Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 LIVE — Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, Watch 9, smart glasses and more
A new type of foldable is exactly what we need
Galaxy Unpacked is finally here, and we’re hours away from the start of Samsung’s summer event, which has historically focused on its new foldable phones. This year’s reveal could come with a big surprise: it’s been reported that Samsung might introduce three brand-new foldables — the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.
While the latter’s name suggests it will be the marquee device in the lineup, it might actually be upstaged by the Galaxy Z Fold 8. That’s because the Fold 8 is purportedly the “wide” version with a passport-like aspect ratio when closed, opening to reveal a much more tablet-like display. In comparison, the Ultra is rumored to be the direct successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Beyond introducing what could arguably be some of the best foldable phones this year, Samsung could use the opportunity to detail the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch 2 Ultra. And given the recent buzz around Android XR, we could also end up seeing the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy Glasses. In the meantime, we’ll be covering the event as it happens — so keep your browser pointed here to get all the latest news and reveals.
How to watch Galaxy Unpacked 2026?
You can stay up-to-date with all the juicy reveals by tuning in to Samsung’s live stream, which can be accessed through its official YouTube channel, Samsung.com, and the Samsung Newsroom. The event kicks off at 9:00 a.m. ET / 6:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. BST, with the live event taking place in London.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: Biggest expected announcements
Samsung’s foldable phones and wearables have typically been the cornerstone of its summer Unpacked events, and this year shouldn’t prove otherwise. However, we could still end up getting a few special surprises. Here’s everything we expect to see announced at Galaxy Unpacked 2026.
- Galaxy Z Fold 8: This is the heavily leaked “wide” version, featuring a passport-esque shape when closed that opens to reveal a main display with a slightly more rectangular ratio — akin to an iPad Mini.
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: While the Ultra moniker implies it’s the top-of-the-line foldable, it’s actually the direct successor to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. It maintains a similar squarish aspect ratio when opened, but packs a more robust triple-camera system, a 5,000 mAh battery, a near-creaseless display, and more.
- Galaxy Z Flip 8: Aesthetically, the Z Flip 8 looks a lot like its predecessor, but it’s tipped to feature reductions in thickness, weight, and bezel size. Everything else — from the cameras to the battery — appears to be the same as before.
- Galaxy Watch 9: This year’s updated wearable appears to retain the squarish-circle case design, but packing a new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset for faster on-device AI processing and improved battery efficiency. It’s also reportedly going to get an upgraded 3-in-1 BioActive sensor array for more accurate heart rate, sleep stage, and sleep apnea tracking.
- Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Samsung’s rugged flagship wearable is tipped to get a brighter display that could reach up to 4,000 nits, the power-efficient Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, expanded 5G support, and advanced AI-driven holistic health and fitness recommendations.
- Samsung Galaxy Glasses: Built on the Android XR platform with deep Gemini AI integration, Samsung's upcoming smart glasses are shaping up to be one of Unpacked's most intriguing teasers. A recent app leak reveals a dashboard for managing camera captures and deeper ecosystem ties to other Galaxy devices.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: Live Updates
Some real competition is on the way
The feeling we're getting ahead of Unpacked is that Samsung is putting a lot of effort into this particular launch event. The last couple of weeks have seen Samsung confirm a bunch of key details about the phones, including the all-important Flex titanium display upgrade.
It shouldn't be a huge surprise, though. Despite some competition from the likes of Motorola and Google in recent years, Samsung has absolutely dominated the foldable phone market. But that might change with the release of the foldable iPhone Ultra later this year.
iPhones are popular and sell in incredible numbers every year, and taking even a fraction of that success into the foldable business should be enough to make Samsung nervous. Especially since Apple is reportedly producing up to 10 million iPhone Ultras — compared to the 6.3 million Z Fold and Z Flip units reportedly being produced by Samsung.
Is a new Samsung tracker coming?
One rumor that's popped up in recent weeks claims that Samsung is gearing up to release a brand new SmartTag at some point later this year. We probably shouldn't expect to see the the Bluetooth tracker at Unpacked though, since Roland Quandt believes that it will launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE.
The lower-cost version of the S26 isn't likely to arrive until September at the earliest, which means we have a little bit of a wait.
There's no word on what to expect from the SmartTag 3, but considering the nature of the device there isn't a lot that Samsung can do. Adding Ultra Wideband connectivity and support for Google's FindHub should be top of Samsung's priorities, though. Otherwise there's little point in releasing a new one.
It's not just about phones
The new Galaxy foldables might be getting a lot of attention, there's more coming to Unpacked than just new smartphones. Samsung is also expected to unveil two new smartwatches: The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
There's a lot we don't actually know about these devices, but we should expect the usual slew of upgrades at the very least. That means better screens, longer battery life and more powerful hardware — plus a bunch of extra health and fitness features.
On top of that we're expecting to hear more about the Galaxy Glasses, which were first announced at Google I/O bearing the name "Intelligent Eyewear."
This could be the end of the Samsung flip-foldable
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 has been leaked to death, so we know that it's going to be unveiled at Unpacked as expected, but that might be the end for Samsung's foldable flip phones. The prominent Samsung rumor-mongers believe that we won't actually see a Z Flip 9 next year. Apparently it could be down to rising costs, lack of interest in the Z Flip line-up and the fact that Samsung has let flip phone design stagnate for the past several years.
But how do they know? While there's never any guarantee, the leakers have noted the suspicious lack of chatter related to the 2027 Z Flip. Since phone production begins over a year before release, the apparent lack of progress suggests that Samsung isn't bothering to make one.
Things are changing this year
The Summer Unpacked event usually features two new foldable phones: A book-style Z Fold and the compact Z Flip. Things are a little different this year, because Samsung is expected to reveal three new Galaxy foldables at today's event.
This year marks the debut of a new foldable design, which is shorter and wider than previous Z Fold devices. While this was originally referred to as the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, leaks suggest that the new phone will actually bear the name Galaxy Z Fold 8. Meanwhile what we thought was the Galaxy Z Fold 8, is now supposedly called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — bringing Samsung's naming conventions a little more in line with the fold-free Galaxy S series.
As for the Galaxy Z Flip 8, that's expected to arrive as normal with no real surprises.
The countdown to Unpacked has begun
We're mere hours away from the start of Galaxy Unpacked, and if history tells us anything, this is prime time for a bunch of last minute rumors and leaks to make their way online. So those of you that are too impatient to wait until 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. BST should keep an eye on your feeds for those 11th hour reveals.
That said, Tom's Guide will be at Unpacked bringing you live coverage of everything Samsung reveals on stage. So be sure to check back here to hear the biggest news and reveals as they happen.
