleased phones have been spotted out in the world, that's definitely a smart move.

Despite the fact that there are minimal visible details, it's clear that this is the wider Z Fold 8 model. Not only is the device shorter and wider than a typical Galaxy foldable, but it also only has two rear cameras — a common feature of the various renders and dummy units we've seen so far.

The existence of a Z Fold 8 out in the real world also seems to confirm that this phone is ready to be released. Real-world testing is one of the last things you do with a smartphone, because there's no way a company risks repeating what happened to the iPhone 4 until all lab-based tests have been exhausted.

In other words, this is a strong indicator that the wide-shaped Z Fold 8 will appear at the rumored Galaxy Unpacked event next month. Though considering the Z Fold 8 has a similar design to the upcoming iPhone Fold, I would be shocked if Samsung didn't push out the new design before Apple's annual September event.

There's a lot we still don't know about the Galaxy Z Fold 8, beyond the passport-shaped design. Rumors claim that the phone will offer dual 50MP cameras and a 4,800 mAh battery, but very little else has actually leaked. This means, unless something big happens in the next month and a half, Samsung may actually have some surprises in store.

We'll have to wait and see what happens, but at the very least, we should get all the relevant information at Galaxy Unpacked — which is currently rumored to take place on July 22.

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Samsung has been king of the foldable phone business for so long that it should be terrified at the prospect of getting some serious competition. The impending release of the iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra if you prefer) could be the thing that finally topples Samsung from its throne. The Korean company looks to be pulling out all the stops to make sure that doesn't happen.

That's been particularly obvious from the latest batch of Z Fold 8 rumors, including one from prolific Samsung leaker Ice Universe. They claim Samsung has been working on reducing the crease of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series — to the point where it's "as impressive as that of the OPPO Find N6."

Attacking the iPhone Fold where it hurts

The display crease has reportedly been a real sticking point for Apple and the iPhone Fold. It's been claimed that Apple intends to use the crease-free display as one of the iPhone Fold's key selling points, in an attempt to make up for the fact that it's pretty late to jump on the foldable bandwagon.

The Oppo Find N6 doesn't eliminate the crease, but the consensus is that it gets pretty darn close. If Samsung has managed to reach the same level, then it's going to be quite the achievement.

The only question is whether it will be on par with Apple, since the company is reportedly trying to outdo all other foldable phones in crease elimination. But the closer Samsung gets, the less impressive Apple's achievement will seem — especially since the Z Fold 8 series is arriving first.

Interestingly, rumor has it that Samsung Display is the company that developed the crease-free display for the iPhone Fold. However, it's unlikely that the iPhone display will be available for other phone companies, least of all Samsung.

Not only is the design likely a collaboration between Samsung and Apple engineers, but there will also be legal agreements in place to prevent the likely unique iPhone design from being utilized on other phones — especially future Galaxy Z Fold models.

An Apple-like design is coming

But there's more to the Z Fold 8 series than a little bit less display crease. Samsung's also releasing a second design at some point this year, with a shorter, passport-like look that is remarkably similar to the leaked iPhone Fold design.

Samsung experimenting with new looks and special edition models is nothing new, though. We already saw the release of the Galaxy Z TriFold late last year, and despite the fact that it was expensive and didn't stay in production for long, the response to the larger-screen foldable was positive. Likewise, we had the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, which formed the basis of upgrades that eventually landed on the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

That said, the fact that Samsung is releasing something so similar to the iPhone Fold — even if it isn't identical — doesn't feel like a coincidence.

If I were a betting man, I'd say that this was a way to gauge just how much more popular Apple's shorter and wider foldable design might be. It's important to know whether the iPhone Fold's hypothetical success is because of the design, the fact it's the only foldable iPhone, or some combination of the two.

What's in a name?

It's also been rumored that Samsung is renaming the eighth generation foldable "Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra," despite the fact that it's a follow-up to the non-Ultra Galaxy Z Fold 7. As for the name Z Fold 8, that is apparently being bestowed upon the new wider design, which everyone has been calling the Galaxy Z Fold Wide up until now.

Leaker Ice Universe claims that this decision has only been made recently. While Samsung has been using Ultra branding on various phones for decades, my cynical mind thinks it's a bizarre attempt to capitalize on Apple's first foldable. Since Apple's first foldable phone may be called iPhone Ultra, I imagine Samsung must have wondered why it hasn't done that yet.

After all, Ultra has been a staple part of the Galaxy S series for at least six generations, and there's no better way to declare that a certain phone is the best than adding a descriptive term to the name.

It's unlikely that Samsung will end its apparent campaign to oust the iPhone Fold before it even releases, but there are still plenty of things we don't know about both the Galaxy Z Fold 8/Ultra and the Z Fold Wide.

But since the phones are rumored to be coming at a Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, we don't have long to wait to see what Samsung has in store for foldable phone fans — and what it thinks will be able to fight back against iPhone Fold. Let me know what you're hoping to see from Samsung in the comments below.

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Samsung's iPhone Fold rival, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide just appeared in a new leak alleging to show a dummy unit of the rumored foldable phone. If this is the true design, I could be convinced to finally make the leap to a foldable phone, especially one that may be among the best foldable phones.

The latest leak comes from regular tipster Sonny Dickson who described the wider foldable as "literally an S25 Edge thin when folded."

For reference, the Galaxy S25 Edge measures in at 5.8mm. Usually when foldables open, that number gets about halved, suggesting the Wide could measure in at 2.6mm(!) thin when unfolded. A USB-C port measures about that much, and based on Dickson's video, it certainly seems like that's the case.

The dummy unit may be a bit thicker than how the device will actually look in its final production. My colleague John Velasco noted that it appears that there's a gap between the displays when folded, which is important given how foldables a couple years ago were bent on eliminating the gap.

As we've seen in leaked renders, the wider Z Fold has a surprisingly broad cover display.

In a separate response to the video, Samsung leaker Ice Universe claimed that internal testers at Samsung are "very fond of this device." He also warned that this should be used as a rough reference since the build quality is "far from the real device."

A wider screen looks better

Last year, when Samsung experimented with its Galaxy Z TriFold, it proved that a foldable with more of a tablet aspect ratio could make for a great phone. That device features a 10-inch interior display that puts it closer to the size of the best tablets.

Samsung optimized a number of apps for the bigger display. It takes away the square aspect ratio of most foldables and treats it like a true display.

I love my iPad mini, and the rumored Z Fold Wide is supposed to have a similar 4:3 aspect ratio. As John Velasco points out, this wider display would actually run Android apps better, especially ones centered around video.

Outside of price, which will always put me off foldable devices, this new design actually makes me curious about the Z Fold 8 Wide and I really want to test it out now.

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If you were planning on picking up a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 later this year, you might want to be doubly sure you're purchasing the correct model. According to a new leak, Samsung may be changing how it names its foldables this year, thanks to the release of what we've been referring to as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide.

According to Ice Universe, the wider-screen Galaxy foldable is going to be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Meanwhile, what should have been the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the successor to the Z Fold 7, is allegedly being called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Not only is that going to be somewhat confusing, but the name change could also have some serious ramifications for both devices (and their price tags).

And I have a sneaking suspicion that the impending release of iPhone Fold may be at least partly responsible.

Galaxy foldables are finally getting proper competition

This year is going to be huge for the foldable phone market, and it's arguably going to be the biggest year for the segment since the launch of the original Galaxy Fold back in 2019. And it's all because Apple is expected to release the first foldable iPhone, which is called either the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, depending on who you ask.

The only real competition Samsung has had outside China for foldables comes from Google and Motorola, and the stats show that neither of them is selling enough foldables to usurp its position as the maker of the best foldable phones. But considering how successful the iPhone has been, the iPhone Fold is likely to be the first widely available foldable that could cause serious issues for Galaxy Fold sales.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 wasn't quite as iterative as some of its predecessors, notably the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and did come with some much-needed hardware upgrades. The 200MP camera finally made an appearance, and the 4MP under-display camera was removed in favor of a far more capable 10MP hole-punch. The Z Fold 8, or Fold 8 Ultra as it may be called, is said to be upping the ante again with a larger battery and faster charging — two things Samsung's foldables sorely need.

But are these upgrades going to be enough to properly compete with an Apple foldable? That's unclear, but some of the leaks and rumors point towards the fact that Samsung does have concerns Apple may beat it at its own game.

The fact that the Galaxy Z Fold Wide even exists is indicative of that. Various leaks have made it clear that Apple is opting for a wider passport-shaped design with the iPhone Fold, compared to the taller and narrower Z Fold design we've seen until now. The similarities the Z Fold Wide's design has with the iPhone Fold can't be ignored, and just like the release of the TriFold, it feels Samsung is finally coming around to the idea that different designs may be better.

Plus, it can't be a coincidence that Samsung might rename the Z Fold 8 as Z Fold 8 Ultra. Even though Samsung has been using Ultra branding on the Galaxy S series for over six years, the sudden decision to add it to a foldable right before Apple does something similar seems fishy.

This wouldn't let the Z Fold Wide stand on its own merit

Of course, changing the naming convention like this has its own problems. Notably, you're suddenly attaching a premium name to what was, technically, the standard model. It has me concerned that Samsung may be about to increase the price of the Z Fold 8, under the guise of it being an Ultra device that requires an Ultra price tag.

A price hike was inevitable at some point in the near future, mostly thanks to RAMageddon and the increasing cost of actually building phones. But a price hike that ties into a name change would be a very cynical way to do it.

I could get on board if the Z Fold 8 were to end up with additional hardware worthy of the Ultra moniker. The return of the S Pen is a great example, and would help the foldable tie in with the Galaxy S-series' Ultra phones. But if it's another incremental upgrade, it's a name change for the sake of a name change. I didn't like the idea of the Galaxy S26 potentially being renamed Galaxy S26 Pro, and I don't like the fact that the Z Fold 8 could have the Ultra label slapped on just because.

As for the Z Fold Wide, a rebrand would effectively make the phone look like the sequel to the Z Fold 7 — rather than letting it stand alone as its own phone — as was the case with the Galaxy Z TriFold that was released late last year. We don't know a lot about the phone, thanks to limited rumors, but what I have heard has me feeling very ambivalent about the phone in question.

Various design leaks have shown that the Wide should only have two rear cameras. That seems to be happening a lot with new phone designs, like the Galaxy S25 Edge, and it's going to make the Wide look less appealing compared to its predecessors. Likewise, an apparent drop from a 200MP main camera to the rumored 50MP lens is not going to be a good look. Even if the second lens is also 50MP, and a noticeable upgrade from 12MP.

If I were Samsung, I'd be releasing the Z Fold Wide as its own phone, separate from the Z Fold 8. Much like the Z Fold Special Edition or the Galaxy Z TriFold, this would be an experiment to gauge the popularity and functionality of a passport-style foldable.

If successful, the lessons learned could be applied to future foldables — just as the Z Fold SE was effectively a prototype version of the Z Fold 7. If it's a failure, then lessons learned; Samsung hasn't launched what was supposed to be a new annual release only to find nobody wants it. That's a lesson it likely learned from the Galaxy S25 Edge; the Galaxy S26 Edge hasn't appeared yet for a reason.

Samsung needs to get it together

Rumors are rumors, and there's no guarantee that Samsung really will mix up the names of its upcoming foldables. Don't forget that rumors claimed the Galaxy S26 would be called the Galaxy S26 Pro, in a weird attempt to boost sales, but that didn't happen. The same could still be true of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Z Fold Wide, and we won't know for sure until Galaxy Unpacked in July.

Then again, the rumored name changes certainly don't feel like a coincidence, considering the iPhone Fold is coming. Apple arguably poses the biggest threat to Samsung's foldable dominance, and it's going to be pulling out all the stops to try and keep the Galaxy Z Fold series in the top spot. Even if that means mimicking the iPhone Fold's design, and opting for some marketing trickery in the process.

But that feels like a big mistake on Samsung's part. I relish the idea of competition in the foldable phone space, but it should mean phone makers are pushing to make their devices the best they can be. Samsung has spent a lot of time letting its foldable phones stagnate, especially with the Z Flip series, and I'm hoping the iPhone Fold will be the kick in the pants it needs to actually try innovating and improving future models more than it has so far.

Just as long as it doesn't try to trick people into thinking its phones are something that they're not.

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Samsung phones are finally catching up with iPhones and other Android phones, with the news this week that Samsung Wallet will now support digital passports thanks to a partnership with CLEAR. That should make verifying your identity at the airport and other select locations a little more seamless than before.

Digital passport support has been part of Apple and Google Wallet for some time, but anyone using Samsung Wallet has been left out in the cold. Sure, some Samsung phones have access to Google Wallet as well, but it's not the default option and requires physically downloading it from Google Play. This change should help make everything nice and easy for Samsung users.

According to Samsung, the "Samsung ID with CLEAR" is backed by the information in your passport and lets you use the digital ID at over 250 TSA checkpoints without having to take out your paper passport. The ID will also be accepted at select sports arenas, though only the BMO Stadium in LA has been mentioned by name.

All the information is secured by Samsung Knox and encrypted on your device. That means it's not stored on any external servers, and it's only accessible via your passcode or fingerprint.

What you should know before you travel

The process of verifying your digital ID is quite easy and only requires you to scan a Digital ID QR code at the airport ID readers. However, this isn't an excuse to leave your passport at home, with the TSA guidelines stating that you still need to carry a physical ID in case any additional verification is required.

As with Apple and Google, there are some caveats to the digital ID in Samsung Wallet. The first is that it's only available to U.S. passport holders and isn't available for foreign passports. Samsung Wallet already supported digital driver's licenses, which were valid at eligible TSA checkpoints, so nothing has changed in that regard.

You're also only allowed to use the digital ID for domestic flights, and any international travel will require the same paper passport you've always had to use. That's all because international borders still aren't equipped for digital IDs, and turning up without a verifiable paper passport will mean you end up on the first flight back home.

Considering Apple and Google have supported digital passports for several months, it's good to see Samsung finally catching up.

We're still a long way from being able to completely replace paper passports when we travel, especially internationally, but if digital IDs can make airport security a little more painless, then I am all for it.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is coming, joining the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at Galaxy Unpacked later this summer. While 2026 is bound to be a big year for foldables, fans of Samsung's flip-foldables may not want to celebrate. Rumors have been remarkably quiet about what the next Z Flip will offer, which suggests that we may not be getting any major upgrades.

To make matters worse, rumors suggest that this may be the last ever Samsung flip phone — at least for the time being. The rising cost of manufacturing, along with the Z Flip lineup's general stagnation, means that the Z Flip 9 may not happen. It's too early to say for sure, but it would be quite the shake-up in the foldable world if that were to happen.

But, for now, we can only focus on the next flip-foldable on the way. Here's what we know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Rumored Specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Release date & price

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is going to be unveiled later this summer, with a special Unpacked event currently rumored to take place on July 22. Pre-orders will likely open that same day, and if experience tells us anything, it's that the phone itself will likely release roughly two weeks later — around August 5.

Pricing is unclear right now, but we'd expect the phone to cost the same $1,099 as the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 6. That said, with the number of price hikes that have been imposed on phones, including Samsung's own Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra, there's no telling what might happen. Especially since it's been a couple of years since the last Z Flip price increase.

We obviously hope that the price stays the same for at least another year, but there's no telling what might happen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Design & Display

We haven't heard many rumors regarding the Z Flip 8's design or its two displays. So we are more or less expecting the same look and shape as last year's model, though it's possible that there may be a few slight variations to be aware of. It's likely that the most we will actually see is a reduction in thickness, weight and bezel size. This is what's happened in the last few generations, at any rate.

This means you should expect to see a 6.9-inch folding OLED display, capable of offering 1080P resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the cover display will presumably stick to the same 4.1-inches as the Z Flip 7, with the corner-to-corner display panel that surrounds the two main cameras. The smaller screen means it won't be a full 1080p, resolution, but we should still see the 120Hz refresh rate make another appearance.

The color options will presumably change for the new generation, but right now, we don't know what options will actually be available.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Cameras

We also haven't heard any rumors about the Z Flip 8's camera setup. It's unlikely we'll see any additional lenses, so expect a standard main/ultrawide camera array, plus a hole-punch selfie camera on the folding screen.

If Samsung opts for the same cameras as last year, we'll see a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP selfie camera. Some of this hardware has stuck around for a few years, and it's about time that Samsung offered us some kind of upgrade. But considering the cost of manufacturing phones is rising, I wouldn't expect anything major. At most, a resolution bump to the ultrawide camera, and maybe a slightly better sensor.

Then again, things may be more or less identical to last year. It wouldn't be the first time Samsung offered an iterative upgrade to its flip-phone lineup. Just look at the differences between Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 6.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Performance

While the larger Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to run on one of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipsets, the same may not be true of the Galaxy Z Flip 8. Last year saw Samsung equip the Z Flip 7 with one of its own Exynos 2500 chipsets, and signs point to something similar happening with the Z Flip 8, too.

Reports have suggested that the Exynos 2600 will be the brain powering the Galaxy Z Flip 8. That follows the example set by the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus outside North America, and would mean Samsung is pushing its own chips more than we've seen over the last few years.

While that news may be disappointing for some, benchmarking tests show that the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus both performed fairly well with the Exynos chipset. Not quite as well as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, but it's a far cry from the disappointing performance of Exynos chips in the pre-pandemic years. Clearly, Samsung is putting the 2nm process, which offers better performance and efficiency, to good use.

As for RAM, things are a little unclear due to the ongoing memory shortages. Samsung has hedged a lot of its bets on AI, which requires a significant amount of RAM to operate effectively. But we've already heard rumors that some devices will be reducing the amount of RAM available.

The Pixel 11 may be one of them, with leaked specs suggesting the standard model will only include 8GB of RAM on models with lower levels of storage. Samsung may do something similar, downgrading the amount of memory from 12GB to 8GB unless you're willing to pay a premium for 512GB or 1TB of storage. Though things aren't entirely clear on that front at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Battery & charging

Samsung has offered small upgrades to battery capacity for the last few Z Flip releases. Whether that trend will continue for another year isn't clear, but considering what Samsung did with the Galaxy S26 and the 5,000 mAh battery rumored to be coming to the Z Fold 8, I'd say the odds are fairly high.

Sadly, the rumors suggest that charging speed won't get the same attention, with the Z Flip 8 reportedly coming with the same 25W wired charging speeds as before.

This presumably means that wireless charging will stick to 15W speeds, though it would be nice if Samsung upgraded to Qi2 technology — even if it doesn't come with magnets.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Outlook

There are still a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to the Galaxy Z Flip 8, but with Galaxy Unpacked just under two months away, there's plenty of time for the big secrets to leak out into the world. That said, what little we do know paints a rather boring picture — suggesting that the Z Flip 8 won't be hugely different from its predecessors.

If that's the case, then Samsung is going to have to make some magic if it's going to drum up the hype for this phone. No doubt the company will be focusing on Galaxy AI features, rather than the hardware alone, but it seems unlikely that the Z Flip 8 will have anything truly unique. At the very least, its newest features will be shared with its larger sibling the Z Fold 8, which may dampen the excitement for the smaller model.

Only time will tell, and we'll just have to wait and see what Samsung has in store for us when Galaxy Unpacked rolls around in July.

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• Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold Wide specs leak but what's surprising are the missing features

A new report reveals some alleged specs for both the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the rumored Galaxy Z Fold "Wide," which includes a bigger battery and improved cameras.

The leaked specs from the Greek publication TechManiacs (via GSMArena). The Greek leak shows some expected upgrades and updates, but another leak reveals a surprising lack of features that could make the Z Fold 8 a downgrade for some.

First, the specs.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs

Per Techmaniacs, Samsung will use the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 silicon as found in the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra. No real surprise, as that's a trend Samsung has stuck with for a couple of years now.

The Z Fold 8 is supposed to weigh 210 grams and measure 4.1mm when unfolded, which is slightly thinner and about 5 grams lighter than the Z Fold 7. The 200MP main and 10MP selfie cameras would remain the same, but the ultrawide could bump up to 50MP. The leak doesn't mention the telephoto, but the Z Fold 7 currently uses a 10MP lens.

One nice upgrade is a 5,000 mAh battery that finally matches what's in the Ultra phones and is bigger than the 4,400 mAh in the Z Fold 7.

Galaxy Z Fold Wide specs

The rumored Z Fold Wide, which is reportedly being made in response to the iPhone Fold, got some specs leaked by Techmaniacs.

This includes a 4:3 aspect ratio, two 50MP rear cameras for the wide and ultrawide lenses, a 4,800 mAh battery, and weighs about 200 grams. None of these rumors is particularly new, but it does seem to confirm previous leaks.

But what's missing

Separately, a different leak from regular Samsung leaker Ice Universe revealed a surprising lack of features.

According to his most recent tweet, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will not feature the controversial Privacy Display. This may be a boon for some, as complaints about fuzzy text and eye strain abounded when the S26 Ultra launched in March.

He also said that it would not have S Pen support. However, Samsung did ditch the S Pen with the Z Fold 7. The company blamed the foldable phone's thinness, though it has promised to develop a thinner, more innovative stylus. Ice Universe's claim does contradict a recent rumor claiming the Z Fold 8 would launch with a new S Pen.

Finally, since launching the original Z Fold, Samsung has slowly reduced the crease in the display. However, Ice Universe says the "crease doesn't improve much."

To be fair, it's much better on the Z Fold 7, but if Apple finally launches the iPhone Fold this year, that company's whole goal has been to eliminate the crease. The Z Fold 8 will look dated by comparison.

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Samsung’s been making its flip-style phones for what seems like forever now, but could you believe that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 may be the very last one ever? That’s what the latest rumor suggests, as Samsung could be undergoing a massive, unexpected shake-up.

According to Instant Digital (via Notebook Check), a prominent tipster on Weibo who shared details about a new supply chain leak, Samsung could be planning to cancel the Galaxy Z Flip 9. This is due to the fact that there has been a complete absence of early supply chain talk about the Galaxy Z Flip 9, which normally happens a year in advance.

“Product planning happens at least a year in advance; if a Flip 9 were in the works, I’d have seen some leaks or information by now, but there's absolutely nothing,” reads the post by Instant Digital. In addition to the lack of chatter, the tipster claims that surging costs, design stagnation, and how users are gravitating toward larger book-style foldables are all contributing to the possibility that we won’t get a Galaxy Z Flip 9.

While this is a bold claim, I don’t think Samsung’s going to be abandoning the flip-style form factor anytime soon.

For starters, Samsung has always offered a robust selection of devices that covers the entire range — including flip phones. The form factor itself is precisely why I don’t think Samsung is going to be pulling the plug on this series anytime soon.

Sure, I could totally see it eliminating the FE model in the future, especially given how last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE was basically the same as the Z Flip 6.

Secondly, there’s still a huge price disparity between its flip and book-style foldables. While the Galaxy Z Flip 7 did get a $100 price hike over its predecessor that brought it up to $1,099, there was still a massive gap between it and the $1,999 Galaxy Z Fold 7. That’s a $900 difference, and I know plenty of people would rather pay less to get into the foldable ecosystem.

Finally, the design of the Z Flip line certainly has its advantages. In fact, I’ve claimed on numerous occasions that it’s the ideal device for content creators and anyone who is into video. Since its rear cameras are integrated into the same side as its outer screen, it's way easier and more suitable to use for vlogging than book-style foldables.

These are just some of the reasons why I don’t think Samsung is giving up on the Galaxy Z Flip 9. Plus, the lack of supply chain chatter could simply mean that Samsung is working hard to make it a way bigger upgrade than the Z Flip 8.

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Samsung has just announced that the One UI 9 beta program will launch this week. This means that Samsung Galaxy phone users will be able to try out an early version of One UI 9, which is based on Android 17, ahead of an official release sometime later this year.

According to Samsung, the beta will start on Galaxy S26 series phones, which means it's now open to anyone with a Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus or Galaxy S26 Ultra. Presumably, the beta will be available on older devices at some point too, but Samsung hasn't revealed any details about a wider rollout.

One UI 9 beta — all the upgrades

According to Samsung, the One UI 9 beta has offered "several updates across key areas of the mobile experience." Here are all the upgrades we know about so far.

Samsung Notes is getting an array of new tools, including a bunch of different pen line styles and decorative tapes. That should help enhance your note-taking experience beyond scribbling down words in a hurry with the S Pen. Meanwhile, the Contacts app now offers direct access to Creativ Studio, letting you create personalized profile cards without having to manually switch apps.

Samsung has also updated the Quick Panel, with the aim of giving users better control over the layout. This means One UI 9 will have adjustable widgets for brightness, sound and media, plus added size options to suit the user's own personal preferences.

Accessibility settings will add adjustable Mouse Key speeds, and a combined TalkBack package that merges features that had been available in Google and Samsung's separate offerings in the past software. Text Spotlight will also be able to display text that is larger and clearer in its own floating window to make reading easier.

One UI 9 also promises enhanced protection against threats and suspicious apps. The software will now block execution and installation, while warning the user and recommending they delete the potentially malicious application.

How to sign up for One UI 9 beta

The One UI beta program is only available in certain regions, with Samsung confirming that it's open to Galaxy phone users in Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, the U.K. and the U.S. If you live anywhere else, then you're out of luck and will have to wait before you can install One UI on your phone.

Signing up for the beta happens in the Samsung Members app, which is available from Google Play and the Galaxy Store, assuming it's not already installed on your phone. You'll then need to find the Beta Program tile and join any open beta tests that are available. However, there may not be any open spots, at which point your One UI 9 beta journey will end.

Once you sign up for the beta in the Members app, you'll have to head to Settings > Software Update > Download and Install, then install the relevant beta program. You'll then have to let your Galaxy run through the install process, which includes a restart, at which point the One UI 9 beta will be available to you.

Just be aware that beta software comes with some risks, and it may not work as smoothly or seamlessly as you might like. So before you upgrade to One UI 9 beta, be sure to back up all your data, and make yourself familiar with the steps needed to remove the software in its entirety — a process that involves leaving the beta and rolling back to a previous stable version of One UI with the desktop version of Samsung's Smart Switch software.

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If you've been eagerly awaiting the Galaxy Z Fold 8, or maybe even the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, then you may be in luck. A new report out of Korea might have just revealed that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place in London on July 22 — with a bunch of new product announcements.

The report comes from Seoul Economic Daily, which claims that the upcoming Unpacked event will feature at least three new products: The Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the Galaxy Watch 9 series wearables. The report also notes that we may see the long-rumored Galaxy Fold Wide, which has a design similar to the upcoming iPhone Fold, and the long-rumored "Galaxy Glasses."

The report details several things we can expect from the Galaxy Glasses, including the fact that they are apparently being made in conjunction with eyewear brand Gentle Monster in order to "enhance design and practical competitiveness."

The glasses are expected to offer speakers, a microphone and high-definition cameras, but will apparently lack a display. They're set to run on the Android XR operating system and will be powered by Google's Gemini AI.

We know a little more about the Galaxy Fold Wide, which is set to come with a new design that's both shorter and wider than that of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The report claims that Samsung is attempting to diversify its foldable portfolio and "maintain its leadership gap" ahead of the iPhone Fold launch later this year.

Samsung hasn't confirmed any of these details, and previous rumors suggested that the Z Fold 8 would actually go on sale on July 22 — suggesting Unpacked would be a couple of weeks earlier. Samsung's summer release schedule has been a bit erratic over the last few years, and we've seen Unpacked happen throughout the month of July, so either of those options could end up being true.

We're just going to have to wait and see how this all plays out, and presumably Samsung will be confirming details about the event at some point in the next month and a half. But one thing is for sure: the summer Galaxy Unpacked event is going to be jam-packed with announcements.

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Starting this week, Samsung is officially releasing a stable build of One UI 8.5 to basically every Samsung device that debuted in 2025 including some of the best Samsung phones of the last few years.. The update brings several features that were exclusive to the S26 series including Agentic AI, Creative Studio and more.

The update has been making its way around the globe, and officially dropped in South Korea last week. The update comes with version numbers S938USQU9CZDP/S938UOYN9CZDP and is 4408.31 MB alongside the April security patch.

Samsung's official list of devices getting One UI 8.5 includes millions of products, including tablets:

• Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, S25 FE
• Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, S24 Ultra, S24 FE
• Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7
• Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6
• Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S10, Tab S10 Plus, Tab S10 Ultra

Beyond patches, stability and security updates, One UI 8.5 brings a number of new features to your phone or tablet. The big updates will be AI-related, including a revamped Bixby and new Galaxy AI tools. Plus, some visual designs are getting a new look.

Here's the full list of changes based on previous leaks and what we know so far.

Full list of changes

• Continuous image generation
  • Photo Assist now lets you generate Al images using different Photo assist features without saving each iteration. When you’re done, you can review all your creations in your history and pick your favorites.
• Smarter device control
  • Bixby is now better at finding the setting or feature you need, even if you don’t use exact commands or feature names.
• Ask anything, anytime
  • Whether you need a quick answer or detailed information, just ask Bixby for an instant response. There’s no need to spend time on multiple searches or switching between apps.
• Bixby Conversation history
  • You can now access your conversation history from the side panel in the Bixby app.
• Storage share
  • Files from your other Samsung phones, tablets, and PCs are available in the My Files app on your phone. You can also access your phone’s files on other Samsung devices, even your TV.
• Quickly connect to Smart View devices
  • You can now add a shortcut on your Home screen to instantly mirror your phone’s screen to a TV or other display device.
• Enhanced Auracast features
  • Options for both broadcasting and listening are now located in the Audio broadcast menu in Settings.
• Voice broadcasts
  • In addition to media sound, you can now broadcast your voice using your phone’s built-in microphone.
• Revamped battery info
  • Redesigned Battery settings screen makes it easier to check remaining time, charging status, and daily usage
• Improved Power saving
  • Choose Standard for moderate savings and customizable limits, or choose Maximum to turn off all non-essential features and make your battery last as long as possible.
• Easily control Bluetooth hearing aids
  • Access settings for your Bluetooth hearing aids directly from the Accessibility shortcut. A pop-up will appear that lets you change your hearing program, turn Ambient sound on or off, and more.
• Control magnification with mouse or keyboard
  • Keep what you need magnified in view with these new options. You can make the magnified area follow the cursor as you type or move when you change focus using the keyboard. When using a mouse, you can make the magnified area shift as you move the pointer to the edge of the screen.
• Dwell action and Corner actions
  • The Auto action after pointer stops feature has been divided into 2 features. Dwell action lets you set custom actions when your mouse stops moving for a certain amount of time. Corner actions let you set a different action for each corner of the screen.
• More customizable quick panel
  • You can now add, remove, reorder, and reorganize controls in the quick panel.
• Early alerts for reminders
  • Get alerts before reminders are due to make sure you don’t forget important tasks. You can choose how far in advance to get an alert for each reminder.
• Partial screen recording
  • You can now select only the part of the screen that you want to record.
• Calculator nudges
  • Numbers and formulas copied to your clipboard will be suggested when you open Calculator so you can enter them with a quick tap.
• Keep window sizes in DeX
  • DeX now remembers your app window sizes and positions. When you open an app again, it appears just as you left it.
• Weather alarm backgrounds
  • Your alarm screen can now show the current weather conditions as a background when it rings.
• Time zone converter
  • The new slider in the Clock app makes it easy to check the time difference between places around the world.
• Enhanced weekly reports
  • Weekly reports now include data from your medication tracker and mindfulness sessions.
• Upgraded Sharing Experience
  • Mix and match your exercise stats with photos from your workout to create the social media post.
• Start meditations from your watch
  • You can now start meditations directly on your Galaxy Watch without picking up your phone.
• Antioxidant measurements from your watch
  • Measure antioxidant levels directly from your Galaxy Watch, even if it’s not connected to your phone.
• Theft protection
  • Turn on Failed authentication lock to automatically lock the screen in case there are too many failed attempts to verify your identity using your fingerprints, PIN, pattern, or password.
• Turn off Auto blocker temporarily.
  • If you need to temporarily disable Auto blocker’s security protection, a new option lets you turn it on automatically 30 minutes later so you don’t forget.
• Avoid unwanted sharing requests
  • You can now set Quick Share to only receive files from other devices signed in to your Samsung account or Google account.
• Photo sharing suggestions
  • When you share pictures that include friends or family, Quick Share can recognize who’s in them and suggest sharing directly with those people.
• Automatic Lock screen layout
  • When you choose a photo for your Lock screen, the layout adjusts automatically so the clock and widgets don’t cover important parts of the picture.
• More customizable clock fonts
  • You can now adjust the thickness of more font styles to match your preferred look on the lockscreen.
• Enhanced weather widget
  • Weather widget now shows a graph if precipitation is expected in the coming hours.
• Pollen index
  • Check how much pollen is in the air; you can check pollen levels for trees, grass, and ragweed.

This is a rollout so your device might not have the update just yet. Give it a day or two and you should get it.

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the most exciting things in mobile today are foldables. After testing many of the best foldable phones over the last few years, I’ve slowly realized my main grievance with notebook-style foldables.

No, it’s not the crease that can be a distraction at the right angle, nor is it their durability. Instead, my issue lies with the practically square aspect ratios they all adopt when unfolded. Even though I’ve been dealing with this for years, all the leaks I’ve seen around the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide suggest Samsung is finally addressing my biggest concern.

As the name implies, this new model is expected to be wider, with previous reports hinting at a 16:10 aspect ratio. However, the latest rumors point toward a 4:3 display — making it more like an iPad. That shift alone could make it far more usable than any other notebook-style foldable to date. Here’s why.

Apps would fit way better

Foldables often feel like they’re in a constant tug-of-war with Android apps, and that struggle isn't limited to notebook-style models. If you’ve ever tried running apps on the cover displays of flip-style phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 or Motorola Razr Ultra 2025, you’ve likely noticed how many aren’t optimized for those cramped aspect ratios.

Watching video reels on Instagram and TikTok is the biggest offender because the video is often cropped rather than shown in full, which cuts off the text and subtitles around the edges. I run into this same problem when I open notebook foldables like the, Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7 — or a phone like the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite with its squarish main display.

By moving away from a squarish aspect ratio to the 4:3 rumored for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, Samsung would provide a canvas that better fits apps without requiring developers to heavily modify their layouts. Since app developers already have optimized layouts for tablets like the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, they could easily adapt those designs for a 4:3 display.

Way more suitable for watching video

I’ll be honest: I don’t know how I convinced myself that current notebook-style foldables are ideal for watching movies and videos. They're not. This is partly because most content is shot in 16:9 or more cinematic 21:9 aspect ratios, leaving the video surrounded by so many black bars that the actual picture ends up no larger than what you’d see on a standard smartphone.

That’s why watching the same content on a traditional tablet is much more satisfying — and the comparison above between the Z Fold 7 and iPad Mini perfectly illustrates this. Just look at the amount of wasted space at the top and bottom of the video on the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

It’s frustrating to know I’m not getting a larger picture despite having all that screen real estate. Sure, I could pinch-to-zoom to fill the gap, but then I'm cropping out details I might otherwise miss.

Z Fold 8 Wide takes after Galaxy Z Trifold failure

If the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide feels like a sudden course correction, that’s because it likely is. Now to better understand why I say this, you have to look back at the short-lived experiment that was the Galaxy Z Trifold.

The reality is that the Trifold felt like a true tablet when it was completely unfurled to reveal its 10-inch display. Despite its short lifespan, it proved to me that its wider aspect ratio was what notebook-style phones should have been chasing all along. It just makes sense.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide appears to be the spiritual successor, but in a form factor that is far more attainable. Rather than being weighed down by the complexities of multiple hinges — which drive up costs — the Z Fold 8 Wide is better positioned for success by removing the mechanical anxiety that plagued the Trifold.

I just hope Samsung doesn’t make it obscenely more expensive than the standard Z Fold 8.

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If you have one of Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 smartphones, Now Nudge is an exciting AI feature that can save you time and help you out, without you even asking. Now Nudge is part of Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite of tools, and launched with the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026.

It’s similar to Google’s Magic Cue on the Pixel 10 series, as both aim to proactively provide useful information and suggest actions based on what’s being displayed on your screen.

Now Nudge isn’t technically a new technology, but it is new for Samsung phones, and Apple currently doesn’t offer this level of AI integration on iPhone. It’s likely only a matter of time until it does, though, with iOS 27 tipped to bring a major AI overhaul to the iPhone.

What phones can I use Now Nudge on?

Samsung’s Now nudge feature is only available on the flagship Galaxy S26 series. If you don’t have one of the three following phones, you won’t be able to access it.

• Samsung Galaxy S26
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

There’s no word on whether Samsung will bring this AI feature to any of its other devices, but it’s likely to feature on the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 when they arrive later this year.

It’s worth noting Now Nudge currently supports 13 languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Polish, Vietnamese, Hindi. If your phone language is set to anything else, this feature won’t work for you.

How to enable Now Nudge

There’s a chance you already have Now Nudge enabled, as it’s included in the general AI features acceptance when you set up a new Galaxy S26 device. Here's how you can double-check, or get it working if you're setting your phone up for the first time.

What can Now Nudge do for me?

Now Nudge becomes more powerful and more useful, the more you use your phone. Actions such as organizing meet-ups with friends, adding your work calendar, taking photos, making restaurant reservations, and booking flights can all be taken into account when Now Nudge proactively searches for useful information.

The AI can understand the context of your text conversations, and scans the data on your phone to surface relevant information to help you seamlessly pull up booking information, share photos, open a location in Maps, add an event to your calendar, and more.

A Now Nudge prompt appears as an icon in a bar above the keyboard, and will be labelled according to either the action it’s suggesting, such as ‘Add event’ or ‘Share photo’, or the information it’s trying to flag to you, such as a phone number or reservation details.

Tapping the icon will then trigger the action being suggested, without you having to leave the messaging or social app you’re currently in and having to navigate elsewhere.

Now Nudge is just one of several Galaxy AI features, and builds on Now Brief and the Now Bar that Samsung introduced over a year ago. While Now Nudge feels a little limited in places at the moment, we expect Samsung to continue developing the feature and opening it up to more apps and data opportunities.

If you want to learn even more about the Galaxy S26 series, we spoke to Samsung's senior VP of mobile product development, Drew Blackard, who answered your burning questions about the firm’s latest phone series.

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Various iPhone Fold design leaks, including a video hands-on with an alleged dummy unit, have shown that Apple is offering a brand new take on the foldable form factor — with a device that is shorter and wider than existing devices. But the iPhone Fold won't be alone, thanks to the impending release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide.

We've already seen some glimpses of the Z Fold Wide's design, and new renders have appeared online via The Cipher Project on Telegram. The renders apparently come from One UI 9, which is expected to be released later this year, and show off the general screen design of Samsung's upcoming foldable.

While it's not quite so easy to tell without seeing these devices side by side, it looks like the Z Fold Wide won't be quite as extreme as the iPhone Fold. It does look wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, as showcased by similar renders uncovered by Android Authority, but it still looks taller and narrower than what Apple has in store.

Rumors claim that the Z Fold Wide will have a 7.6-inch main display and a 5.4-inch cover display. Though given the new design, that only tells us part of the story, and isn't a true indicator of screen space.

Obviously, we can't fully compare these phones until we see the real things side-by-side, but it will be interesting to see how Samsung's "Wide" design compares to other foldables on the market — and which look is most advantageous.

The renders also reiterate that the Z Fold Wide only has two rear cameras, similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy S25 Edge. Sadly, it's unclear what the situation is with selfie cameras, with some renders showing nothing at all, while another reveals a hole-punch camera in the cover display.

We also get to see a facsimile of the lockscreen on both displays, though this doesn't show us very much. All we can see is a clock, the Now Brief bar and two shortcuts — all of which are available on existing Galaxy phones.

There's still a lot we don't know about the Z Fold Wide, and leaks haven't been particularly forthcoming about the kind of hardware we can expect. Hopefully, we'll be seeing comparable hardware to the Z Fold 8, which means that there should be a large 5,000 mAh battery, 25-45W charging and high-resolution cameras.

Stay tuned for more leaks between now and Samsung Galaxy Unpacked this summer.

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I’ve spent more time with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 than any other phone in the last year. That’s saying a lot for Samsung’s flip-style phone because it is undoubtedly worthy of being called the best foldable phone around, beating out other distinguished models like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. In fact, it’s been so good that I’ve made it my daily driver for the past 8 months.

When you review as many of the best phones as I do, holding onto a device for that long is rare — but there’s still room for improvement. Summertime is typically when Samsung holds its Galaxy Unpacked event specifically for its foldable devices, and there’s a very good chance that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will be part of the reveal.

Following Motorola’s reveal of its Razr 2026 lineup, this is a prime opportunity for Samsung to introduce these improvements I desperately want to see with the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

Longer battery life

Topping my list of improvements for the Galaxy Z Flip 8 is the biggest shortcoming I've experienced with the Galaxy Z Flip 7: its battery life. While it’s actually not too bad —getting me through a workday with ease — the performance needs to step up.

In our battery benchmark test, the Z Flip 7 clocked an average time of 12 hours and 24 minutes. Even though that's better than the average phone, it trails the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025’s superior time of 15 hours and 42 minutes. Considering that Moto has opted for a future-proof silicon-carbon battery for its 2026 version, Samsung can’t afford to stick with the same old lithium-ion battery.

Samsung currently doesn't use silicon-carbon batteries in any of its phones, and its reluctance to embrace the technology could adversely impact devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 8. However, that doesn’t mean Samsung is passing on it entirely — so there’s still a possibility for a change.

Lighter, thinner design

If the Galaxy Z Fold 7 proved anything to me, it’s that design is still a huge draw for any phone — and nothing gets more attention nowadays than ultra-thin profiles. A recent leak indicates that Samsung is going to improve the design of the Galaxy Z Flip 8 by making it thinner and lighter.

Apparently, this will be achieved by making the phone ever so slightly wider, which in turn should allow it to be thinner. At the same time, a rumored new hinge design could also reduce the weight to 180 grams, down from the Z Flip 7’s 188-gram frame.

Samsung’s designs have always been more utilitarian compared to the stylish aesthetics of Motorola’s Razr phones, but making the Z Flip 8 thinner and lighter would be a step in the right direction.

Qi2 magnetic wireless charging

Since I made the Galaxy Z Flip 7 my daily driver, I ended up getting Spigen’s Tough Armor Pro case because it adds a magnetic ring to the back of the phone. This allows me to use all of my favorite MagSafe accessories—like my 3-in-1 bedside charger and MagSafe wallet—which the phone wouldn’t be able to do on its own.

While the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has slower 15W wireless charging, I’m hoping the Z Flip 8 gets upgraded with Qi2 support. This could bring its speed to 25W, just like the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, that phone lacked the proper magnets to enable magnetic charging natively. I’m hoping Samsung doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Upgrade the ultrawide camera

Despite taking outstanding images with its rear cameras, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 actually recycled the same camera hardware as its predecessor. Even though the updated ProVisual Engine yielded improvements for the Z Flip 7 — particularly in low light — I’m hoping Samsung finally gives us a hardware upgrade.

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 will undeniably be its biggest rival, so I’m crossing my fingers that Samsung at the very least upgrades the Z Flip 8 with a 50MP ultrawide sensor, up from the current 12MP one.

Unfortunately, rumors don’t point to Samsung making any changes to the camera hardware. I really hope we’re proven wrong, because the Galaxy Z Flip series has continually edged out Moto’s Razr phones in my photo shootouts. Samsung can’t afford to go against the Razr Ultra 2026 with inferior-spec cameras.

Full apps support with cover display

Samsung’s cover displays have always been helpful, especially for capturing selfies with the higher-performing rear cameras. Yet, Samsung has refused to unlock the screen's full potential by providing native support for full apps.

Even though Samsung prefers widgets for the cover screen, I’m hoping it brings native app support without the roundabout method of downloading the Good Lock app. The reason I crave full app support is because of the many times when one-handed use is preferred—like when I’m riding the subway with my other hand on a rail.

Crease-free display

While it doesn’t bother me personally, the crease running down the middle of the display can be somewhat distracting. The quest for a crease-free display may finally be nearing its end, as rumors suggest Samsung is looking to equip the Z Flip 8 with a truly crease-free foldable OLED panel — likely the result of a redesigned hinge mechanism.

This refinement would significantly elevate the viewing experience, especially when watching videos. Currently, the crease on my Z Flip 7 remains visible at certain angles, particularly under direct light. This improvement is certainly within the realm of possibility, considering the Oppo Find N6 already features a 'zero-feel' crease.

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One of the biggest reasons I love the Galaxy S26 Ultra is that it offers one of the most robust camera systems around. Even though Samsung has consistently provided a quadruple camera setup with its flagship models, there may be a big shakeup with next year’s Galaxy S27 Ultra. According to a report from leaker Ice Universe, the company could finally ditch the 3x optical zoom camera entirely from the Galaxy S27 Ultra's arsenal.

This would undoubtedly be a big change, but it’s something that doesn't entirely surprise me for a number of reasons. If Samsung wants to continue having the best camera phone around, the decision to drop this long-established camera needs to be backed by a more significant upgrade. Here’s why this aging and redundant camera finally needs to go.

It’s the camera I use the least

By now, I’ve probably shot over a thousand photos on Samsung phones dating back to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, when Samsung first introduced two telephoto cameras in its flagship. Since then, I can tell you that the 3x telephoto is the one I use the least out of the bunch — and that’s still true with the current Galaxy S26 Ultra.

For most zoom shots, I predominantly default to the 50MP 5x telephoto shooter. The only time I ever need to fall back on the 10MP 3x telephoto camera is if I’m trying to shoot something a little closer, ensuring the subject is still in frame and not as tightly cropped as it would be with the 5x zoom camera.

My point is that the use case for the 3x zoom camera is very limited, and it’s taking up space that could be used for something else. Honestly, I’ve never understood Samsung’s logic for keeping the 3x telephoto camera — especially after switching things up with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

When Samsung was still offering a 10x optical zoom, it made sense to keep the 3x because of how it acted as a buffer. But now that they've reverted to a 5x optical zoom, it doesn’t make sense to keep the 3x one.

AI is already shaking up zoom performance

While hardware is still paramount to a camera’s performance, I’ve seen how AI is increasingly closing the gap. Google has already proven this with the Pro Res Zoom feature on the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. The results are night and day, as you can see in the photo I captured above.

I originally shot it at 100x, but the transformation is unbelievable because it took a soft, grainy photo of the woman and processed it to look as though it were shot with the main camera at a much closer distance.

Samsung wouldn’t be wrong to ditch the 3x telephoto camera and instead rely on a combination of sensor cropping from the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s rumored 200MP main camera and AI to reconstruct detail. Personally, I don’t think it would even be necessary to rely heavily on AI, as a 200MP sensor leaves plenty of room for cropping without significant detail loss. But that leads me to my final point.

Going back to a 10x optical zoom

Samsung stirred up controversy when it was revealed that the Galaxy S24 Ultra was dropping the 10MP 10x optical zoom camera in favor of a 50MP 5x one. I’ve put the Galaxy S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra zooms to the test, and it was clear to me that no amount of sensor cropping could truly match the fidelity of a dedicated optical zoom.

Based on recent leaked renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra — which gives it a more Pixel-like aesthetic — Samsung could use the extra physical space to bring back the one upgrade I want most: a 10x optical zoom. If Samsung introduces a feature similar to Google’s Pro Res Zoom, it could lean on AI to enhance practically every photo it takes.

This would be incredibly valuable for shots captured between 5x and 10x, and anything beyond 30x zoom, much like the Pixel 10 Pro series. I specifically call out the Galaxy S27 Ultra to get this upgrade over the rumored Galaxy S27 Pro because the top-of-the-line model deserves the best hardware.

Similar to how Apple differentiates the Pro and Pro Max, Samsung’s duo could follow a similar path — with the S27 Ultra costing more but offering superior hardware, specifically a 10x optical zoom shooter instead of a 5x one. I hope I'm right!

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If you've been paying attention to viral TikToks recently, you might have seen a video claiming that the Samsung Galaxy S26's flashlight is able to melt through a black plastic trash bag. We had to see whether this was actually true or not, and it turns out that it is.

Not only can a Galaxy S26's flashlight melt through a heavy-duty black trash bag, but it's also able to do it quite quickly. It's not the only phone flashlight that can melt holes through a trash bag, but it was the fastest of the three that we tested. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and Google Pixel 10 Pro flashlights bore out their own holes, but at slightly slower speeds.

It's all down to the heat the LED flash produces, and it can cause a lot more damage than burning some holes in a garbage bag. People have reported receiving first and second-degree burns after prolonged exposure to their phone's flashlight, and I can tell you burns are not a fun experience.

Thankfully, there is a secret way to dial down the intensity of your S26's flashlight — and potentially mitigate any accidental damage caused by it.

I can't guarantee that a dimmer phone flashlight will cause burns after prolonged exposure. So even if you do dial back the intensity, it doesn't give you permission to start being careless with your phone's flashlight. You still have to be careful not to leave it switched on unnecessarily, because you could still cause some damage if anything comes into prolonged contact with the flashlight.

But this does make it a little less likely to happen, and in the process emphasizes how effective a phone flashlight is at lower brightness settings. This means you're less likely to dazzle people by mistake or draw extra attention to yourself when you try and navigate in the dark.

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We're several months away from Samsung launching the Galaxy S27 Ultra, but rumors about the company's next flagship phone have started to pop up.

The latest comes from prominent Samsung leaker Ice Universe who shared a set of images that could feature the new design for the S27 Ultra. The biggest change appears to be to the phone's camera bar.

Surprisingly, it appears to be quite similar to Google's Pixel phones or a throwback to the Galaxy S10.

As tech content creator Ben Geskin commented, "Finally something different."

The original image shows a black camera bar running horizontally across the back of the phone in a pillbox shape. Ice Universe posted a second image where the pill is outlined in the same colorway as the phone.

The new array does appear to be missing two lenses compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but perhaps those are hidden in the bar?

It's a big departure from the vertical look Samsung has featured since the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Galaxy S10 featured a flush rectangle camera bar which was replaced by a square design in the corner with S20.

Beyond the camera array, there doesn't appear to be any other exterior changes to the S27 Ultra. It still features curved corners and an S Pen. The pen is nice to see, considering rumors have claimed Samsung wants to ditch it.

I am curious whether this design is real; it suggests that Samsung might be moving the camera to enable Qi2 charging, something the Galaxy line has lacked for quite a while.

What else we know about the S27 Ultra

As mentioned, we're some time away from Samsung launching the S27 series, and the rumor mill hasn't quite started to churn. But we have come across a few leaks.

For one, the S27 Ultra could finally get a new battery type, specifically a silicon-carbon battery that would introduce a higher capacity cell. Samsung is reportedly testing 12,000 mAh, 18,000 mAh and 20,000 mAh versions.

A new report out of South Korea claimed that Samsung is prepping four models for the S27 lineup: the S27, S27 Plus, S27 Pro and the S27 Ultra. The Pro model would be a slightly smaller version of the Ultra and lack the S Pen.

If Samsung sticks to its release schedule, we should see the S27 family debut in January of next year.

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We're inching closer to the release of the next wave of Samsung Galaxy foldables, with various leaks suggesting we'll be seeing three new devices arrive over the summer. That includes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8, plus the brand new Galaxy Fold Wide.

The Wide model is set to compress the design into a foldable that's shorter and wider than its contemporaries, competing directly with the wide-format iPhone Fold.

We've seen plenty of leaks about these phones, including renders showcasing some of these phones' designs, but we haven't seen any dummy units until now. A set of them has just been posted by leaker Sonny Dickson on X, showing off what seems to be all three new Galaxy Foldables side by side — in a folded and unfolded state.

Unsurprisingly, the dummy units don't show us much we haven't already seen, though the circular cutout at the back is interesting. This looks similar to the magnetic rings on iPhones and certain Pixel 10 cases, which suggests the new foldables may come with Qi2's magnetic charging. Samsung Galaxy S25 and S26 series phones offered Qi2 charging technology, but lacked the magnetic rings.

According to Samsung, this was done because the embedded magnets would interfere with the S Pen stylus. For that reason, Qi2 Samsung phones have had to rely on special cases to connect to magnetic chargers and accessories. Since Galaxy foldables no longer support the S Pen, a trend that's rumored to be continuing with the Z Fold 8, there's less reason not to include Qi2 magnets as well.

That said, the cutout could just be artistic licence and may not represent the final design. At this stage, we just don't know what Samsung is planning to do.

Galaxy Z Fold Wide is Samsung's iPhone Fold rival

The units also show just how much shorter the Fold Wide is compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The benefit of a wide display is that you'll be able to watch video content on the larger panel without the huge black bars above and below the action.

In addition, you'll get a more squat design when closed, which could make it easier to fit into a pocket. Hopefully, Samsung will be able to make its Wide Fold just as thin as the previous Galaxy Z Fold 7 to better compete with Apple's first foldable.

However, despite its name, it doesn't seem to be a whole lot wider than its taller sibling. I'm looking forward to seeing some actual dimensions and see how much physical screen space each foldable has.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are rumored to be released on July 22, which means the Galaxy Unpacked launch event should take place a couple of weeks earlier. So we should find out what's going on in under three months — assuming the leaks don't reveal it all first.

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If you're well-versed in the world of viral videos, you may have seen one of the latest viral TikToks that seems to show a Samsung Galaxy S26 flashlight burning a hole through a black trash bag — while an iPhone 17 Pro appears to do nothing but shine its light.

The fact that the flashlight could be hot enough to melt plastic is pretty shocking, and some of you may be wondering whether this video is real or some kind of elaborate hoax. Well, we decided to test this out for ourselves with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. It turns out that, yes, the Samsung flashlight can melt a plastic trash bag, but not quite as severely as the video would suggest. But so can the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The test was quite simple. We adjusted the flashlights on both phones and made sure they were both on maximum brightness. Both phones were then put inside a black trash bag, with the plastic placed as close to the flashlight as the phone designs would allow. The final step was to wait, but as you can see in the video below, we didn't actually have to wait very long.

Even though the flashlights had been kept switched off until the last possible moment, to stop heat building up, it didn't take long for them to start melting the black plastic. I'll admit that the Galaxy S26 Ultra managed it a lot faster, which suggests its flashlight heats up faster, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max was still able to melt a hole into the bag — and in the thickest, most durable sections to boot.

The result actually differed depending on which part of the bag I shone the light through. The thinner sections only warped, but still became transparent enough to let light through unimpeded. The thicker section at the top of the bag, which I assumed would be more durable, actually melted all the way through with neat little holes, though it did take considerably longer to happen.

Out of mere curiosity, and the fact I had one on hand, I later tried the same thing with a Google Pixel 10 Pro. Considering there have been reports that the Pixel 10 Pro's flashlight would get hot enough to melt its own plastic lens, it should be able to melt a trash bag, right?

The light did melt their own holes, which were noticeably smaller than those produced by S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max. In terms of the timing, it was slower than the Galaxy but slightly faster than the iPhone.

Interestingly, the flashlights were not able to melt through a white trash bag. No doubt the black plastic is more at risk than white because black absorbs more light (and heat) than lighter colors.

Why does this matter?

So your phone's flashlight can melt through a trash bag. What's the big deal? They're not exactly known for being particularly durable. Well, this is a good example of how something as simple as your phone's flashlight could be a safety hazard.

If your flashlight can get hot enough to melt through a sheet of plastic in a few seconds, imagine how much damage it could do if you let that heat build up over an extended period of time. I know that I've had situations where my flashlight has turned on accidentally and I slipped it into my pocket, completely oblivious to what's happened until I started feeling the burning sensation in my leg.

Just because modern lights are LEDs, and don't produce a lot of heat doesn't mean they produce zero heat. And if you trap that heat somewhere for long enough, it will build up to the point where it starts to react with whatever is around it. It doesn't matter whether that's plastic trash bags, your skin, or something else entirely. You do not want it to start burning or melting.

So take precautions to avoid letting this happen to you, because second and third-degree burns are not fun. In my case, I found that I kept accidentally triggering the flashlight shortcut on my lockscreen, which I didn't otherwise use. Deleting that shortcut seems to have solved the problem.

It's also been possible to adjust the intensity of the flashlight on iPhones and Android devices for a little while, courtesy of iOS 18 and Android 16. Simply press & hold the flashlight icon in the Control Center or Quick Settings menu, and adjust the pop-up slider. Weaker lights produce less heat and are much less likely to cause accidental damage.

Knowing is half the battle, and if you can anticipate problems that may be caused by your phone's flashlight, then you're not going to burn yourself or the things around you by mistake. Oh, and be sure not to stare at your flashlight for extended periods of time, unless you want a killer headache like mine.

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The Samsung Galaxy S26 series has a lot of new features packed inside, and odds are you haven't even scratched the surface of what these phones have to offer. One of the new features is expanded support for Audio Eraser, which debuted on Galaxy S25 as a video editing tool. This year, though, Samsung is integrating that same technology into streaming apps to help fix one of Hollywood's biggest problems.

No, I don't mean the endless stream of remakes, sequels and genre movies. I mean the fact that the mixing is so bad that you can't actually hear what the people on screen are actually saying to each other. It's why all the millennials in your life insist on watching movies with subtitles. Otherwise, we'd never know what's going on between all the eardrum-splitting action sequences.

Audio Eraser fixes that problem using AI, lowering the volume of everything except the dialogue and making sure you can hear what's actually being said. The best part is that it works in real time with third-party streaming apps, including Netflix, YouTube and Instagram.

Here's everything you need to know about turning on and using Audio Eraser.

Once switched on, Audio Eraser and Voice Boost should make your streaming experience significantly better. No longer should you have to constantly adjust the volume to hear what's going on and avoid going deaf when the action and explosions start up again.

The interesting thing about Audio Eraser is that it doesn't just work for movies and TV shows. If you are listening to music on YouTube, for example, it will tone down the music so you can listen to the lyrics a little more clearly. This doesn't always work the way you might like, but it can make for some interesting listening if you're willing to experiment.

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Even now, I still find it terribly hard to convince myself to shell out over $1,000 on a new phone — but that’s exactly the premium you’re looking at to get the best phones around. That’s why I consistently look at cheaper alternatives, including Samsung’s most affordable option: the Galaxy A17.

Launched earlier this year in the U.S., its $199 starting cost is unbelievable when I think about how the best cheap phone I’ve tested this year, the Pixel 10a, still costs more than double that. As much as I might be seduced by this low price — which gets you a phone with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, triple camera system, and 6 years of software support — I have to be mindful of the compromises involved in choosing a phone this cheap.

That’s why I want to tell you exactly what you’re in for with my Galaxy A17 review after testing it out for a couple of weeks.

Samsung Galaxy A17 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The cheapest new Galaxy phone from Samsung, successor to the Galaxy A16
• Who is it for? People who are on a really tight budget, but don't mind trade-offs that help to lower its price point
• What does it cost? It costs $199 and comes with 128GB of storage and expansion via microSD card slot
• What do we like? The solid premium-feeling design, 6 years of software support, and ultra-affordable cost
• What don’t we like? Processing performance underperforms against its rivals, laughably short battery life, and extremely dim screen

Samsung Galaxy A17 review: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy A17 review: What I like

Unbeatable cost

I can’t overstate the savings you’re getting from a $199 phone such as this. You can essentially buy five Galaxy A17s and it would still be cheaper than buying one flagship model like the iPhone 17 Pro.

This is part of the reason why it’s an ideal starter phone for parents looking to get their kids a phone, or even as a temporary backup if you happen to lose yours. I think the best part is that you’re getting the same level of functionality as more expensive phones.

Considering that it has a triple camera system, a 90Hz display refresh rate, a 5,000 mAh battery, and 25W wired charging, it’s almost hard to believe you can get all of that in a phone that costs under $200.

Solid design for its price

The Galaxy A17 doesn’t stray too far from the design language Samsung employs with its other phones, even though it opts for more modest materials. Specifically, I’m referring to its plastic polymer back and frame that initially looks and almost feels like metal — but it’s actually a slick plastic finish.

I’ll admit, it does well to emulate the metal-meets-glass construction of the flagship line. I’m particularly drawn to the shimmer of the phone at just the right angle, and combined with its IP54-rated build, all makes the phone look way more premium than its price suggests. Samsung also manages to integrate a finger print sensor into the power button and a microSD slot.

Samsung Galaxy A17 review: What I don't like

Super dim screen

While the size is more than generous for a phone of this caliber, its dimness makes it impossible to use under normal conditions when there’s strong ambient light around. With a peak brightness output of 657 nits, it’s certainly the dimmest screen I’ve tested this year.

Sure, the colors capture my attention with their vibrancy — but I still need to make sure the screen is shielded or angled in such a way that the glare doesn’t interfere with the view.

Lags with basic functions

Nothing annoys me more than serious lag. I’m okay when it happens with complex operations, like rendering video footage, but it’s a different story when it happens during basic tasks. For example, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed a photo op because the phone lagged while opening the camera app — and it doesn’t help that there’s a noticeable delay between when I tap the shutter button and when the phone actually captures the shot.

Benchmark scores confirm my suspicions as the Exynos 1330 chip powering the phone falls flat compared to mid-range phones like the Pixel 10a. Its Geekbench 6 scores rival those of the Moto G (2026), but it struggles just as much with graphics processing, due to the choppy 7.97 fps performance in 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited test.

Extremely short battery life

You’d think that a phone with a 5,000 mAh battery would manage at least average runtime, but it doesn’t. In the Tom’s Guide battery drain test, the Galaxy A17 turned in a pitiful average time of 7 hours and 52 minutes — which is ridiculously short and nowhere near the 10-hour average of most phones.

Even though the 25W wired charging speed helps get the phone to a decent level — reaching a 56% charge in 30 minutes — it’s not enough to overlook the poor battery life. In fact, I found myself having to charge it midway through my shift to avoid hitting a critical battery level during my commute home.

Camera underperforms

For a budget phone, it’s uncommon to find a triple camera setup, but the one here doesn’t include a telephoto shooter. Instead, it packs a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro — while a 13MP selfie camera rounds out the package on the front. I’ve already mentioned my annoyance with the sluggish shutter response, but it’s also worth noting that video recording tops out at 1080p.

The camera handles outdoor scenes best during the daytime, delivering decent detail and proper exposure. However, the images look bland compared to the Moto G Stylus (2026) due to the A17's washed-out colors and less contrast.

Not surprisingly, it also struggles heavily under low light, where it tends to underexpose the scene.

Samsung Galaxy A17 review: Verdict

I’m not one to knock budget phones, but there are clearly huge trade-offs made by the Galaxy A17. For me, it’s the sluggish performance of the Exynos 1330 and the camera’s underwhelming performance that turn me off. In fact, I would gladly pay the extra money for the Pixel 10a to see those issues mitigated — all while getting even more out of the software.

The Galaxy A17 is for those who want a basic phone without paying a whole lot out of pocket. You could settle for its flaws, but I think they would overwhelm people in the long run. If your budget is still tight, I’d recommend looking at the Moto G (2026) instead.

Samsung has kept the same 5,000 mAh battery in its Galaxy S Ultra models for six years, but the Galaxy S27 Ultra could finally get a new kind of battery. A new leak claims Samsung is actively testing silicon-carbon batteries for its flagship phone.

The blog Schrodinger Intel posted that Samsung is targeting next year to try silicon-carbon batteries. It's a big change, even as Samsung has managed to eke out incremental battery life increases with the lithium-ion batteries it currently uses. Most of those upgrades are software-optimized, not physical.

In February, Sung-Hoon Moon, Samsung's executive VP and head of smartphone R&D, admitted that Samsung has been "a bit un-innovative on that front" when it comes to batteries. Moon did confirm that Samsung is working on the technology while stating the silicon-carbon hasn't passed the company's "very rigorous validation standards."

What are silicon-carbon batteries

Silicon-carbon batteries started to appear in Chinese phones in 2023. Honor promised the first phone featuring the battery at MWC 2023, though the battery life leap was smaller at the time. OnePlus has seemingly gone all-in on silicon-carbon batteries, announcing its glacier batteries in 2024 and using the new tech in most of its phones released in the last two years.

On a simple level, silicon-carbon batteries enable phone companies to cram more usable battery into the same amount of space. This means that a manufacturer could swap out a 5,000 mAh lithium-ion battery for a Si-C battery of the same physical size but featuring 10,000 mAh.

This means you should get hours more battery life. For example, we tested the OnePlus 15 in our lab.

The OnePlus 15 features a Si-C battery that lasted just over 25 hours on average. That's 11 hours more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and just about nine hours more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Schrodinger Intel claims Samsung is testing 12,000 mAh, 18,000 mAh, and 20,000 mAh in "real model designations." However, as TechRadar notes, Si-C batteries degrade faster than lithium-ion.

Notably, per the leak, the models Samsung is allegedly testing failed at 960 charging cycles (how often the battery is charged) while the company has a commercial benchmark of 1,500.

The silicon batteries also tend to expand more, which could make them more dangerous. Samsung has been overly cautious with batteries since the Galaxy Note 7 issue years ago.

It partially explains why Apple and Samsung would be more hesitant to sell Si-C phones.

Still, it appears, based on this leak and Moon's comments, that Samsung wants to catch up with Chinese makers and improve battery life.

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I have tested a lot of phones over the course of my career, and one of the things I hate the most is when phone makers add frivolous camera lenses so they can pad the numbers. The Samsung Galaxy A57 is one such phone, sporting a 50MP main camera lens, a 12MP ultrawide-angle shooter, and a significantly less impressive 5MP macro lens.

What makes this particularly irritating (for me, at least) is the fact that you don't need a dedicated macro lens to shoot macro photos. Plenty of phones feature macro modes that use either the ultrawide or telephoto camera lenses, including some from Samsung — the most recent of which is the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

But how good (or bad) is it really? The only way to find out is to actually go out and take photos. So that's exactly what I did for the Galaxy A57. I went out and took a bunch of macro shots, with the express purpose of comparing them to macro shots taken on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

I'll admit that comparing a 5MP macro lens on a $549 phone to a 50MP ultrawide lens on a $1,299 phone doesn't seem like a particularly fair fight. But if the Galaxy A57 was able to at least semi-compete with the S26 Ultra, one of the best camera phones, it could be enough to change my mind about hardware I've always considered to be superfluous.

Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

Galaxy A57 Macro Lens vs Galaxy S26 Ultra's Macro Mode

First, let's take a look at this miniature cactus that sits on my office window. The Galaxy A57's macro shot is noticeably washed out compared to the S26 Ultra, with a gray sheen across the entire photo and considerably less color. You can still tell that the spines have a yellow and orange color to them, but that isn't nearly as visible as they are on the flagship's camera. And, the A57's shot is more out of focus with more noticeable blur.

It's a similar story with this photo of a purple flower. The A57 doesn't do the bright colors justice, and washes out the photo with a gray haze that just ruins the shot. Meanwhile, the S26 Ultra produced a shot with vibrant coloring that pops out of the picture, while also picking up far more detail in the background.

It's a familiar tale with this white flower, and this time, the A57's macro lens gives the petals an unrealistic-seeming quality. It's almost as though they've been run through some sort of filter and automatically smoothed out.

Looking at these blue flowers, the amount of contrasting color is far more noticeable with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. While they're out of focus, the background plants are incredibly colorful, and the green shows up really well in the background. Sadly, the same couldn't be said for the A57. If you'd shown me this photo on its own, I'd have assumed those plants were dying due to the color of the leaves.

Here's the rare instance where the budget phone performed well — or at least better. The yellow flowers look considerably better on the Galaxy A57, with the camera capturing the yellow hues far better than it did with blues and purples. That said, the image is rather washed out compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra's, and the plant life in the background seems littered with grey-ish green and brown rather than the bright coloring of the fresh grass.

The dandelion is easily my favorite shot taken by the Galaxy A57, and the one that comes closest to the photo produced by the S26 Ultra. The blades of each seedling appear a little sharper on the A57 than on the S26 Ultra, which almost makes up for the duller colors. Had all the photos come out with similar quality, I would have been a lot more enthusiastic about the macro lens's capabilities.

The lichen had a similar fate, with the A57 capturing a lot more detail on the side of the tree compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra — which apparently struggled to find its focus, and lacked a lot of the same detail as a result.

Things go a little bit back to normal with this shot of a post box, which has seen better days. The colors are brighter and more true to life from the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and you can pick out the flecks of paint still present in the corroded parts of the pillar. That said, the A57 hasn't done a bad job, but it falls into the same traps that spoil the coloring and detail captured by the S26 Ultra.

The same can't be said about the brickwork. While it's hard to wash out colors with the gray and red-brown bricks employed in British construction, the quality is all off. You can't see a lot of details in the photo, and the texture of the brick all blurs together. Meanwhile, the S26 Ultra has picked up the finer details in the brick, from the rough texture of the brick itself to the micro-holes present in the mortar.

Finally, we have this artificial flower, which is part of an Easter display near my home. The Galaxy A57's macro camera is back to its usual tricks here, capturing far less detail compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra and washing out the coloring far more than it should. The bright colors of the yarn do help to mitigate this, but it doesn't really compare to the S26 Ultra, which captured a lot more detail and better coloring.

Bottom line

I'll admit that I didn't have high hopes going into this test. Still, some of the shots indeed came out looking very nice, with details that the Galaxy S26 Ultra missed. But at the same time, there were just as many shots that came out much worse. The gray sheen affecting so many photos and the loss of color really dampens the whole experience of taking macro shots with the Galaxy A57.

The Galaxy A57 can take some great photos. Maybe not as great as the S26 Ultra, but fairly good quality for the price you're paying. It's a shame that Samsung would go ahead and add such a disappointing lens to the phone and offer something that's just not up to scratch — even on a cheaper, non-premium handset.

It would be far better to just copy what Google and Apple have done with their cheap phones and reduce the number of camera lenses to compensate for the price tag. Everything else can be made up for with more advanced camera software.

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Samsung isn't just a leader in the premium phone market; it's also produced some of the best cheap phones around. That way, you can enjoy a lot of the best Samsung Galaxy features without having to pay the high price tags that come with the flagship Galaxy S26 series. The Samsung Galaxy A57 is the latest to arrive, and I have rather mixed feelings about everything Samsung has put together.

On the one side, Samsung hasn't added a whole lot of upgrades to the Galaxy A57 compared to last year's Galaxy A56. However, considering how good value the Galaxy S56 was, it bodes well for the kind of experience you should expect from this year's A-series phone. Even if Samsung has raised the price by $50 compared to last year.

Still, there's always been a great deal of competition in the cheap phone market and that's only going to accelerate thanks to RAMageddon and the increasing costs of production. If flagship phones get too expensive, then the likes of Galaxy A57, Pixel 10a, iPhone 17e and the rest of the best cheap phones are going to have to pick up the slack. So will it be able to keep up?

Samsung Galaxy A57 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The latest mid-range Samsung phone, successor to the Galaxy A56
• Who is it for? People who want a premium-lite experience, but don't want to pay the full cost of a Galaxy S26
• What does it cost? Prices start at $549 / £529 for an A57 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage
• What do we like? The solid premium-feeling design, strong battery performance and the addition of Galaxy AI features you'd normally only find on the Galaxy S26
• What don’t we like? The continued weak performance, a lack of meaningful upgrades, and the fact Samsung still hasn't scrapped the 5MP macro lens.

Samsung Galaxy A57 review: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy A57 review: What I like

Good battery

The battery hardware in the Galaxy A57 hasn't changed since last year, so it's no surprise that the actual battery drain is roughly the same as that of the Galaxy A56. We haven't lab-tested the battery on either device yet, but I conducted a real-world test: streaming a 1080p YouTube video over Wi-Fi with brightness at 50% for three hours.

The Galaxy A57 lost 15% of its battery during that window, compared to a 14% loss on the A56 and 16% on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. This equates to a loss of around 5% per hour, suggesting it should last roughly 20 hours of video streaming on a single charge. This is quite impressive, considering our lab tests show the Pixel 10a lasting just over 15 hours and the iPhone 17e lasting around 12.5 hours.

As for charging, the Galaxy A57 is rated for 45W wired speeds but lacks wireless charging. Using a 67W charging brick, I found the phone restored 28% of its charge in 15 minutes, rising to 59% after 30 minutes and hitting 93% at the one-hour mark — a performance that is fairly standard compared to competitors like Nothing, Pixel, and iPhone.

Solid, premium design

The Galaxy A57’s design is reminiscent of the flagship Galaxy S26 range, featuring a premium glass-and-metal build courtesy of Gorilla Glass Victus Plus. While there are stark differences between the A57 and the S26 — size being chief among them — I still found myself getting confused when handling both phones, which is certainly a good thing for the A57.

Even the bezels, which are often the first thing compromised at lower price points, seem to be roughly the same size as those on the standard Galaxy S26. However, they remain thicker than the bezels found on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

I'm a big fan of the new camera bump, which swaps solid metal for translucent glass. It's a small change, but it's much more visually appealing and helps the housing look a little slimmer than last year's model.

Despite being noticeably larger than the S26 — with a 6.7-inch display compared to the S26's 6.3 inches — the phone feels unexpectedly light. It’s a curious sensation because the A57 is actually 0.42 ounces heavier than the S26, proving how deceptive ergonomics can be. I'm not going to lie, though, I’m not particularly upset about being fooled this way.

Good cameras, but not perfect

The Galaxy A57 features a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro lens. While this hardware doesn't necessarily rival the best camera phones on the market, it is quite respectable for the price.

For this review, I compared it to the Nothing Phone 4a Pro — a device that costs $50 less and has already proven its capabilities. The 4a Pro packs a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP telephoto lens.

Naturally, the dedicated telephoto lens ensures that zoomed-in shots on the Nothing Phone are of considerably higher quality than those on the Galaxy A57. This held true at 2x magnification, while the 3.5x optical zoom is a feature only the Nothing Phone supports.

Admittedly, the 2x magnification shots on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro don't look fantastic, and there's a lot of blurring in the final shot. But it's still significantly better than the photo captured by the Galaxy A57, which captured far less detail and looks significantly more washed out.

The ultrawide camera is something of a mixed bag. From a distance, the Galaxy A57 looks a lot better, with more light and a clear image of this oak tree's outline. Though upon closer inspection, the details in the distance aren't really there. Whereas the Nothing Phone's is darker and gloomier, it captures a little more detail in the process.

The Galaxy's 12MP selfie camera performs much better than the Nothing Phone's 32MP shooter, producing a significantly sharper image with finer detail. However, the photo is much brighter and somewhat overexposed — a common trait in Samsung Galaxy processing.

The main camera tells a similar story. The Galaxy A57 picks up more detail than the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, which occasionally produces strange, blurry patches. While the Samsung’s coloring is brighter and feels a bit washed out, the overall image looks crisper on the A57.

Low-light shots are more evenly matched, but Samsung earns the edge by capturing more light, offering slightly better detail and clarity.

Ultimately, the Galaxy A57 is capable of taking great photos for a mid-range phone. While it lacks the reach of a dedicated telephoto lens — making zoomed shots noticeably worse than on phones that include one — such hardware remains rare at this price point.

Galaxy S26-tier software and AI features

AI is a major priority for Samsung, and the company is pushing these features across its entire lineup — including its most affordable models. Consequently, the Galaxy A57 offers plenty of AI as part of what Samsung calls "Awesome Intelligence." While it lacks the full suite of Galaxy AI features found on the flagship S-series, there is still a wealth of useful tools available.

One notable inclusion is the voice transcription tool, which can transcribe voice and call recordings to provide a written record of everything said. This makes hunting for specific quotes or soundbites significantly easier.

Other tools include the newly updated version of Circle to Search, which can recognize multiple objects at once, and the fourth generation of Bixby, which offers improved natural language and web search capabilities. Like most AI features, these flow seamlessly into the background and odds are you won't even realize you're using them. This is a benefit, as it removes the learning curve for the user.

Samsung has promised six years of software support, which includes security updates and six generations of Android. Though it's worth adding that Galaxy S26 gets seven years of support, which is important to remember if you're the type of person who keeps their phone for that long.

Samsung Galaxy A57 review: What I don't like

$50 price hike

The elephant in the room is that Samsung has increased the price of the Galaxy A57 by $50, with a $549 starting price compared to the Galaxy A56's $499. While this is still cheaper than the $599 iPhone 17e, it means the A57 is now more expensive than some of the other best cheap phones available. This includes the Nothing Phone 4a Pro and Pixel 10a, which both start at $499.

This isn't a huge surprise, and it follows price hikes on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, but it is frustrating to see prices constantly rising — especially since the whole idea behind the Galaxy A-series is to offer premium experiences at an affordable price point.

Ultimately, RAMageddon and inflation come for everyone; it was only a matter of time before Samsung raised the prices on its entry-level devices. I just wish the A57 had more to show for the extra cost.

Minimal upgrades

The worst part about the price hike is that the Galaxy A57 doesn't offer many significant upgrades to justify the extra $50 Samsung is asking for. The improvements it does feature are fairly incremental, covering only the basics one would expect from a successor model.

Changes include design updates that make the phone feel slightly more premium while reducing thickness and weight compared to the A56. There is also a new chipset — the Exynos 1680 — which is a minor improvement over the previous Exynos 1580. From a hardware perspective, those are essentially all the upgrades of note.

Software is a different matter, thanks to the inclusion of Android 16 and One UI 8.5 right out of the box, along with additional AI and camera features. For the most part, however, these aren't enough to warrant a new purchase — especially since much of the new software eventually migrates back to older devices.

The macro camera

One of my biggest pet hates about cheap phones is when a third or fourth camera lens is tacked on for seemingly no reason. Samsung is guilty of this with the Galaxy A57, which retains the 5MP macro lens. Rather than settling for two high-quality lenses— as seen on the Pixel 10a — this phone offers two good cameras and one mediocre one.

I tested the macro lens against the macro mode on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. While I never expected the Ultra to lose that shootout, the results were still embarrassing for the A57. Its shots were colorless, gray, and devoid of the detail flagship owners take for granted.

The photos weren't all terrible, but they're definitely the kind of thing users wouldn't miss. While I don't expect a telephoto lens on a mid-range phone, Samsung definitely needs to learn that less really can be more.

Weak performance

As is often the case with budget phones, Samsung has compromised on performance. The Galaxy A57 runs on the Exynos 1680, a 4nm chipset that lags significantly behind the flagship silicon found in more expensive devices. Naturally, that gap is reflected in the benchmarking results.

As you can see, the Galaxy A57 is a noticeable improvement over the Galaxy A56, especially in multi-core testing. However, the graphics performance is underwhelming because the A57 scored significantly lower than the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, which itself proved underpowered during testing.

While a comparison to the iPhone 17e isn't entirely fair — given its flagship chipset dominated at release — it's nonetheless embarrassing to see the Galaxy A57 outperformed by the Pixel 10a.

Pixel phones aren't typically known for their raw power, and considering the Pixel 10a runs on an 18-month-old Tensor G4, it shouldn't be beating its newer rivals in benchmarks. This is a disappointing showing from Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy A57 review: Verdict

The Galaxy A57 is a solid device and a worthy purchase for anyone seeking the Galaxy experience on a budget. It features a smart premium-feeling design, strong battery life, and all the benefits of Samsung's software ecosystem — including a sprinkling of AI features typically unexpected on a budget handset.

It's far from perfect, however. The cameras are competent but proved inferior to the more affordable Nothing Phone 4a Pro in several key areas. Likewise, the macro lens — while bolstering the camera count compared to the Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e — offered little actual benefit. To top it all off, the phone costs $50 more than its predecessor without much to show for it, including a return of the weak performance that plagued the Galaxy A56.

If you're looking for an affordable Samsung device, the Galaxy A57 is a solid option that gets a lot right. Just be aware that this isn't a flagship, and it struggles when compared to other entries on our best cheap phones list.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your phone and considering Samsung’s new flagship lineup, you might be wondering which one to get: the Galaxy S26 or Galaxy S26 Ultra. From a price perspective, there’s a common assumption that the more expensive phone is going to deliver better camera performance — but you might be surprised.

That’s why I shot over 200 photos with the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26 to uncover how their cameras actually perform. From a specs standpoint, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has the more appealing hardware, consisting of a 200MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 12MP selfie camera. But you can’t count out the standard Galaxy S26, which features a triple camera setup made up of a 50MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 12MP selfie camera.

Just like my other 200-photo shootouts, I take the same set of snapshots with both phones across different scenes — and then preview them on the same monitor, showing both photos side-by-side. That way, I can better inspect the differences to determine which of these contenders truly deserves the title of best camera phone.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Daytime

More often than not, people stick with the default settings out of the box — which is why the photos I captured above, down by Bryant Park, don’t look all that different. That’s because both phones deliver 12MP snapshots, yielding similar results across the board.

Broadly speaking, both phones do an excellent job of exposing the scene while boasting the same colors and contrast. And while the details appear the same, zooming into parts of the buildings in the background, reveals a bit more definition and sharpness with the S26 Ultra.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Ultrawide

When pointing both phones toward the sky, I really like the Inception-like perspective I get of these skyscrapers. This one’s tougher to judge because the overall images appear to be identical, down to their exposure, contrast, colors and details.

I thought the Galaxy S26 Ultra would capture more definition in the building in the middle, but the Galaxy S26’s ultrawide camera shows it’s just as good.

Winner: tie

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Colors

Down in the produce section at Whole Foods, both phones aren’t shy about saturating the colors of the different peppers on the shelves. I’m particularly drawn to the red peppers, seeing that they’re incredibly vivid, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra shot exhibits a bit of color bleeding.

Winner: Galaxy S26

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Dynamic range

As I showed earlier with the daytime snapshots, both phones expose scenes identically — and these shots reinforcing their dynamic range performance prove that even further. With the sun high in the sky casting strong shadows over the buildings in the foreground, both sensors are put to the test.

Again, the Galaxy S26 matches the Galaxy S26 Ultra by boosting the exposure in the shadows to reveal details like the stonework around the window frames. When looking at the highlights, such as the clouds and concrete pavement, they're exposed exactly the same. The slight different that draws me to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is how it makes the trees on the left side pop out more.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Macro

The Galaxy S26 doesn’t have a dedicated macro mode like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it still delivers an impressive shot of the sunflower above. Despite the phone being slightly further away, I really like the strong contrast of the dark inner portion of the flower against the yellow petals — and the amount of detail captured is remarkable.

However, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is simply better suited for this task because it allows me to get much closer to the subject. At the same time, there’s more definition around the petals, and it does a better job of keeping more of the frame in focus — evident in how the nearby green leaves remain sharp.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Panorama

At first glance, there are no glaring differences between the panorama shots of Bryant Park’s sprawling lawn—they both maintain consistent exposure across the entire image.

However, it’s only when I zoom in and inspect the New York Public Library on the right that I notice a subtle shift. The individual stones of the building are better defined by the Galaxy S26 Ultra, whereas they have a smudged texture in the S26's shot.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Selfie

Both phones are equipped with 12MP selfie cameras, and it’s almost impossible to tell them apart because the results look nearly identical. From the wrinkles on my forehead to the texture of my button-down collared shirt, both the S26 and S26 Ultra selfie cameras get everything right.

There are minor differences, however, such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra having slightly more definition in the green shrub on the left — while the S26 applies a bit more contrast. I attribute that contrast to the angle I was holding the S26, as it appears the S26 Ultra’s selfie camera was affected by a slight glare.

Winner: tie

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Portrait

Even though it’s a bit too aggressive for my taste with the amount of bokeh it applies to the background, the Galaxy S26 Ultra does a better job with portraits.

I say this because it better simulates the performance of an actual portrait lens. There's a natural fall-off with the focus around my arm closest to the camera and around my shirt collar. In contrast, the Galaxy S26 stumbles by failing to blur the patch under my arm. Plus, that same area around my collar remains in sharp focus instead of having a slight blur.

Although, it's worth mentioning that you can adjust the level of blur later on to whatever setting you want.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Zoom

If zooming matters most to you, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is undoubtedly the one to get. That’s because it features a superior 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, making it much better equipped for capturing sharp shots at longer ranges.

I set both phones to 30x zoom — the maximum range for the Galaxy S26 — and the difference is immediate in the statue shot above. The Galaxy S26 photo is soft, resulting in textures that appear smeared. In comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra retains significantly more detail and definition.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Low light

In low light, I have to commend both phones for how they brighten the scene. In reality, the tree above appeared quite dim to the naked eye, yet it becomes well-exposed through their dedicated night modes.

It’s impressive how they handle the light source coming from the left side of the frame without overexposing the highlights or losing the shadows. The one distinguishing factor here is the level of detail captured by the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera. Zooming in reinforces this, as the tree exhibits much better clarity and sharper textures than the standard S26.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26: Verdict

Well, this outcome isn’t all that surprising to me, but it’s still worth pointing out that the gap between the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra is much narrower than what their price tags might suggest. Is there a tremendous difference between the two? Not really.

While the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera consistently yields better detail capture, I wouldn't go so far as to say it’s an overwhelming amount — especially when you just look at the overall shot rather than inspect the fine details. The “Ultra” moniker still carries weight where it counts, specifically with zooming and macro photography. Otherwise, the Galaxy S26 holds up remarkably well against its more expensive sibling.

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Having spent the last two weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy A57, it’s become clear to me that it’s relatively easy to get by without paying for a flagship in 2026. Phones in the mid-range have improved so much in recent years, both in terms of features and design, and the Galaxy A57 might be at the top of the pack when it comes to value.

It delivers smooth day‑to‑day performance, strong battery life and Samsung’s familiar software polish — all for roughly half the price of the S26 (at least here in Australia). As long as you’re realistic about its camera and performance limits, I can recommend it as a genuinely smart alternative to a flagship.

Currently, retailers like The Good Guys and Amazon are selling the Galaxy A57 at well below the official AU$749 starting price — at just AU$599 for the 128GB model and AU$699 for the 256GB variant, it's a no-brainer for anyone who might be considering the A57 over the entry-level Galaxy S26, even at its currently discounted price of AU$1,345.

If you’re considering the Galaxy A57, keep in mind there are a few trade-offs compared to the flagship model. However, the money you save makes those compromises worth it, making the Galaxy A57 a solid alternative to the Galaxy S26 — just as long as you're okay with making a few concessions.

Don't expect powerhouse performance

The Galaxy A57 delivers solid performance for everyday use, offering quick navigation and reliable multitasking that makes switching between apps and managing routine tasks feel smooth and seamless.

When it comes to gaming, the Galaxy A57 offers solid performance for its price. It’s not a powerhouse, but it can handle many titles smoothly, especially if you’re okay with lowering the graphics to medium or below.

That said, those looking play graphically intense games on higher settings will want to step up to a flagship like the Galaxy S26, or any other of the best gaming phones of 2026.

The Galaxy S26 delivers far superior photos

On paper, the Galaxy A57 and Galaxy S26 seem to offer similar camera arrays — each phone sports a 50MP wide-angle main sensor with an aperture of f/1.8, a 1/1.56" sensor size and 1.0 µm pixel size.

However, the S26 implements this hardware more effectively through its use of Dual Pixel PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), superior sensor tuning, and more robust NPU and software processing. That's largely thanks to the S26's Exynos 2600 chipset, which features a significantly more powerful Image Signal Processor (ISP) than the A57.

When it comes to the A57’s camera performance, using a standard PDAF means it takes longer to lock focus compared to the S26 — especially in low-light situations — leading to shutter lag that might make you miss that adorable (or hilarious) shot of your child or pet.

And while both handsets also offer a 12MP ultrawide sensor, they're quite different in ways that can noticeably impact image quality. For starters, the A57's ultrawide sensor doesn't offer autofocus like the S26's equivalent, opting instead for a fixed focus approach. The S26's ultrawide sensor also sports a wider aperture — f/1.9 compared to f/2.2 on the A57 — meaning it can let in more light than its mid-range cousin.

Then there's the elephant in the room: the Galaxy A57 lacks the Galaxy S26's 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, meaning a loss in image quality when zooming in digitally.

Of course, there are trade-offs at this price, but that doesn’t mean the Galaxy A57 can’t take good photos. It’s more than capable for social media posts and shots of still subjects. Just make sure you temper your expectations when shooting at night or trying to capture fast-moving objects.

The Galaxy A57 is missing some of the S26's best AI features

Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A57 has taken a rather large step forward when it comes to its implementation of on-device AI. This is due to the A57's Exynos 1680 chipset, which houses a more powerful integrated NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

That means the A57 can locally perform tasks like live voice transcription, AI photo editing and the ability to analyse whatever's on your screen using AI Select. You can also use some basic generative features, like Object Eraser or Sketch to Image.

However, more advanced generative editing features are absent on the A57, as are any of the Agentic AI tools that are exclusive to the S26 series, like the ability to autonomously perform multi-step workflows across apps, or Samsung's proactive Now Nudge and Now Brief features.

That's not to say that the A57 will never get these features — Samsung promises 6 years of software updates, meaning some of these AI features may trickle down over time.

While it's unlikely that the A57 will ever provide the full Agentic AI experience, the phone's ability to perform on-device AI tasks means that features like Now Nudge and Now Brief could conceivably arrive in the future.

Galaxy A57 vs Galaxy S26 — which should you buy?

While there are still some clear advantages to owning Samsung's flagship Galaxy S26 over the mid-range Galaxy A57, the gap between these two smartphone tiers isn't as big as it used to be.

The Galaxy A57 has made impressive improvements in build quality, performance, and AI features, all while keeping its price comfortably low. For casual users looking for an affordable device that handles daily tasks with ease and still offers a premium look and feel, the Galaxy A57 is a fantastic choice.

If you’re still after a flagship-level camera, Agentic AI features and top-tier gaming performance, it might be worth splashing the extra cash on a Galaxy S26 handset.

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Less than a week after increasing the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung quietly hiked up the price of more devices — including phones (via Phone Arena). This time, the price hikes affect Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25 FE, and a whole list of Galaxy Tabs that are too numerous to list here.

Like the Z Fold 7 before it, the Galaxy Z Flip 7's cheapest variant, which costs $1,099 for 256GB of storage, isn't getting a price increase. Sadly, the 512GB model is now $80 more expensive, with prices rising from $1,219 to $1,299.

It's the same situation with the Galaxy S25 Edge, with the 512GB model also increasing by $80 to $1,299. The Galaxy S25 FE's 256GB model is now $749, up from $709, with the 128GB model staying at the same $649 price tag as before.

On the tablet side, there are 17 separate price hikes across various Galaxy Tab models and storage variants. The most notable of these is the 1TB Galaxy S11 Ultra, which has risen from $1,619 to $1,899 — an increase of $280. The 512GB Galaxy Tab S11 has also risen by $220, from $979 to $1,199. You can see a full list of all the price hikes in the table below.

Samsung hasn't released any statements or information about this price increase, but it's not the only company to quietly raise prices like this. Motorola recently raised the price of a bunch of its 2026 phones, Microsoft raised Surface laptop prices earlier this week, and Asus hiked up the price of the Zenbook A14 and A16 hours after announcing totally different prices.

The less we talk about gaming handhelds, the better, because those prices are really getting out of control.

Financial pressures on the tech industry are clearly to blame for all this. RAMageddon means that lots of crucial components are now in short supply, on account of AI companies buying up all the RAM and flash storage for their data centers. Not to mention the fact that tariffs are still a thing, and the constant uncertainty surrounding those charges isn't helping matters.

So if you were on the fence about buying a piece of tech, and weren't planning on waiting for the major sales seasons like Black Friday, you should probably pull the trigger now. Because odds are, the price could be going up without any advanced warning.

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Picture this: You've just picked up your brand new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Galaxy S26 Plus, and specifically chose them over the regular Galaxy S26 because of the screen. Not only do both phones have larger screens than the regular S26, but they also feature higher QHD+ resolution. This means the screen is sharper and offers a more immersive picture than the S26's FHD+.

What you might not know is that a bunch of phones, including Samsung Galaxy devices, aren't locked to the highest resolution. In fact, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and S26 Plus arrive with resolution set to FHD+ out of the box. This is likely done to help maximize battery life, since lower resolution screens require less power to run.

But if that's a trade-off you're happy with, and want to get the most out of your phone's screen and maximize screen resolution, you're going to need to take a trip into your phone's display settings. Thankfully, it's a fairly simple setting to change, and should only take a couple of minutes at most. Here's how to change the resolution on your Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26 Plus.

Considering how much Galaxy S26 series phones cost, you're going to want to get the absolute best performance to make sure you get your money's worth — unless you're trying to save battery life. So make sure to head into the settings and get your phone's display set to the best possible resolution.

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We all knew it was coming, but it seems that RAMageddon has finally come for our phones. Just days after Asus raised prices of the new Zenbook A14 and A16 at the last possible second, it seems Motorola and Samsung have done something similar. Both companies have taken the unprecedented move of raising the prices of phones that have already been released.

In Samsung's case, the company has raised the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7's higher-storage variants. While the entry-level model with 256GB of storage is still the same $1,999, the 512GB and 1TB models have suffered an $80 price hike. Meaning you'll now have to pay $2,199 and $2,499, respectively.

There are two things noteworthy about this particular change. The first is that the Z Fold 7 was released back in July of last year, almost nine months ago. That kind of mid-year price hike is unheard of, especially this late into the phone's life cycle. With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 supposedly arriving on July 22, this is the time when the Z Fold 7's price should be decreasing. It's mind-boggling that Samsung has done the complete opposite.

The other thing I noticed is that these newly raised prices perfectly align with the recent Galaxy Z Fold 8 price leak. It was reported that the 512GB and 1TB models would get an $80 price hike, while the 256GB standard model would remain the same price. Obviously, now that the Z Fold 7 prices have increased, there's no telling whether Samsung will keep things static on the next generation foldable.

Motorola's price hikes come right after the launch of the Moto G Stylus (2026). That phone was announced earlier this week with a $500 price tag — $100 more than the Moto G Stylus 2026. Following that reveal, it was announced that three older devices will be getting similar price increases.

The Moto G Play (2026), which was released in December for $179, is now going to cost $249 — an $80 price increase. The Moto G (2026) and Moto G Power (2026), which were released in January, will each be getting a $100 price hike. That takes them to $299 and £399, respectively.

There's been no official explanation as to why Motorola has raised all its prices, but I doubt it's a coincidence. Whether the new prices have been done out of necessity, or to better match the higher price of this year's G Stylus, isn't entirely clear. Honestly, I can see it being a little bit of both.

As frustrating as it is to have to contend with phone prices going up, it's also a little bit scary to see. If Samsung can justify raising prices on a phone that's set to be replaced in a few months, there's no telling what might happen to phone prices in the future.

I still remember a time when game consoles were supposed to get price cuts, whereas now Sony and Microsoft seem to be asking for more money every few months. The last thing I want to see happen is for the same situation to happen to phones.

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Smartphones are expensive, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the most expensive non-folding phones you can buy. With the cost of gadgets on the rise, and with no sign of things changing anytime soon, it's important to take advantage of big savings while you can.

Despite being relatively new, you can already pick up the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra for $1,079 at Amazon. That's $220 off the usual price for a model with 256GB of storage, and the only caveat is you have to buy it in black to maximize your savings. If you want a different color, you'll have to shell out an extra $20, since they're $1,099 a piece.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the best phones you can buy right now, and easily takes the crown of best Android phone. The problem is that it's so darn expensive, with an MSRP of $1,299. That's a lot of money to spend on a phone, and the sad thing is that RAMageddon may see even higher prices in the future. That's why a $220 discount, with no trade-ins or catches, is so appealing.

There's a lot to love about the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Not only does it include a large 6.9-inch display, but Samsung also introduced the new Privacy Display feature to help protect the contents of your screen from prying eyes. Not to mention a new Horizontal Lock for video recording, which acts as a gimbal to eliminate any shaking around that might occur when filming.

As is always the case with Ultra-tier phones, the S26 Ultra one of the best camera phones around. Samsung has also included strong battery life, even faster charging, and helpful agentic AI features that can take control of your phone via commands and prompts, rather than making you do it all manually.

The downside is that, while the phone has Qi2 charging, there are no magnets built into the phone — meaning you'll need a special case to utilize magnetic chargers and accessories properly. But, with the $220 you're saving on the cost of the phone, you can easily pick one up!

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If you're eagerly waiting for the next wave of Samsung Galaxy foldables, you're in luck because we might have just found out when they're set to arrive. According to Korea Economic TV, Samsung is set to release three new foldables on July 22. That's release, not launch, which suggests that Galaxy Unpacked will be even sooner.

The report doesn't mention when Galaxy Unpacked will be, but it does claim that the event will take place in London. It's unclear why London has been chosen, but since the summer Unpacked events tend to move around from country to country, I guess it had to land in London at some point.

The three foldables in question are likely to be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold Wide. The Z Fold Wide is a new design that's rumored to be more of a square shape when unfolded, and similar in appearance to the upcoming iPhone Fold.

The report claims that the Z Fold wide may also come with an advantage, thanks to a new type of S Pen. S Pen support was pulled from foldables with the release of the Z Fold 7, much to the chagrin of Z Fold fans. This was down to Samsung removing the digitizer layer from the screen, which was reportedly done to reduce thickness.

There have been rumors that Samsung was developing a stylus that didn't rely on the digitizer layer, and if this report is accurate, we might see it debut on the Z Fold Wide and Z Fold 8. That would help give Samsung a slight advantage over the iPhone Fold and other foldables, many of which don't support powered styluses.

Since the July 22 release date is still a few months away, we're unlikely to get any confirmation on this for a while. In the meantime, be sure to check out the latest news and rumors in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 hub.

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In a world where phone call scams are just another part of life, the ability to screen your calls before you pick up the phone is more important than ever. Samsung recently joined the ever-growing number of phone makers to offer this hidden feature, adding it to the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

Call Screening on Galaxy S26 is not as good as some of the other options out there. Google's version is leagues ahead, and it even falls slightly behind Apple's equivalent, which only arrived last year. That's not to say it's a bad feature to have; any level of protection is better than nothing, but you will need to switch Call Screening on before it can do anything.

Here's how to switch on Call Screening on the Samsung Galaxy S26

There you have it. From here on out, the Samsung Galaxy S26 will automatically screen your calls to help you avoid malicious or unwanted contact — whether it's from scammers or just people you’d rather not talk to.

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The cost of phones has been slowly rising for many years now, but with RAMageddon and the rapid rise in component costs, we're likely to see the cost of new smartphones explode over the coming months. Thankfully, some devices may be lucky enough to escape the price hikes — including the cheapest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

According to leaker @TheGalox_ on X, Samsung will release three different variants of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with prices starting at $1,999 for a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That's the same price and configuration you'd get if you went out and purchased a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 right now.

As for the other two models, the leaker claims that the 12GB/512GB model will cost $2,199 and the 16GB/1TB model will cost $2,499. Those of you who are familiar with Z Fold 7 pricing will notice that these models are $90 more than their respective Galaxy Z Fold 7s.

It's unclear why the prices have increased, and whether it's due to rising production costs, tariffs or something else entirely. There are so many reasons why phone prices could go up at the moment that we can't pinpoint a single root cause right now. The hike could be down to a variety of factors, for all we know.

Interestingly, it's different from the way Samsung altered pricing for the Galaxy S26 series. In the case of its non-folding flagship, prices were hiked for the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus in the U.S., while the Galaxy S26 Ultra remained the same. We never got any explanation as to why the prices changed, and it's unlikely Samsung will be any more open about its pricing strategy with the Z Fold 8.

Galaxy Z Fold 8: What to expect

Don't expect a lot of major design changes with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, since rumors suggest that it'll look more or less the same as the Z Fold 7. We might see the phone get a little slimmer and slight shrinkage thanks to thinner bezels, but that's about it.

The big upgrade is likely to be in the battery, with rumors claiming that the Z Fold 8 will come with a 5,000 mAh battery. That's 600 mAh larger than the Z Fold 7, and the same size as the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Other rumors also suggest that the wired charging speed will increase to 45W, which is on par with the Galaxy S26 Plus.

It's also speculated that Samsung will increase the resolution on the Ultrawide camera from 12MP to 50MP. The telephoto lens is expected to get a more conservative upgrade, keeping the 3x optical zoom but with 12MP resolution instead of 10MP. Plus, as usual, we should see an increase in performance power thanks to the inclusion of the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

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Samsung Messages will die this summer. The native OneUI texting app has been circling the drain since the Galaxy S21 but Samsung made it official today.

In a new message on the official Messages page, Samsung says the app will be discontinued starting in July 2026. Between now and then, the company is encouraging Galaxy owners to switch over to Google Messages.

"The Samsung Messages application will be discontinued in July 2026," says Samsung. "Upgrade to Google Messages as your default messaging app today to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android."

Samsung made Google Messages the default texting app on the Galaxy S21, but its own app has been available in the Galaxy Store or preinstalled. For instance, Google's texting app comes preinstalled on the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S26 phones.

Mixed reactions

Hundreds of Reddit comments on a post reveal a mixed reaction including people labeling the move "sad" and annoying" and one person saying "this is so dumb."

"Guys, how do i (sic) make Google Message like Samsung Message? I actually like the Samsung Message app," one user posted.

A number of people complained about privacy issues, which seems ironic when they're using a Google phone with Samsung branding.

Anecdotally, my phone is a Galaxy and I stopped using the app on my Galaxy S22 Ultra because Samsung Messages wasn't accepting RCS messages and I was tired of getting "Chuck liked this message" texts when someone reacted to a message. Notably, I switched to the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year and Samsung Messages wasn't even installed.

How to Switch

Samsung helpfully provided instructions for how to switch to Google Messages. If you don't have the app already, you may need to download it from the Play Store.

• Open or download Google Messages. The first time you open the app, a message appears: “To use Messages, make it your default SMS app."
• Tap the ’Set default SMS app’ button.
• Select Google Messages. Google Messages is the white icon with the blue conversation bubble.
• Tap ’Set as default’.

Restrictions and hazards

It should be noted that it appears this is only happening to US users. However, I am seeing comments on Reddit that you won't get RCS chat in places like Europe.

Beyond that, Samsung Messages will work if you're still using older Android 11 or lower versions. Older Tizen OS-based Galaxy watches will be able to text, but you won't have conversation history.

Samsung says that once the app is discontinued, you won't be able to send texts using Samsung Messages "except for emergency service numbres or emergency contacts defined in your device."

The company also notes that older devices released before 2022 may experience RCS disruptions.

Finally, if you have a Galaxy S26 device, you will be prevented from downloading Samsung Messages in the Galaxy Store starting now. Older devices will be blocked in July.

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One thing I’ve realized after years of testing Samsung’s top-of-the-line Ultra models is that they’re not afraid of being large. While they're consistently packed with killer hardware, their massive footprints often put me off — which is why I’m intrigued by rumors that the Galaxy S27 Pro could potentially be a smaller version of the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

There's a report out of South Korea that hints at this, suggesting Samsung is prepping four models for its Galaxy S27 lineup: the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27 Plus, Galaxy S27 Pro, and Galaxy S27 Ultra. What’s particularly interesting is that the S27 Pro is reportedly a smaller version of the Ultra, but without the S Pen.

This detail is crucial because housing an S Pen requires much-valued internal space — real estate that is highly coveted in any best phone contender. By ditching the stylus, Samsung could pivot in two directions: it could pack in an even larger battery, or it could upgrade the camera hardware. So far, rumors suggest the Pro will inherit the 200MP main camera from the S27 Ultra, though it remains unknown if it will also gain the 50MP telephoto lens.

Why a Galaxy S27 Pro makes sense

Given reports that Samsung scrapped the Galaxy S26 Edge due to low sales of the S25 Edge, the company is clearly being prompted to rethink its strategy. It appears to be matching Apple’s current lineup with the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Because of this, it makes perfect sense for Samsung to position the Galaxy S27 Pro between the Plus and the Ultra.

Beyond the smaller form factor, the Galaxy S27 Pro is reportedly gaining the same Privacy Display technology that debuted on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Considering the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are practically identical aside from their size, I really hope the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra share that same equivalence.

If I had to choose between making room for a larger battery or upgraded camera hardware, I’d prefer the latter — specifically, giving the Pro the same 50MP 5x telephoto shooter found on the Ultra. I’m not saying the Galaxy S27 Pro needs the Ultra’s full quadruple-camera setup, but it should at least feature that high-end zoom.

We still have a long way to go before the Galaxy S27 lineup arrives. One area I’m genuinely curious about is whether Samsung will finally adopt silicon-carbon battery tech. Honor, Oppo, and OnePlus are already seeing massive capacity gains using this technology. If the Galaxy S27 Pro truly drops the S Pen in favor of endurance, a high-capacity silicon-carbon battery would be the perfect way to power it.

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2026 is going to be another big year for Samsung's foldable phone lineup. While the extravagant Galaxy TriFold has just been discontinued, the company is still experimenting with different kinds of foldable devices. We're expecting to see the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide, which is shaping up to be exactly what it sounds like.

But how is this new wider foldable going to compare to the upcoming to the Galaxy Z Fold 8? If the name is anything to go by, it's going to have a wider design. The question is though, is this going to be a case of two phones separated by design, or is Samsung going to do more to help the Z Fold Wide stand out? Especially when you consider all the other foldables have been utilizing a wider design for years.

Here's what we know about Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Price and release

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is all but guaranteed to arrive in late summer, either in July or August. Samsung has been quite inconsistent with the release of its foldables the last few years, so we can't really narrow it down more than that.

As for the price, we're looking at at least $1,999, which is what Samsung sells the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for. However, with the increasing cost of components, including RAM, and the constant threat of tariffs, we wouldn't be surprised if that price tag increases this year. However, since the price already rose by $100 last year, and we didn't see a price hike on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, that may not happen.

The Galaxy Z Fold Wide is more of a mystery, and while we suspect it may launch in the Summer alongside the Z Fold 8, that isn't guaranteed. The last two "special" foldable models, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and Galaxy TriFold, debuted in October and December, respectively, and Samsung could follow that same lead for the wider model.

Price is equally a mystery, and the final price tag is going to depend on how different it is compared to the Z Fold 8. Don't expect anything less than $1,999, though.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Design & Display

Design is the area we know the most about when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold Wide, thanks to a variety of leaks. The Z Fold 8 is shaping up to be a very typical Samsung foldable, with only slight differences from the Z Fold 7. However the Galaxy Z Fold Wide is shaping up to be something very new — or at least, it will be in the looks department.

According to leaked renders the Z Fold 8 will measure 6.2 x 5.63 x 0.17 inches when unfolded, or 6.2 x 2.8 x 0.35 inches when folded up. Which is more or less the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The phone is also expected to come with an 8-inch folding screen and a 6.5-inch cover display, alongside standard features like the 120Hz refresh rate and AMOLED panelling.

Samsung is also rumored to be employing "laser drilling" technology to reduce the crease in the Z Fold 8's display.

Meanwhile, the Z Fold Wide is expected to measure 4.87 x 6.35 x 0.19 inches when unfolded, and 4.87 x 3.23 x 0.38 inches when folded. That means the Z Fold Wide will be significantly shorter than your typical Z Fold, but will make up for some of that with a much wider profile. It's not quite square-shaped, but it's pretty close to it.

Screen-wise, we're apparently getting a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch cover display. While both of these are officially smaller than the Z Fold 8, the difference in aspect ratio should help make up some of the difference — even if it doesn't make up everything.

The Wide is actually a lot closer in size to the likes of the iPhone Fold, which is set to be released later this year. Which means Samsung might be experimenting with this new design to see how its own Wider foldables compare to Apple's very first foldable release.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Cameras

We expect that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will come with all the same camera upgrades as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — plus a few of its own. That means we should see the return of the 200MP camera lens, alongside a new 50MP ultrawide lens — up from 12MP.

The telephoto lens won't be getting quite as big an upgrade, according to Galaxy Club, rising from 10MP to 12MP with the same 3x optical zoom. Both hole-punch cameras are expected to stay the same, so you'll likely be taking 10MP selfies for at least another year.

Design leaks suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold Wide will miss out on the third camera lens, instead packing in a dual-camera setup. While we haven't heard about what those cameras might be, I guess that Samsung will opt for a setup similar to the Galaxy S25 Edge.

If that's the case, we should see a pairing of main and ultrawide camera lenses, and hopefully with the same 200MP and 50MP resolution as the Galaxy Z Fold 8. However, we're going to have to wait and see what Samsung reveals later this year.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Performance

Samsung rarely releases a new Z Fold model without the flagship Snapdragon chipset — which means it's likely that the Z Fold 8 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

You shouldn't expect the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip to make an appearance, though. Samsung hasn't released a foldable with the overclocked chips, and with the rising cost of phone production, we don't expect it to change that this year.

It's possible that the Z Fold Wide will follow that example, since the Z Fold SE and Galaxy TriFold both had Snapdragon chips. But since Samsung has been pushing its own Exynos chips more in recent years, there's always a chance it'll come powered by the Exynos 2600.

I don't think that's likely, but it's still a very real possibility. After all, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 comes with an Exynos 2500, rather than a Snapdragon 8 Elite. Thankfully, though, my testing showed that the Exynos 2600's performance on Galaxy S26 isn't that much different from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite. So it's not like the Z Fold Wide would miss out on power if this does happen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Battery & charging

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 may actually come with some upgrades to battery and charging, which will likely please every foldable fan out there. According to rumors we may see the phone come with a 5,000 mAh battery, which is the same size as the Galaxy S 26 Ultra and a notable boost compared to the Z fold 7's 4,400 mAh.

Leaks also suggest that the foldable's charging speed could increase from 25W to 45W. It's still slower than the 60W charging that Samsung added to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it's still a significant boost to wired charging.

It's still unknown what sort of battery tech Samsung will employ in the Galaxy Z Fold Wide. Considering the phone is slightly smaller than the Z Fold 8, and only marginally thicker, we may see Samsung employ a smaller battery pack.

That said, since there are likely to be some missing components, the least of which is the lack of a third camera, there may still be room for a full 5,000 mAh. But until we hear some more concrete rumors, all we can do is speculate.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Galaxy Z Fold Wide: Outlook

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is shaping up to be a very similar kind of phone to its predecessors. There are a few major upgrades rumors, but for the most part you know that Samsung is going to release the same sort of thing it always does. The Z fold 8 is a known quantity, and that means we probably won't be hugely surprised by what the next Galaxy Unpacked has to offer.

The Galaxy Z Fold Wide is still something of a mystery to us all. While there have been rumors and leaks giving us some idea of what to expect from the phone's design, there's a lot we still don't know. Is it simply going to be a squatter version of the Z Fold 8, or will Samsung do a little more to help differentiate the phone from the rest of the Z Fold lineup?

At this point, we just don't know, and we're just going to have to be patient and see just how it compares to the Z Fold 8.

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Samsung’s flagships are always under the microscope, especially when hardware upgrades often make them some of the best camera phones around. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is no exception, having proven to me that it delivers superior performance against its main rivals.

However, I wanted to find out how much of an improvement it actually is over its predecessor — because the Galaxy S25 Ultra still offers a formidable package. If you take a peek at the specs between the Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra, you might be hard-pressed to find many differences: a 200MP main shooter, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 12MP front camera.

But there are minor differences, like how the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers wider apertures for its main and 5x telephoto cameras. Its 200MP main sensor has a wider f/1.4 aperture, up from the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s f/1.7. Meanwhile, the 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom gets the same treatment, moving from f/3.4 to f/2.9. They might seem like small changes, but faster apertures often boost a camera’s low-light performance — and they're better equipped to capture fast-moving subjects.

Similar to my other photo shootouts, I captured the same set of photos using both phones and compared them on a monitor. This allows me to inspect the fine details and uncover exactly what improvements Samsung has made. Here’s what I found.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Daytime

Almost immediately, the Galaxy S26 Ultra shows significant gains over its predecessor; its 200MP main camera captures a brighter overall picture complemented by a warmer color temperature. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shot isn’t bad, it underexposes the highlights — which, combined with a cooler color temperature, makes the image feel less inviting.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Dynamic range

After setting the focus and exposure to the middle of the shot, it’s interesting to see how both phones handle the contrasting areas with the sun high in the sky overlooking the sandy beach area. While the Galaxy S26 Ultra tries to even out the exposure, its dynamic range performance results in a low-contrast look. Meanwhile, I prefer how the Galaxy S25 Ultra boosts the shadows while maintaining stronger contrast overall.

Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Colors

Samsung toned down the color saturation on the Galaxy S26 Ultra; the floral display above still yields rich, vibrant colors, but they’re nowhere near as oversaturated as in the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shot. The pink and green floral pots really grab my attention, as the Galaxy S26 Ultra renders them in a vivid hot pink and a deep, natural green.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Macro

Macro mode automatically kicks in on both phones when I get really close to my subject, which is indicated by a flower icon. At first glance, I’m drawn to the Galaxy S25 Ultra for how it maintains focus across the shot — but the warmer colors of the Galaxy S26 Ultra are just as eye-catching.

When I zoom into the grains of sand, though, another difference is revealed. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra does very well in capturing the grains, the S26 Ultra pulls ahead by resolving more definition. The smaller pieces look speckled with the S25 Ultra, whereas they're more clearly defined by the S26 Ultra.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Selfie

After covering the New York Auto Show 2026, I snapped a selfie just outside the Javits Center in New York City to test the front-facing cameras. Both phones appear to have the same field of view, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra gets my vote for its more eye-pleasing contrast and a sharper capture.

For example, I like how my selfie stands out more with the Galaxy S26 Ultra because my hair looks darker compared to the slightly lighter tone produced by the S25 Ultra. At the same time, the S26 Ultra does a better job of handling my skin tone and facial features.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Portrait

Portraits are handled nicely by both phones, seeing that they capture excellent fine details, like the freckles on my nose and the texture of my shirt. Upon closer inspection, both simulate a natural depth-of-field effect by blurring not only the background, but also the parts of me that are closer to and further from the camera.

However, the Galaxy S26 Ultra adds a slight blur to my ears — whereas the Galaxy S25 Ultra keeps them in focus. This subtle difference allows the S26 Ultra to mimic the behavior of an actual camera with a dedicated portrait lens much more effectively.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Panorama

Because the sun suddenly peeked through the clouds by the time I shot the panorama above, the exposure shifted slightly on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. While it overexposes the area around the sun, it does a better job of boosting the shadowed condos in the far background.

In comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s panoramic capture offers a slightly better composition by evening out the exposure more consistently across the entire frame.

Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Ultrawide

This one is nearly a tie. I’m not too surprised by this considering their ultrawide cameras are identical, right down to their apertures.

When I zoom into specific parts of the scene — like the painted artwork on the side of the building — both phones produce nearly identical exposure, colors, and detail. However, the Galaxy S26 Ultra delivers stronger contrast in the clouds, giving the sky a more dramatic look.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Zoom

For my zoom test, I captured several different ranges: 3x, 5x, 10x, 30x, and 100x. This covers the full focal range of their two separate telephoto cameras, as well as how effectively they handle digital zoom enhancement.

Starting with the 3x zoom shots, I can’t find any discernible difference between them. Details are captured exceptionally well by both 10MP 3x telephoto cameras, including the light strips on the tree to the right and the UBS building in the far background.

Moving up to 5x zoom — which switches over to the 50MP telephoto shooters — I can tell the S26 Ultra produces a slightly sharper image. You can see this in the background buildings and the “no standing” bus sign on the left.

At 10x zoom, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s superior sharpness and definition become even more noticeable. A tiny clock tower just beneath the UBS building looks marginally sharper, while the trees on the right exhibit more definition.

It becomes harder to distinguish them at 30x, mainly because the digital zoom causes fine details to look smudgy — but the S26 Ultra still retains a bit more of the building's texture. Don’t get me wrong, the smoothing effect is heavy, but the S26 Ultra preserves more of the architectural detail.

Finally, I’d still recommend avoiding 100x zoom due to the softer-looking results. The heavy image processing creates a significant smoothing effect on both, so neither gets my vote at this extreme range. However, in general, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s zoom performance is clearly superior.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Low light

Finally, the nighttime shots above showcase the low-light performance of both devices. Thanks to its faster aperture, the Galaxy S26 Ultra preserves significantly more detail in the tree.

When I look up and down the trunk, those same areas in the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shot lack the same level of definition. Additionally, the long exposure on the Galaxy S25 Ultra throws off the color of the home, giving it a slightly orange tint — whereas the S26 Ultra remains more color-accurate.

Another example I want to share are the two shots above. At first, it's almost hard to discern any differences, but zooming into parts of the shot reveals how the S26 Ultra continues to retain more definition. Not only is the tree in the middle more defined, but I'm better able to see the wood grain pattern with the fence on the left.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Verdict

This is a landslide win for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, proving that even incremental hardware changes can lead to a noticeable boost in real-world performance. While the two phones share a similar 200MP main shooter, the S26 Ultra’s faster apertures and refined image processing consistently deliver better results in low light, sharper zoom crops, superb definition in macro shots, and more natural-looking portraits.

If you absolutely want the best results, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is clearly the one to choose. However, I still wouldn’t count out the Galaxy S25 Ultra, as it holds its ground remarkably well. Even though this was a one-sided affair in my testing, I wouldn’t go so far as to tell Galaxy S25 Ultra owners they must make the upgrade quite yet for the cameras.

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The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the best camera phone around, thanks in part to its quadruple camera setup that covers every range: near, far, and really far. However, after spending several nights with it over the past few weeks, I noticed the dedicated night mode is now absent. Instead, Samsung now bakes night mode directly into the main photo mode.

While it delivers outstanding results when it’s dark out all on its own, there’s actually a better way to capture low-light photography. Switching to Expert RAW mode unlocks new capabilities that transform nighttime shots. And you know what? It makes a massive difference.

I used Expert RAW not only to see what improvements it offers, but also to try and capture some astrophotography in the process. Here’s what I found.

Galaxy S26 Ultra Expert RAW mode: What you need to know

First, you should know that you can actually reinstall the dedicated night mode on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. You can bring it back by downloading the Camera Assistant app from the Galaxy Store, which surprisingly also restores Dual Rec and Single Take modes. I honestly don't know why Samsung forces you to install a separate app just to access these features, but that’s the reality.

Likewise, Expert RAW isn't installed by default, so you’ll need to grab that from the Galaxy Store as well. Once installed, I was able to access all the specialty modes I previously tested on my Galaxy Z Flip 7 a few months back. This includes the same dedicated astrophotography mode as before, plus the virtual aperture and ND (neutral density) filter modes.

New to the mix is Ocean Mode, which specifically tunes the camera for underwater captures (requiring a waterproof case), and Virtual Reflector, which simulates a photographer’s reflector to bounce light for softer portrait lighting.

For this test, I used the astrophotography mode to capture the night sky. To use this advanced mode effectively, you’ll need to keep the Galaxy S26 Ultra perfectly still; a tripod is necessary, or at the very least, you’ll need to lean the phone against something stable. This is essential because exposure times can range from 30 seconds to 12 minutes depending on the conditions. Yes, you read that right — it can really take that long!

Galaxy S26 Ultra: Night Mode performance

To evaluate the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s low-light performance, I compared images taken with the automatic mode (where Night Mode is integrated into the main camera app) against those from the dedicated Night Mode. I captured these side-by-side shots hand-held to see how each mode performed in real-world conditions.

My testing revealed that both modes deliver virtually identical results — which isn't surprising, as both utilized the same exposure times (roughly four seconds). As you can see, the quality is indistinguishable between the two. This confirms why Samsung chose to phase out the dedicated Night Mode in favor of baking the functionality directly into the primary camera experience.

What I will say about the low-light shots I captured is that they’re impressively bright, transforming dim scenery to look as if there’s a light source hitting it. As shown in the side-by-side shot above from my 200-photo shootout between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL, Samsung adjusts the exposure just right—while still capturing more definition in the trees.

Galaxy S26 Ultra Expert RAW mode: Low-light performance

If you want the absolute best low-light performance from the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I suggest using the astrophotography mode within Expert RAW. While primarily designed to capture stars, its extended exposure times allow the camera sensor to absorb significantly more light.

The only drawback to this mode is that it limits your subjects to static landscape scenes. Any action or movement results in motion blur or light trails. You can see this in one of the photos above. As a plane crossed the frame, the long exposure caused its lights to streak across the sky.

Despite that limitation, the mode produces superior nighttime shots. I’m impressed not only by how clearly defined the tree branches are but also by how the sensor captures faint stars invisible to the naked eye. Naturally, the best results come from the primary camera.

Another notable shot is of my backyard above, with my Seestar S50 smart telescope centered in the frame. The sheer amount of detail, sharpness, and clarity is staggering. In reality, the foreground and middle ground were draped in darkness, with the only light source coming from a neighbor's house in the background. Not only does Expert RAW bring out the rich green of the grass, but it also renders fine details like the individual shingles on the shed's roof.

My only complaint is the time required to capture these stunning images, but the results speak for themselves. If you’re after the best low-light performance possible, this is the mode to use.

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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display may have recieved most of the attention, but it's far from the only upgrade Samsung added to its latest phones. The camera on all three Galaxy S26 phones comes with a new video stabilization feature called Horizontal Lock.

Horizontal Lock locks the camera to the horizon, and ensures your recording stays perfectly straight — regardless of how much your phone might spin around in the process. It's essentially a version of optical image stabilization ramped up to 11, or so Samsung's marketing says.

I was curious about this. I had already briefly tried Horizontal Lock when I went hands-on with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but I never got to compare it to other camera stabilization modes. So I went out and put Horizontal Lock to the test.

How I tested Horizontal Lock

To see just how much of a difference steady camera modes make, I went out to shoot some video using the stabilization modes on the Galaxy S26 Ultra: Horizontal Lock, Super Steady and then again without any stabilization features.

For this, I needed a large open space and a lot of movement to keep track of. Since I'm not really an outdoorsy person, I took both my dogs to the park and let them loose. They're both high-energy labradors, but they both behave very differently in the park. One will hyper-fixate on chasing his ball, while the other will simply trot around exploring and eating the grass. There's occasional bursts of running to chase this brother, prompted by a fear of missing out.

In addition to their almost constant movement, I'm also walking alongside them. Tracking them with a phone camera is difficult at the best of times, but with all that motion going on, the instability of the camera can make the final result an unholy mess. It can get to the point that some clips can start triggering my motion sickness.

No stabilization

Turning off video stabilization is the base level of what the Galaxy S26 Ultra can handle, and the metric at which the other two stabilization settings are judged.

As you can see in the video above, things are not very stable at all. It's very clear to see how much the camera position is changing, despite all my best efforts to keep everything fairly level. Obviously, I am not a superhuman with gimbal-like powers, so no matter how hard I tried, there was some unevenness to the footage.

Plus, all that walking around and interacting with my dogs only made that worse, as I was more focused on them having fun than making sure the imaginary spirit level in my hand didn't tilt from side to side.

Super Steady stabilization

Samsung first released Super Steady stabilization way back in 2019 on the Galaxy S10, with periodic improvements coming on subsequent devices. Judging from the video of my two dogs doing their doggy thing, there is a marked improvement in the leveling of the camera.

Shakiness is a little less pronounced, to the point where the video almost feels a little too smooth. I'll admit, watching this clip is a little triggering for my motion sickness, too — perhaps a little more so than the non-stabilized footage.

Horizontal Lock

The difference with horizontal lock engaged is even more pronounced than with Super Steady. The camera stays almost completely level compared to other video stabilization, though I did notice a few instances of the camera visibly shifting to maintain that effect through the recording.

It almost looked as though the virtual gimbal Samsung is using lagged and had to suddenly catch up with the phone's movement. The artificial smoothness also made a comeback, though this is clearly just the price you have to pay for a more evenly leveled video recording.

There is definitely a marked improvement in the leveling of the video, keeping a solid vertical or landscape shot no matter how much you move around. Just remember that Horizontal Lock doesn't lock the field of view in place, and shaking your camera around is still going to affect the quality of the final recording.

Bottom Line

One thing you should know is that video stabilization on Galaxy S26 phones limits the amount of zoom available to you. While the unstabilized video mode has a variety of different zoom options available, stabilized video is limited to 2x magnification. Likewise, regular video can be recorded in up to 8K resolution, while stabilized is limited to QHD — though a 60fps frame rate is still available.

Considering how easy it is to turn on Horizontal Lock, it's definitely a feature people can use as frequently as they like. That said, you do need to be aware of the feature's limitations and potential side effects to locking in your orientation quite so definitively. If you don't want to be quite so strict, or need a little more versatility with what your camera records, Super Steady still does a very good job at levelling everything out.

Horizontal Lock is easily one of those features that Samsung can improve upon in future Galaxy phones. But based on my experience with my dogs it more than lives up to the hype.

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Tax season is upon us, and if you’ve been putting off finalizing your taxes, you’ve got less than a couple of weeks to finish them. For as long as I can remember, I would dust off my sad HP all-in-one printer from its lonely shelf every year around this time to scan the documents I need — but that changed this year.

Instead of using my old reliable scanner, I opted for the Galaxy S26 because it has a hidden feature that practically pushes my scanner into permanent retirement. That’s because the Galaxy S26 features a new AI tool that makes scanning documents a breeze, including the ability to save them as a PDF file.

I’ve been testing it out by scanning several tax documents with my Galaxy S26 — and I have to admit, it’s brilliant. Here’s why.

It’s baked into the camera app

You have to love it when a phone knows exactly what you’re trying to do. That’s exactly how I felt the moment I pulled up the camera app on my Galaxy S26 and positioned the first document in front of it.

Instead of requiring a switch to a dedicated mode, the Galaxy S26 already knows I’m trying to do because a “scan” icon appears almost immediately, with borders highlighting the document. What’s really impressive about this AI tool is how it optimizes the image all on its own.

Since my documents often have folds in them, they’re not always as flat as I’d want for a clean scan. However, the Galaxy S26’s Intelligent Document Scanner automatically flattens the image — so those physical folds don't appear in the final file. At the same time, it also corrects the angle of the shot to ensure everything appears perfectly flat.

Scanner-grade quality

I’m guilty of using my phone’s camera in the past to take photos of documents for my accountant, but that process involved way more work than what this Galaxy S26 AI tool delivers. Normally, I would have had to copy them to my desktop and manually convert them into PDFs.

This new tool gives me much greater control over the final result. After the AI flattens the scan, I can select which filter to apply. For that traditional scanner look, the black-and-white option provides the crispest contrast.

Additional tools help enhance the scan even further, like the ability to remove my finger from the shot or fix folded corners. The end result is scanner-grade quality that could fool anyone into believing I actually used a flatbed scanner.

Multiple scans, save as a PDF

Another reason the Galaxy S26’s Intelligent Document Scanner is incredibly handy is its ability to scan multiple pages and save them as a single, scrollable PDF. It’s hard to overstate how much time this saves because of how I used to have to manually feed each page through my scanner, but now I can simply use my phone.

I scanned a total of eight tax documents and saved them as one PDF file. The results are impressive — my accountant can easily scroll through the entire set instead of juggling multiple separate files. The whole process took me just 10 minutes, which is a massive improvement over the hour it used to take in the past with a traditional scanner.

This isn’t just a win for tax season, either. It’s perfect for signing physical documents and instantly firing off a digital copy to whoever needs it.

Bottom line

I never thought I’d see the day when my phone could officially retire my all-in-one printer, but the Galaxy S26 has done exactly that with this hidden tool. The combination of automatic flattening, shadow removal, enhanced contrast, and effortless PDF creation makes traditional scanning feel ancient. It’s rare to find an AI feature that offers this much practical, real-world value right out of the box, but for anyone staring down a pile of tax forms, the Galaxy S26 is a formidable assistant for the task at hand.

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The new Privacy Display feature on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra makes it significantly harder for people to sneak a look at your phone. In fact, from some angles, all those prying eyes will be able to see is a blank screen. More impressively, Samsung has set up Privacy Display in a way to block certain parts of your screen but not others. That means it can black out notifications from side angles, without blacking out the entire screen.

That being said, there have been a number of complaints from S26 Ultra owners that the Privacy Display feature is causing headaches and eye strain. Still, I've found it to be one of the best features of Samsung's new phone.

Those of you who have just picked up a Galaxy S26 Ultra might be wondering how to get Privacy Display set up. Here's our step-by-step guide.

How to set up Privacy Display on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

How it feels to use Privacy Display

The one thing you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is that the display isn't as bright as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Our lab testing shows that it's a fairly minor difference, but it's something you should be aware of if you're planning on picking up the Galaxy S26 Ultra for yourself.

It's also important to remember that having Privacy Display on causes a noticeable dip in screen brightness. You don't need to test that in a lab to see the change.

For that reason alone, I'm more inclined to use the conditional privacy display, rather than keeping it switched on all the time. That way, you only experience that drop in brightness when the privacy filter switches itself on. Then again, that relies on the triggers actually switching the privacy filter on when they're supposed to.

I've also noticed that the conditional activation triggers don't always work correctly during my time with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phone knows to block the pattern screen when I unlock the phone, but it doesn't seem to offer the same privilege to login pages for apps and websites.

Similarly, I haven't actually seen it block any notifications yet, and I've noticed that screen brightness can interfere with how much content gets blocked. With the Galaxy S26 Ultra's brightness turned up to max, I was still able to make out some details when looking at the screen from a sideways angle — even with Maximum privacy protection switched on.

The Privacy Display is imperfect in its execution, but the idea behind this feature is still pretty sound. We have a lot of sensitive information on our phones, and the last thing we want is for someone to be able to sneak a look at any of it. Any extra protection you can have on your phone will only be beneficial, and the fact that you can switch it off at a moment's notice simply sweetens the pot.

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After revealing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 yesterday, now Android Headlines and renderer OnLeaks are back with a first look at the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide. It's our first real glimpse of the alleged iPhone Fold competitor that Samsung is expected to launch this summer.

Apple's first foldable is rumored to feature a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, which will make its unfolded display feel closer to an iPad. It will also be wider, making it more akin to the original Google Pixel Fold or Oppo's Find N2. One of the key benefits of a wider design is that you don't have huge black bars above and below the display when watching video.

The design, based on the leaked CAD renders, certainly looks wider and more squat.

Beyond the size, the phone appears to feature two cameras with the plateau style introduced with the Galaxy S26 series this year. It also looks like there will be pinhole front-facing cameras on both the cover display and the interior screen.

Based on the CAD drawings, the Wide should have these dimensions when unfolded: 4.87 x 6.35 x .19 inches. Folded drops the width to 3.23 inches and the thickness to .38 inches.

The Wide is supposed to feature a 7.6-inch inner display, which is slightly smaller than the 8-inch display expected on the Fold 8. It also has a smaller 5.4-inch cover screen, again a bit tinier than the 6.5-inch display on the Fold 8. The difference is that it's wider.

Those screen dimensions do match more closely to expectations for the iPhone Fold.

Like the Fold 8, the Wide should sport Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. For storage and memory, it could have 12 or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB options.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide price and release date

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung's flagship foldable and is expected to be priced around $2,000 similar to the pricing of last year's Z Fold 7. With seemingly lesser specs, like the reduced number of cameras, it's possible the Wide could be a little cheaper than the Fold 8.

This would especially be the case if Samsung is trying to undercut the iPhone Fold. Rumors have suggested that Apple will price the iPhone Fold around $2,000.

According to Android Headlines, the Wide should debut alongside the Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 during Samsung's summer Unpacked event. Last year, Samsung has held its foldable event in early July.

Unless something drastically changes, we expect a similar window this year. Usually, Samsung opens up pre-orders on the day of Unpacked and then the new phones are shipped out within a week or two.

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Two separate Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 leaks dropped today, revealing pretty near everything about the next flagship foldable phone. All we’re truly missing at this point is the price and release date.

First up: the look. Android Headlines and regular render tipster OnLeaks revealed new images based on CAD drawings of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The renders showcase a phone that looks very similar to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7.

According to the leaked dimensions, the Fold 8 will come in at 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.5mm when unfolded, and 158.4 x 72.8 x 9mm folded. Those numbers represent a slightly thicker profile than the Fold 7.

Android Headlines notes that these are approximations based on the drawings. They also suggest that Samsung might bring back S Pen support with the return of the digitizer, which would make the device thicker. Samsung removed it last year to make the Fold 7 as thin as possible when that was all the rage.

Otherwise, the Fold 8 retains the same 8-inch inner display and 6.5-inch cover screen.

We're also expecting an upgrade to the battery, which should increase from 4,400 mAh to 5,000 mAh — making it the same capacity as in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The Fold 8 is also rumored to get 45W charging, faster than the 25W on the Fold 7, but still slower than the 60W on the S26 Ultra.

How about them specs?

Separately, TheGalox tweeted out a number of features and specs for the Z Fold 8, some of which have been reported before.

They mention the screen dimensions and add that it will have a 120Hz refresh rate and a Dynamic AMOLED panel — no real surprise there — with dual-layer ultra thin glass.

The cameras will reportedly be a 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, and 12MP 3x telephoto. The ultrawide and telephoto sensors are both notable boosts over the 12MP and 10MP versions found in the Fold 7.

According to the leak, it should feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, the same as in the S26 Ultra. It should come with vapor chamber cooling to improve heat buildup.

Finally, despite the RAM crisis, the Fold 8 will come in the same memory and storage options as the Fold 7: 12 GB/16 GB RAM and 256GB, 512GB and 1TB for storage. With the Fold 7, the 16GB RAM option was exclusive to the 1TB variant.

Finally, despite Android Headlines claims of a slightly thicker device, TheGalox says the Fold 8 will be both thinner and lighter — but they don't specify by how much.

Price and release date

Barring anything major — which, given the state of things, is a possibility — Samsung should debut the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in either July or August, just as it's done the last few summers for the Fold series.

Last year, the Z Fold 7 saw a $100 price bump. However, Samsung is now facing an AI driven memory shortage, as well as competition in the form of Apple's expected iPhone Fold.

Since the company kept prices largely the same for the Galaxy S26 series released earlier this month, I suspect something similar will happen with both the Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

Plus, Samsung may debut the rumored Z Fold Wide, which is meant to directly compete with the squarer foldable iPhone. Because that device might cannibalize sales of the Fold 8, I can’t see the company reducing demand by raising prices. Either way, we'll know more come summer.

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Samsung has confirmed iPhone owners will be able to AirDrop files to the Galaxy S26 series over Quick Share this week. The company has also stated that "additional Galaxy devices" will get AirDrop through Quick Share support at a later date, but hasn't given a timeline.

AirDrop over Quick Share first appeared on the Pixel 10 devices late last year and is also available on the Pixel 9 series. But the wider adoption of the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra phones is sure to push our harmonious Android/iOS future further into the mainstream.

Samsung says the rollout is beginning today in Korea, with the U.S. set to follow later this week. Other regions, including Europe, Latin America and Japan are also set to receive the feature.

Unlike on the Pixel, Samsung has confirmed that AirDrop support won't be enabled by default. Instead, once the update has been received, users will find a dedicated "Share with Apple devices" switch under the Quick Share option in their Settings menu.

Samsung explains that Galaxy users will need to tell their iPhone-using friends to ensure "Everyone" mode is enabled. From there, files should be able to be sent back and forth between the two handsets.

When the feature was unveiled, Google explained that Quick Share utilizes AirDrop’s “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode to enable sharing for a direct peer-to-peer connection.

"This implementation using "Everyone for 10 minutes” mode is just the first step in seamless cross-platform sharing, and we welcome the opportunity to work with Apple to enable “Contacts Only” mode in the future," Google wrote.

The expansion is continuing apace though, with Chinese phone maker Oppo saying recently that it planned to offer the feature on its phones before the end of the month. If you're an Android user and you've never experimented with this feature before, follow our simple How to use Quick Share on Android guide to get started.

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