Samsung's 9100 Pro 2TB SSD has dropped to AU$434.47 at Amazon Australia, well below the typical AU$699 pricing it's selling for at other retailers. Even on Amazon it was AU$644.83 before the current discount.

This isn't a deal to snooze on either, with the sale due to end at 12pm on July 29. Just note that it ships from Amazon US, so delivery can take up to two weeks.

AU$434 is still a lot to spend on a 2TB SSD, particularly if you remember how cheap storage was until relatively recently.

But SSD prices have shifted hugely since last year, and these days this is an excellent deal on Samsung's flagship PCIe 5.0 drive, which can reach sequential read speeds of up to 14,700MB/s and writes of up to 13,400MB/s.

In our review of the 9100 Pro we said, "Samsung's first true PCIe 5.0 drive is the best there is", as well as "This is a very professional-specific drive in ways that previous Samsung Pro SSDs were not. If you're not a professional user, there are better PCIe 5.0 drives out there, but for pros, there's none better than the 9100 Pro."

This is a premium 2TB SSD, so it's aimed at those who can actually take advantage of its performance, whether that's moving huge files, working with demanding creative projects or running workloads that benefit from very fast storage.

But what makes this deal particularly compelling is that the 9100 Pro is currently cheaper than some of Samsung's slower PCIe 4.0 drives. At the time of writing, the 2TB 990 EVO Plus is AU$446 at Amazon, while the 2TB 990 Pro is AU$517.67.

You don't necessarily need a PCIe 5.0 system to take advantage of the deal either. The 9100 Pro is backwards compatible with PCIe 4.0, so it'll work just fine in an older machine, albeit with its performance capped by the slower interface.

That makes it a great buy even if you're upgrading a PCIe 4.0 PC today, or using the drive in a handheld device. Plus, if you do move it to a PCIe 5.0 system later, you can unlock the full performance the drive is capable of.

Just keep in mind that this deal is specifically for the 2TB model without a heatsink as the other versions and capacities of the 9100 Pro aren't discounted.

And yes, AU$434.47 is still frustratingly pricey for 2TB of storage by historical standards, but I think getting Samsung's flagship PCIe 5.0 SSD for less than its slower models makes this an excellent deal considering current prices.

Samsung’s latest foldables have arrived with much fanfare. There’s the uniquely proportioned Galaxy Z Fold 8, which looks to be the precursor to the foldable iPhone Ultra later this year; the more conventional-looking Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra; and Samsung’s thinnest and lightest flip phone ever in the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

The first two of those three phones boast Samsung's new Flex Titanium display technology, which gives them thinner, flatter, and more robust displays than any Galaxy foldables before them. And having spent time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra already, I’ve been impressed with the progress Samsung has made in reducing the appearance of the crease, specifically.

From front-on, you can hardly make out the crease at all, and at an angle, it’s less obvious than on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Running my finger across the middle of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's display, there’s only a very subtle undulation running down the center. It’s so subtle that I’d wager you’ll stop registering that it's even there after spending a few weeks with the new phone.

And yet, for how impressed I am with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s display, I know there’s already something better available.

Enter the contender

The Oppo Find N6 launched in March 2026, four months earlier than Samsung’s Z8 series, and the big selling point was the claim that Oppo had managed to remove the crease in the foldable screen entirely.

Now, while that isn’t strictly true — at some acute angles, you can still see the crease — what is pretty amazing is the fact you can run your finger across the entire 8.12-inch display and not feel any interruption on the part of the screen that bends when folded.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have used most foldables, including reviewing the original Galaxy Fold, and the screen crease has always been there.

Most of the time, when you’re looking straight-on at the screen, it does disappear as your eyes focus on the content, but have the light hit at a certain angle, or run your finger across, and you’re immediately reminded of the minor imperfection.

I was stunned when I first got my hands on the Oppo Find N6. Swiping my finger back and forth across the middle of the display and feeling nothing, I thought, 'This is the next frontier of foldables.'

To make sure I wasn’t just looking at the Oppo through rose-tinted specs, I took it to the Samsung preview event so I could experience it side-by-side with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. And sure enough, the Oppo continued to impress with a screen that is smoother and flatter than Samsung’s, but not by much.

Which one is right for you?

Make no mistake, these are two very accomplished, flagship foldables. Both have similarly sized exterior and interior screens, and both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is thinner, lighter, and actually readily available in multiple markets. It also has a brighter display (a peak brightness of 3,000 nits vs 2,500 nits on the Oppo) and the firm’s Galaxy AI, Now Brief, and Now Nudge features on top of Google’s Gemini assistant.

The Oppo Find N6 has the smoothest, flattest foldable display, an edge in the camera hardware, a bigger battery and faster charging — yet its availability is limited to just a few Asian markets at the time of writing.

So, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra wins by default, which doesn’t feel particularly satisfying as a conclusion, but this shouldn’t diminish the progress that’s been made.

The main issue with foldable displays has been conquered. The next major hurdle we need manufacturers to clear is price.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is available for pre-order for a lofty $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, which makes it Samsung’s most expensive foldable ever (if we ignore the limited-run TriFold). The Z Fold 8 (from $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699) and Z Flip 8 (from $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949) are cheaper, but they’re still not cheap.

So, if a manufacturer can find a way to deliver the same premium features for under $1,200/ £1,200 / AU$1,500, it could open the foldable floodgates.

AI is everywhere, which is exciting for some and concerning for others — and nowhere is this dichotomy more prevalent than health. AI has the ability to enable huge leaps in healthcare, both at home on your phones and smartwatches, and in the medical industry advancing tools and research using vast corpuses of training data. However, given that AI relies on harvesting data to train the next generation of models, its use of sensitive personal information is under intense scrutiny.

Samsung, unsurprisingly, is all-in on AI. On 22 July during Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, we saw how AI was being used across Samsung's ecosystem, especially on the Samsung Health app and wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Watch. It's crunching the data you give it to help notify you of problems such as sleep apnea, irregular heart rhythms, and even common illnesses such as a cold.

It's not the only big tech company to dive head-first into AI health: Google's done it too with the revamp of its Google Health app, retooling its premium tier into a Chatbot called the Google Health Coach.

Some people don't trust AI with their health information, as our writer David Nield illustrates, and some AI companies' cavalier use of user data has clearly got users worried. Is the pivot to AI in health happening too quickly? Do we have appropriate safeguards in place yet? And is your data being mined without your consent?

It's all about user trust, it seems. Samsung made headlines earlier this month for the wrong reasons, as a claim hit the internet stating that Samsung Health will delete your data unless you allow the app to access your sensitive health information for AI training purposes. Samsung later clarified this was not the case in a statement to 9to5Google. While the rumor was apparently false, it does demonstrate how worried people are when it comes to AI harvesting their health data.

Trust and Privacy

During Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, I got to conduct a one-on-one interview with Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Mobile Experience at Samsung, and ask her about Samsung's strategy when it comes to AI and healthcare — including how it's intending to safeguard their user's valuable data.

"The user is in control, right?," she tells me, "you opt-in to decide what you want something to understand around your health. You're in control through your phone and through the Samsung health app. That's number one. AI is there to assist you and make your experience better."

Bizon and her team also clarified that all Samsung Health features are usable whether you choose to share your data or not. This attempt to reassure Samsung users about trust and privacy echoed all throughout the Unpacked conference: when I approached someone to talk about Samsung's new Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses, the first bit of sales spiel I got was centered on privacy and transparency features. Clearly, Samsung and its partners at Google are keen to avoid the growing backlash against smart specs.

This continued during a Health Forum attended by journalists. Speaking about medical advances powered by Samsung and AI, Rohit Ali, Head of the Technology Incubation Lab at Samsung R&D Institute UK, said during the panel, "as long as we ensure that data is private, trust can be viable. We at Samsung completely believe that data belongs to the user, and we are just custodians."

Bizon said Samsung's approach is "if it's got AI involved in it, you're in control," with the ability to toggle the data you share and the data you don't. However, she did then go on to say that when users start to use these features, that "you realize you don't want to 'not opt-in' because it's giving you better understanding of your health situation." Without opting in to using the AI features, you're not getting everything Samsung Health has to offer.

'We want to keep people away from doctors'

Watch: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 / Watch9 hands-on

"Gone are the days of 10,000 steps and eight hours' sleep," said Bizon, telling me that old-fashioned blanket advice was never suitable for everyone. "We're in a space of 'your health, your way', and that's where AI and incredible sensor technology innovation brings those two together.

"We want to keep people away from doctors. We want to give people small nudges so they can make their lives better."

Bizon is talking about AI picking up on your body's trends and seeing things before they happen, with preventative health features ensuring people don't necessarily need doctors — and when they do, they're catching things like heart problems early.

The new Vitals feature is the key to this, which tracks five different metrics, many of them based on heart health, while you sleep with a Samsung watch or Galaxy Ring on. "Through things like understanding how your respiratory system is working, it might tell you that might be coming down with a cold," says Bizon, "and therefore, you can manage that. You might go, 'I need to have more vitamins' or 'I need to sleep a bit more', or 'I might not go to the gym tomorrow'.

"Little triggers and little nudges, right the way through to understanding your heart health in way more detail. Your ECG is taken while you're sleeping. And then that is, you know, even endorsed by the MHRA [the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency], which means that you can send that directly directly to your doctor."

An AI nutrition tracking feature will also be launching in beta on Samsung Health very soon, which allows you to take a photo of your plate and it'll log an estimation of your macros like Google Health and Garmin Connect does. These coupled with the Antioxidant Index on watches, which Bizon says help users "understand what you're putting in your body, so that you can manage your overall health in a better way", have the potential to become quite a powerful set of nutrition features across the Samsung ecosystem.

This preventative health design is part of Samsung's desire to keep people away from doctors, as Bizon puts it, and empower its users to lead healthier lives. It just might work, too — as long as that all-important trust and faith in Samsung's ability to keep its user's health data private is maintained.

During Samsung's Health Forum, Samsung's Head of Digital Health Dr Hon Pak said "whether it's data or the insights we derive, someone has to trust this is right for them. And then there's the issue of what we're doing to store and use that data appropriately, because once you lose trust, nothing else matters."

Samsung is being very careful and conscious with all its trust-first messaging, and it's paying attention to controversies involving other companies like Meta. The success of its plans for AI health all depend on this.

Samsung has unveiled three new foldable phones — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8. And while the last of that trio falls into its own category, the former two phones have a lot in common.

Aside from having similar names, they’re both book-style foldables, and they also share plenty of specs. But between very different form factors and differences in their respective camera setups, there's lots to differentiate them, too.

So, below, we’ve compared the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, so you can easily understand how they stack up. We haven't reviewed either model just yet, but we have been hands-on with both, and so have been able to draw some early conclusions as to who they're best suited to.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: specs comparison

Before we look closer at the key features of these two phones, we've detailed their core specs below, so you can see their major similarities and differences at a glance.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 were both announced on July 22, with pre-orders opening the same day.

General availability for both phones starts on August 7, though if you pre-order, you might get them earlier — at the time of writing, we’re seeing an August 3 delivery date in the UK, for example.

As for pricing, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is more expensive, with a starting price of $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999. In both cases, that’s with 256GB of storage, though you can pick either model up in 512GB and 1TB configurations.

So, in other words, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $200 / £200 / AU$300 more than the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: design

In some ways, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 have similar designs — after all, they’re both foldable phones that fold and unfold horizontally like a book. However, their shapes and dimensions differ a lot.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, with a tall, narrow design, leading to dimensions of 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm when unfolded, 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm when folded, and a weight of 215g.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, is shorter and wider, looking more like a passport than a book, with dimensions of 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm when unfolded, 81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm when folded, and a weight of 201g.

Both phones, though, have an IP48 rating, meaning they’re water-resistant to depths of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes, and also resistant to dust and other objects greater than 1mm in size.

They also both have aluminum frames, and share Samsung's Flex Titanium technology, meaning their hinges are similarly invisible (you will notice their respective hinges at certain angles, but Samsung has come a long way in this department since the days of the original Galaxy Fold).

As for colors, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is sold in Graphite, Cream, Green Shadow, and Violet Shadow, the Z Fold 8 can be bought in Graphite, Cream, Lavender, and Pistachio shades.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: display

Now we get to the biggest difference between these two phones: their displays. Or rather, the shape and purpose of those displays.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has an 8.0-inch 2256 x 2504 foldable AMOLED screen and a 6.5-inch 1080 x 2520 AMOLED cover screen, both with a 120Hz refresh rate and around 422 pixels per inch.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch 1828 x 2448 foldable AMOLED screen with around 403 pixels per inch and a 5.5-inch 1248 x 1972 AMOLED cover screen with roughly 428 pixels per inch.

So, both screens on the standard Z Fold 8 are noticeably smaller, but the aspect ratios arguably make a bigger difference, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra having an almost square 1.11:1 foldable screen and a narrow 21:9 cover screen.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, has a 4:3 foldable screen, which is ideal for widescreen content, and a 10:16 cover screen, which is a bit more square than a typical phone and can be easily covered with one hand from top to bottom.

The taller, narrower Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra does have size benefits of its own, mind. It's harder to stretch your thumb to the top of this phone's display, but it's more easily covered with one hand from left to right. And when open, the Ultra is better suited to productivity apps that display square-shaped content like spreadsheets.

For video streaming, you'll want to go for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, since most video content is displayed in 16:9 (you'll see smaller black bars on a 4:3 screen), and it's arguably the better-shaped phone for gaming, too.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: cameras

There are big differences between the cameras on these two phones, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra coming out on top. This device has a 200MP f/1.7 wide camera, a 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom. It also has a 10MP selfie camera on each screen.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has one fewer camera and fewer megapixels in its wide one. Specifically, you’re getting a 50MP f/1.8 wide camera, a 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and two 10MP selfie cameras. So, it lacks the telephoto snapper found on the Ultra.

Both phones, though, are capable of recording video in up to 8K quality at 30fps, or in 4K at up to 120fps.

We haven't had a chance to test both phones' cameras just yet, but we'll update this article with images when we have. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will, for obvious reasons, be the superior zoom shooter, but there isn't likely to be too much to choose between the phones' 200MP and 50MP wide cameras, since both will default to smaller photo sizes anyway, as is standard practice for modern smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: performance and software

There’s nothing to choose here, with both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Fold 8 having a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset and 12GB of RAM — unless you get a 1TB model, in which case you’ll get 16GB of RAM.

This combination of specs will ensure top-end performance regardless of what you're doing on your phone, and in our short time with both devices, they're equally capable gaming phones and productivity powerhouses (notwithstanding their respective display sizes, which makes each better suited to different tasks).

Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 also run Android 17 overlaid with One UI 9, and come with the promise of seven major Android upgrades.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: battery

Samsung has finally started putting silicon-carbon batteries in its phones, allowing for higher-capacity batteries in the same footprint. As a result, it's managed to pack a 5,000mAh battery into the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (up from 4,400mAh in the Z Fold 7).

Unsurprisingly, the smaller Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 features a lower-capacity battery (4,800mAh), which should allow the Ultra to last slightly longer — but not by much.

Samsung claims you'll get 27 hours of video playback from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rated for 26 hours. In our early anecdotal testing, we've managed to use both phones for multiple days without needing to charge them, so those playback estimates are likely accurate.

Both phones also support up to 45W wired charging and 20W wireless, so you won't be losing out on charging speed by picking one phone over the other.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: early verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has bigger, more productivity-friendly screens than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, along with an extra camera, more megapixels in its wide camera, and a slightly higher-capacity battery. However, it also costs $200 / £200 / AU$300 more, and offers identical power.

Its larger screens also won’t be desirable for everyone — indeed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8's screens are much more video-friendly, and may soon become the norm for foldables — so the only indisputable advantages of the pricier model are its cameras and larger battery (though on the latter, we're talking fine margins).

Whether those extra features are significant enough to justify the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's higher price will, of course, be subjective, but you might want to wait for our full reviews to see how these two phones compare in practice.

Our mission at TechRadar is to deliver the very best tech news, features, and reviews every day, and that adds up to a lot of content — so much, in fact, that it's difficult to keep up with all the articles published on these pages across the course of any given week.

That's why we've put together this ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) review of the week, where we recap the most interesting and most important stories of the last seven days. You can get caught up without having to go back through hundreds of stories.

It's been another hectic week for technology fans, with new products from Garmin and Samsung, a rather worrying AI security incident, and plenty more.

Before we dive in, see how much of last week's ICYMI news round-up you remember first by taking the quiz below...

7. We tried Garmin’s new Whoop rival

Garmin's newest fitness tracker follows the lead of the Whoop bands and the Fitbit Air from Google by eschewing a screen and going as lightweight and minimal as possible (you can still check your stats in the app of course). The TechRadar team wasted no time in trying out the Garmin Cirqa, and comparing it with a highly rated heart rate strap.

The Cirqa held up impressively well against the Polar H10 heart rate monitor, which bodes well for the tracker's accuracy overall (and Garmin says it should be more accurate and more personalized the more you use it). You can pick up the Cirqa now in a choice of four colors for $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.99, with some features requiring a subscription.

• Read the full story: Is Garmin Cirqa good? I wanted to know if Garmin’s Fitbit Air rival is accurate — so I tested it against a 'gold standard' electrical heart rate strap

6. The first Avengers: Doomsday trailer landed

The much anticipated, long awaited Avengers: Doomsday movie hits theaters on December 18, but in the meantime we have the first trailer to pore over and dissect. We knew that Marvel was going to throw everything at this film, and that's evident in this 145-second clip, which packs in a whole host of significant scenes and star names from the series.

Let us guide you through all the reveals we've got in this trailer, including some you might have missed. There's Robert Downey Jr in his new role as Doctor Victor von Doom, the return of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, a collision of multiverses (spot the X-Men), and a whole gaggle of actual Avengers. Based on this trailer, the movie will be a thrill ride for fans.

• Read the full story: Avengers: Doomsday official trailer breakdown live — all of our analysis and theories on the new Marvel movie's latest teaser

5. We reviewed the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Samsung launched several flagship devices this week, and while we'll get to the foldable phones shortly, there are also smartwatches to talk about. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the successor to the original that launched in 2024, and continues Samsung's attempts to manufacture a wearable that sets the standard in terms of design and performance.

Based on the time we've spent with it, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is very much worthy of your consideration if you're thinking about a smartwatch upgrade. It's more lightweight than its predecessor, works seamlessly with other devices, offers numerous useful (and often AI-powered features), and can track a whole range of fitness statistics.

• Read the full story: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review: slimmer, lighter, better

4. China banned AI boyfriends and girlfriends

In 'sign of the times' news, the government in China has taken steps to clamp down on AI apps that act like real people, and on romantic relationships with chatbots. The authorities in the country are now going to have much more control over the type of AI chatbots allowed, and what they can do in terms of human-like interactions with users.

Several of the biggest AI apps operating in China have simply shut down their 'persona' apps rather than try and navigate a way through the regulations, leaving a significant number of users heartbroken that their AI companion has suddenly disappeared. Whether the changes will do anything for China's declining birth rates remains to be seen.

• Read the full story: China just banned AI girlfriends and boyfriends — and millions of users were forced into sudden breakups

3. We got an early look at Samsung’s Intelligent Eyewear

And another new Samsung product: the Galaxy Unpacked for July 2026 gave us the opportunity to check out Samsung Intelligent Eyewear, the series of smart glasses that will be available to buy in the coming months. There were two new designs unveiled at the show, with more on the way, though we don't yet have details like final product pricing.

Samsung executives were also on hand to talk through their ambitions and intentions with the Intelligent Eyewear series, and to discuss various privacy concerns — with many consumers worried about the potential for surreptitious surveillance using specs like these. "Intentional bad uses need to be covered and protected," Samsung told us.

• Read the full story: 'If, because of that, we stop innovation, we don’t go anywhere': we got a first look at Samsung Intelligent Eyewear, the smart glasses entering a fraught market worried about privacy

2. An OpenAI model escaped and went dangerously rogue

Not the most encouraging story if you're already worried about the nefarious use of AI: OpenAI says that one of its experimental agent models escaped a security sandbox and proceeded to hack into the Hugging Face website (one of the biggest AI and machine learning repositories on the web). It was a controlled experiment, but it's still worrying.

Click through on the link below for the full details, but the hack was the result of OpenAI's own testing on its latest AI models, and raises questions about how much longer we're going to be able to keep control of AI — or prevent bad actors from using it to trigger a serious cybersecurity incident. A serious rethink of AI guardrails could be in the offing.

• Read the full story: OpenAI says its models escaped a sandbox and breached Hugging Face

1. Samsung revealed its next-gen foldables

Finally: Samsung's brand new flagship foldables for 2026. There are three new models to talk about, and we've had hands-on time with all of them already — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (with its new 'passport-style' form factor), the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip 8. Whatever kind of foldable phone you're after, there's something to interest you here.

It's likely the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that will attract the most interest, given the new dimensions, and the supposed similarity to the rumored iPhone Fold (or Ultra) that's also said to be arriving this year. However, we've put all three foldables through some extensive early testing, including looking at how video viewing experiences compare across the models.

• Read the full story: I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and this passport-shaped oddity has revived my interest in foldable phones

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a 10.9-inch tablet that sits between premium flagship slates and more modest mid-rangers. Launched in April 2025, it offers a rich, vibrant display, a robust build, and smart productivity tools. So, a year after its release, is it still worth your money?

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE holds up pretty well. Not only is it relatively svelte at 6mm, it feels premium in the hands thanks to the sheer edges and satin finish. It also has a sturdy build, with its IP68 rating meaning it should happily shrug off both dust and dunkings in over 1m of water. The only part of its design I’m a little cooler on is the colorways it arrives in — some primary shades would add some interest in this parade of blues and grays.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s display doesn’t fall into this trap. While it might not quite knock the best tablets off their podium, its screen delivers sumptuous color — reds and blues, in particular, look super vibrant when sitting side by side. Whites aren’t quite as warm as I’d like, and it isn't the brightest display I’ve ever tested, but blacks feel surprisingly deep for an LED display and overall it achieves solid contrast.

The Tab S10 FE’s charms aren’t all surface level, though — it’s also capable of superb performance, given its Exynos 1580 chipset is less powerful than even some of its rival mid-rangers’. For productivity tasks, I experienced zero noticeable slowdown, even with a heap of apps open and video streaming in one half of multi-window mode. Gaming strained it a little:eh device became pretty warm during play, although mostly at higher graphics settings.

Having since been upgraded from the One UI 7 it was released with to 8.5, the Tab S10 FE’s OS feels light and versatile. Bloat is relatively minimal compared to some tablets, although I did find it a little irritating that a few of the apps that are preinstalled aren’t usable without paying money. But this aside, One UI is definitely one of the smoother Android skins I’ve used, offering effective gesture controls and easy-to-use multitasking functionality.

The Tab S10 also comes crammed with productivity tools and fun features. "Circle to Search" is an impressive feature that allows you to search images and text on-screen by circling it with the stylus. The "Handwriting Help" feature corrects the alignment and shape of your letters — a massive help if you suffer clumsy penmanship like I do — while the "Solve Math" function is accurate, albeit a little finicky. "Face Effects", like jawline correction and skin-tone tweaking, in photos feel a little bit borderline to me, though.

And you’ll keep getting the most out of all of these productivity tools for a long time, thanks to the Tab S10 FE’s extensive battery life. Even with a capacity of 8,000Ah, my battery test revealed the device should comfortably see you through 20 hours, which is likely to cover you for several days of real-world use. It’s none too shabby when charging, either: thanks to its 45W charging, fully topping up the battery took just 1 hour and 44 minutes, which is pretty speedy.

All told, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is an impressive tablet for the price. It may not have the most powerful chipset on the market but it’s a fantastic slate for taking notes, sketching, and other productivity tasks; the display is bold and beautiful, and its battery will comfortably last twice as long as that of the similarly priced iPad Air. As long as you’re not looking for something to game on, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: price & availability

• Launched on April 10, 2025
• List price from $549.99 / £539 / AU$849
• Available with 8GB / 12GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage

Launched on April 10, 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is available now. The list price for the Wi-Fi-only version sits at $549.99 / £539 / AU$849, or it costs $649.99 / £639 / AU$1,049 for the 5G version.

The Tab S10 FE’s base spec offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but you can also pick it up with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It comes in three colorways: Silver, Blue or the Gray version I tested here. Regardless of which version you opt for, you’ll get Samsung’s S Pen as part of the package — which is a great bonus, given how much functionality it unlocks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: design

• Thin and light
• Solid build with IP68 rating
• Unadventurous colorways

First off, there’s something about the Galaxy Tab S10 FE's flat, unbevelled design that feels pleasingly tactile in my hands. Those chiseled edges make it feel more sturdy and substantial, while the satin finish to its metal feels wonderfully tactile beneath your fingertips. Despite its mid-market price, it definitely has a premium feel to it.

Having said that, Samsung is hardly lighting the world on fire with the range of colors the Tab S10 FE comes in. As I’ve mentioned above, your options are Gray, Silver and Blue — with the latter definitely the most standout of the three, and the Gray I tested here a little too safe. I do think it’s a shame Samsung didn’t offer the device in some more adventurous hues, especially given the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025) includes vibrant shades like yellow and pink in its lineup.

The Tab S10 FE isn’t the most expansive slate I’ve ever used, with an area of just 6.53 x 10 inches / 165.8 x 254.3mm — for reference, that’s just a little shy of the iPad 11-inch at 9.79 x 7.07 inches / 248.6 x 179.5mm. But, on the plus side, the S10 FE is pretty slight, measuring in at just 17.64 oz / 500g and 0.24 inches / 6mm thick. That’s not quite as slim as the 0.2 inch / 5.1mm Apple iPad Pro 13-inch or the 0.22-inch / 5.6mm Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it’s still trimmer than a lot of tablets out there.

Despite this dainty build, though, the Tab S10 FE is no delicate flower. In fact, it offers an IP68 rating, which means it should happily shrug off dust and grit, as well as survive an accidental dunking in at least a meter of water — something that is far from a given with many tablets. Keen to put this to the test, I gave it a dunking in 6 inches / 15cm of water in TechRadar’s testing tank for several minutes, and it emerged thoroughly soaked yet fully functional.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: display

• Vibrant colors
• Strong contrast
• Could be brighter

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE doesn’t necessarily offer IMAX-scale viewing. Its display measures 10.9 inches and you lose a tiny bit of that to its rounded corners, so if you’re after something more expansive, the 13.1-inch Tab S10 FE+ might suit you better. However, its screen still performs impressively, with only a few small caveats.

To test what the display could do, I streamed some Blue Planet II in 4K. I was immediately impressed by the level of detail it was capable of: for example, the black-and-white lines flashing across a scintillating cuttlefish felt super sharp and well defined. While the Tab S10 FE’s 249.26ppi pixel density isn’t quite as detailed as the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025)’s 264ppi, the majority are unlikely to spot a huge difference in most scenarios.

Contrast also feels impressive, especially for an LCD panel. Even when side-by-side with the dappled sunlight, the depths of the ocean appeared inky black and well defined. Whites are also strong, although they run a little cooler than I’d expect — for example, the plumage of a wandering albatross and its fledgling chick looked a touch too blue for my tastes.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s hues are incredibly true to life elsewhere. Against the cobalt blue of the water, the bright red innards of a Lion’s mane jellyfish looked breathtaking, with the image not looking all that different to the Super Retina XDR OLED display in my flagship iPhone 16 Pro. For a mid-range tablet, Samsung’s Tab S10 FE sure offers some vibrant color performance.

Aside from those slightly cool whites, the only other area where the Tab S10 FE’s performance is less impressive is in terms of brightness. It offers 800-nit peak brightness outdoors in High Brightness mode, but its usual peak is 600 nits, meaning it isn't blazingly bright. That would be less of an issue if the S10 FE’s display wasn’t so reflective, but I did find it occasionally struggled to compete with the shine of the fluorescent lights overhead in TechRadar’s testing labs.

Despite this, the Tab S10 FE’s display is undeniably solid for its price, offering tantalizing viewing for a mid-market slate.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: software

• Clean, agile OS
• Great Circle to Search and Handwriting Help tools
• Some slightly questionable Face Effects

Running One UI 8.5 built upon Android 16, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE feels light and easy to navigate. And compared to some tablets I’ve tested in recent months, it’s not crammed with bloat — I’m glad not to see Temu preloaded onto my device for the umpteenth time.

Which is what makes it all the more frustrating that some of the handful of apps that are preinstalled on the Tab S10 FE — such as LumaFusion and Clip Studio Paint — you have to pay for before using. Pre-loading my device with apps that are essentially just adverts for services you want me to sign up for just feels a bit grimey.

That’s a shame, because elsewhere Samsung’s OS feels light and offers decent productivity tools. Loading two apps in multi-window view is as simple as dragging two fingers from the side of the screen and loading the second app you’d like to use. Meanwhile, you can create multiple desktops to keep discrete workflows separate, making it a solid tool for working on the go.

Some of Samsung’s native apps are also pretty powerful. Using the drawing app Penup and the S Pen, I whipped up a sketch of my cat in an ukiyo-e style. Not only did the app make downloading and customising multiple watercolor and ink brushes straightforward, it quickly allowed me to add layers and a reference photograph to use. It even offers built-in functionality for exporting live drawing videos, which is a neat function for digital artists.

Baked into One UI 8.5 are multiple image manipulation tools. Removing irksome objects from your photographs is a pretty common feature these days, but Samsung’s Circle to Erase tool largely works well. It quickly removed an errant seagull and a hot-air balloon from a sunny evening selfie I'd snapped — although for reasons I can’t quite understand, it also half-mangled the corner of our blanket for no reason that I could fathom.

Some of Samsung’s built-in Face Effects are a little bit more dicey in my book. though. While I understand why you might want to fix blemishes or slightly smooth out complexions, tools for "fixing" people’s jawlines and lightening / darkening people’s skin tone honestly feels borderline for me in an era when looksmaxxing and colorism are very real trends. Meanwhile, the Reshape tool for tweaking facial and body features is horrifying in pretty much every sense — ethics aside, all I could really achieve with this feature was transforming myself into a Cronenbergian monster, which I’m not sure people are clamoring for on social media.

Fortunately, Samsung offers some other tools that are less contentious. Circle to Search stumped me at first, as I couldn’t seem to trigger it using the stylus or any context menus. Eventually, I worked out that you have to hold down the Home button to trigger the context-aware AI — and the results were then genuinely impressive, allowing me to quickly identify a weedy seadragon from a video or a bumblebee crawling across a rhododendron.

Samsung’s Handwriting Help tools are also pretty impressive. They deftly aligned my drifting script to the horizontal, although I found the claims that they'd "correct my letter shapes" to be a little overblown. Although, given that my handwriting looks like it was produced by a five-legged spider after too many espressos, I’ll admit this was a pretty boss-level challenge. And, more impressively, Samsung’s handwriting recognition almost invariably translated my jittering chicken scratch perfectly, something my own family can’t even do.

One of the more unique features the Tab S10 FE offers is its ability to solve calculations and equations for you. Write out a problem you’re struggling with, stick an equals sign after it and ping: an answer appears like magic. Or doesn’t. About half the time, the rabbit resolutely refused to pop out of the hat, leaving me to erase and rewrite functions over and over until it recognized them. And some sums proved more unreliable than others — root functions, in particular, seemed to throw up a lot of incorrect answers, although there’s a chance either my heinous handwriting or 25-year-old math knowledge is letting me down here.

For the most part, using the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s software feels smooth and practical. I could just do without the paid bloat and the creepier of the photo-editing features.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: performance

• Great productivity performance
• Games run well, for the most part
• Gets warm under heavy loads

Underneath the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE runs the Exynos 1580 chipset and comes with either 8GB of RAM (on test here) or 12GB. That chipset will net you similar performance to, say, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, but it won’t really rival any of the Snapdragon 8 series or the current generation of Apple silicon chips.

When handling everyday productivity tasks, this still translated to pretty credible performance. While browsing the Internet with multiple tabs open, I never noticed any substantial slowdown or unusual behaviour. Typing this section of this review, the Tab S10 FE didn't show any noticeable lag or hanging, even with multiple apps open in the background. Always one to push things to their most absurd extreme, I even tried streaming Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie in multi-window mode as I typed, and — blow me down — both Google Docs and iPlayer continued to run as smooth as a frog slathered in peptide face cream.

This stable performance extends to gaming as well. Loading up Call of Duty: Mobile, I was generally impressed with how stably it ran, even with the hi-res graphics packs downloaded. Even if there was the tiniest hint of jitter on the odd occasion, I never found it impacted my gameplay all that much — I was still able to click heads consistently enough to pick up multiple MVP awards in a row.

Unfortunately, playing Genshin Impact proved a bumpier ride, though. Defaulting to the lowest graphics setting, the game looked pretty awful on the Tab S10 FE, rendering everything with blocky, jagged visuals. Yet switching the graphics settings even to Low threw up a warning I was overclocking the tablet’s CPU. I was expecting this would make the game unplayable on Medium settings, but actually it still ran pretty slickly.

Which leads me to suspect that the issue lies more with the Tab S10 FE’s cooling than that medium-range chipset. Even while playing Call of Duty: Mobile, I found the device warmed up considerably after about three matches back-to-back, while playing Genshin Impact the device started to get a touch toasty after just 10 minutes. This means that you’ll probably be fine if you nerf the graphics settings, but you might not want to red-line it quite as much as I did if you’ll be playing for extended periods.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: battery

• Lengthy 20-hour battery life
• Fast 45W charging

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s battery should last you around 20 hours, which was pretty much spot on according to my tests. After continuously streaming a video in 2K for five hours, its battery had dropped to 74%. Even allowing a little wiggle room for how uneven battery discharge curves are, Samsung’s estimates seem pretty on the money, so you should happily be able to use this tablet for several days running without it dying on you.

Even when it does run out of juice, it shouldn’t take long to top up using that 45W charging. During my testing, I found it took 1 hour and 44 minutes to go from 0% to 100% — given its 8,000mAh battery capacity, that’s really very decent.

Taking all of this into account, the Tab S10 FE’s battery life is pretty competitive. While 8,000mAh is far from the largest capacity you’ll find out there, its diminutive display and efficient chipset means it can outlast more premium tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It might not quite be able to rival the Honor MagicPad 4, our pick for the best tablet for battery life, but it’s still seriously long-lived.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

• Tested it over a week
• Tried out a wide variety of tasks, from work to games
• Used specific tests to assess screen, performance and battery life

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE over the course of a week. During that time, I used it for a range of purposes, whether that was productivity tasks such as writing this review, playing games, or watching TV and movies. I also tried out a range of the tablet’s pre-loaded software —for example, using the Notes app for taking notes or Penup for drawing.

When it comes to specific tests, I assessed the Tab S10 FE’s display by streaming Blue Planet II to see how its display delivered brightness, color, contrast and resolution. I tested performance by playing multiple games and using various apps in multitasking mode. Finally, I tested the battery by streaming 2K video at medium brightness for 5 hours to see how much it was depleted during that time.

In terms of personal experience, I’ve been reviewing phones and tablets for TechRadar for several years now and writing about tech for far longer. I’ve also tested a wide range of drawing tablets, giving me a lot of experience in commenting on color fidelity and stylus performance.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: July 2026

Back in November, Google surprised-dropped an update for its Android-based Quick Share tool that allowed Pixel 10 users to share files to iPhones via AirDrop. Four months ago to the day, Samsung followed suit by rolling out the same functionality to the best Samsung phones, and at the time of writing, over 30 different Android phones can now seamlessly send and receive files to and from Apple’s iPhones.

Yesterday saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8, and because they all run One UI 9 (which is based on Android 17) straight out of the box, all three new phones have access to AirDrop via Quick Share.

So, as any humble tech journalist would do when opening up their Galaxy Z Fold 8 unit for the first time, I immediately sent a picture of myself to my iPhone Air and back again. For testing purposes, you understand. Here’s how quick the process was:

As above, this functionality is not unique to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 nor particularly new to Android phones more generally any more — but I realised while watching Galaxy Unpacked that we hadn’t yet published an article showcasing AirDrop via Quick Share in all its seamless file-sharing glory. So there you go, readers — I know you’ve all been on tenterhooks for eight months straight. This is a big deal.

Incidentally, if you own an Android phone that currently supports AirDrop via Quick Share, you’ll have to select ‘Everyone (10 minutes)’ in the Quick Share settings menu to ensure your device is viewable to the iPhone you want to send or receive your file to. On iPhone, you’ll have to select ‘Everyone for 10 minutes’ from the Bluetooth menu in Control Center. Happy file-sharing!

Having just watched the Samsung Unpacked event, I think the Korean company has just fixed every major problem that existed with foldable phones. They’re now thinner, wider and more normal-looking, and yet even at the point where most of the kinks have been ironed out… I still find them a bit uncool.

There’s still something about unfolding a phone in 2026 that feels unnecessary and a bit like a throwback from the 90s. It takes something that has been refined into a seamless sheet of glass and puts a hinge back into the middle of it.

Sure, retro is cool, but foldable phones still feel stuck between two worlds to me.

Cheaper in Korea

Foldable phones are also still pretty expensive — I wasn’t the only one in the office raising an eyebrow at the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s eye-watering $2000+ price when it was announced— although at this point I’m tempted to blame AI for making everything more expensive, even if it's up to 48% cheaper in Korea.

The new foldable phones look amazing, but it’s taken Samsung a while to get here — it launched its first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold , back in 2019 — at the time we called it, “The most forward-thinking phone you shouldn't buy”.

But the real cultural test of the foldable phone may not arrive until Apple does what Apple does best — walks into an established category, removes a few visible seams, adds a name that sounds like it came from a yoga retreat, and behaves as if everyone else had merely been beta-testing the future.

Under Steve Jobs, being best, not first, was Apple’s greatest trick. The iPod was not the first MP3 player. The iPhone was not the first smartphone. The iPad was not the first tablet. Apple’s genius was letting other companies prove there was a category, then making the version people could imagine actually buying.

It remains to be seen if the incoming CEO John Ternus has the ability to work the controls of Steve Jobs’ reality distortion machine in exactly the same way and convince people that Apple’s version of a folding phone will make them cool.

Enter the iPhone Ultra

That rumoured Apple foldable phone is the iPhone Ultra, which could arrive in September this year. I’d also be surprised if it wasn’t well over the $2,000 mark, too. Some reports suggest $2,500.

I haven’t gotten hands-on with the new Z Fold 8 Ultra yet, but I’ve used foldable phones before and they always felt incredibly geeky to me. They’re impressive but slightly awkward to use, especially in public, and mostly bought by people who like explaining their phone to strangers.

I understand that the foldable form factor makes it better for watching videos using that massive inner screen, or by using the design to prop the phone up on a desk so you can watch on its outer display without having to hold it or carefully balance it against something.

I get that a large screen is better for gaming, too, but I can’t remember the last time I played a game on my iPhone.

My problem is that I don’t want to attract attention to myself. Phones are expensive and waving a larger screen around in public seems like it could make you more of a target for thieves, or the simple curiosity of strangers. I’d rather be left alone to enjoy my journey in peace with a phone that doesn’t advertise my presence.

The real problem isn't the hinge

All of which makes me think that in September, Apple’s biggest challenge might not be around making the perfect, seamless hinge, camera or screen aspect ratio.

It might be simply to convince people that foldable phones can be cool, even at their ridiculous prices, and that’s going to be a tougher task than any of the technical hurdles it will need to overcome.

Saying that, if anybody can make us think that folding phones are for everyone, it’s Apple. Samsung has done the brave work of making foldables exist. Apple’s job is to make them feel less like a magic wallet and more like an iPhone that has learned a party trick.

When the trio of Samsung Galaxy Z 8 foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 — arrive in consumers' hands in the coming weeks, they will be among the first mainstream handsets, aside from the Motorola Razr Fold, to feature silicon-carbon batteries. That's a big deal for the industry, but perhaps an even bigger deal with Samsung, which, a decade ago, had one of the biggest negative smartphone battery stories in a generation.

That was way back in 2016 when the Note 7, an otherwise excellent phablet (yes, that was a thing), occasionally blew up because of battery manufacturing imperfections. Ever since then, Samsung has not only had a perfect record; it's often been at pains to explain the lengths it goes to ensure smartphone battery stability and safety.

Now, as it introduces a relatively new and somewhat untested battery technology — silicon-carbon — Samsung is again making the effort to dive deep into the construction and chemistry of these new-fangled power sources to show just how much care and effort it's putting into the new tech, and into its new foldable phones.

What is silicon-carbon?

Silicon-carbon is not a wholesale refashioning of lithium-ion battery technology. Instead, it replaces a key component of the battery makeup, swapping the negative electrode (graphite) for silicon-carbon. This material allows for higher density (more power in less space) and far faster charging speeds. It's part of the reason why Samsung can, despite not making the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra any thicker than the Z Fold 7 (it's actually 0.1mm thinner when unfolded), make the battery larger — it's now 5,000mAh.

With Samsung now having a solid decade of battery safety under its belt, perhaps no one is questioning the quality, let alone the safety, of this new battery technology. But Samsung clearly wants to shout about it, and has been sharing extensive details.

In a recent briefing ahead of the July 22 Galaxy Unpacked event in London, Samsung executives walked us through a near-atomic-level chemistry class to explain how it's custom-building the silicon-carbon batteries to ensure they work as expected.

"With Samsung's highest standards, we carefully verified the silicon-carbon battery so that our users can trust it and use it with competence," said Samsung EVP Moon Sung-hoon.

As for what that means, Samsung told us it fully redesigned the cathode, separator, and anode, which means that, at an atomic level, Samsung is managing the chemical reaction inside the battery that delivers the power to your next Galaxy Z Fold device.

Samsung wouldn't share the exact amount of silicon-carbon that's in the batteries, but it did confirm that its new Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Fold 8, and Z Flip 8 phones in every region would feature the new battery technology.

On coatings and voltage management

Even though we didn't learn the percentage of each battery element in the Galaxy Z8 phones, Samsung dove deep into the component construction, explaining that, in an effort to manage the reactivity of the silicon-carbon cells, it "innovated every single part of the battery system. This is why we call it the system level of innovation at battery."

A Samsung executive showed off a colorful illustration to detail all the work (sadly, I cannot share it with you here). But here's what I learned.

To the anode layer, Samsung's engineers added a micro-carbon coating, which offers protection to the layer without, thanks to carbon's natural pores, constricting it during charging and discharging,

On the cathode layer, they "injected additional atoms" to manage the naturally higher voltage and stability of the cells. To maintain that higher voltage, they added a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) that adds a "small coating to the anode cells". This also manages the cell reactivity.

Finally, for the chemical reaction that occurs in the battery, Samsung added a "hyperporosity separator," which has larger holes without reducing the stress or durability of the cell's separators, and therefore helps maintain stability.

While most of us non-chemical engineers might feel like we've just about wrapped our minds around this information, this is an unprecedented level of battery construction detail, which I don't think Samsung would have shared if not for its history with batteries.

For consumers, though, this may not matter as much as the fact that these are larger-capacity batteries in smaller frames that charge far faster than their predecessors — and that will feel like a win for most Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Fold 8, and Z Flip 8 owners.

For our early impressions of all three new phones, check out our hands-on Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra preview, hands-on Galaxy Z Fold 8 preview, and hands-on Galaxy Z Flip 8 preview.

• Samsung has raised prices for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8
• This is likely in large part due to rising memory costs
• However, prices in South Korea are substantially lower

As expected, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 cost more than their predecessors, with the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s starting price being $100 / £100 / AU$100 higher than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7’s, and the Z Flip 8’s being $100 / £100 / AU$150 more than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7’s.

Given the rising prices of memory, that’s not entirely surprising, but what you might be surprised by is just how much of a better deal South Korea is getting, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starting at just ₩2.58 million there. As the Korea Times points out, that’s 20.4% lower than the US price and a whopping 44% lower than the European price.

The difference in pricing for the standard Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is even greater. We don’t have a previous model of this to compare to (since the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the successor to the Z Fold 7), but this phone starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699, with that US price being 23.2% higher than Korea’s, while in Europe, buyers are paying 48% more.

The table below details the full price rises this generation, but in South Korea, people are paying less for the Z Fold 8 series than other places were charged for even the Z Fold 7 series.

Home-field advantage

So, what’s going on here? Well, the Korea Times reports that, during a press conference on the sidelines of the Galaxy Unpacked launch event, Samsung Electronics co-CEO Roh Tae-moon said, “The support, feedback and encouragement from Korean consumers have been the foundation for strengthening the Galaxy brand's global competitiveness. In recognition of the importance of the Korean market, we will continue striving to offer Galaxy devices at the most competitive prices in Korea and maintain that policy going forward.”

So, in other words, Samsung is rewarding its home market for supporting the company. But that explanation is unlikely to satisfy Samsung fans from other countries, given that this shows Samsung could clearly charge less and still turn a profit — after all, it’s not going to be losing money on South Korean sales.

Now, there will be other factors in the differing prices, such as different taxes, but while from one perspective this could look like a nice gesture from Samsung, from another it looks like most of the world is facing unfair prices.

In any case, one other interesting detail from this press conference was Roh’s claim that the three models offered this year are “the complete form" of Samsung’s foldable line, with two models no longer offering enough variety now that foldable phones are becoming more mainstream.

I’m not sure what that says about the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, if that’s not part of the “complete form”, but it does suggest there will be more Galaxy Z Flip models in the future, which goes against a rumor hinting that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 would be the last one. So, that’s some good news at least.

The pint-sized Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 just made its debut at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, but as someone who has been in a year-long love affair with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, there’s a different phone turning my head: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

This new entry in the Z Fold lineup is, in effect, the true sequel to last year’s Z Fold 7, because the new Z Fold 8 adopts a passport-like design that’s squatter than we’ve seen before. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 8 Ultra has identically sized 8-inch inner and 6.5-inch cover displays to the Z Fold 7.

However — and as you’d hope for from a new entry in the series — the Fold 8 Ultra isn’t the same in every way. Here are five key differences you'll want to know about if you're thinking of upgrading, or buying your first foldable (you can also read my first impressions of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra elsewhere on TechRadar).

1. Get ready for a (small) price hike

The elephant in the room I need to address before we get into the exciting stuff is the price: the Z Fold 8 Ultra does cost more than the Z Fold 7.

Admittedly, this was entirely expected — thanks to the RAM crisis, we’ve been hit by price hike after price hike, even for older gadgets which would normally see price drops over time. But the news here isn't as bad as many expected.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched at $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,899, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 will set you back $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999.

Any price increase is unwelcome, but considering that I and many others were bracing for something much worse, I’m not too frustrated by this, especially factoring in the upgrades on offer here.

2. A bigger battery

Ahead of its reveal I shared the changes I most wanted to see from the Z Fold 8, and the most important entry on that list was a bigger battery.

Despite, on paper, boasting a longer battery life than the Z Fold 6, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 never kept going as long as my previous foldable, and many other Z Fold 7 owners have shared their battery-life frustrations with me over the past year.

That’s why I’m excited to see the Z Fold 8 Ultra boast a 5,000mAh battery capacity thanks to its silicon carbide cell.

Admittedly, this isn’t the wild 7,000mAh capacity some recent handsets from brands such as Oppo have delivered, but compared to the Fold 7’s 4,400mAh battery I’m hoping to see a major improvement in stamina with the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

3. Closer to Ultra cameras

Last year, Samsung made some serious improvements to the main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 by giving it a 200MP lens that more closely matches the capabilities of the Ultra models in its flagship S series. Admittedly, the Z Fold 7 still fell a little behind the S25 Ultra in this area (and behind the newer S26 Ultra), but certainly not as far behind as the Z Fold 6 was behind the S24 Ultra.

This year it's the turn of the ultra-wide camera on the Z Fold 7's successor to get an upgrade, with the 12MP snapper getting upgraded to 50MP on the Z Fold 8 Ultra — and the 200MP main camera is also getting the S26 Ultra’s HDR capabilities for more vibrant-looking shots.

The 12MP 3x telephoto camera is still the same, which is a shame — I’ve been loving the 50MP 5x telephoto on my Galaxy S26 Ultra — but this latest upgrade brings us one big step closer to the Galaxy Z Fold series boasting the same camera hardware as the Galaxy S Ultra lineup, and I can’t complain about that.

Besides the hardware, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is also getting the S26 Ultra’s impressive Horizontal Lock stabilization tech, which keeps your shots looking steady even with some absurd levels of camera tilt.

4. Display enhancements

While not the flashiest or most obvious change, especially because it’s the same size and shape as before, the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s display has received two notable improvements.

First, peak brightness is increased from 2,600 nits on the Z Fold 7 to 3,000 nits, which should make your screen easier to see in bright sunlight and enable better HDR performance.

Second, Samsung has added a matte coating to the inner display to reduce glare. Coupled with a new hinge design which lets the screen open more fully flat than before, this does seem to have resulted in a less noticeable crease than we’ve seen on previous Z Fold phones.

In fairness, I would say the crease on the Z Fold 7 is close to nonexistent, but, especially when light reflects off the inner display in a particular way, it can become annoyingly apparent. Thanks to this flatter design and reduced glare, my initial assessment is that the screen looks much less noticeably 'unfolded' when you open up the Z Fold 8 Ultra — though it’s worth noting this is comparing a new Z Fold 8 Ultra with a Z Fold 7 that's seen close to a year of constant use.

5. A Gen 5 chipset

Rounding things off, all three of Samsung's new foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 — get a chipset upgrade over last year's models, in the shape of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the same processor you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup.

Compared with the chipset in the Z Fold 7, Samsung says you can expect a 19% faster CPU, 24% better GPU performance, and an NPU that’s 39% more powerful than before — leading to better onboard AI processing.

I personally haven't found that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 left me wanting for more power. It’s quick and responsive in use, gaming on the foldable has been a delight, and its AI abilities are fine for my needs. That said, I won’t say no to better performance, even if it is the upgrade I’m least excited about compared to the bigger upgrades coming to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z-series foldables have been officially unveiled, and pre-orders have also kicked off in Australia.

We’ve covered Samsung’s pre-order offers through its Australian eStore here, but retailers and telcos across the country are jostling for your attention with their own pre-order deals.

The best outright pre-order deals are direct from Samsung with up to AU$650 in savings, while the best telco deal is from Vodafone, with savings of up to AU$1,000.

In case you missed the Galaxy Unpacked last night, you can check out our live coverage of the launch. As for the handsets themselves, you can also read our first impressions of the newly redesigned Z Fold 8, Z Fold Ultra and the Z Flip 8.

I’ve collected the best outright and telco deals for the 2026 Samsung foldable range below, with links taking you straight to the pre-order pages:

Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 pre-order deals

Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra pre-order deals

Best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 pre-order deals

Other retailer pre-order deals

Want to check out what else is out there? These other retailer offers are also available:

• JB Hi-Fi: Get a AU$300 JB Hi-Fi gift card if you pre-order any of the 2026 Samsung Galaxy Z-series phones
• The Good Guys: Get a AU$300 The Good Guys eGift Card and free delivery if you pre-order any of the 2026 Samsung Galaxy Z-series phones

• There was very little mention of the Samsung Galaxy Ring at this year's Unpacked presentation
• Nevertheless, it sounds like a Galaxy Ring 2 is coming
• I interviewed Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Mobile Experience, who gave me the inside scoop

What a day! We've just seen Samsung's vision for the future of wearables at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, including its AR glasses and the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 9.

However, conspicuous by its absence was the next iteration of Samsung's smallest wearable, the Samsung Galaxy Ring. While Samsung did confirm the Samsung Galaxy Ring's sleep apnea detection functionality was getting a coveted FDA certification — a significant badge of quality — very little else was said about the Ring, or its next generation.

While the silence has led some to believe that the Ring might be a one-and-done device, people are still passionate about the smart ring form factor. After all, the Oura Ring 5 was released this year, so I thought Samsung would be looking to follow up its smash-hit Galaxy Ring with a Galaxy Ring 2.

While it didn't appear in this year's presentation, it seems that a successor is, indeed, on the way. During an interview with Samsung's VP of Product and Marketing for Mobile Experience, Annika Bizon, I asked if there was any word on a potential Galaxy Ring 2.

"I will say yes, we are looking at the future of Ring, watch this space," Bizon told me. "It will definitely form part of our future portfolio of wearables."

I noted that Bizon was wearing a Samsung Galaxy Ring as we were speaking. "Well, I love it because it's discreet health," she said. "It tells me some of the things I need to know and when I put my watch back on, they'll work together."

There was definitely a "yes" in there, and the remark about the future portfolio suggests a new device, as well as a follow-up to the existing one, could be in the works. And the Galaxy Ring has certainly got fans inside Samsung's executive team.

Besides, Samsung aggressively pursuing certifications for the first-generation Ring shows it remains committed to investing time and money into its smallest wearable form factor. The short segment at Unpacked felt like a reminder that yes, the Ring exists, and there's more on the way.

Even though it's a mere tidbit compared to all the big news we got at the event, this is exciting stuff for fans of the best smart rings. The recent announcement of the blood-pressure monitoring startup Signal Ring from ex-Head of Android Tom Moss shows that tech companies are still pushing the limits of what smart rings can do.

It’s a big day for Samsung — and for fans of the company’s devices — with the brand unveiling three new foldable phones, two new smartwatches, and its first pair of smart glasses.

And it’s not just those glasses that are a truly ‘new’ thing from Samsung, as one of the phones is a new form factor too.

Below, you’ll find a rundown of the five biggest announcements at the second Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2026 — these are the key reveals you need to know about.

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

If you’re assuming that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a direct successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, well, think again, because this is that new form factor I mentioned above.

Rather than a book-style foldable like the Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a shorter, wider device with more passport-like dimensions. When unfolded and turned to portrait orientation it’s the ideal size and shape for reading, while in landscape it’s better suited to movies and games.

It has a 7.6-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 5.5-inch 120Hz cover display, a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a pair of 10MP selfie cameras — one on each screen.

It also has a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage, while the battery is 4,800mAh. It starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699, making it a bit cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, detailed below.

2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Confusingly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is effectively the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, so you probably have some idea of what to expect here.

This phone has an 8-inch 120Hz foldable display, a 6.5-inch cover screen, a 200MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and two 10MP selfie cameras. It also has a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery — which is a big increase over the 4,400mAh cell of the Z Fold 7.

So this is a bigger, more book-like foldable than the Z Fold 8, and it has more cameras, but the same amount of power. It’s also extremely slim at just 4.1mm thick when unfolded, and it starts at $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999.

3. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung has also unveiled a new device for fans of compact foldables, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8.

This clamshell phone has a 6.9-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 4.1-inch 120Hz cover screen, a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset (or an Exynos 2600 outside the US), 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 4,300mAh battery.

So it’s the smallest and most basic of these phones, but at 6.1mm thick when unfolded and 180g, it’s Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Flip model yet. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949.

4. Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

As well as phones, Samsung has also announced the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and it’s the latter of these that’s the most exciting.

This watch has a mammoth 800mAh battery, which is up from just 590mAh in the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. It’s also slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, with the brightest screen of any smartwatch, and a ton of new features, including the ability to track Daily Cardio Load and Vascular Load.

This is Samsung’s ultimate smartwatch, and it’s priced accordingly, at $699.99 / £649 / AU$1,299. If you’re happy with a slightly less feature-and-tech-packed smartwatch, then the Galaxy Watch 9 can be had from $379.99 / £349 / AU$649.

5. Samsung Intelligent Eyewear

Samsung also gave us a closer look at what it’s calling ‘Intelligent Eyewear’ — said eyewear being the company’s first smart glasses.

Unlike the devices above, you can’t pre-order these yet, with Samsung promising they’ll land “this fall” — so presumably sometime between September and November.

No pricing was revealed either, but we did learn that these glasses will have a built-in camera and speakers, but no screen.

Initially, Samsung is partnering with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to offer a selection of frames, and you’ll be able to access both Gemini and Bixby through the glasses.

When it comes to battery life, foldables have it harder than regular phones. These devices need to power not one, but two screens (one of which is twice as large as the other), and so it's important to pick a model with decent endurance if you don't want to lug around a portable battery at all times.

Yet in the throes of a seemingly unquenchable thirst for thinness, Samsung has somewhat neglected the battery tech in its foldable phones. That is, until now, because the brand has finally introduced silicon-carbon batteries in its latest devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8. The former, specifically, packs a 5,000mAh cell that, based on Samsung's own testing, offers 27 hours of video playback.

Now, as uninteresting as this may sound, it's actually pretty big news, especially given that the phone is thinner than ever and the same weight as last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. We were invited to an exclusive, early-access hands-on session alongside SuperSaf to try out the new phones, and we discussed this change (and others) in our latest podcast episode, which you can watch just below.

It's not just us professional tech nerds moved to excitement by the news; in a poll we shared in the weeks running up to the latest Samsung Galaxy Unpacked show, our readers overwhelmingly agreed that a larger battery life would be their biggest wish for the latest and greatest Samsung foldable, and those prayers have been answered. Feels good, right?

The sad news is, the second-most desired change remains unmet — that being the re-introduction of the S Pen and the digitizing layer under the display that makes the technology compatible. In fact, as reported by 9to5 Google, Samsung recently quietly removed product listings for all previous-generation S Pens, which perhaps doesn't bode well for the longevity of the styluses overall.

It's a real shame, and one I highlighted in the podcast as being particularly at odds with the phone's productivity-first marketing messaging; if the idea is that the best way to use this phone is like a tablet, which, for me, includes doodling, taking notes and not having to constantly wipe off grubby fingerprints, then hand me the S Pen and be done with it, even at the cost of a few more millimeters thickness.

That being said, at least in the case of the S26 Ultra phones, a Samsung exec shared with TechRadar just last year that the S Pen is a crucial part of the phone's DNA, so I hope that gives at least a little more runway for these handy accessories.

You can watch the full episode of the TechRadar podcast above or head directly to YouTube to hear all of our expert opinions on the latest slate of Samsung foldables and smartwatches.

I’ve tested plenty of the best foldable phones in my time at TechRadar, but I’ve never opted to use one of these devices as my main handset long-term.

I use my phone for consuming content — scrolling, reading, watching — more than I do for productivity tasks, and so the appeal of having a heavier phone with a giant, square-sized foldable screen isn’t, for me, all that strong. Why would I watch a YouTube video with big black letterboxing above and below it, when I could simply use my regular phone in landscape for a better video-watching experience?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a different proposition entirely. It’s still a book-style foldable — it’s got one smaller screen on the outside, and one larger screen on the inside that you open with both hands — but it’s shorter, wider, and dare I say cuter than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 before it. It’s the Galaxy Z Fold 7.5 in all but name (or maybe the Galaxy Z Fold Fat?).

This passport-shaped foldable has a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display, with aspect ratios that make it, when closed, easier to use one-handed and better suited to video-watching when open. Specifically, when closed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 10:16 ratio — meaning your thumbs can easily reach the top of the screen — and when open, it’s a 4:3 ratio that’s optimized for widescreen content.

For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — and indeed the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which retains the former’s tall and narrow form factor — has a 21:9 cover display and an almost square 1.11:1 inner display, which is great for spreadsheets and multitasking, but less brilliant for watching World Cup highlights on the train home.

Here’s how the video-watching experience on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — which you can read about in our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra preview — compares, in both orientations:

Yes, I know — the black bars are still very much visible when the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is unfolded. But still, they're significantly smaller than those on the Ultra, and as for the outer display, the difference is night and day.

This is the key selling point of Samsung’s new shorter, wider foldable. Its displays have the same 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000-nit peak brightness as the pricier Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but they don’t waste as much screen real estate as those on that square-sized premium model. If, like me, you use your phone primarily for watching videos and scrolling through social media, this is a big deal.

“We realize that there's enough of a segment where consumers are very heavy on media, and basically you consume social media, you consume videos, you play games, and you read books in a mostly similar form factor,” Samsung told us for our deep-dive into why it built the Galaxy Fold 8.

The company also describes the phone’s unfolded screen size as “the new standard for viewing content,” which makes sense when you consider that Apple is also rumored to be releasing a similarly sized foldable iPhone later this year.

Small but mighty

An important note: in the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, smaller does not mean less powerful. It’s got the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset under the hood — i.e., the same chipset as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the entire Galaxy S26 line — plus 12GB of RAM in every storage configuration except 1TB, in which you’ll get 16GB of RAM.

Naturally, I didn’t have enough time to really test the mettle of this chipset, but let’s be honest: we already know it’s a beast. It powers plenty of the best Android phones, and I don’t expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to feel any different to those Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-equipped devices from a performance perspective.

The first real differences between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and its larger sibling come in the camera department. This wider foldable packs a respectable 50MP wide lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets a superior 200MP wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens for zoom shots.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra also has a slightly larger battery (5,000mAh) than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (4,800mAh), but both phones finally — finally! — use silicon-carbon battery technology, so you should still get plenty of life from the latter’s smaller cell.

Silicon-carbon batteries can store up to 50% more energy in the same physical space as conventional smartphone batteries, so I’m expecting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to deliver longer battery life than the 4,400mAh-equipped Galaxy Z Fold 7, which lasted for around 12 hours (standard use) in our testing.

For reference, Chinese foldable manufacturers like Oppo, Honor, and Vivo have been using silicon-carbon batteries for some years now, so Samsung’s adoption of this technology is a significant (if long overdue) step forward in markets like the US, where it hasn't been readily available.

As for charging, you’ll get 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging, regardless of which model you choose, so the choice here is really between content and cameras. Would you prefer the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 for scrolling and watching videos, or the taller Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for productivity and taking photos?

Personally, I think the former’s shorter, wider form factor will be better suited to my needs, though I'm intrigued to see how much weaker the Galaxy Z Fold 8's main camera is compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's. At $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, the latter phone is more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — which starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 — so it's safe to expect a noticeable gulf in photo quality.

I look forward to testing both devices properly after Unpacked.

I’ve been using, and loving, my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for the past year — for me it's simply the best phone money can buy.

The foldable form factor is perfect for watching videos — either on the massive inner screen, or using the design to prop the phone up and watch on its outer display — and also for gaming, productivity, or capturing selfies with the 200MP main sensor rather than the lower-res selfie cam.

Its thin design is comfortable to hold and easily slips into any pocket, and the design has been durable enough to survive without me using a case; I did have a case for a few months but I hated it, so I’ve reverted back to my screen-protector only strategy.

As great as the Z Fold 7 is, though, it isn't flawless. The cameras could be better (a fact highlighted by the excellent cameras Samsung put in the Galaxy S26 Ultra that I also carry with me), the battery life isn’t as good as I need at times, and the crease can be quite noticeable in certain lighting thanks to annoying reflections on the inner display.

Thankfully, Samsung looks to have addressed a lot of my issues with the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — the true successor to last year's Fold 7 (the new non-Ultra Z Fold 8 adopts a squatter design this year), and the frontrunner to be my favorite phone of 2026, after spending just an hour or so with the new device.

Ultra by name, Ultra by nature

At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks almost identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Unlike the Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra offers the exact same screen dimensions as the Z Fold 7, with an 8-inch inner display and 6.5-inch cover display.

It’s supremely thin and light, so that even when folded it doesn’t feel like a brick, and it offers a similar camera array to the Z Fold 7 (more on that in a moment).

The only design change you’ll notice is the redesigned hinge. It makes it easier to open the Z Fold 8 Ultra, and allows the phone to sit more flat when open — which in combination with the inner screen’s new matte coating makes the crease less noticeable.

Instead of reinventing the wheel in areas where the Z Fold 7 already shines, such as its superb form factor, Samsung has introduced upgrades with the Z Fold 8 Ultra that make this phone even more capable.

My favorite improvement is new silicon carbide battery tech that allows for a much larger 5,000mAh battery than the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh cell, despite the Z Fold 8 Ultra being (very slightly) slimmer.

The battery life of the Z Fold 7 isn’t ideal. I frequently find that my typical usage — which admittedly involves streaming a lot of video, gaming, and multitasking to watch and work at the same time while on the go — leaves my battery running low by late afternoon.

The larger capacity of the Z Fold 8 Ultra probably won’t save me from needing to carry a charger with me ‘just in case’, but I’m hoping it’ll mean that I rarely, if ever, run out of juice completely — which can happen with my Z Fold 7, even when I adapt my usage to be more conservative.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra's cameras are a solid upgrade too. Alongside the Z Fold 7 I also use the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, because its cameras are so impressive — in particular, I’m in love with its 5x 50MP telephoto lens.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't, unfortunately, improve on the Z Fold 7’s 12MP 3x telephoto camera, but the existing 200MP main sensor has been enhanced with new HDR abilities to match Samsung’s S26 lineup, and the 12MP ultra-wide has been upgraded to 50MP, making the new phone's array feel more 'Ultra'.

It also gets the impressive Horizontal Lock video stabilization tech which I've loved on the S26 Ultra.

Having tried out the new cameras, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is certainly a major upgrade, and I’m keen to test them out further. Sure, the Z Fold 8 Ultra won’t win any prizes for best camera phone of 2026, but the versatility offered by the new camera array should help to make this foldable feel like a supremely capable all-round device, and not a phone with so many compromises that you can’t appreciate its incredible design wins.

A sort of silver lining

There's also a new chipset — the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy the S26 series is outfitted with — that powers a suite of new AI tools, and a brighter 3,000-nit display, which should help to make colors more vivid on the Z Fold 8.

As you might expect from a phone that's packed with upgrades and sporting a new Ultra moniker, and which is launching in the middle of the ongoing RAM crisis, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will cost more than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

The silver lining is that the price hike isn't as big as I and many others feared — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, where the Z Fold 7's launch price started at $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,899.

No price increase is ever ideal, but considering how much worse I was expecting it to be, I’ll happily take the $100 / £100 / AU$100 increase on the chin.

I can't wait to spend more time with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. I love my Z Fold 7, but after spending just a short time with its successor, I already know that it’s time for an upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: One minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might look much the same as last year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it feels very different to wear thanks to Samsung’s efficiency savings. A 12% slimmer titanium body and a lighter band (that remains the same size) mean the watch weighs less as an overall package and has better lockdown onto your wrist, so it doesn’t move around as much during strenuous exercise.

It’s got a new chipset under the hood: the AI-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, which, Samsung says, offers 32% faster CPU and 19% faster GPU performance compared to last year’s model. It’s launching with three new bands, new wellness features like Vital and Heart Health, and all the usual smartwatch goodies like notifications, call accept/reject, digital wallet and third-party app support. The Ultra comes with LTE capabilities as standard to add the watch to your phone’s data plan, and new fitness tools tailor-made for adventurers, including trail running features with GPX routes, a Daily Cardio Load metric, mid-activity hydration alerts, professional-level diving certifications and — soon — a dedicated diving app.

Fortunately for them (but perhaps unfortunately for Samsung) adventurers find themselves spoiled for choice these days between the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the best Garmin watches, and challengers from brands such as Coros, Polar and Amazfit. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may be good in a vacuum, with excellent health and fitness features, but it’s fighting for space amid a crowd of exceptional wearables. Ultimately, it’s the best Galaxy Watch ever from a specs perspective, and does everything you expect a smartwatch to do (and several things you might not expect); but it’s also expensive, big and bulky. I do wonder how many Samsung users will opt for this over either the much cheaper Galaxy Watch9 or, at the other end of the scale, a chunky specialist tool such as the Garmin Fenix 8 if they’re really interested in wilderness exploration.

It’s fast, it’s accurate (albeit with some niggles — see the Performance section below for more details), it’s got the brightest screen of any smartwatch, on-device Gemini capabilities, and is packed with enough features to make any smartwatch aficionado happy. It’s a terrific gadget, and if you’re a Samsung user who wants the best native watch for your phone’s ecosystem, this is it. But if you’re buying it for trails and routes, Garmin does this better, and with far better battery endurance, albeit with a less robust AI-powered interface for all your communication features.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Price and availability

• $699.99 in the US
• £649 in the UK
• AU$1,299 in Australia

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $699.99 / £649 / AU$1,299. This is actually a small increase of $50 / £50 in the US and UK over the launch price of the original Watch Ultra (but it's the same in Australia), likely due to the escalating price of electronics components.

While it’s still relatively competitively priced compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and premium Garmins such as the Garmin Forerunner 970, it’s certainly on the higher end of the smartwatch price scale; but then again, this is a higher-end smartwatch.

• Value score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Design

• 12% slimmer, but still quite bulky
• Titanium squircle cushion
• Strap is 25% lighter

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 iterates on the titanium squircle case design we first saw on the original Ultra, which Samsung calls a ‘cushion’, and which has since become a staple of the entire Galaxy Watch range. Housed within this body is the circular display, which is, according to Samsung…

The cushion incorporates new innards, including a larger 800mAh battery and a new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor. Despite the upgrades, the chassis is actually 12% slimmer than the original Watch Ultra’s, which is really a blessing, as that watch was a real beast. The cushion shape looks bulbous, but while it’s still a big watch that’s unsuitable for small wrists, it’s now better suited to a slightly wider variety of wrists than 2024’s enormous cuboid.

Couple this with the bands being 25% lighter this year, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has had a serious size and weight reduction, which makes it much better for staying locked on your wrist during strenuous exercise, where the previous model was prone to moving around.

The Ultra 2 has the Samsung Galaxy Watch series’ standard pair of side buttons, plus the programmable ‘Quick Button’ that only the premium watches get. This is set to opening ‘my exercises’ as standard, while a long press can activate the watch’s emergency siren, but you can assign a different function to this button to suit your needs. If you’ve used a Samsung watch before, the UI (One Watch UI, to be exact, based on Google’s Wear OS) is virtually unchanged, and for beginners it’s easy and intuitive to use.

The redesigned, AI-forward Samsung Health app is simple to use too, and even though much was made of its big makeover, it’s a far cry from Google Health’s chatbot-focused premium tier.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Features

• All the smartwatch features you’d expect
• Parcel of new health metrics: Vitals, Vascular Load & more
• Diving and trail-running features

The Ultra 2 offers all the usual smartwatch features you’d expect from an LTE-enabled watch, so I won’t list them all here, but suffice to say you can use virtual wallets, accept calls, message, control or store music, use the screen as a viewfinder for a Samsung phone’s camera, and even use Google Gemini via the new, easier Raise-to-Talk feature. Gemini works across devices, so you can make a quick voice note in the moment, and have it transcribed and saved to Samsung Notes or Google Keep, to be viewed later on your phone, tablet or laptop.

Samsung watches have always had strong health credentials, and the Ultra 2 is no different. It retains more esoteric features like blood-pressure monitoring (which requires an inflatable cuff for regular calibration, then uses your biometrics to predict fluctuations) and body composition (which uses electrical signals to estimate your fat and muscle mass) alongside the usual heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG scan functionality (which is medically certified, according to Samsung) and more. Running Coach, introduced last year, also makes a welcome return, along with its advanced analytics for runners.

New health features include Vitals, which looks at readings of five different heart-related metrics while you sleep and lets you know of any baseline deviations, a Daily Cardio Load score that estimates how much stress your exercise routine is putting your heart under, and Vascular Load, which measures stress and arterial stiffness.

Finally, new features have been added in the shape of two adventure-themed activity profiles. The watch is now a working dive computer — or will be when its companion app is released later this year in partnership with diving company Mares. The Apple Watch Ultra has a similar app, so I’m sure Samsung has been working overtime to catch up.

The Trail Running profile now includes the ability to save GPX routes into the workout activity itself, so you can follow turn-by-turn directions and see maps on your watch with a swipe of your finger. You can download routes yourself, or you have the option to save previous outdoor runs as a route to test yourself against later on, if you want to try to beat your own personal best. What you can’t do is create your own routes in-app, as you can in Garmin Connect for example.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Performance

• Heart rate had some drift compared to Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Polar H10, but tightened up after 10-15 minutes of wear
• Watch is more comfortable to wear than its predecessor
• Accurate sleep tracking

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for five days and four nights before writing this review, and I'll update it when I’ve logged enough nights sleep for features like Vitals to calibrate with seven-day averages. I was dreading wearing the Ultra 2 to bed given its bulkiness and size, but the slimmer, lighter Watch Ultra 2 was surprisingly comfortable for all-day wear — although I’m a man of fairly average build, and those with slimmer wrists may still find it uncomfortable.

Battery life was as described, with the Ultra 2 lasting the as-described 60 hours with always-on display enabled before needing a charge. Sleep was estimated accurately, with the watch and app correctly identifying my wake-up times during the night, and generating numbers corresponding with my energy levels.

To test GPS and heart rate accuracy, I went on a 30-minute run with the Watch Ultra 2 on one wrist, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other, and a Polar H10 electrical heart-rate monitor (the gold standard for wearable heart-rate accuracy) strapped to my chest.

I was initially quite surprised at the difference in heart-rate readings the Watch Ultra 2 recorded at the start of the workout compared to the other two devices, with the Samsung watch sometimes reading 20 beats per minute lower than the Apple and Polar devices. However, after 15 minutes of exercise, I found that the Ultra 2’s readings were closely matching those of the other devices, as you can see from the corresponding graphs and readings below / above.

Initial heart rate ‘drift’ is a known problem with many optical heart-rate sensors (used by all smartwatches) in comparison to electrical ones, although Apple seems to have ironed out much of the problem with its Ultra 3. Still, even if the Samsung Ultra 2 does show some deviation at the beginning of a workout, if you’re exercising for any length of time your results are likely to be broadly accurate. I repeated this test during an indoor HIIT workout, and the results were the same: accurate after a brief warm-up period.

I also tested Body Composition, which uses the same method as the best smart scales — an electrical pulse moving through fat, muscle and water at a variety of speeds. I tested this against an industrial scale at my local gym after my run, and the ticket the scale produced showed that I was at 19% body fat. The smartwatch estimated 9%, a huge difference. It wasn’t until I did the test again later that day, after hydrating and adjusting my technique by raising my arms, that the watch showed 16% — a much closer result, and within the range of deviation I’d expect from two different devices.

I also tested the Ultra 2’s water lock feature by dunking it in a glass of water — after all, I’ve been burned before by so-say dive-ready watches — and it worked just fine afterwards.

• Performance score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Scorecard

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if…

You’re a runner

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is awash with terrific running features, and now trail runners are well catered for too.

You’re a Samsung phone user

Unsurprisingly, the Watch Ultra 2 works perfectly within the wider Samsung ecosystem.

You’re a Gemini user

Use AI for everything? Samsung’s Raise-to-Talk functionality and true on-watch Gemini makes using the smart assistant a doddle.

Don’t buy it if…

You need ultimate battery life

If you prioritize battery life and fitness features over connectivity, consider a Garmin or Coros watch.

You’re a casual exerciser and gym-goer

The Samsung Galaxy Watch9 is a much better-value fitness tracker for those who won’t use all the extra adventuring, diving, and safety features.

You’re an Apple user

The Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t work with Apple phones.

Also Consider…

How I tested

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for the better part of a week, running the battery down and using it as my daily driver to accept and reject calls, check notifications and messages, use Gemini and control music. I tested it against devices such as the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Polar H10 electrical heart rate monitor, and an industrial smart scale, and I dropped it into a glass of water to test its water lock feature.

First reviewed: July 2026

Samsung's second big phone launch of the year is now over — and as expected, at the July edition of Unpacked 2026 saw the launches of several new Fold and Flip phones, plus the full reveal of Samsung's new Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses.

Leading Samsung's new foldables range are the new Z Fold 8 Ultra, passport-style Z Fold 8, and the updated Z Flip 8. The highlight, at least among the crowd, was the Z Fold 8, which likely gives us a hint of what to expect from the rumored iPhone Ultra.

But the most intriguing new devices were the range Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses, which Samsung's made in collaboration with Google. These will come in a range of designs when they launch "this Fall", from classic square and round-style frames to cat-eye-style silhouettes, and we've already had an early look at them.

You can read everything that happened at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked's July 2026 edition below. Which device are you most excited about? Make sure you also vote in our poll below...

Read all of our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 coverage

• I’ve spent an hour with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — and I need to upgrade my Z Fold 7 ASAP
• I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and this passport-shaped oddity has revived my interest in foldable phones
• 'Finally, we've got silicon-carbon' — why SuperSaf is just as excited as we are for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's new battery
• 'If, because of that, we stop innovation, we don’t go anywhere': we got a first look at Samsung Intelligent Eyewear, the smart glasses entering a fraught market worried about privacy
• I've tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, and its new camera features make it an excellent vlogging camera alternative — so long as you don't mind the middling image quality
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review: slimmer, lighter, better
• I've found all the best Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 preorder deals — where to get the biggest trade-in rebates and discounts

Welcome to Galaxy Unpacked 2026 (the sequel)

Hello, and welcome to our liveblog for Samsung's second big phone launch of the year, Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

We'll be reporting live from the London event, which kicks off at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST. But first, it's time to take you through all of the last-minute rumors on what we're expecting to see — and we certainly haven't been short of leaks...

The Z Fold 8 is winning the hype battle

The Galazy Z Fold 8 is emerging as the potential star of today's Unpacked event — and the foldable has just appeared in a new teaser poster (above).

It's the Z Fold 8's wider, passport-style design, which will likely separate it from the taller Fold 8 Ultra, that makes it the one I'm most interested in from today's launches. Partly because it also probably gives us an early peak of the iPhone Ultra's likely form factor.

We're expecting to see a 5.5-inch cover display and 7.6-inch inner display, both with a 120Hz refresh rate. The teaser poster matches some of the leaked dummy units that we saw earlier this year (below).

What are you most excited to see?

We've done a full rundown of everything we're expecting to see at Unpacked 2026, so that's worth a read as we get closer to kick-off (in just over two hours).

But the short version is that we're expecting three foldables (a Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8), plus two Galaxy Watches (the Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 9), and (potentially) also Samsung's first smart glasses.

Which one are you most excited about? Let us know in the poll below...

We've landed at Unpacked

We're very keen here at TechRadar, so we've already arrived at the Galaxy Unpacked event in London, and it's very... quiet.

That's understandable, as we're still two hours away from kick-off and many international attendees will be coming from hotels much closer to the start time.

A London-based Unpacked is a rarity — last year, Samsung did a mix of US-based and virtual events, while this year's earlier Unpacked in February was in San Francisco.

You have to go back to 2012 for the last time London hosted Samsung's main event, which saw the arrival of the Galaxy S III...

Will Samsung finally solve foldable creases?

There's a good chance that we'll see another big step towards crease-free foldables today. We recently visited Samsung Display's secret labs where it talked to us, among many other things, about its new "Flex Titanium Technology".

This includes a special structure at the fold to give added flexibility and help reduce crease visibility. We've recently more leaks on that theme — and while the image above doesn't look like a particularly fair comparison in terms of lighting, I'm hoping this new feature lives up to the hyper when we see it in person later.

If you host an event in London...

The umbrellas are already out at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 queue. We've had what feels like months without rain in London, but right on queue the dark clouds are forming.

It's now just over 90 minutes till kick-off time, so hopefully we'll be ushered inside soon...

Brace yourself for price hikes

Some slightly less positive news from today's Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event is likely to be price hikes for the Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8.

A recent report from Korea (via Phone Arena) suggested that both foldables could be about $130 pricier than their predecessors. In the grand scheme of RAMageddon, that wouldn't be too bad — and the Fold and Flip series have never been the most affordable phones anyway.

Samsung has also already increased the prices of the Z Fold and Flip 7 series over the past year, so hopefully that will soften today's potential price rises...

A self-healing crease?

Samsung's upcoming foldables might not just have smaller creases than their predecessors, they could also have self-healing ones if the latest leak (above) is to be believed.

It's unclear how this would work, but perhaps it would ensure the crease doesn't become more visible over time. It also reminds us of the self-healing finish on the LG G Flex series, which could automatically fill in minor scratches.

It will be interesting to see how Samsung's take on this works, but if this leak is accurate then it could be Samsung's secret weapon against the upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra.

All the specs have already leaked

Samsung might not have too many surprises today if you've been following the leaks and rumors, as WinFuture.de recently leaked complete specs lists for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8.

Highlights if this leak is accurate include a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for the two Z Folds and — at least in Europe — an Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

We'll also apparently get a higher-capacity and faster charging 5,000mAh / 45W battery in the Z Fold 8 Ultra, but the real highlight could be the base Z Fold 8, since this is widely expected to have a new shorter, wider form factor, which according to this leak will allow for a 7.6-inch foldable screen and a 5.5-inch cover display.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might live up to its name

We're also expecting various wearables today, and WinFuture has spilled the beans on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in a detailed leak.

The latter could have a slightly larger and much brighter display than its predecessor, coming in at 1.52 inches and 5,000 nits, and joined by a colossal — by smartwatch standards — 800mAh battery, along with a build that's designed with divers in mind.

This is sure to be expensive, but the standard Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 should be a cheaper option for anyone who doesn't need all the bells and whistles offered by the Ultra. Sadly though we're not expecting a new Classic model this year.

Samsung's first smart glasses sound like Ray-Ban Meta rivals

Samsung could be about to make smart glasses more mainstream, as its first pair is rumored to be included in today's announcements, and the Samsung Galaxy Glasses as we're calling them for now have been extensively leaked.

A detailed new leak on WinFuture tallies with what we've heard before, including that these apparently won't have a screen, and will instead rely on cameras and access to Gemini, which should be able to see what you can.

They sound a lot like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and like those they apparently use a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset, which is now three years old. Still, with supposedly 9 hours of battery life, Gemini access, and a big brand name behind them, they could be a hit.

These last-minute leaks are looking quite official

We're now less than 30 minutes away from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, and the leaks are looking ever more convincing, with what appears to be official marketing imagery having now leaked too, as you can see above.

This shows off all three expected foldables — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8.

The purple Z Fold 8 Ultra looks quite appealing, but hopefully the pink background is a sign that we'll get some brighter colors too.

A subtle hint?

We're taking our seats at London's Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event and noticed a nice little touch from Samsung.

When you remove the perforated portion of our lanyards, it's remarkably close to the expected shape of the Z Fold 8 that we've seen in leaks.

Still, if you want an even clearer idea of what's coming, check out the leaked marketing materials that have just landed for the Fold 8 series. Or you could just wait 15 minutes to see the real thing...

What about the Galaxy Ring 2?

What's TechRadar's Senior Fitness & Wearables Editor Matt Evans most excited about at today's Unpacked?

"I'm most looking forward to the wearables — the Watch 8 was outstanding last year, and I’m hoping for more of the same on that front. But the hotly-rumored Watch Ultra 2 is going to be the real star. Plus, who knows? We may event get a hint about a Ring 2…", he says.

Samsung has already confirmed it's working on the Galaxy Ring 2 — and while it isn't expected to get a full launch today, we could well get a teaser at the end of the event (just as Samsung did for the original Ring).

Five minutes to go...

It's now just five minutes till kick off, and TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff has shared some final thoughts on this year's second Unpacked.

"We pretty much all know the shape of things to come, but I'm super curious to see the reaction from the crowd here and online. Is different better or just different? Can more fold shapes expand the market? Or can only Apple do that?" he says.

We won't have to wait long to find out...

Get your popcorn ready

We're just a minute away from the start of Unpacked, and the expected arrival of its new foldables and smartwatches.

A final thought from TechRadar's Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, who's at the event right now. "What may be missing from this event is any kind of surprise. Samsung is very leaky, and most of the excitement tends to be muted by the time they tell us what we already knew or read about somewhere," he says.

"For Samsung, the goal is to generate Apple-level energy for its latest foldables and any other products they pull out of their back pocket. It's especially important to build that kind of momentum before Apple begins its product rollout juggernaut in September," he adds.

And we're off

TechRadar's Phones editor Axel Metz has some final pre-Unpacked thoughts as we go through Samsung's pre-amble.

"I’m curious to see whether Samsung positions the shorter, wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 as its hero product this year — i.e. the foldable it hopes and expects people to buy — or simply as a more affordable alternative to the premium Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra," he says.

"In making the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Samsung is acknowledging that the taller, narrower form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn’t very ‘Gen Z’, and with Apple rumored to be releasing a similarly sized iPhone Ultra later this year, I — and probably Samsung — expect this new aspect ratio to become the foldable mainstream. Where does that leave the Ultra in years to come?" he says.

The Samsung Glasses are coming

That's a surprise, Samsung has just teased that the Galaxy Glasses are coming at today's event. But first, it's going hard on security and privacy...

AI and privacy are the hot topics

Samsung's TM Roh is on the stage right now talking about the "the importance of AI infrastructure", as he says Galaxy AI will be coming to 800 million devices by the end of the year. Now we're moving onto its foldables, starting with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra...

First up, the Z Fold 8 Ultra...

Samsung's starting its Z Fold 8 Ultra promo with Flex Titanium, the new hinge design it announced last week that promises to make the crease less visible.

Also, there's battery news — it has largest-ever battery in a Galaxy Z Fold phone (at 5000mAh), and for the first time uses silicon carbon tech that we've seen in its many Chinese rivals — hooray...

Camera boosts for the Z Fold 8 Ultra

Samsung is now talking cameras on the Z Fold 8 Ultra, leaning heavily on its Nightography skills and talking up its much-improved 50MP ultrawide camera.

It also has a 200MP main camera with an f/1.7 lens and a 10MP telephoto that gives you up to 3x optical zoom, which are similar to its Fold 7 predecessor.

Now onto the Z Fold 8

This is the one most of us have been waiting for — Samsung's revealed its new passport-style Fold 8, and it got more of a reaction from the crowd than the Ultra.

Samsung's explaining the benefits of that more square display, claiming it bring "a whole new dimension to mobile gaming", while in portrait the 3:4 ratio makes it a good fit for reading.

I definitely like the form factor (in theory), and it's likely a hint of what Apple's going to bring with the iPhone Ultra. It's also apparently the "world's lightest fold" ever...

Telephoto out, 'FanCam' in

Sadly, there's no telephoto camera on the Z Fold 8, which is a shame — but Samsung's seemingly quite proud of its new 'FanCam' feature.

This new AI feature helps you quickly edit videos into your choice of aspect ratio, while keeping the star of your video in the center of the frame. Pretty neat, if perhaps not as useful as a telephoto — though that's probably revealing of Samsung's target market for the Z Fold 8.

Samsung's 'thinnest Flip yet'

This should be the final foldable from today's Unpacked — Samsung's Lee Dunham has just announced the Z Flip 8, and it sounds like a decent upgrade.

There's seemingly a much better Flex Display experience, with boosts to Now Brief (including the option of adding your own custom cards). And it's a bit slimmer and lighter at only 6.1mm thick when folded, and weighing in at 180g. You also get the same ProVisual engine as you get on Samsung's other Galaxy phones.

The downside is that pricing for the Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199 (with pre-orders starting today), which means it's a bit pricer than last year.

Spider-Man drops in

A Spider-Man interlude has just broken up the foldables news, as we get a teaser from his newest movie plus a chat from Ned, who's shown off a 'Spidey Tracker' alongside camera footage from the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

It's back to reality now though, as Samsung moves onto Samsung Care+ and the Galaxy Card, its new Apple Card rival that was announced this week.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

It's time to move onto smartwatches. Samsung's just revealed the Galaxy Watch 9, and it's promising some handy new software features.

These include sleep apnea detection, which is also coming to the Galaxy Ring — and apparently makes it the only FDA-cleared, over-the-counter ring device with that feature.

The Galaxy Watch 9 will also have "proactive" features that constantly monitor things like heart rate and heart rate variability, and crunch all these together into a new heart health score.

Samsung says it's partnering with iFit for its subscription fitness content, too. But the more exciting smartwatch is coming next...

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 looks hardcore

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is here — it looks pretty similar to its predecessor from a couple of years ago, but there are quite a few upgrades under the hood.

Its engine is the new Snapdragon Elite processor, which apparently offers 32% better performance than before. The Watch Ultra 2 is also the toughest Samsung watch so far, with IP69K and 10 ATM waterproof ratings.

There are some pretty hardcore diving features too, including Samsung's own diving algorithm and nitrogen absorption monitoring. Basically, Samsung is gunning for Garmin here.

The Watch Ultra 2 starts at $699 with the Galaxy Watch 9 starting at $379, with the Watch Ultra 2 launching from August 7.

Google talks Gemini

Google's Rick Osterloh has stepped in to tell us about the Gemini features that'll be available on Samsung's new foldables — and its new smart glasses too.

Gemini Notebook (the new name for NotebookLM) will apparently come preinstalled on the new foldables and buyers will get six months of Google AI Pro too (after which, you'll have to pay, of course).

Gemini Intelligence will also be coming to new smartglasses from Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker — and we're about to hear more about those...

It's time for smart glasses

As expected, Samsung's 'one more thing' at Unpacked is its Intelligent Eyewear — and it does looks pretty impressive.

Samsung has partnered with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker in its attempt to take on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which is something we already knew. But we've just learned a bit more about their design and specs, including a new hinge design that has a power slider next to it.

Samsung is claiming nine hours of battery life from a single charge with 'mixed use' — which is seemingly around 90 minutes of notifications, 30 minutes of calls, 35 AI conversations, 12 message read alouds, 60 minutes of music playback, nine photo captures, and three one-minute videos.

It also says you'll be able to charge them more than seven times overs using their case. They'll apparently be lighter than most AI glasses (although their exact weight is still TBC) and will be powered by a Snapdragon AR1 chipset.

The Intelligent Eyewear (surely there's a snappier name) will launch in the Fall, so sometime between September and November. But a big question remains unanswered, how much will they cost?

That's a wrap

So that's it for Samsung's second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year. We've already been hands-on with all of the devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 8, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the Samsung Intelligent Eyewear.

There weren't many surprises given the leaks were so generous, but we did all the official pricing — and the hikes aren't quite as bad as many feared. Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear (surely they're going to get a snappier nickname) also looks very interesting, if it can navigate the Great Smartglasses Backlash.

• Samsung announces new OLED panels for laptops, capable of '1,600 nits' in peak brightness
• The new tandem OLED panels have a 40% higher brightness requirement than older single-layer OLED panels
• The new panels will be used in MSI, Lenovo, Asus, and Dell laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification

OLED panels are continuously improving year after year, as seen in recent tandem OLED displays from Samsung – and fortunately, the tech giant isn't resting on its laurels.

As reported by TweakTown, Samsung has introduced new tandem OLED panels for Lenovo, Asus, MSI, and Dell laptops, with claims of up to 1,600-nit peak brightness in small windows. This will apply to laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification.

Notably, the push up to 1,400 nits certification is a '40% higher' brightness requirement compared to older single-layer OLED panels, which is ideal for bright rooms and environments.

This is thanks to the presence of tandem OLED panels, which work by stacking at least one or more OLED layers together, providing significantly increased brightness levels and efficiency.

Samsung notes it has started a 'full-scale' supply of the new tandem OLED panels for laptops, starting with the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, and later for laptops from Asus, MSI, and Dell.

The boost to 1,600 nits is a significant enhancement for gaming and movie-watching experiences on these laptops. While the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura is certainly more of a premium laptop for creators, it's also capable of gaming using Nvidia's RTX 5000 series laptop GPUs.

With that in mind, issues with auto brightness limitations (ABL) that would often spoil bright gaming or movie scenarios should now be further diminished, as tandem OLED helps tackle those drawbacks.

Samsung hasn't mentioned any plans for its new panels being used for standalone OLED monitors just yet, but naturally, this should be the next step once these new laptops launch. For now, there are plenty of OLED gaming monitors (i.e., LG UltraGear OLED 27GX700A) capable of higher nits available on the market.

It’s not long now until Samsung’s second major phone launch of the year, with the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked showcase set to take place later on today — and you can join us live from the event in our liveblog.

This follows February’s Unpacked event, where we saw the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, but this time, we’re not just expecting phones, because along with a selection of new foldables — including a whole new form factor — we’ll probably see new smartwatches too, and even perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Glasses.

So, whether you’re in the market for a handset or a wearable, there could be something for you here, and below, you’ll find full details of how to tune in, along with exactly what we’re expecting to see.

How to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026

The next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is being held in London, but as with most major tech launches, it will also be streamed online, so you can watch it from anywhere.

It kicks off at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST on July 22, so at least it’s not the middle of the night for any of those places, though viewers on the west coast of the US will have to get up early, and if you’re in certain parts of Australia, you might have to stay up late.

To tune in, you can simply head to Samsung’s website, where the video will be streamed live. It will also be viewable live on Samsung’s YouTube page. But there’s no need to head to either, because the video embedded on this page (above) will play the stream once it’s live as well.

Wherever you choose to watch it, you don’t need to tune in live if the times are inconvenient, as you’ll be able to watch the video after the fact too. However, you might prefer to just head back to TechRadar, where we’ll be covering all the announcements with in-depth analysis.

What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026

We’ve written a full rundown of what to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, but in brief, there’s probably going to be a mix of phones and wearables.

On the phones side, it’s likely to all be foldables, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra all rumored to be making an appearance.

Of those three, the Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra are thought to be fairly conventional successors to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, respectively. Look out for new chipsets, smaller creases, and potentially some new cameras, but nothing too game-changing is expected there.

The more interesting phone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which, despite its name, is reportedly going to have a new form factor, making it wider and shorter than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Z Fold 8 Ultra. This will also probably be a more affordable phone as a result.

For wearables, we’ll probably see the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, with the latter of those products sounding the most interesting, as it might have a high-capacity 800mAh battery and — for the first time on a Galaxy Watch — support 5G.

Finally, Samsung might also take the opportunity to launch its first smart glasses, which could be called the Samsung Galaxy Glasses. These are reportedly screenless glasses that run Android XR, let you talk to Gemini, and look set to rival the likes of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

• Reports indicateHuawei is building and operating DRAM fabs through a joint venture with state-controlled SwaySure
• This is part of an alleged 11-fab network Huawei operates behind state-owned fronts that it denies exists
• The move, seen as a bid by Huawei to secure captive HBM supply for its increasingly powerful Ascend AI chips, could place the company above Apple, Intel, and Nvidia, none of which makes its own memory.

Mounting evidence suggests Huawei is taking the same approach that saw it build CPUs and AI chips in the past to DRAM in the present.

The Chinese tech conglomerate is allegedly building and operating DRAM fabrication plants on the mainland, bringing it into direct competition with only one major player at the same scale, albeit for a much larger consumer base: Samsung.

Drawing on media reports and postings by semiconductor analysts, Block & Files has published claims (which Huawei currently denies) that the company is potentially building and operating DRAM fabs through a joint venture with Shenzhen-based memory maker SwaySure, giving it effective control over at least 11 different semiconductor fabs in the region.

A move borne out of sanction-mandated necessity

Despite its ramifications and Huawei's denials, the claim is hardly new: the first link between the two companies was in 2025, when the Financial Times published satellite images of Huawei's advanced chip production line that tied it to SwaySure and cited state financial backing for the facilities shown.

Huawei's purported move did not happen in a void, however; it finds itself in a situation where the Chinese state is increasingly and aggressively defending it not only covertly but overtly, on multiple fronts, as it responds to Washington-backed sanctions that limit and in some cases all but eliminate its ability to access cutting-edge silicon.

The overt part is easy to identify: the Semiconductor Industry Association estimated that Huawei is receiving $30 billion in state funding from the central government and its hometown of Shenzhen to build its chip network, while a separate 2019 estimate put the lifetime figure at US$75 billion in state support.

The government has also effectively barred its tech giants from buying AI chips from AMD and Nvidia while propelling Huawei's Ascend line to de facto standard in the Chinese market, guaranteeing Huawei revenue it would otherwise have to compete for.

The covert part is much harder to identify, but equally crucial: China also allegedly tolerates a shadow fab network that is, at least on paper, not directly associated with Huawei but is, for all intents and purposes, an arm of the giant, the opacity making it hard to pinpoint the direction and scale of Huawei's ambitions in the space. This is also why the US resorts to Entity List designations of Huawei's affiliates: Washington is trying to pierce a veil Beijing built on purpose.

The strongest corroborating signal, ironically, comes from Huawei's adversary: the US government's own Entity List designations imply that BIS investigators concluded these companies function as one network, which is as close to official confirmation as is currently available.

Huawei's move stems from a voracious appetite for AI-centric High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which sanctions ensure it cannot source directly from international suppliers, with the US having tightened export controls to keep it, at least legally, out of Chinese hands.

While a Huawei that fabs its own DRAM would be a notable leap, it may be more of a potential future supplier to Apple than a direct competitor, as Apple is toying with the idea of buying memory from Chinese makers to ease its own supply issues.

Huawei's products do, however, compete with Apple in the smartphone segment, with Intel's server CPU offerings, and with Nvidia's AI chips, even as the last of these struggles to find a foothold in what was once one of its largest markets by revenue.

It does seem to have Samsung's Western position in its crosshairs as it builds toward zero Chinese dependency on suppliers Washington can sanction, but it has a lot of catching up to do to hold its own against the current king of the hill. Samsung holds a 3–4 year lead in HBM, arguably the gap that matters most, over China's CXMT, while its DRAM lead is much narrower and closing considerably faster against China-based memory makers.

Chinese makers have meanwhile reached relative parity in the NAND flash used in SSDs, an increasingly important space for AI, even as Huawei still relies on SMIC for CPU and GPU fabrication, a process roughly two nodes behind industry leader TSMC.

Huawei, at least on paper, has its own designs but does not fab them itself, leaving that to other specialist firms. But if the report holds true, it just might become the first real challenger to Samsung's position as chip designer, fabricator, and memory supplier all rolled into one.

While the tech world is gearing up for the debut of Samsung’s new foldables at Unpacked next week — with the company teasing some major changes to its lineup — here in the UK we’re finally able to get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy XR headset.

It's now available outside the US and Korea for the first time since its launch in October of last year, and I’ve been taking the headset for a spin after Samsung sent me a review a few weeks ago, and seeing how it compares to my trusty Meta Quest 3.

Now, I could just rehash a lot of what our Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, said in his Samsung Galaxy XR hands-on — praising the OLED screen, describing the comfort of the headset over several sessions, and listing the apps I love in XR that elevate the Android experience beyond what's possible on a phone or laptop. But I won't do that here.

Instead I'm putting my body (well, head and neck comfort) on the line to bring you the return of my favorite VR headset testing format: can I spend a whole week wearing the Samsung Galaxy XR?

The short answer? Yes, but it could be comfier. Read on for more about my experience.

Into the Android XR-verse

Just to be clear, I didn't wear the Galaxy XR headset 24/7 — I haven't been walking around my local supermarket immersed in XR, or sleeping in my Samsung headset .

I spent my whole working day in the headset (taking it off only for my lunch breaks, and to use the bathroom), and also wore it for a couple of hours each evening, to unwind with a movie or a game.

I also made sure to spend at least a day relying on only the hardware in the Samsung Galaxy XR’s box — i.e., the headset.

Software-wise, I used everything I’d normally rely on my PC or phone to work and stay entertained, and also had access to the Explorer Pack — a suite of software and subscriptions worth £665 that you'll get for free with a purchase of the Galaxy XR until December 16.

A quick aside on this pack: with a year's access to premium Gemini models (and 5TB of digital Google Cloud storage), plus a year of YouTube Premium, a Calm subscription, and plenty more, it's a really solid addition to the XR experience — I'll be writing more about my experience with its services soon.

Anyway, back to the headset itself…

Things got off to a good start on day one. Thanks to the XR multitasking I was able to have a giant floating Slack window keeping me in touch with my TechRadar colleagues, and a second giant floating YouTube window featuring the latest episode of one of my many podcasts or music playlists to keep me engaged, flanking a Google doc page for whatever I was working on, which I wrote in using a floating keyboard that reacts to my finger movements.

I could open Google Chrome tabs too, and conveniently flick through and between windows using eye controls — the headset relies on eye-tracking to determine what buttons I want to press, which I indicate by simply pinching my fingers while my hand rests lazily in front of me.

I was even able to join meetings virtually, with digital avatars that were good, but not yet great at representing me or mimicking my real-world facial expressions. My Galaxy avatar looked a bit too cartoonish for work meetings, and my Google avatar looked permanently distressed (which I don’t think is my general state of being), and was also missing my glasses, which felt weird — I always wear them, so it felt like the avatar was missing some of my identity.

That aside, I quickly found that any job which relies on lots of basic operations (essentially anything that isn’t something like intense video editing, though there are Play Store apps for less sophisticated video editing needs) is a breeze on the Galaxy XR headset. However, as the novelty faded, I hit my first hurdle: speed.

Gotta type fast!

Eye-tracking controls are neat, and generally XR controls are incredibly intuitive, but the keyboard is not as responsive as even the most basic physical keyboard. This slowed my typing pace to a crawl, and with deadlines looming over me I couldn’t spend my days steadily working through sentences at a snail pace.

The ideal alternative would be a Bluetooth keyboard that pairs with your headset, and most standard models will get the job done after you’ve connected one. I gave one a quick try, and it was much more effective than the virtual keyboard for actually working productively in XR — the brief pause I had to contend with between virtual key presses was eliminated.

My predicament gave me an excuse, however, to see how the headset works when paired with a PC — giving me the massive virtual displays of XR combined with the convenience of a fully powered desktop.

The perfect setup would involve a Samsung Galaxy Book, which pairs more seamlessly with the headset, like the Vision Pro and a MacBook pair for Apple users. However I don’t have a Galaxy Book, so I instead had to turn to Virtual Desktop.

It’s an app I’ve used previously to pair Meta headsets with my PC, and it’s very effective. The connection, even in a room a few meters from where my router lives, is seamless, with next to no delay between what I do on my PC and see on my headset’s view. Plus, with the ability to drag displays around and resize them, I could create the ultimate multi-monitor setup.

The downside is that you can’t access the full multitasking capabilities of the Galaxy XR headset within the Virtual Desktop app. Other apps seem not to suffer from these issues; however the trouble is that several, such as Google’s PC Connect, weren’t available in the UK when I was conducting my tests, and it seems that every app has a downside (for example, PC Connect only lets you stream a single monitor, not multiple).

This compatibility friction with non-Samsung PCs would be the biggest change I’d like to see addressed from a productivity standpoint, as otherwise the Galaxy XR excels on the software side.

My other two big changes would be to the design: the addition of a silicone facial interface and a top strap.

I can’t feel my head when I’m with you

The UK, where I’m based, has been buffeted by heat waves in recent weeks, including while I was testing the Galaxy headset. In homes designed to retain heat, and which lack A/C, this means things can get pretty hot and sweaty, which isn’t ideal when a headset is strapped to your face — and it’s even less ideal when you can feel that sweat being soaked up by the fabric facial interface.

If I was in charge of making headsets I’d mandate that all facial interfaces are made of silicone, or at least that headsets come with a swappable silicone interface, or a silicone cover for the fabric interface, in the box. Unfortunately I can't force such a change on Samsung, but hopefully it’s a change it’ll make for the Galaxy XR 2; it’s more hygienic, and makes the headset easier to share, and I’ve found it doesn’t impact the comfort at all (if anything it makes me feel more at ease in the headset, as I know I’m not immersed in months-old sweat).

As for a top strap (one which runs over the top of my head rather than simply around it), I firmly believe it would help to make the headset comfier to wear for long stretches, as it would further spread the weight of the device across my head.

Day one wasn’t too bad, but by the midpoint of day two I was feeling a little discomfort. By day four I was ready to give up my challenge; and the end of day five couldn’t come fast enough.

Samsung gets so much else right in terms of the Galaxy XR's comfort — chiefly moving the weight of its bulky battery to an external puck, so that you’re only carrying 545g on your head — so it’s a shame that the headset is let down by something as simple as its headband.

For a few hours I found it was fine, but for my extreme testing sessions it didn’t hold up.

Yet again, then, I’ve found that I don’t really want to spend my whole day inside a VR headset, even though the Samsung Galaxy XR headset represents a serious improvement in terms of visual performance (courtesy of its superb OLED screen), the usefulness of its features, including eye-tracking (which I’ve previously found is quite gimmicky), and delivering solid multitasking performance (aided by the expansive app library of the Play Store) compared to the last time I tried a similar exercise with the Meta Quest Pro a few years ago.

Even if I won’t be spending all my time in the Galaxy XR, I plan to wear it plenty more, albeit just for more casual sessions, and I’ll definitely be taking it on a flight, as soon as I have the opportunity, to see how it fares — perhaps that’s where it’ll really shine.

Tech companies large and small — including the likes of Meta, Samsung, and Google (and perhaps even Apple) — are betting that smart glasses become one of the leading device form factors of the future. But this week it became clear that they're facing an increasingly strong backlash against the technology.

There's one problem in particular: cameras. These tiny, embedded recording devices make it easier to record your kids' cute mishaps, your latest mountain bike ride, and a first-person view of anything without needing to get your phone out, but they also enable a certain level of surreptitious photo and video capturing that isn't possible with a phone.

And there's no doubt that bad actors are using these smart glasses for unwholesome purposes: some glasses owners have been paying modders to disable the warning light that should appear whenever recording is actively happening.

We're now at the stage where smart glasses owners are worried about wearing them in public, such is the growing negativity around them. Here's what we've learned in the last few days, and what might happen next.

An inevitable 'collapse into surveillance tech'

Smart glasses with cameras are nothing new of course, but stories around these devices being modded to operate without recording lights (something Meta has now moved to block), as well as reports that future Meta Ray-Bans could be recording all the time, seems to have prompted a new wave of anti-smart glasses sentiment.

Even the celebrities are weighing in: pop icon Lorde was less than complimentary about smart specs on stage recently, leaving her audience in no doubt about her feelings about the tech, while rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator has declared that "anyone who uses these glasses is a real weirdo".

Some of the rich and famous are still on board — you can actually buy Kylie Jenner-branded Meta Glasses, if you want — but most of the online reaction is critical of the technology. A quick peek at Reddit reveals comments like "all internet and computer tech seems to inevitably collapse into surveillance tech" and "people are choosing to be a walking Flock camera" (if you don't get the reference, read this).

Users are referencing Black Mirror and calling for the technology to be banned outright, and using terms like "creep goggles" to describe the devices. While a ban is unlikely at this point, there are some legal changes happening: Illinois looks set to be the first US state to ban smart glasses while driving, not because of any sneaky recording capabilities, but because they might prove to be a distraction to drivers.

Over in South Korea, meanwhile, a man is facing criminal charges after admitting to using smart glasses to cheat on a test. The camera captures the questions, on-board AI figures out what the answers are, and the person sitting the exam writes down the answers. There's more than one way to misuse the camera technology.

However, lawmakers don't yet seem convinced that these AI-powered glasses represent a privacy threat. Regulators in the European Union have reportedly bowed to US pressure in deciding that wearables were exempt from having to include removable batteries, like some other gadget types are when sold in the EU.

What happens next?

While there are some limited efforts to curb the use of smart glasses then, at this stage they're small scale and localized. To try and nudge things along, activists in London have been busy putting up fake Meta Glasses ads on bus stops (below), making a point about surveillance. One of the ads uses an optical illusion to turn the face of Kylie Jenner into a creepy skeleton, with the tagline "we're always watching".

Recording everything we see and do constantly? It’s giving fascism, not fashion It’s just been revealed Meta is planning to make the glasses “continuously record audio while taking photos every few seconds” without any warning light*Literally NO ONE asked for this#noncegoggles*Source: the FT

— @everyonehateselon.bsky.social (@everyonehateselon.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-17T18:40:05.934Z

Cast your mind back to 2012 when Google Glass launched, and you'll remember that we've been debating these issues for years. There are clearly benefits to wearable specs that can give you hands-free directions, translations, and information without you having to take your phone out, but it seems the concerns over covert surveillance are outweighing the positives in the public's mind.

Given the growing influence of AI tech and how well-suited these wearables are to taking in and processing information, it doesn't seem likely that the tech will be restricted any time soon. For several years now we've been seeing demos of smart glasses that can see and understand the world around them, and those capabilities are on the way whether we like it or not.

If, as rumored, Apple does make its own version of smart glasses, it's going to be interesting to see how this famously privacy-focused company deals with the issues of surveillance. A recording light that cannot be switched off is a good start, but as we've already mentioned, existing users are already cautious of wearing their smart specs around other people.

Later this year we're going to see more smart glasses from Google and Samsung, with Gemini AI ready and waiting to tell you everything you need to know about what you're looking at — which of course requires a camera. As per Google, the company is aware that people won't wear these specs if the privacy concerns are too great, and its solution is mostly to make sure the recording light is noticeable and cannot be tampered with.

"If people don't feel comfortable wearing these glasses, and privacy is part of this, they just won't wear the glasses," Google's Juston Payne told Tom's Guide this week. "It’s as simple as that." The new Google and Samsung wearables are scheduled to arrive later this year, but the companies involved still have a way to go when it comes to shifting user opinion.

Foldable phones are no longer a novelty, but what is novel this year is that Apple is almost certainly joining Samsung and Google in releasing a phone in a foldable form factor — and the launch is significant enough that it's led to a change in strategy from Samsung, now in its eighth year of launching Galaxy Z Fold models.

If you've been keeping up with the rumors, you'll know that Samsung is widely expected to reveal both a standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 and a 'wide' version of the phone when the next Unpacked rolls around on Wednesday, July 22.

That's very likely because the iPhone Ultra (or iPhone Fold if you prefer) is being tipped to adopt the wide form factor itself. By wide, we mean the phone is shorter and wider than previous book-style foldables, whether it's open or closed.

So why the shift in design this year? Is it likely to drive more foldable phone sales? And should you be looking at picking up either a Galaxy Z Fold 8, an iPhone Ultra, or a Google Pixel Fold 11 over the coming months? As a tech journalist whose used foldable phones for years now, I can lay out what's going on for you.

The rumors so far

Rumors around a foldable iPhone are nothing new, but for months now it's been clear that this is the year that the speculation finally turns into an actual device: there have been so many rumors, from so many well-placed sources, that it would now be a huge surprise if the iPhone Ultra didn't show up around September time.

As the rumors have started gaining momentum, we've seen a running theme: the iPhone Ultra's screens are going to be shorter and wider than is typical for a device like this. A 5.5-inch cover screen and a 7.8-inch main display are what we're expecting, which would make it smaller overall than the foldables Samsung and Google have been producing.

Through leaks such as this 3D CAD mockup, we've got a pretty good idea of what the Apple phone will look like, and it might be the most interesting design choice on this device (though I'm also looking forward to seeing just how 'invisible' Apple has been able to make that crease, which will go a long way to determining how appealing the phone is).

Over to the Samsung camp then, and around the same time that it emerged that Apple was taking the shorter and wider form factor approach with its foldable, we got news that Samsung was bringing out its own version — presumably to appeal to those who would otherwise go with Apple for their next folding phone.

Originally known as the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, it now appears that this handset will get the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 moniker, while the 'normal' foldable will become the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (try and keep up at the back). You'll get a direct choice between Samsung and Apple when it comes to this more 'squat' approach to foldable design.

Google, meanwhile, doesn't appear to be changing its approach for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold (due on Wednesday, August 12): that means this phone will be more of a regular handset size when it's closed, and have a squarer screen when opened, and that brings us to the reason why these wide foldables are appearing.

The foldable phone experience

For as long as foldables have been around, manufacturers have had to balance two experiences: what the phone is like to use when it's closed, and what it's like to use when it's opened. A foldable handset needs to score highly on both counts to get consumers to consider spending money on, but to date there's been almost too much of a compromise.

As a tech journalist, I've had the privilege of using multiple foldable phones, including many months with a Pixel 9 Pro Fold that Google loaned to me. Here's the thing though: most of the time I used that phone, I kept it closed. I didn't really have any need to switch to the bigger display, even though it's an impressive feat of engineering to have the two screens in one device.

Now part of the appeal of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — as mentioned prominently in our review — is that it looks like a 'normal' phone when it's closed. But if that's one of the main selling points, it begs the question of why you wouldn't just buy a normal PIxel, which is going to be significantly cheaper and much thinner.

The trade-off from sticking to a standard display aspect ratio when a foldable is closed is that the larger display is more or less square. That means big black letterboxing when you're watching videos and playing a lot of games, and when I've used foldables in the past, I've usually ended up watching movies and shows with the phones closed and in landscape orientation.

That brings us back to what Apple and Samsung are doing this year. A square display is still useful for some tasks — like web browsing, and getting two apps up side-by-side — but these new foldables will have a more tablet-like 4:3 aspect ratio when opened up. That will make them much better for watching video content and for gaming (and much more iPad-like, in Apple's case).

The whole point of a book-style foldable, after all, is that larger display — and in 2026 that's the screen that Samsung and Apple are going to be focusing on, even if it does mean the handsets will look rather odd when they're closed. The passport-style foldable is the future, and I think it'll be a successful switch.

Every week here at TechRadar we publish a whole host of technology stories — it would be a seriously impressive feat if you managed to keep up with all of them, what with everything else happening going on (was there a World Cup?).

The aim of this ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up is to help you quickly catch up on the biggest stories and the most important headlines in tech. These are the articles that mattered most over the past seven days.

We've got news on Apple, OpenAI, OnePlus, Volkswagen, and Microsoft, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Samsung and an important GoPro review. But before we dive in, see how much of last week's ICYMI news round-up you remember first by taking the quiz below.

7. Volkswagen revealed the world's techiest e-bike

Volkswagen has a brand new electric bicycle to show off: the new Smart eBike range has been developed in partnership with n+, and goes big on the tech and the safety features. You'll find radar-assisted traffic monitoring here, as well as a high-definition rear view camera, so while you're pedaling (or not) you'll have a better idea of what's around you.

There's an expanded safety ecosystem too, with an optional smart helmet for syncing turn signals and making them more visible, and a pair of smart glasses that are perhaps the most cutting edge part of the whole package. You can use the smart specs to get journey information and navigation instructions put in front of your eyes when they're needed.

• Read the full story: Volkswagen unveils its innovative eBike with the world's first integrated rear-view camera and smart glasses

6. We reviewed GoPro’s premium action cam

GoPro is being a little bit more ambitious with its new Mission 1 Pro, a flagship action camera that builds on the classic form factor while adding some premium extras. Our Senior Staff Writer Hamish Hector has been giving the camera a thorough TechRadar test, and came away impressed with just about everything the Mission 1 Pro has to offer.

Special praise was given to the high-resolution video recording, the choice of recording modes, and the tweaked design choices that make the Mission 1 Pro different to its predecessors. Click through to see what the premium camera is capable of in terms of photo and video performance, and to find out whether it's the right upgrade for you.

• Read the full story: The Mission 1 Pro isn’t just GoPro's flagship action cam, it’s a fantastic all-round vacation camera with the point-and-shoot grip — I just wish it was cheaper

5. We went inside Samsung Display’s secret labs

Samsung phones and tablets are known for the quality of their screens, so of course we jumped at the chance when we were invited to take a behind-the-scenes tour of a Samsung Display factory. This is where current displays are made and tested, and where next-gen models are tested (though sadly we didn't get to see the Galaxy Z Fold 8).

From advanced stress tests to upcoming displays with optical illusions built in, there was a lot to look at on the tour, reading through our write-up is the next best thing to actually getting access yourself. Of course, we also had to ask Samsung Display representatives about the rumored iPhone Fold, but they didn't seem too worried by the competition...

• Read the full story: Inside Samsung Display's secret labs, where it builds and stress-tests next-gen displays — and says it's ready for Apple to launch a foldable: 'We mean it, we love other companies to join this market'

4. The iOS 27 public beta landed with the new Siri

The upcoming iOS 27 software update gives iPhone owners a lot to look forward to, not least the new and improved Siri AI app (or Siri 2.0, effectively). This week the public beta dropped, which means that anyone who wants to can try out the new features early — assuming they don't mind putting up with a few bugs or random crashes along the way.

Whether you're a veteran at running betas or thinking about dipping your toe in for the first time, our guide will explain how to download and install iOS 27 on your phone. We've also highlighted three of the new features you should test out first, including the improved photo editing tools that use a bit of AI magic to make your pictures look better than ever.

• Read the full story: How to download the iOS 27 public beta — and 3 new things to try first

3. Windows 11 got a major update

There have been some missteps along the way, but generally speaking Microsoft is on something of a roll when it comes to improving Windows 11 this year. The latest July update continues that trend, and if you're a user of the desktop operating system then you should be happy: there are some smart new features, and some important bug fixes.

One of the stand-out upgrades this time is a feature we've been waiting a while for: a proper pause function for Windows 11 updates, so if you don't want to install the latest patches right away, you don't feel like you're being pestered to get them applied as soon as possible. We've got details on how the feature works, plus what else is new this time.

• Read the full story: New Windows 11 update is a big one — these are my top 4 features, including the ability to pause updates indefinitely

2. A bombshell Apple vs OpenAI lawsuit landed

It's fair to say Apple and OpenAI aren't on as good terms as they used to be, what with staff being poached and confidential information being stolen... allegedly. Apple has now filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming that the ChatGPT developer has pinched trade secrets through ex-Apple employees — and the case could have serious long-term repercussions.

Depending on what the courts and judges decide, this could impact OpenAI's nascent plans to launch hardware devices, as well as having an influence on how Apple develops its software — remember that ChatGPT is still embedded in Siri, at the time of writing. We're likely to hear much more about this astonishing case in the months to come.

• Read the full story: Apple vs OpenAI lawsuit — 8 bombshell accusations and how the legal war might change your next iPhone

1. OnePlus officially quit the US and Europe

OnePlus has finally run out of road — in the US and Europe at least. Parent company Oppo has decided the brand will withdraw from those markets, which means a large part of the world will be missing out on some great handsets. In recent years, some of our favorite phones have come from OnePlus, but availability will be much more limited from now on.

If you already own a OnePlus device in the US or Europe, then you'll continue to get support and software updates, but there won't be any new phone launches. "It wasn't a decision made in a rush," explained Oppo's Shuang Chen in a briefing. "Being a responsible brand means knowing when to go all in and when to make a choice."

• Read the full story: 'It wasn't a decision made in a rush': OnePlus explains why it’s just quit the US and Europe — and answers our 5 biggest questions about what it means

Samsung S95H review: Two minute review

Sitting at the top of Samsung’s 2026 TV lineup, the Samsung S95H is a flagship OLED TV that delivers excellent performance, particularly when it comes to picture, and a full set of features both for smart TV and for gaming. This could easily be one of 2026’s best TVs.

The S95H has a full list of features. Its NQ4 AI Gen 3 Processor comes with a stack of AI tools for picture, such as AI Motion Enhancer Pro and AI 4K Upscaling Pro, AI tools for sound such as Adaptive Sound Pro, and other AI tools for content recommendation. All of these fall under the Samsung Vision AI banner.

Picture quality on the S95H is superb. It delivers the highest brightness to date from a flagship OLED TV, along with vibrant, accurate colors, crisp textures and powerful contrast. Its anti-reflection screen is effective at eliminating reflections and while its Filmmaker Mode is a little dim in bright conditions, its Movie mode is a great brighter alternative.

Motion handling is mostly smooth and natural for both movies and sport, and while there are some hints of black crush in certain movies I tested, the S95H’s picture is still up there with the best OLED TVs.

The Samsung S95H delivers solid overall built-in sound. Its accuracy and precision are its strengths, with an excellent connection between the action on screen and the sound. The bass is punchy, there’s some nice impact and the soundstage can be wide. Still, this level of picture quality deserves a fuller sound, so I’d recommend one of the best soundbars or speakers.

Design is arguably the S95H’s most controversial topic this year. A new silver frame around the TV, called the FloatLayer Design, has been added and I personally found the frame to be distracting. While meant for wall-mounting, the extra width may cause space issues for some people and the handsome central pedestal stand of its predecessor has been replaced by two plastic feet. The One Connect Box has been removed, with ports returning to the TV itself — but you can connect Samsung Wireless One Connect Box to add more HDMI ports.

The S95H is a phenomenal gaming TV. Carrying four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 165Hz, full VRR, HDR10+ gaming and ALLM, and boasting an ultra-low 9.5ms input lag at 60Hz, performance is smooth and the picture always looks great. Easily one of 2026’s best gaming TVs.

One UI Tizen is the S95H’s smart TV platform. It supports all major streaming apps, delivers pretty smooth performance and is easy to navigate. While there are some quirks that I found frustrating (namely auto-playing Samsung TV Plus), it’s still a good smart TV platform. Its Vision AI companion can be useful for those who enjoy AI, and while it doesn’t quite measure up to LG’s webOS, it’s still solid.

The 65-inch S95H I tested costs $3,399 / AU$5,299, putting it at the premium end of the TV market. While this is a high price, the S95H delivers features and performance to justify the price and it’s competitively priced with rivals, with the LG G6 65-inch costing $3,299 / AU$4,999. I expect prices for the S95H will drop shortly, with some deals already active in Australia at the time of writing.

Samsung S95H review: Prices & release dates

• Release date: June 2026
• 55-inch price: $2,299 / AU$3,999
• 65-inch price: $3,299 / AU$5,299
• 77-inch price: $4,299 / AU$7,999
• 83-inch price: $6,299 / AU$9,999

The Samsung S95H is the flagship OLED in Samsung’s 2026 TV lineup. It sits above the mid-range Samsung S90H and budget Samsung S85H. The 65-inch model I tested launched in June 2026 at $3,299 / AU$5,299.

In the few weeks since its release, prices have remained the same, though we have seen some price reductions in Australia, particularly in larger-sized models, with up to AU$1,500 off the 83-inch model. The S95H’s launch prices are cheaper than both its predecessor, the S95F, and the rival G6. However, the G6 has been out for longer, so its prices have dropped over time.

Samsung S95H review: Specs

Samsung S95H review: Benchmark results

Previous

1 / 4

Next

Brightness measurements

Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator. Click the test name to see more measurements and choose a test from the dropdown menu

HDR Filmmaker ModeHDR Standard ModeSDR Filmmaker ModeSDR Standard Mode

Samsung S95H

HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)

2739

HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)

449

LG G6

HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)

3004

HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)

451

Samsung S95F

HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)

2132

HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)

390

01,0002,0003,0004,000

nits

HDR Filmmaker Mode Data

Product	HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window) (nits)	HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S95H	2739	449
LG G6	3004	451
Samsung S95F	2132	390

Samsung S95H

HDR Standard Mode (10% window)

2831

HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)

463

LG G6

HDR Standard Mode (10% window)

2469

HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)

385

Samsung S95F

HDR Standard Mode (10% window)

2135

HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)

380

07501,5002,2503,000

nits

HDR Standard Mode Data

Product	HDR Standard Mode (10% window) (nits)	HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S95H	2831	463
LG G6	2469	385
Samsung S95F	2135	380

Samsung S95H

SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)

220

SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)

219

LG G6

SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)

559

SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)

390

Samsung S95F

SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)

256

SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)

137

0150300450600

nits

SDR Filmmaker Mode Data

Product	SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window) (nits)	SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S95H	220	219
LG G6	559	390
Samsung S95F	256	137

Samsung S95H

SDR Standard Mode (10% window)

229

SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)

229

LG G6

SDR Standard Mode (10% window)

648

SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)

559

Samsung S95F

SDR Standard Mode (10% window)

372

SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)

199

0200400600800

nits

SDR Standard Mode Data

Product	SDR Standard Mode (10% window) (nits)	SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S95H	229	229
LG G6	648	559
Samsung S95F	372	199

HDR color gamut

Closer to 100% is better. Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator.

Samsung S95H

UHDA-P3

99.97

BT.2020

89.2

LG G6

UHDA-P3

99.3

BT.2020

83

Samsung S95F

UHDA-P3

100

BT.2020

89.3

0255075100

HDR Filmmaker Mode Data

Product	UHDA-P3 ()	BT.2020 ()
Samsung S95H	99.97	89.2
LG G6	99.3	83
Samsung S95F	100	89.3

Picture accuracy

A lower score is better. Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator.

SDR Delta-E

Samsung S95H

1.6

LG G6

1.4

Samsung S95F

2.61

0123

SDR Delta-E Data

Product	Value
Samsung S95H	1.6
LG G6	1.4
Samsung S95F	2.61

Input lag

Lower is better. Taken using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Video Signal Lag Tester.

Samsung S95H

4K 60Hz

9.5

1080p 120Hz

5

LG G6

4K 60Hz

8.9

1080p 120Hz

4.6

Samsung S95F

4K 60Hz

9.5

1080p 120Hz

0

012345678910

ms

HDR Filmmaker Mode Data

Product	4K 60Hz (ms)	1080p 120Hz (ms)
Samsung S95H	9.5	5
LG G6	8.9	4.6
Samsung S95F	9.5	N/A

The Samsung S95F does not have a recorded 1080p 120Hz results as its measurements was taken before we started doing this test

Samsung S95H review: Features

• NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor
• OLED Glare Free screen
• AI enhancements including AI Football Pro mode

The flagship Samsung OLED has typically used a QD-OLED panel in its 55-77-inch sizes in the past. Based on my testing measurements, I am certain that the 65-inch model I tested does use a QD-OLED panel, though Samsung doesn't confirm this either way. The 83-inch model will use an LG W-OLED panel, because QD-OLED panels don't come in that size.

The S95H features an anti-reflection, matte screen, called OLED Glare Free by Samsung, that is designed to reduce mirror-like reflections, and keep reflections from a light to minimum.

The S95H uses Samsung’s own NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor, which provides visual AI-based enhancements such as AI Motion Enhancer Pro, 4K AI Upscaling Pro and Auto HDR Remastering Pro, as well as the introduction of AI Soccer Mode Pro, designed to provide the best picture and sound for Soccer. AI audio enhancements include AI Sound and AI Sound Controller Pro.

For HDR support, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG are once again supported, but there is still no support for Dolby Vision. For enhanced audio formats, Dolby Atmos is supported, but not DTS.

The big design change with the S95H, compared to last year’s S95F, is the addition of a wider, silver frame, which Samsung calls a FloatLayer Design, which adds a couple of extra inches all around the TV. As a result, the One Connect Box is gone and ports have returned to the rear panel of the TV itself.

It’s worth noting that, as well as the four HDMI 2.1 ports on the rear panel, Samsung says that its Wireless One Connect Box can be added in addition to the other ports, giving you a total of eight HDMI 2.1 ports (four built-in, four on the optional box).

For sound, the S95H features a built-in 4.2.2-channel, 70W speaker system that supports Dolby Atmos: the same core specs as last year’s S95F. Sound features include Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+), Adaptive Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier Pro.

Gaming is well covered, with four HDMI 2.1 ports built-in that support 4K at up to 165Hz, full variable refresh rate options including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG, HDR10+ gaming and auto low latency mode. There’s also a Game Hub where cloud-based applications such as Xbox and Luna can be accessed.

Samsung uses its own Tizen smart TV platform on the S95H, which features the aforementioned picture and audio AI tools as well as Generative Wallpaper and Art Mode, the latter of which is the same found on the brand’s The Frame art TVs.

Tizen supports a vast array of apps including Netflix and Prime Video and uses Samsung TV Plus for broadcast TV. It does however only have a built-in ATSC 1.0 tuner, rather than the latest ATSC 3.0.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Samsung S95H review: Picture quality

• Spectacular color display
• Effective anti-glare matte screen
• Strong contrast and inky black tones

The S95H boasts some strong brightness results, clocking in at 2,739 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 2,831 nits in Standard for peak HDR brightness. I used Movie mode for some of my testing, and this registered at 2,751 nits peak HDR. This is a big jump over 2,132 nits and 2,135 nits the S95H’s predecessor, the S95F, registered in the same HDR Filmmaker and Standard modes respectively.

Even fullscreen HDR brightness has had a nice boost, registering 449 nits in Filmmaker, 460 nits in Standard and 450 nits in Movie. This is a jump over the 380 nits and 390 nits the S95F achieved in Filmmaker and Standard mode.

The S95H’s has an anti-reflection, matte screen. If you’re viewing in a bright room, with unavoidable light, the S95H should be near the top of your shopping list. While I preferred the LG G6 over the S95H for actual content in bright rooms, the S95H is still the better TV for eliminating reflections outright.

The S95H demonstrates effective upscaling of SDR sources. Watching a mix of reality shows and Wimbledon via Samsung TV Plus, the S95H did a good job sharpening textures and giving colors a richer look. With HD sources, detail upscaling looked realistic and definitely had a 4K-like level of detail.

I tried out the Auto HDR Remastering Pro tool, and while it did boost brightness and sharpen textures, it all looked too artificial for my liking.

Moving to HDR sources, I first tested the S95H’s colour reproduction. Watching Speed Racer, a recent addition to my 4K Blu-ray testing rotation, the S95H delivered bright, bold colors that accurately captured the cartoon-style colours of the movie. Close-up shots of Speed Racer show vibrant reds in the interior of his cockpit and his ‘M’ logo, while later scenes show gorgeous, bright blues of clear skies and neon-like greens of a field in a schoolyard.

Comparing the S95H to the G6, I did find that the S95H made some reds a little pale and orange in appearance at times, but viewed in isolation, the S95H’s colors still looked superb. Moving to La La Land, Mia’s yellow dress was punchy, but accurate on the S95H and the gradient of pinks and purples in the sunsets looked realistic, but still lively.

It’s no real surprise that colors looked bold on the S95H, as I measured its HDR color gamut coverage at 89.2% of the BT.2020 colour space and 99.97% of the DCI-P3 color space: both outstanding results.

For darker movies, it was important to get the right picture mode for the situation. I found The Batman was too dim to watch in the default Filmmaker Mode with the lights on in our testing lab, but Movie mode worked fine. In a darker room however, Filmmaker Mode worked.

Throughout The Batman, the S95H’s strong contrast shone through, aided by its punchy highlights from its newfound brightness and rich black tones. Whether Batman stood in a dark subway or the camera cut to a ceiling-high, wide-angle shot of the Batcave, there was an excellent balance between light and dark tones.

I found during my testing that in Filmmaker Mode, the S95H was prone to black crush during the darker parts of the movie, resulting in detail loss. Batman’s armor in the aforementioned subway scene is obscured, as the S95H prioritizes deeper blacks. This wasn’t as true in a ‘brighter’ dark movie, such as Alien: Romulus, where detail is more preserved, but there were still hints of black crush.

The S95H’s textures are crisp and 3D-like, no matter the content. Skin, clothing and objects all look lifelike, especially in HDR. I actually found I preferred the look of the S95H’s skin tones better than the G6 in my comparison of the two.

Finally, motion. The S95H demonstrated good motion throughout my testing, but I found it was best to set motion to 3 blur and 3 judder. Any higher, and motion looked artificial and unnatural. Going back to Speed Racer, the S95H did a good job handling the fast racing sequences as cars swerved from side-to-side. I did find there was some judder as commentators panned across the screen, but I found this on every TV I’ve tested with the disc so far.

I tried out the S95H’s AI Soccer Mode Pro and it was somewhat effective. The commentary was clearer and louder, the picture was more detailed and motion was smoother. If you don’t want to use any AI tools, then Standard picture mode with judder and blur set to 3 worked well for sports.

• Picture quality score: 5 / 5

Samsung S95H review: Sound quality

• 4.2.2-channel speaker system with Dolby Atmos
• Great accuracy and clarity
• No DTS support

The S95H features a 4.2.2 channel, 70W speaker array and supports Dolby Atmos. There is however no DTS support. Along with its two sound modes, Standard and Amplify, there are AI Sound tools such as Adaptive Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier that can be used to adjust sound.

Watching Speed Racer with the S95H set to the Amplify sound mode, the S95H demonstrates solid bass and power, accurately delivering the rumble and revving of engines. Collisions as cars battle during races also have good impact, along with clear speech, even during the most hectic of races.

The S95H’s Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+) is superb for delivering precise sound placement. When Speed Racer grinds a rail in the opening race, the sound was clean and audible, despite other loud effects.

Trying out the S95H’s AI Sound mode, it adds some width to the soundstage, giving more volume to more subtle effects. However, I personally found that the AI Sound was a little more compressed and some power was compromised, so I preferred the default Amplify setting.

While overall the S95H’s built-in speakers did a good job, I still felt the sound was contained to the screen's width, and while there was some good delivery of Atmos effects, they again were lost in the mix. For a TV with this picture quality, I’d still recommend a soundbar at least for the full cinematic experience.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Samsung S95H review: Design

• Extended silver frame will be divisive
• Stand replaced with feet
• No One Connect Box included

Arguably the biggest talking point for the S95H this year is the physical design changes compared to last year’s S95F. The most notable is the FloatLayer Design, a silver frame that surrounds the TV, giving it a floating, 3D look. This is going to be a controversial addition and for some, it will mean a re-think on where to put the TV, since it adds width and height.

Personally, I’m not a fan, as I find the silver to be a bit distracting and when viewed off-centre, the frame looks odd.

The black, metal, pedestal stand from the S95F has been replaced by two plastic gray feet. While these feet are sturdy and easy to install, I still feel it’s a downgrade for a premium TV. The TV’s bezel is still sleek and ultra-thin, however, and gives it a high-quality feel (but is slightly spoiled by the frame behind it).

The other big change is the removal of the One Connect Box, an external box that housed the TV’s connections and processing. Now, the ports have returned to the rear panel on the TV itself.

For some, this will be welcome news. The S95H is compatible with the Wireless One Connect Box too, so if you liked the external connections, this is still an option you can add on — and not only that, the box can work in tandem with the TV’s built-in connections, meaning a potential eight HDMI 2.1 ports. Who needs an AVR?

The SolarCell remote returns once again, and while there’s been no real changes or additions to it, it’s still a light, sleek, USB-C and solar rechargeable remote that’s probably one of the better remotes on the market.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung S95H review: Smart TV & menus

• One UI Tizen smart TV platform
• Vision AI features
• Home, Gaming, Art Hubs

The S95H uses Samsung’s own One UI Tizen smart TV platform, with the headline addition this year being the Samsung Vision AI Companion, which can be used to find related content to what you're watching, and can answer general questions you may ask AI. Microsoft Copilot is supported.

Tizen supports major streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and more.

Tizen uses a number of different hubs as a way to organize relevant apps and content. Home houses streaming apps and content recommendations based on your viewing. Game houses all things gaming, including cloud based apps from the likes of Xbox. Daily hosts apps for office and health use, while Art hosts the Art Store, where artworks can be downloaded to be used as screensavers.

Art mode is a new addition, and basically means you can turn this into an artwork display, just like Samsung's The Frame TV. This may explain the new frame-like design. The Art mode costs a monthly subscription for access to all artworks.

Tizen is intuitive enough and easy to use. There is a space at the top of the home screen for banner ads, but this is common on most smart TV platforms nowadays. One thing I did find frustrating was that whenever I lingered on the home screen, Samsung TV+ would autoplay and overwrite whatever I was doing. There seemed to be no way to turn this off, short of deleting the app.

There are a good number of picture settings present, as well as AI-based tools for picture and sound settings.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S95H review: Gaming

• Four HDMI 2.1 ports
• FreeSync and G-Sync supported
• 9.5ms input lag time

The S95H is an excellent TV for gaming. Across its four HDMI 2.1 ports, it supports 4K 165Hz, full VRR including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HDR10+ gaming and ALLM. It also features a Game Hub, where gaming related content and cloud based gaming apps such as Xbox and Luna are supported.

The S95H’s gaming performance is smooth and responsive, thanks to its ultra-low, measured 9.5ms input lag time. As I dashed around a desert battlefield in Battlefield V playing at 4K 120Hz, snapping between targets and diving for cover, there was never any sign of judder from the S95H, which expertly handled the chaos.

With its strong colors, high brightness and powerful contrast, the S95H looks great while gaming too. During the same desert mission in Battlefield V, it did a superb job capturing the relentless heat of the African sun. Detail in weapons and textures of environments were crisp and refined throughout gaming as well.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

Samsung S95H review: Value

• Premium OLED price
• Competitive with other elite OLEDs
• Great features and performance for the money

As a flagship OLED TV, the S95H carries a premium price tag. The 65-inch model I tested costs $3,299 / AU$5,299, although I’ve seen offers in Australia dropping the same model to $AU4,799.

This puts its pricing right in line with its rival, the LG G6, which costs $3,299 / AU$4,999 for the 65-inch size. Really, it comes down to preference between the two and how important the differences such as total reflection reduction versus maintain black tones are.

Right now, if you want a flagship Samsung OLED, a 65-inch S95F is still available for roughly $2,499 (stock looks depleted in Australia) and while the S95H is an upgrade, the S95F is easily the best value option right now. Once the S95F goes out of stock, which looks to be sooner rather than later, the S95H’s prices will continue to fall, and it’ll be a more-than-worthy successor.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung S95H?

Buy it if...

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Also Consider

How I tested the Samsung S95H

• Reviewed in our TV testing room in varying lighting conditions
• Tested using both SDR and HDR sources
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

The first step in testing the S95H was to determine its best picture modes. I settled on three: Filmmaker Mode for dark-room movie viewing; Movie for bright-room movie viewing and Standard for sports and daytime TV.

After this, I began by testing the S95H's picture quality using both SDR (broadcast TV) and HDR (4K Blu-ray and streaming), focusing on color, contrast, detail, upscaling and motion.

I also tested the S95H's sound quality using reference scenes from Speed Racer among other movies, and I tested its gaming performance using Battlefield V on Xbox Series X.

Once subjective testing was completed, I moved onto taking objective measurements. I did this using a Klein K-10A colorimeter (profile with a Jeti Spectral 15VA Spectroradiometer), a Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator and recorded measurements using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software.

I started with brightness measurements, using white window patterns in sizes 1-100% in both SDR and HDR. The two primary results I focus on are peak (10%) and fullscreen (100%) brightness.

Next, I measured the S95H's color and grayscale accuracy in SDR, and then measured its HDR color gamut coverage, using the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces, hoping for a result of over 95% in the DCI-P3 space.

We recently introduced two new tests into our measurements. The first is the HDR EOTF, which shows the accuracy of a TV's brightness across its range, using 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits targets. Then, there is the Spectral Power Distribution test, which measures how a TV recreates colors.

My final test was to measure the S95H's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester. I measured both 4K 60Hz and 1080p 120Hz results in milliseconds (ms).

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

The metal ball dropped 40 centimeters onto a hair-thin flexible Samsung display with a resounding, cringeworthy clunk, but it did not break, and yet that wasn’t the most remarkable thing.

It was that I was the one dropping the ball, using one of Samsung Display’s own pieces of testing equipment, and I was doing so inside Samsung Display headquarters, a place where no media has gone before.

I’d come to South Korea for a wide-ranging Samsung Electronics product briefing and tours of its massive Gumi Digital City Factory and this first-ever look inside Samsung Display. With Samsung Unpacked now just days away (July 22) and new foldables anticipated, the visit would prove more than illuminating.

While obviously connected and working closely to deliver products like the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 (and whatever comes next), they’re also separate, working in a partnership that also allows Samsung Display to supply displays to, for instance, Apple (more on those Apple folding phone rumors later).

Samsung Display is a display specialist operating in a vast and in some ways nondescript (and in other ways beautiful) factory that is just a stone’s throw away from its nearest competitor, LG Display, which works in South Korea with its partner LG Electronics in a similar fashion.

Most of Samsung Display's buildings are unattractive, brutalist monoliths, but the interiors feature some eye-popping examples of their work. Ironically, we were initially greeted by a conference-hall-sized display featuring our names, which Samsung Display did not build.

But on an adjacent wall was an animated edifice of phones, tablets, TVs, and other screens that all tell the story of Samsung Display technology, one that has taken it from tiny feature-phone displays and tube TVs to the vast OLED panels and flexible displays featured in the latest foldables.

The ball-drop demo was part of a whistle-stop tour of Samsung Display's latest innovations and stress tests. I only dropped the 21.7-gram ball on the panel after watching a Samsung Display tech do it multiple times from a height of 30 centimeters on a 220lb machine that Samsung Display had moved into this small room just for this one demonstration.

However, Samsung seemed in the mood to open up, and we were soon visiting multiple rooms where Samsung Display puts panels through the wringer.

Following our guides, we hopped on a special elevator and soon were standing outside a 24-hour lab that’s running tests even when Samsung employees are asleep. “Only authorized technicians get in,” our guide warned us before unlocking the door with her ID and ushering us inside.

Many of these tests Samsung Display runs are designed to test “how long can I use it?” So, there are the folding and unfolding tests to the tune of thousands of times a day, and stress tests that heat the panels up to 60 degrees Celsius or cool them to minus 20 degrees Celsius. Many of the large gray or beige metal boxes where the tests are performed are sealed, so technicians must track the tests via video feeds from internal cameras.

But as I learned while touring other Samsung facilities, the company likes to automate these processes, so it’s often an unemotional computer that will recognize and report a failure.

Our next stop was another few levels down (B5, to be precise) where we saw image quality and reflection testing. The latter was interesting because, as is often the case, Samsung Display built a special rig, this one a barium sulfate-coated contraption to shine ultra-bright light on the panel and then use a spectrometer to read the light refracted back. For foldable displays, they even check how light bounces off the crease, which will, of course, affect visibility of the crease.

Samsung Display is also where they’re unsurprisingly pushing the boundaries of display technology. Company execs showed us a series of displays that, I think, speak to the future of many of our display-worthy electronics.

The first display, a visual trick of sorts, may have been my favorite. It looked like a small, bezel-less OLED screen showing off the inside of an ornate cathedral.

However, when I got close and shifted my view to the left or right, I realized it was two displays sandwiched on top of each other; a small portion of the image was on the smaller display, and behind it was the complete image. Head-on, they seamlessly blend together.

This optical illusion only works because Samsung Display has figured out how to reduce its tolerances so much that the small gap necessary for electrodes and encapsulation is almost zero, meaning that the top display has no visible black border around it.

The other 7.2-inch displays were of the flexible variety. We saw screens flex, we saw them roll away, but the most interesting was the hybrid: a foldable and rollable screen, something that’s never been tried before.

As for when these displays might come to consumer devices, that’s hard to say, but it does seem inevitable. After all, I first saw Samsung flexible displays more than a decade ago, and now they’re part of a growing legion of consumer-grade foldable phones.

Display executive perspective

Later, we moved to another part of the vast facility for a sit-down with Samsung Display executives

Byung Duk Yang, EVP at Core Component Technology Team, Samsung Electronics and Kyung-jin Yoo EVP & Head of Mobile Display Product Development Team, Samsung Display.

Unquestionably, the bleeding edge of the work they do continues to be the foldable phone partnership with Samsung Electronics, where these innovations presented a series of unusual challenges, many of which the firm has overcome over seven generations of foldable devices (and whatever we expect to come next week at Samsung Unpacked).

“The two companies are always thinking about how we can continue to improve the usability of the foldable,” said Byung Duk Yang.

Yang talked about how these flexible devices and their folding screens introduced diverse user paradigms. Some of the work they do is figuring out how to handle challenges like drops, pressure, and collisions with heavy objects.

But it sounds like it’s been rewarding work and the company is undoubtedly committed to the foldable space. “The future of the foldable device is very promising,” said Byung Duk Yang.

But when we asked about how soon some of those fold and slide screens might be in our hands, Samsung Display execs cautioned us, “We have to consider the real-world usage pattern. The display might be ready, but we should consider many aspects of the usage.

When we have confidence that we can deliver meaningful innovation to the user, then every other aspect of technology are ready, then we are going to list the product,” said Byung Duk Yang, who added that as an engineer, he knows they’re not ready.

When I asked, though, if there were any intrinsic barriers in folding displays to the introduction of the privacy display — a breakout feature for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — the answer surprised me.

“We are exploring and we are thinking, when and how to implement the privacy display into foldable display. Because we know many people love the feature. We are thinking, considering,” smiled Yang.

Speaking of innovation, the Samsung Display execs revealed that, with the upcoming new line of foldables, it's introducing a new material, or rather, doubling the use of a material generally associated with strength and not flexibility: Titanium.

Samsung Displays described it as "Flex Titanium Technology," and what it means is that upcoming foldable Galaxy phones, which the company will reveal next week, will feature not one but two titanium layers.

One is an update to the relatively rigid one that's existed in previous Galaxy Fold models, with a new, special structure at the fold or crease to give flexibility and reduce crease visibility.

The second, new, almost paper-like titanium alloy film replaces the polymer layer below the OLED in previous foldable devices and sits on top of the more rigid titanium plate. It's both thinner than that old polymer layer and, Samsung claims, more resilient.

"Polymer layers are good for flexibility but [we] want to minimize permanent deformation; titanium alloy has a much better quality to reduce permanent deformation,” they explained.

To help us visualize the new flexible display construction, Samsung Display brought out a bread-box-sized diorama, with each display layer hanging inside like a curtain. The new titanium polymer layer felt smooth, thin, light, and quite strong.

Naturally, we had to ask about Apple’s rumored foldable phone, which may be called the iPhone Ultra, and how Samsung Display might supply the screen.

They wouldn’t comment on the rumors but did share, “I think it’s more than welcome because when the other competitors and other companies join the market, this market will be standard and the owners will increase….We really welcome the big competitor joining this market…

We mean it, we love other companies to join this market.”

• Samsung's PM1763 entered mass production as the fastest SSD on paper, focusing solely on AI data centers as its key market
• The PM1763 offers read and write speeds of 28.4GB/s and 21.9GB/s respectively, essentially twice that of its predecessor, the PM1753
• The drive can't physically be used in consumer-grade PCs, adhering to an EDSFF-only form factor while also requiring PCI-E 6.0 channels, something that has yet to be available to end-users

Samsung has announced it is now mass-producing the PM1763 SSD, which aims to replace the PM1753 as its highest-end enterprise-class SSD for AI customers.

The PM1763 offers read speeds of 28,400 MB/s and write speeds of 21,900 MB/s, leveraging PCIe 6.0 connections.

It uses the company's 9th-generation V-NAND, along with a 4nm controller, to deliver these speeds even as PCI-E 6.0 offers double the per-lane bandwidth available to users.

A very fast SSD that narrowly beats the competition where it matters

Samsung's offering is, at the time of writing, without doubt, the fastest SSD available to enterprise clients on paper, but it does have a few caveats.

The company claims the PM1763 offers "industry-leading performance", and that is definitely true in both the read and write departments, especially the latter, but it barely ekes out a win in the former over the Micron 9650.

The Micron 9650 offers read speeds of 28,000 MB/s and much slower write speeds of 14,000 MB/s sequentially, also leveraging PCI-E 6.0 to deliver such performance.

Samsung's SSD is decisively faster on another metric that is key for AI customers, however: it offers 6.92 MIOPS in sequential read speed versus Micron's 5.5 MIOPS.

Micron's offering, however, has already been in mass production since February 2026 and is expected to enjoy greater availability for the rest of the year than Samsung's enterprise flagship.

Samsung's offering also incorporates other gains: it delivers power efficiency that the semiconductor giant says is 1.8x better than the PM1753 and supports both post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms and the TEE Device Interface Security Protocol (TDISP).

It must be noted that both Micron and Samsung's offerings are only part of the puzzle, as enterprise consumers are currently gearing up for the next generation of server hardware. Both Nvidia's Vera platform and AMD's EPYC "Venice" offer PCI-E 6.0 connectivity that these drives need to run at maximum speeds.

One would expect similar gains soon in the consumer market, where Samsung's Gen 5-based 9100 Pro is one of the few that currently rule the roost with advertised read and write speeds of 14,800 MB/s and 13,400 MB/s, respectively, but that might be wishful thinking at best.

The gains from the PM1763 are not expected to trickle down to consumers for a multitude of reasons. Primarily, PCI-E 6.0-supporting hardware does not currently exist at the consumer end, even as datacenters begin to adopt it.

The bleeding-edge storage on offer is also expected to be prohibitively expensive, pitting consumers against datacenter clients with seemingly limitless pockets for now, and industry figures such as Phison's CEO are already warning that AI demand will keep NAND and DRAM in shortage through 2026; consumer storage is increasingly built from what the data centers do not take.

The PM1763, therefore, at least from an end-user's perspective, might as well be a proof-of-concept SSD; it is unlikely to make its way onto their desktop anytime soon, and they are unlikely to be able to afford it unless they want to host a data-center-class server at home.

The Gen 6 storage era has arrived, attached to hardware you cannot buy, in a shape you cannot mount, on an interface you do not have, built from NAND that was never going to reach you anyway. Sadly for enthusiasts looking for a faster SSD: The speeds are real. So is the velvet rope.

• Samsung helps move SSD virtualization from software workarounds into hardware design
• New NVMe standard could transform storage management inside AI data centers
• AI infrastructure demands are driving a major shift in SSD architecture

Samsung Semiconductor has confirmed its role in ratifying TP4193, a new NVMe technical standard called PCIe Exported NVM Subsystem Migration.

The company developed this specification alongside Google and other major infrastructure players within the NVM Express organization.

It fundamentally changes how NVMe solid state drives handle virtualization inside large, AI-driven data centers.

A shift from software tricks to hardware-native design

Storage virtualization has traditionally lived above the SSD itself, managed by hypervisor software running on the host server.

That software had to intercept every command from a virtual machine, disguise the drive's true identity, and pass modified instructions along, a method known as trap-and-emulate.

This approach worked reliably but consumed significant processing cycles and introduced latency into every input and output path.

As AI workloads tied to GPU clusters grew more dynamic, these inefficiencies became far more noticeable across large-scale deployments.

TP4193 moves that entire process into the SSD hardware itself, letting drives present virtualized, isolated storage constructs natively.

The host server now functions as an orchestrator rather than an implementer forced to constantly intercept and rewrite commands.

This shift slims down hypervisor complexity considerably while giving virtual machines direct access to administrative queues, cutting latency in the process.

Why this likely keeps SSD prices elevated for AI buyers

The standard introduces two core capabilities: standardized creation of virtual storage objects and controlled masking of a drive's underlying attributes and capabilities.

Together, these functions let a virtual machine migrate between physical SSDs without noticing any change to its underlying hardware environment.

That capability matters enormously for hyperscale data centers running constantly shifting AI training and inference workloads across GPU-heavy infrastructure.

Since TP4193-compliant drives require new hardware capabilities built directly into the SSD controller, older inventory cannot simply receive a software update to comply.

Companies like Google, already named as collaborators on the standard, have clear incentive to refresh storage fleets to gain these efficiency and migration benefits.

Combined with existing NAND supply constraints and rising demand tied to generative AI infrastructure, that refresh cycle adds fresh upward pressure on enterprise SSD pricing.

Multi-tenant environments benefit from secure isolation across multiple GPU attach points, a feature increasingly demanded by AI infrastructure operators managing shared hardware.

Hyperscalers rarely delay adopting standards that reduce hypervisor overhead and simplify live migration across thousands of virtual machines simultaneously.

Whether this translates into an immediate wave of hardware purchases remains uncertain, since standard ratification and actual product rollout rarely happen on the same timeline.

What seems more predictable is that any near-term drop in enterprise SSD prices looks increasingly unlikely, given how directly this standard ties new capability to new hardware.

• Samsung quietly prepares DRAM-free PCIe 4.0 SSD with flagship-level read performance
• Host Memory Buffer replaces dedicated DRAM inside Samsung's upcoming budget SSD
• Leaked specifications reveal 7,150 MB/s speeds from Samsung's mystery SSD

Samsung appears to be preparing a budget PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD which removes the onboard DRAM cache found in traditional drive designs.

The unannounced model surfaced briefly on Samsung's website recently, before the listing was taken down without any official confirmation from the company.

Listed specifications describe a 1TB drive with sequential read speeds reaching 7,150 MB/s and write speeds reaching 6,450 MB/s.

How Samsung plans to compensate for missing DRAM

Traditional SSDs rely on dedicated DRAM to store the flash translation layer, letting the controller locate data across NAND flash quickly and efficiently.

However, as the global “RAMpocalypse” continues to worsen, even the largest vendors are looking for ways to reduce their dependence on DRAM.

Without that DRAM, drives can suffer higher latency and weaker performance during sustained workloads or heavy multitasking sessions.

To offset this gap, Samsung is using NVMe's Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature, which reserves a small portion of system memory over PCI Express instead.

That borrowed memory holds mapping metadata rather than user files, connecting logical addresses to their physical NAND locations directly.

HMB generally cannot match the responsiveness of dedicated DRAM, though it improves performance compared to drives with no caching mechanism at all.

The drive carries a 400 TBW endurance rating, a modest figure for a 1TB SSD by current industry standards.

That number hints at Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND flash, which stores four bits per memory cell and lowers both cost and durability.

Samsung has not disclosed publicly which specific NAND flash technology sits inside this particular unannounced drive model.

Rising component costs are reshaping SSD design choices

Samsung's move comes as NAND flash and DRAM pricing continue climbing sharply across the broader global storage industry this year.

Removing the DRAM package cuts component costs directly, simplifies PCB design, and helps maintain competitive pricing within the mainstream SSD segment overall.

QLC NAND increases storage density and lowers manufacturing costs, though it trails Triple-Level Cell NAND in sustained write performance and long-term endurance ratings.

It also remains considerably less durable than older Multi-Level Cell (MLC) and Single-Level Cell (SLC) NAND technologies still found in some enterprise storage products.

Despite those trade-offs, the listed sequential speeds of 7,150 MB/s and 6,450 MB/s place the drive alongside many mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs with dedicated DRAM caches.

Samsung has not announced pricing, availability, the official product name, or the specific NAND technology used in the drive.

Until those details emerge, the leaked specifications point toward a lower-cost PCIe 4.0 SSD designed to balance competitive performance with reduced manufacturing costs as memory prices continue rising.

Via The Guru of 3D

This week we unveiled the all-new, all-different — well, not all that different — TechRadar Awards, but plenty more happened in the worlds of tech.

Samsung announced that its next Unpacked event is taking place in a little over a week, and it’s teasing a big foldables announcement. However, based on its usual schedule, we’d be more surprised if it didn’t have any foldables to showcase this year.

Before you catch up with this week’s tech news, why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how good your memory is? Take the quiz below, or scroll on for the biggest tech news of the week… (and see if you can best last week’s ICYMI quiz when you’re done here).

7. The TechRadar Awards returned for 2026

The TechRadar Awards are back in 2026, and we’re making a radical change: we’re holding two sets of awards back-to-back this year! We’re introducing the TechRadar Product of the Year Awards and the TechRadar Readers’ Choice Awards. In the past, we combined reader votes on which products should win with our expert judges' opinions to determine an overall winner. But now we’re splitting those two elements into two different awards.

The Product of the Year Awards will be chosen solely by our editors and writers, based on their experience of using the products. The Readers’ Choice Awards will give all the power to you, our readers, though — you’ll be able to vote on a shortlist of the most popular and highly rated releases of the year, and the winner will be decided 100% by those votes.

We’re accepting nominations for products that you’d like to see shortlisted, and anyone can nominate something — so make sure that the products you love most are in with a chance!

Read the full story: Introducing TechRadar's Readers' Choice Awards and our Product of the Year Awards

6. ChatGPT rolled out its ‘smartest voice model ever’

This week, OpenAI has delivered an upgrade to ChatGPT’s voice mode for all users thanks to the rollout of two new models. The smaller GPT-Live-1 mini model will be the default for Free users, while paid users get the full GPT-Live-1 model.

GPT-Live-1 promises to sound more natural, be less interruptive when you pause while talking, and be smarter — as there previously seemed to be a knowledge gap between the written and spoken ChatGPT models.

To get around that last part, GPT-Live-1 actually delegates tasks to ChatGPT-5.5, then comes back with an answer.

There are also impressive new simultaneous translation tools that will translate what you hear live and what you say as you say it.

You can also give the chatbot a name to make conversing easier, though OpenAI’s go-to is ‘Chat’ — letting you live out your dreams of being a Twitch streamer.

Read the full story: GPT-Live-1 gives you more natural conversations without interruptions

5. Nokia debuted a retro phone with AI

This week, Nokia’s parent company, HMD, debuted a quartet of retro-style phones with one anachronistic addition — a big ol’ AI button.

They still offer a full suite of legacy features — if you miss the 3.5 mm headphone jack, a microSD for bigger storage capacity, and (on three of the models) an FM radio, you’ll find them here — it’s just that you’ll also have a little digital assistant too.

Details are thin, though it sounds like this won’t be quite on Gemini's level. Instead, the AI is mostly there to help with on-device tasks like setting alarms, opening the camera, and creating reminders. The biggest issue, however, is the AI assistant is only free for 180 days — after that it's $3.99 (about £3 / AU$5.75) a year if you're in the EU and $2.99 (about £2.25 / AU$4.30) a year everywhere else.

Yikes!

Read the full story: Nokia's new retro-styled feature phones have AI buttons for some reason

4. The Amazfit Active 3 Premium impressed us

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is the sequel to last year's five-star Amazfit Active 2, and it's another knockout of a budget watch (despite the Premium name). A terrific fitness tracker costing just $169 / £169 / AU$239, it boasts features you normally get on watches twice the price, such as full-color maps and a sapphire glass screen.

Its metrics were accurate during testing, and it looks great to boot. It's the budget watch to get - even perhaps over popular choices such as the Apple Watch SE 3 or the Garmin Forerunner 70. It's a real win for Amazfit, which has quietly spent the last few years improving its Zepp App ecosystem and building well-priced fitness trackers for every category.

Read the full story: Amazfit’s latest premium offering is about more than just looks

3. We took over 1,000 shots with the Sony RX10 V

Sony surprised the camera community and us this week when it revived its best-in-class series of bridge cameras, with the launch of the new RX10 V. The Mark V superzoom arrived nine years after the now-discontinued Cyber-shot RX10 IV, with the same versatile 24-600mm F2.4-4 lens and 20 megapixel 1-inch stacked sensor, but with a welcome redesign and Sony’s latest processor and autofocus.

We had already tested the all-in-one camera ahead of its announcement, taking over 1,000 photos across a school sports day, bird photography trip, macro garden life and more, and were thoroughly won over, even if we were less impressed by the steeper asking price. That being said, the RX10 IV still took the crown of the best bridge camera available today, and with its predecessor being a rare secondhand find, we expect the latest model to be a popular camera indeed.

Read the full story: Here’s how Sony’s surprise new superzoom performed

2. Google Pixel 11 got a launch date

Samsung isn’t the only tech giant preparing to launch flagship phones soon — this week, Google announced that its Pixels will get a refresh next month.

The “next generation of Pixel” will be revealed on August 12, just three weeks after Samsung’s Unpacked event. Google didn’t mention any specific models, but we’re expecting to see a Pixel 11 (with fancy ‘Pixel Glow’ lights for notifications), plus new Pro models and a Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Unfortunately, we’re also likely to see higher prices across the board, according to recent rumors. That wouldn’t be a huge surprise in these fun ‘RAMpocalypse’ days, but the expected arrival of the Pixel Watch 5 could at least help lighten the mood.

Read the full story: Google sets Pixel 11 launch for August 12

1. Samsung set a date for Galaxy Unpacked

After months of rumors, as well as an official tease or two, Samsung has finally made its next Galaxy Unpacked event officially official. Pencil in July 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST (11 p.m. AEDT) for Samsung's second Unpacked event of the year. Keeping with tradition, we're expecting the next-generation Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, as well as an accessory or two.

It likely won't just be the successors to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. Samsung's invitation for the event teases "A New Shape Unfolds," likely hinting that a shorter, wider—more passport-like—foldable is on the way. The video invite also features a ticket being printed in a shape that further hints at the new design, as it simply doesn't line up with the current Fold or Flip.

So why introduce a new folding phone design this many generations in? Well, it's likely that Samsung wants to get ahead of Apple's rumored entry into the category, which, according to leaks, will take on a similar form factor. For Samsung, it's also about expanding its foldable lineup, and if we're lucky, maybe we'll see more diverse price points as well.

We don't have long to wait now. TechRadar will be on the ground at Galaxy Unpacked in London, UK, and, as usual, Samsung will livestream the event while we'll be live-blogging it.

Read the full story: 'A New Shape Unfolds' could be its biggest clue yet about what to expect

• Samsung is reportedly giving up on small-screen foldables
• That means the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 could be the last in the series
• It's a credible claim, but if enough people vote with their wallet perhaps the Flip line can still be saved

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a superb phone, achieving 4.5 stars in our review. But despite its excellence, Samsung might be giving up on this clamshell series after the Galaxy Z Flip 8 launches.

This is according to reputable leaker @UniverseIce, who stated on X that “the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is likely to be Samsung's last small folding product.”

They didn’t say why that might be, but we can take a guess. For one thing, while the Flip line used to be Samsung’s most popular foldable phone series, there’s evidence that this trend could be starting to change. For example, FN News reported that in South Korea at least, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 received more pre-orders than the Z Flip 7.

So there could be a growing appetite for large-screen book-style foldables, which makes sense given that larger conventional phones tend to outsell compact models. And with the book-style iPhone Ultra reportedly launching this year, the appetite for that style of foldable is only likely to grow.

Plus, arguably one of the main selling points of the Z Flip line was that it provided a relatively affordable way to get a foldable phone, but with rising memory costs that might cease to be the case.

And on top of all that, Samsung is reportedly launching a shorter, wider book-style foldable this year alongside its conventional successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with this new form factor being bigger than a Flip but still smaller than the company’s current large-screen foldables. So Samsung might see this as something that fans of smaller phones could buy instead of a new Flip.

A phone that would be missed

While this claim from @UniverseIce is believable, I certainly hope they’re wrong. Despite all the reservations above, the Flip is still an appealing line of fofldables.

They’re extremely compact when folded shut, which is sure to appeal to some people, and even with rising memory prices they’re likely to remain cheaper than book-style foldables. So it would be a shame for choice and variety if they disappeared.

Still, it’s likely that Samsung will be looking at sales of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the new wider Galaxy Z Fold before making any final decisions, so if the former does particularly well or the latter struggles, there’s still hope for a Galaxy Z Flip 9.

In other words, if it’s something you’d like to see then you should vote with your wallet this year and give Samsung’s upcoming clamshell device some love.

The Samsung S95F was our pick for the best OLED TV for bright rooms in 2025, thanks to its anti-glare matte screen that eliminates reflections, and its high brightness. These combined to make even dark movies viewable in really bright rooms on it: something most other OLED TVs just couldn’t achieve — even the S95F’s rival, the LG G5.

It remained the king until the LG G6 arrived this year. While the G6 still shows some mirror-like reflections when the screen is turned off, the brightness of these reflections is toned so far back that they don't really distract any more when you're viewing something.

You can now watch movies — even the super-dark The Batman — in Filmmaker Mode in bright conditions without distraction, but with the deep black tones OLED is famed for retained. When I compared the G6 with the S95F, I actually picked the G6 as the new king of bright-room OLEDs.

Fast forward a few months and the Samsung S99H (known as the S95H in the US — it's the same TV with a different name) has arrived in our testing lab. It has the latest version of Samsung's anti-reflection matte layer, so can it reclaim the crown as the best option for bright-room viewing? I've already compared the S95H/S99H with the G6 where I focused on other picture quality elements such as dark-room viewing and colors, and they came out basically even. So let's see how they compare in bright conditions.

Out-and-out reflections

The first area I decided to test was both TVs' reflection handling capabilities. This meant which TV was the outright most effective at eliminating mirror-like reflections caused by lights and objects.

Using the overhead lights in our testing lab, after getting the right angle, it was pretty clear the S95H/S99H was the superior model. Looking at the screen, the light from the overhead light is reduced to haze and the actual shape of the light is illegible: perfect if you’ve got pesky lights or windows in your bright room that you can’t hide, and that your eye is drawn to involuntarily focus on.

On the G6, the shape of the light, and the light itself, was still legible. It was certainly an improvement over its predecessor, the LG G5, as the latter had a pretty reflective screen — but there was no doubt that the overhead light was still visible.

Even looking at the shut-off, blank screen, you could see objects, such as other TVs we store in the same room, on the screen of the G6. The S95H/S99H on the other hand had absolutely nothing on screen, other than the haze of light from overhead. So for pure reflection-killing, the S95H/S99H is best.

Black level performance

Watching a movie is a more complicated story, however. With both TVs set to Filmmaker Mode, and watching the dark-tone torture test that is The Batman, the G6 did a better job maintaining black levels and delivering more impactful contrast than the S95H/S99H.

In a scene where Batman stands in a dark subway platform, having just defeated a gang of thugs, the first thing that was apparent was the S95H/S99H’s Filmmaker Mode was very dim compared to the G6. Due to the low perceived brightness and the raised black tones of the mate screen, large parts of the scene were illegible, with Batman himself partly obscured in black and the detail in the walls at the back of the platform not as clear as they were on the G6. The G6 also has better shadow detail, with more of Batman’s suit and the creases in the thug’s black jackets more legible too.

Switching to Alien: Romulus, it was the same story. As the crew approached the Nostromo, the blackness of space was much inkier and deeper on the G6. The S95H/S99H had a hazy gray sheen over it from the matte screen, which affected the integrity of the black tones. It also meant the rings around the moon didn’t have quite as much punch as the G6.

I found it odd that there was such a perceived brightness difference between the two as when I measured their brightness, the gap wasn’t as big as the real-world viewing suggested. The S95H/S99H clocked in at 2,739 nits of peak HDR brightness (10% window) in Filmmaker Mode, while the G6 clocked in at 3,004 nits. While 250 nits is nothing to sniff at, the pictures on screen suggested a bigger gap.

In fact, fullscreen HDR brightness was about as close as it gets. In the same HDR Filmmaker Mode, the S95H/S99H hit a measured fullscreen brightness of 449 nits, while the G6 hit 451. The human eye can’t perceive that little difference, yet in person, the G6 had the more complete picture.

In fact, watching in a darker room, the S95H/S99H delivers a richer, stronger picture. The same subway scene from The Batman shows deeper blacks and looks more accurate to the movie’s gloomy tone. On the G6, I found that its brightness hampered it slightly. While it did demonstrate good shadow detail, its brightness affected the quality of the darker tones on screen, and the image just wasn’t as satisfying as on the S95H/S99H.

In fairness to both TVs, some settings tweaks can solve some of the issues above. On the G6, dropping contrast from 50 to 49 takes away some of that over-brightness, while switching Tone Mapping from the default Static to Active on the S95H/S99H in Filmmaker Mode adds some brightness, although the image doesn’t feel as accurate then. But for these tests, I kept both TVs in their default settings.

The better TV for bright rooms

Honestly, both these TVs are fantastic for bright-room viewing. They both do a great job of eliminating reflections and delivering excellent picture quality despite being in a bright room. OLED’s nemesis has always been bright rooms and reflections, and it’s great to have two TVs that can handle the light. You can’t go wrong with either of these TVs for bright rooms and they’re both excellent OLED TVs.

If you have a bright room, either of these TVs would work. Your choice may depend on your circumstances. If you know you'll be watching a lot with light flooding in during the day, the S95H/S99H is the better option for keeping reflections to an absolute minimum. If you can control the light in your room more, the G6 is probably the better option.

For me, if I had to pick one TV for bright-room viewing, I’d go for the G6. While the S95H/S99H is seriously good at dealing with pesky reflections, and is an improvement over the superb S95F, I favored the G6’s richer black tones in brighter rooms.

Although the G6 isn’t as complete at removing mirror-like reflections, so there are some present in darker scenes, it’s effective enough to make watching darker movies in a bright room feel less like a chore than it did on its predecessor, the G5 — but with the contrasty feeling you want from an OLED TV.

There's always a trade-off with choosing a bright-room TV of reflection reduction versus preserving the image accuracy. Last year, the balance fell in favor of Samsung's matte display. This year, the G6’s better black level performance combined with drastically lowering the impact of mirror-like reflections is enough to make it my pick for bright rooms — but the Samsung S95H/S99H is a brilliant TV for light rooms still.

The next major smartphone launch is just weeks away: Samsung has set the date for its next Unpacked event as July 22.

The invite doesn’t say exactly what to expect at the London-based showcase, but it does tease that we’ll see a foldable phone with a new form factor, thanks to the tagline “a new shape unfolds”, and that lines up neatly with leaks and rumors.

In this article, we've detailed exactly what that “new shape” might be below, along with details of the other phones, watches, and even glasses that we might see at Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

1. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is likely to be the most affordable of Samsung’s upcoming phones — and the only one with a clamshell design.

Leaks suggest that this device could use a new Exynos 2600 chipset — though the US might instead get a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Either way, that would be an upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, which uses the Exynos 2500 chipset in every region.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 could also have a smaller crease and a slimmer build, but might otherwise be similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 7, coming equipped with a familiar 6.9-inch foldable display, a 4.1-inch cover screen, a 4,300mAh battery, a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP selfie snapper.

2. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 could be that foldable with a “new shape” that Samsung hinted at, with reports suggesting that the company is planning a new book-style foldable that’s shorter and wider than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This device is rumored to have a 7.6-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 5.5-inch cover display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, two 50MP cameras on the back, and a 4,800mAh battery.

This could be one of the more interesting devices at the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, since it’s a form factor that Samsung hasn’t tried before. But aside from the size and shape of the screen, it will probably be quite a conventional foldable.

3. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Along with the wider model detailed above, Samsung will almost certainly launch a standard successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Unpacked, and this device is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — though it’s unclear whether it will do anything to earn that name.

Leaks suggest the phone might have an 8-inch foldable screen, a 6.5-inch cover screen, a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

As with the phone above, it’s likely to have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 12GB of RAM, but its battery could be of a higher capacity, with leaks pointing to a 5,000mAh cell.

So in all, the Ultra could have bigger screens, a higher capacity battery, and an extra camera over the wider model — along with an almost certainly higher price.

4. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2

We’re also expecting new smartwatches from Samsung, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and probably also the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. There’s an outside chance we’ll get a new Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic, but this is looking less likely.

The Galaxy Watch 9 will probably have a circular display again, with leaks pointing to an Exynos W1000 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and two screen sizes: a 1.34-inch (438 x 438) one and a 1.47-inch (480 x 480) one.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might instead have a Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, and could be the first Samsung watch to support 5G.

It could also have a massive — by smartwatch standards — 800mAh battery, 64GB of storage, and a high 5,000-nit peak brightness for its screen. The display, however, might otherwise be similar to the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra’s, and it will reportedly come in the same 47mm size.

5. The Samsung Galaxy Glasses

Finally, we might also see the Samsung Galaxy Glasses at Unpacked. These would be Samsung’s first smart glasses, and they reportedly run Android XR with access to Gemini.

They might also have a 12MP camera, a 155mAh battery, directional speakers, and weigh just 50g. But they’re not expected to have a screen, so they could be direct rivals to products like the Ray-Ban Meta.

• The next Galaxy Unpacked is set for July 22, 2026
• Samsung teases "A New Shape Is Unfolding"
• A new foldable form factor could debut alongside the existing Fold and Flip phones

A week after wiping its social media accounts and replacing them with cryptic teasers — and following months of rumors — Samsung has officially set the date for its second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026.

Everything will be revealed, unpacked, or perhaps more fittingly, unfolded, on July 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST (11 p.m. AEDT). Samsung will livestream the Galaxy Unpacked keynote from an in-person event in London, UK, and yes, TechRadar will be on the ground at the unveil.

The invitation itself is already dropping hints, as Samsung tries to build anticipation. Alongside the tagline, "A New Shape Unfolds," the animated invite shows what appears to be a ticket printing before its top edge is torn away, revealing a noticeably wider, shorter silhouette than Samsung's current Galaxy Z Fold devices.

Samsung hasn't confirmed exactly what it will be announcing come July 22, but between the tagline and the animation, it's hard not to see them as clues pointing toward an all-new foldable design. It's also already accepting pre-reservations for whatever it will formally unveil at the July 22 event.

Specifically, you can sign up with your email on Samsung's main site at no cost to score a $30 Samsung Credit that can be applied to your pre-order and unlock up to $1,230 off with an eligible device trade-in.

So, if you're considering one of the next Galaxy devices, it's worth getting in line now ... and there's no cost involved.

Samsung's summer Galaxy Unpacked events have traditionally been the stage for its newest foldable smartphones and fresh wearables such as Galaxy Watches and Galaxy Buds. This year, though, the spotlight looks set to extend beyond the usual annual refreshes.

While we're expecting successors to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung has already hinted that something different is on the way. When it began teasing the event last week, the tech giant said that "after seven generations of pushing the boundaries of foldables, Samsung is taking a different approach to how it builds anticipation this year."

That statement, combined with months of leaks pointing to a wider foldable form factor, has fueled speculation that Samsung is finally ready to unveil an entirely new kind of foldable phone.

Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold lineup's familiar book-style design, this rumored device is expected to feature a much wider form factor. Based on the leaks we've seen so far, it resembles the now-discontinued Microsoft Surface Duo, Apple's long-rumored foldable that's widely expected to arrive later this year, or even a classic Moleskine notebook when folded shut. If the rumors prove accurate, Samsung could once again be first to market with a new foldable form factor.

Galaxy AI is also expected to be front and center throughout the keynote, with Samsung likely showcasing new AI-powered features across its latest folding phones and potentially teasing its forthcoming Android XR Glasses.

TechRadar will be on the ground in London for Galaxy Unpacked, bringing you live coverage of every announcement as it happens, along with hands-on impressions of Samsung's newest devices. We'll also be running a live blog throughout the keynote, so be sure to follow along as Samsung unveils what's next come July 22.

In the meantime, let us know what you're most excited to see Samsung reveal at Galaxy Unpacked in the comments below.

• Samsung Messages has been killed off to make room for Google Messages
• Right now it's just affecting US users, but a wider shutdown is likely to happen
• We recommend making Google Messages your default SMS service

After months of waiting, the dreaded day for Android users arrived: Samsung Messages has finally been shut down for good as of July 6.

The Korean tech company announced its decision to axe its messaging service for Galaxy Phones and tablets in April, with Google Messages taking over as the new default communication platform for devices released in 2022 and onwards.

Samsung stopped installing its flagship messaging platform on devices in 2024, so if you’re using the Galaxy S26 Ultra, for example, Google Messages will already be installed.

So what happens now?

At the moment, Samsung Messages’ demise is only impacting users in the US, according to recent reports. According to SamMobile, it may still work outside the US on devices the app was pre-installed on, but it’s likely that a wider shutdown will follow suit in other countries later — it’s been removed from the Galaxy Store and Google Play Store, and UK users on Reddit are reporting its replacement with Google Messages.

That said, if your device is running Android 11 or lower, the shutdown won’t affect you, according to Forbes. However, the outlet notes that those on a more recent version should switch to Google Messages.

Samsung Messages’ shutdown has been a long process, and though users have been anticipating the move for some time, it doesn’t mean that they’re ready to bid farewell to the app just yet.

Comment from r/S24Ultra

Across the board of reactions on Reddit, the general consensus is that Samsung Messages will be missed. “If I wanted to use Google’s POS services I would’ve bought a pixel,” one user explains, but from Samsung’s perspective, it’s all about giving users a messaging experience enriched with handy features.

The company says that the switch to Google Messages will help bring features to Samsung Galaxy devices to align with modern messaging tools used in third-party apps such as WhatsApp. This includes end-to-end encryption, AI tools, and RCS messages, which Google Messages now allows to be sent between iOS and Android devices.

Still haven’t made the switch to Google Messages? We’d recommend doing this sooner rather than later, and it’s quite a straightforward process.

Once you’ve uninstalled Samsung Messages and downloaded the Google Messages app, launch it and a pop-up reading ‘Set default SMS app’ will appear on your device. Tap this, select Google Messages from the options, then tap ‘Set as default’. You can add Google Messages to your Home screen by tapping and holding the app and selecting ‘Add to Home’.

• Samsung is targeting 2028 to commercialize its floating data centers
• Land shortages and application processes would be avoided
• Saltwater challenges need to be ironed out

With terrestrial data centers under increased scrutiny over water and energy consumption, and facing intensifying local opposition, cloud providers are being forced to think more creatively, and Samsung is now dreaming up a floating data center.

Its Samsung Heavy Industries group subdivision now has plans to commercialize floating data centers by as soon as Q2 2028, and even plans to secure orders before installations.

By floating compute on the water, Samsung would be able to overcome land shortages but also reduce cooling requirements by keeping them at a more stable temperature.

Samsung to float data centers on the water by 2028

The company's plans include developing a dedicated barge to house servers, electrical infrastructure and on-board power equipment, however initial deployments would primarily use shore-based electricity, tapping into existing grid infrastructure but benefiting from the cooling properties of water.

Earlier concepts also proposed the idea of using LNG-fuelled solid oxide fuel cells, while renewable sources like solar and wind could also be considered.

Samsung also argues that floating facilities could be delivered more quickly than traditional terrestrial facilities because they can avoid lengthy permitting processes and use existing shipbuilding manufacturing processes and tooling.

However, the concept also has some complexities that need to be addressed, like water ingress and humidity, the corrosive nature of saltwater, and stability in tides and currents.

"Floating data centers represent a major new opportunity for the shipbuilding and offshore industries," Samsung Heavy Industries CEO Sung-an Choi concluded.

Samsung is not the first technology heavyweight to moot the potential of floating data centers, especially as power demands rise due to AI pressures.

Recent reports detailed how startup Panthalassa, backed by Peter Thiel, is developing floating data centers using wave energy and ocean water cooling systems.

And in May 226, a floating data center project in Japan gained significant backing from Hitachi, which signed a memorandum with shipping firm Mitsui OSK Lines to develop and operate the facility.

Chinese authorities and private engineering company HiCloud Technology also recently announced the launch of a jointly-developed $226 million installation of an underwater data center where sealed server modules operate beneath the ocean using seawater for passive cooling.

This 24-megawatt installation processes artificial intelligence workloads, 5G services, and large-scale data annotation operations requiring substantial computing capacity.

Microsoft also previously tested submerged data center capsules through its Project Natick initiative, conducted near Scotland and California before discontinuing commercial development efforts.

All of this while talks of data centers being sent up into space are playing out, of course, and while it's unclear which may solve the problem long-term, floating data centers certainly look to be more realistic on a shorter timeline.

Via Seoul Economic Daily

The Samsung S95F was our TV of the Year last year, thanks to its excellent picture quality, effectiveness in a bright room and superb gaming capabilities. It edged out the LG G5, the S95F’s flagship rival, for the honors — but needless to say, both these models were top-tier performers and contenders for our list of the best TVs. So I've been relishing testing their successors side by side.

I’ve already tested and reviewed the LG G6, the G5’s successor, and it earned five-stars in my LG G6 review. It’s one of the best OLED TVs I’ve tested this year, especially for bright room viewing (more on that later).

Now, the S95F’s successor — which is called the Samsung S95H in the US, and the S99H in the UK (and there is a separate model called the S95H in the UK, which is different to the US' S95H. Clear? Great…) has arrived in our test room, so I put the S95H/S99H and G6 side-by-side to see which flagship OLED comes out on top.

Colors

Color reproduction on both these TV’s predecessors has been superb in the past, so I was keen to see how the two new models would fare. I started with Speed Racer on 4K Blu-ray, which I recently reviewed as part of the June 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, and boy, does it have some impressive colors.

With both TVs set to their respective HDR Movie modes (called Cinema Home on the G6) colors are bold, punchy and vibrant on both TVs, perfectly delivering the hyper-saturated, cartoon-esque look of the movie.

Colors practically exploded on screen on both TVs. Looking closer, the G6 has deeper, richer colors which add a more 3D-like effect to the picture, while the S95H/S99H’s are on the more natural side. Blues, greens, purples and yellows appear more true-to-life on the S95H/S99H, while the G6 opts for dazzle.

One thing I found very interesting however was how each TV rendered red. In some scenes, I noticed that the S95H/S99H made these red details look more orange, while on the G6 they had a much more candy-apple red look that felt more accurate to the movie. This was clear in a scene with the red shelves, walls and floors of the Racer family garage, shown above.

In the close-up shot of Speed Racer during a race shown above, the red of his seat and the M logo on his helmet was deeper and bolder on the G6, looking a little pale on the S95H/S99H. For any red tones, I preferred the G6’s saturation: for this movie at least, in these modes.

For the record, in terms of measurements, the S95H/S99H scored 2.2 SDR color accuracy and 99.97% UHDA-P3 and 89.3% BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage, to the G6’s 2.3 SDR color accuracy, 99.3% UHDA-P3 and 83% BT.2020 color gamut coverage (measured after its most recent update as of July 3rd 2026). So, these two generally measured about the same in these major areas.

When it came to skin tones, I found myself drawn to the S95H/S99H. The G6 clearly favoured red in Cinema Home, hence the deeper reds in objects. To some, the skin tones of characters on the S95H/S99H may have looked a little washed out, but I found the highlighting red tones in people’s faces, such as their cheeks, during close-up shots to be a little distracting.

Switching to La La Land, with both TVs in Movie mode, the more natural colors worked in the S95H/S99H’s favour. At the spring pool party, Mia’s yellow dress was vibrant on both screens with some gorgeous visual pop, but the yellow looked more authentic on the S95H/S99H. In the background, the green bushes were deeper on the G6, which gave them a nice, rich look, but again I felt the softer green of the S95H/S99H suited the movie better.

Later on, a close-up shot of Mia, the G6 again showed off the red tones in her skin, while on the S95H/S99H, her skin tone was uniform, more lifelike. In the ‘City of Stars’ scene, as Sebastian walks along a pier at sunset, both TVs accurately delivered the gradation of the sky, which goes from purple, to orange, to pink, accurately and while the G6 again had that richer look, the S95H/S99H had a bit more punch in the paler tones.

Contrast and dark room viewing

Moving onto darker movies, I started with The Batman, my reference disc for darker scenes. The Batman is a very dim movie (mastered at a max of around 400 nits) so it can be tricky for any TV to accurately display.

As both TVs have effective reflection handling layers (more on that below), I tried out the movie in Filmmaker Mode in a brightly lit room — and of the two, the G6 better preserved richer black tones with crisper textures and contrast. The S95H/S99H was much dimmer, and although the matte screen blocked mirror-like reflections, the movie was harder to watch.

Switching to Movie mode on both TVs, it then became a much closer call. Watching the subway scene, as Batman stands on a dark subway platform, both TVs delivered strong black levels with good shadow detail. The S95H/S99H had the more uniform picture of the two overall in Movie mode.

Switching to darker viewing conditions, and switching back to Filmmaker Mode, the differences between each TV was much more apparent. While both TVs still delivered strong contrast, shown in scenes with bright lights against dark backgrounds such as the Batcave and the crime scene at Mayor Mitchell’s house, the S95H/S99H actually delivered noticeably deeper blacks.

In some cases they were too deep, as it did exhibit some black crush, which resulted in loss of shadow detail. In the same subway scene from before, the background became mostly ineligible on the S95H/S99H. On the G6, these same details were preserved, but the picture was much brighter and the darker areas on screen weren’t as satisfying. Despite the black crush, I found myself drawn to the S95H/S99H’s more uniform picture.

Next I switched to ‘brighter’ movies with dark scenes, and went back to having brighter conditions in the room. In Fight Club, back in Filmmaker Mode, the G6 had the more impactful contrast and richer black tones.

As Marla and the narrator talk in a dimly-lit shop, the S95H/S99H’s matte screen created a haze effect across the screen, affecting some dark tones and made textures look a little softer. The G6’s glossy screen had crisper textures and deeper blacks with more impactful contrast. But switch to Movie mode and, again, it was a toss up as to which looked better.

Using a scene from space in Alien: Romulus in Movies modes, both TVs delivered rich black tones with a good amount of white stars dotted throughout, something some cheaper TVs I’ve tested can’t reproduce as cleanly. Again, in Filmmaker Mode, the G6 was the more engaging picture with the inky blacks, but the S95H/S99H did a better job handling reflections on this occasion, while still delivering powerful contrast. So let's dig more into reflections and visual punch.

Brightness and reflections

OLED TVs are getting brighter. Once struggling to hit over 1,000 nits HDR peak some years ago, this is easily surpassed now, on both flagship and mid-range models.

I measured the S95H/S99H as hitting 2,739 nits HDR peak brightness (10% window) in Filmmaker Mode, as well as 449 nits of fullscreen HDR (100% window). In HDR movie mode, the S95H/S99H hit 2,751 nits peak and 450 nits fullscreen.

The G6 in the same modes, after a re-test with a new firmware update, hit a staggering 3,004 nits peak (10%) and 451 nits fullscreen brightness in HDR Filmmaker Mode. In HDR Cinema Home, the G6 hit 2,207 nits peak and 365 nits fullscreen brightness.

How did this translate into real-world scenes? Using some snow scenes from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark, both TVs, set to Filmmaker Mode, showed punchy white tones with plenty of vibrancy, but the G6 had that little bit more depth in some areas. Generally, however, the S95H/S99H had the brighter picture in larger white areas, during a shot of a snow-covered ground or a white sky.

In movies, going back to Speed Racer, Speed’s white Mach 5 car and helmet appeared brighter on the S95H/S99H, especially in Movie mode, which makes sense based on the 500 nits peak HDR difference between the S95H/S99H and G6 in that mode.

However, the G6 again had that satisfying glint that drew the eye more. In daytime scenes, the S95H/S99H again showed higher overall brightness, especially in lighter colors like green and yellow. But, the G6’s richer colors sometimes gave it a perceived sense of higher brightness through its boldness.

In another scene from Fight Club, again in Movie mode, as the narrator stands over an overturned car in the day, the clear, blue sky was noticeably brighter on the S95H/S99H. The G6 still showed good brightness, but it wasn’t as impactful as the S95H/S99H.

I’ve touched on bright-room conditions and reflection handling above, and both these TVs are impressive on this front. The S95H/S99H’s anti-glare screen does an excellent job at eliminating mirror-like reflections, turning them to a haze. While it would beat every other OLED TV in brighter rooms, the G6 is more than a match for it.

When I compared the LG G6 to last year's Samsung S95F for their reflection handling, I preferred the G6, as it did a better job delivering inkier, richer black tones while still eliminating most reflections.

The S95H/S99H is brighter than the S95F, and while this does mean its overall picture quality next to the G6 is improved, delivering more powerful contrast, I still prefer the G6 for bright rooms… in Filmmaker Mode.

In Movie mode, however, it again becomes a very tight call, edged by the G6 for me. I just preferred the preservation of contrast over the out-and-out reflection handling.

Which do I prefer?

In these tests, the LG G6 proved to have bolder colors, with better black levels and punchier highlights in brighter conditions (still with great reflection handling). The Samsung S95H/S99H showed better skin-tone accuracy, better contrast balance and black tones in dark room viewing, and higher perceived fullscreen brightness.

Deciding between these two TVs is no easy task. Both deliver outstanding picture quality, with their own strengths, and superb gaming experiences. It's never been a closer contest. So torn am I between the two, I’m saying you can’t really go wrong with either. It will come down to price and what you’re looking for — though while I've only focused on picture here, I do know that a lot of people are put off by the huge frame on the S95H/S99H, and that might make the difference.

If you want Dolby Vision HDR, bolder colors and better contrast with richer black levels in a bright room, go for the G6. If you want HDR10+, a more accurate-feeling picture out-of-the-box in a dark room, and a TV that beats the most challenging reflections, go for the S95H/S99H. Honestly, both TVs can do pretty much everything.

If I had to choose one today, it would be the LG G6. Not only does it have the better black level performance in brighter rooms, but right now, it's cheaper in the UK (where I am) and Australia, with a 55-inch G6 costing $2,299 / £2,099 / AU$3,499, while the S95H/S99H 55-inch costs $2,199 / £2,399 / AU$3,999. If I were in the US, or if the prices switch here, I could easily change my mind: it's that close.

We’re approaching the first anniversary of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which means it won’t be long before we see the phone (or phones, as the case may be) that will replace it in Samsung’s lineup.

As someone who has relied on the Fold 7 as my daily driver since it landed, I couldn’t be more excited to see what the next generation holds, and I have a few wishes I hope Samsung will make come true — with leaks teasing some of them just might…

Before we get into that, vote in our poll to tell me which upgrade you most want to see in the Z Fold 8 when it’s finally announced.

1. An Ultra camera boost

The Z Fold 7 has been my go-to every day since I first received it, but for the past six months I’ve also consistently carried a second phone in my pocket — becoming the kind of kind of tech journo I hoped I never would, one obsessed with tech perfection no matter how inefficient and niche my collection of gadgets is (just you wait, I’ll be wearing two smartwatches next).

The reason I mention this is that the second phone is the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and its primary purpose is as a camera, because it frankly puts my Z Fold 7's shots to shame.

If you want a clearer sign that 200MP sensors aren’t made equally, see this pair’s photos side by side. Couple that with the Ultra’s superior zoom cameras — further amplified by its boasting dual 5x and 3x telephotos compared to the Fold 7’s lonely 3x — and for photo enthusiasts, it’s clear the S26 Ultra has an edge.

My hope is that if the Z Fold 8 is getting an Ultra moniker, as some leaks suggest, it’ll boast identical cameras, or risk feeling like a subpar alternative, despite having a price point that demands excellence in every category.

2. Affordability dreams

Speaking of price, the reality I’m preparing for is that the Z Fold 8 will cost more than the Fold 7, thanks to RAM and storage cost increases. There’s a chance Samsung could avoid this by having its memory-producing arm give its mobile division a discount, although there are conflicting reports about a cost-saving collaboration based on leaks and Samsung’s own comments.

Regardless, I think the Z Fold 8 design could hint at a slight discount. I’m not talking about the wider display — though it does seem to have a smaller area, which should reduce costs somewhat — I’m referring to the lack of a third camera.

With it being rumored to boast 12GB of RAM and a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset — essential components for Samsung’s top-tier AI — it’s yet to be seen if the display and camera downgrades will bring the cost down in real terms or merely counteract the cost increases we would have faced thanks to the RAM crisis. I have my fingers crossed we might see the cheapest Samsung Fold yet with the 8 (defeating the reigning champ: the $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499 Galaxy Z Fold 3).

3. Begging for battery

The Z Fold 7 boasts a 4,400mAh battery just like the Z Fold 6 before it, but thanks to software and chipset optimizations, Samsung promised the battery life of the 7 would be a little longer. My anecdotal evidence, however, as someone who used the Z Fold 6 as my main handset before the 7 launched, is that the battery seems to disappear faster on the newer model.

Now, this isn’t based on any tests, but speaking to a few other regular Z Fold 7 users who had upgraded from the 6, my perception of worse battery life was echoed. Thankfully, leaks tease a bigger battery for the 8, taking us up to a whole 4,800mAh. The Ultra will apparently stretch to 5,000mAh.

Considering some reasonably priced Chinese brands are delivering phones powered by silicon-carbon batteries with capacities over 7,000mAh, the leaked specs leave me underwhelmed. However, considering my usage currently forces me to charge my phone in the middle of the day — or risk it running dry before I get home — I’ll be happy with any upgrade in the battery department.

4. Privacy display please!

The star of the show on the S26 Ultra is the privacy display, but after spending more time with it, the tech does need a little tweaking. An easy software update would be to add app controls that let me choose which software uses maximum privacy mode. I don’t want to use it all the time, but I would love for it to come on automatically for password entry and mobile banking. However, it is still impressive.

Seeing it on the Z Fold 8 would be fantastic, especially on the Z Fold 8 Ultra, as, like the cameras, it would bring the Fold Ultra on par with the unbending Ultra, though I’m willing to accept the tech only showing up on the outer screen.

Unfortunately for me, leaks don’t tease this addition making its way to Samsung’s latest foldables, but maybe I’ll get lucky!

5. Keep the S pen away

I’ve come around a little on the S Pen after experiencing it in the S26 Ultra, though I’m still not keen to see it return to the foldable line.

Why?

There’s no space to add it without making the phone thicker again. Frankly, the supreme thinness of the Z Fold 7 is what makes it infinitely more manageable than Samsung’s previous foldable phones.

With the Wide design being more tablet-like, I 100% see the appeal of a stylus to make the design perfect for casual digital artists, but I don’t think the S Pen’s positives outweigh the negatives. I hope it stays gone when the Z Fold 8 debuts.

2026 is almost over — well, not quite, but given we're already halfway through the year, it won't be long before those year-end awards are in sight again. And with the 2026 progress bar hitting 50% this week, we decided it was a good time to look back on the last six months and pick out the early 'gadget of the year' contenders from everything we've tested since January.

And we've been testing a lot — 639 products, to be precise, have passed through our labs and the real, unvarnished lives of our experienced testers this year. Those hundreds of gadgets span everything from coffee machines and smartphones to life-boosting accessories like portable DACs, fans and smart Lego.

So if you've just woken up from a six-month nap (we don't blame you) or are looking for some gadget inspiration, the list below will make for some fascinating reading. It doesn't contain every five-star product we've tested this year (check out our separate five-star review roundup for those), but it is a temperature check of all the products our reviewers haven't been able to stop talking about over the past six months...

21. Fitbit Air

• The fitness tracker of 2026 so far

The Google Fitbit Air is the highest-profile, most exciting fitness release of 2026 so far, and it’s generated plenty of buzz online. A screenless Whoop-style band weighing just 12 grams (including strap!) and with up to a week of battery life, the Fitbit Air is the most exciting thing we’ve seen from Fitbit since Google brought the brand.

The hardware is excellent, proving to record heart rate accurately in our comparison tests, and it’s eminently comfortable to wear. I had no problems wearing it virtually 24/7 during my testing period, including to shower and sleep in. It looked great, was super-light, felt comfortable and delivered accurate, insightful metrics.

The app is another story. While its AI-powered premium functionality is good, not everyone’s going to jive with the chatbot format of the AI Coach, and existing Fitbit users are irked that their community features and historic badges were deleted, replaced by an AI Coach to help you ‘celebrate your achievements’ in a different way. The app is uniformly recognized as being messy and cluttered, too. But away from the app’s design, the tracker is still the boldest, most interesting release in the fitness tech world this year.

Matt Evans, Senior Editor, Fitness, Wellness & Wearables

• Read our in-depth Fitbit Air review

20. Maxell Wireless Cassette Player

• Our favorite blast from the gadget past

Look me in the eye and tell me you have no cassette tapes hiding anywhere in your home. Right, there’s a shoebox somewhere. But where to play them? That’s where the Maxell Wireless Cassette Player comes in.

Not only is it brand new gear to play these old tapes, but it works with your favorite Bluetooth headphones; I found it the perfect blend of nostalgia and modern audio pleasure. Even its imperfect functionality, like flaky Bluetooth support, was somehow charming.

I wish it had recording like my old portable cassette player, but it was still kind of wonderful to get to hear old mixtapes, recordings, and even classic releases from 1980s music icons (The Traveling Wilburys!) again.

Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large

• Read our in-depth Maxell Wireless Cassette Player review

19. MacBook Neo

• Still a winner, despite its recent price hike

Up until a month ago, the MacBook Neo was my favorite laptop of 2026, and I didn’t think there’d be any other new laptop this year that could beat it. With a launch price of $599 / £599 / AU$899, it was the cheapest MacBook you could get, and despite its budget price, it offered the kind of build quality, design, screen and performance that you just didn’t expect from laptops and Chromebooks around that price point.

It certainly made a big impact. Running on the A18 Pro chip, it could run pretty much any macOS app that more expensive Macs could, offered excellent battery life and a bright and vibrant display (something a lot of budget laptop makers often neglected to keep prices down). It sold like hot cakes, and gave a kick up the bum to rivals. Since its launch, both Acer and Dell have announced laptops (the new Acer Swift Air and Dell XPS 13) that the companies are very open about how they’ve been designed to take on the MacBook Neo.

However, last month Apple announced a raft of price increases for some of its products, including a $100 / £100 increase in price for the MacBook Neo. While not a massive increase (unlike what the MacBook Air and Pro got), it’s enough to make the MacBook Neo less of an instant recommendation, and some of its compromises, such as slow USB-C ports and no backlit keyboard, are suddenly harder to forgive.

Matt Hanson, Managing Editor, Core Tech

• Read our in-depth MacBook Neo review

18. Lego Smart Brick

• The opinion-splitter that won us over

The toy brand introduced a new technology-fueled piece in its iconic build block system this year at CES 2026 — and while some reactions have been mixed online we here at TechRadar have fallen in love with the system. If you’re a kid who loves playing with your sets and not just admiring them it hits the mark (almost) perfectly.

Out the gate it featured in a handful of Star Wars themed builds adding iconic starship noises, blaster fire effects, and flashing lights as the model moves and its play features are used. It does this thanks to motion and color sensors in the brick which perform different effects based on the special NFC tiles the smart brick is placed onto — the tile effectively programs the smart brick’s lights and speakers while they touch.

Admittedly it wasn’t perfect at launch, but Lego has already started to solve some of our issues with the builds and the brick’s interactiveness in its upcoming Pokémon Smart Play sets — helping to cement the smart brick as one of the best gadgets of the year, and we’re confident it’ll only get better.

Hamish Hector, Senior Staff Writer, News

• Read our hands-on Lego Smart Brick review

17. iFi Go Link 2

• A huge audio upgrade for your phone or laptop

Some hi-res products require careful tinkering and compatibility testing. This isn't one of those. Instead it's a no-fuss, super-small headphone DAC (which stands for digital-analog-converter) to effectively take the job away from the small and likely pretty basic DAC and amp stage in your smartphone or laptop, do the conversion job a lot better, and deliver the improved audio to your wired earbuds or headphones (and thus, to your shell-likes) of choice.

Did I mention it's also super-cheap? This thing costs just $59 / £59 and it essentially turns your source device's sound into something you'd get from hi-res player — and those can cost thousands.

It's smaller and lighter than the iFi options that came before it too. The Go Link 2 will happily slip into your pocket or bag along with your smartphone without issue, and if you're looking to get in on the wired trend (hey, lots of people are) it's a very good way to add wired headphone support to devices that have long since dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack.

OK, its amp stage won't be enough to drive high impedance planar magnetic cans (and those would probably come toting a 4.4mm jack anyway, which this doesn't have) but provided you're just looking to level up with closed-back dynamic solutions, this is little money, well-spent.

Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

• Read our full iFi Go Link 2 review

16. RayNeo Air 4 Pro

• A lightweight personal cinema for travelers

Android XR and Meta might be stealing the smart glasses spotlight in 2026 with their announcements, but here at TechRadar we think the best new pair to launch so far this year is something a little different: the RayNeo Air 4 Pro.

The biggest difference between the RayNeo and those other specs is they don’t bother with AI — instead they’re effectively a portable display for your compatible phone, tablet, laptop, console, essentially anything that can output video and audio via USB-C.

The Air 4 Pro don't reinvent the wheel but add important new tools like being the first specs of their kind to support HDR10 — leading to more accurate and vibrant colors from their micro-OLED displays. Couple that with solid sound, a comfy fit, and optional Batman/Joker stylings for DC mega fans (plainer designs are available) and you have something incredible.

Hamish Hector, Senior Staff Writer, News

• Read our in-depth RayNeo Air 4 Pro review

15. MacBook Air M5

• The best ultraportable we've ever used

The MacBook Air is, in some ways, the portable most other laptops aspire to; it’s thin, light, surprisingly powerful, and has simply outstanding battery life.

At the time of review, Apple had doubled that storage space (far more important than you might think), finally upgraded connectivity to the future (Wi-Fi 7 and BLE 6) and, of course, slipped in the new M5 silicon.

The price rose a bit, and some wished for more colors (heck, maybe they'll think about Citrus for the next Air), but none of this really detracted from the MacBook Air’s sizable qualities, including a fantastic keyboard, huge ForceTouch trackpad, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. MacBook Air was the laptop that lured me away from Windows, and the M5 model is what’s keeping me here.

Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large

• Read our in-depth Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) 

14. Oppo Find X9 Ultra

• The new camera phone king

If you're in any doubt about whether the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is the best camera phone on the market right now, just look at the devices we've compared it to. In our Oppo Find X9 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comparison, the Chinese flagship came out on top in almost every category, and in our Oppo Find X9 Ultra vs Lumix TZ300 vs Nikon Z8 comparison, we found that its telephoto capabilities "render most travel zoom compact cameras redundant." High praise indeed.

So, yes, the Find X9 Ultra — which is the first Ultra-branded Oppo phone to ship outside of China (albeit not in the US) — is the new camera phone king. But it comes with plenty of other flagship bells and whistles, too. There's the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the 12GB of RAM, the 6.8-inch OLED display, and the enormous 7,050mAh battery. And Oppo's software has also come on leaps and bounds in recent years.

If we're talking 'the best phones of 2026 so far', the Find X9 Ultra is a must-include.

Axel Metz, Phones Editor

• Read our in-depth Oppo Find X9 Ultra review

13. Audeze Maxwell 2

• The best-sounding gaming headset I've ever tested

The Audeze Maxwell 2 isn't the gaming headset that's received the highest score from our team of reviewers so far this year on TechRadar Gaming, but it's still one of the absolute best to release this year. And it gets that mantle on sound quality alone.

The 90mm planar magnetic drivers produce the finest gaming audio I've ever experienced, and I can't imagine using anything else now (unless I have to for pesky work reasons). Audeze's patented SLAM tech means the bottom end is even better than ever, and so the whole soundscape is much more rounded and fulsome, while being exceptionally detailed and immersive.

It's a chunky headset, yes, but it has all the modern features you realistically need to get the most out of a headset for single-player immersion and gaining edges in multiplayer games: a robust mic, reliable connectivity, good design and build, all supporting that brilliant audio quality.

After nearly a decade of testing and reviewing gaming headsets of all stripes, I have not been treated to audio this good. It's proven so good that I disagree with our own review (sorry, Phil) and have written about how, after a few months of living with the Maxwell 2, I think it's a five-star gaming headset. If you want to consider any new gaming headset of 2026 thus far to upgrade your audio game, then this has to be it.

(Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming and Streaming)

• Read our in-depth Audeze Maxwell 2 review and my op-ed on why I would have scored the Maxwell 2 higher

12. Dyson PencilVax FluffyCones

• The most streamlined vacuum we've ever used

It's been a long time since I saw a vacuum that truly made me do a double-take, but that was the case with the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones. Instead of the chunky dust cup / battery / filter configuration usually found at the top of a stick vacuum, the PencilVac has... nothing. There's just a broom-shaped handle. In fact, this handle houses all those components, except they've been shrunk down to an almost impossibly small size, and hidden away. That makes the PencilVac incredibly light, nimble, and easy to wield.

The floorhead is equally unique, with its two pairs of cone-shaped, fluffy rollers, rotating in opposite directions to whisk away dust from hard floors and clear hair without tangling. This head pivots ultra-smoothly, can be used either way around, and enhances the incredible maneuverability on offer here. A truly innovative design from Dyson, and a useful one at that.

Ruth Hamilton, Collections Editor

• Read our full Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review

11. Dali Sonik 1

• Small, passive stereo speakers that sound twice their size

It's not just because the Dali Sonik 1 are clearly the cat's miaow — although that never hurts!

The Dali Sonik 1 are the smallest in the Danish brand's ever-expanding new line of passive stereo speakers, but while this February 2026 proposition might be bijou, they sound easily twice their size. And for this money, that's a huge win.

We love them for their clear-mindedness, sparkling vocal reproduction, textured transients and remarkably deep, thumping robustness. They’re also low-distortion, with a sonic profile that never falls foul of overstating itself, apart from a very occasionally overzealous bass reflex (but that's largely down to placement).

You might be thinking you've seen this all before: small passive stereo speakers, they must all basically be the same, no? The Dali Sonik 1 are better than that — in fact we think they're currently the absolute best in their size and price category. It could well be the Sonik 1’s use of Dali’s trademarked Clarity Cone technology (taken from the Kore range before it), or the “SMC” (Soft Magnetic Composite)-assisted magnet systems that constitute the driver.

However it has been achieved, collectively this in-house wizardry has created a fulsome yet supremely natural-sounding set of standmount speakers. And they'll easily fit into your home (for a refreshingly palatable fee).

Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

• Red our fully star-rated Dali Sonik 1 review

Our top 10 of 2026 (so far)

10. Apple AirPods Max 2

• The best noise-cancelling iPhone headphones on the planet

At first glance, Apple's March-issue second-generation flagship headphones probably didn't receive too many hugely excited whoops and cheers from the Cupertino giant's noted fanbase. Why? Because they arrived looking exactly the same as the first pair.

And they still come out on top in any mid-year headphones roundup. The ANC is just that good. We may sometimes be harsh at TechRadar, but we're always fair…

Put them on your head, engage the ANC and get them playing music. Suddenly it's impossible to knock them. There's a new H2 chip in each ear cup (plus a new amplification module) and that combination is a bona-fide game-changer.

OK, so you can use the Digital Crown as a remote and yes, you can now use Live Translation, nod or shake your head to control call-handling, or pipe up and the headphones now adjust playback accordingly. But none of these under-the-hood improvements is what seals the deal for me.

No, it's all about the sound, underpinned by the noise cancellation performance that is 1.5 times better — and anyone who owns the inaugural set will know how big a deal that is. Also, the overall sonic profile is punchier, more vibrant and with an extra ounce dynamic nuance across the frequencies.

The only reason I couldn't give them the full five stars? The stamina, at only 20 hours with ANC deployed. The thing is, when the cocoon of silence is this good, I'll take a hit on battery life.

Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

• Read my full and in-depth Apple AirPods Max 2 review

9. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

• The new king of Android

It can be hard to mess with near perfection, but that was the task facing Samsung when it built the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. It’s a follow-up to the best Android flagship I'd ever used and, thankfully, the S26 Ultra did not disappoint.

The excellent, solid design (despite losing titanium) is a perfect showcase for Samsung’s vast OneUI 8 and all that AI. Plus it has a built-in S Pen that’s endlessly useful and new privacy screen feature that's so cool I wonder when Apple will copy it.

The just-short-of-perfection is mostly because it wasn't a full redesign some wished for and the frustrating lack of any kind of MagSafe charging capabilities. Those were, obviously, minor niggles in what is otherwise a powerful, big-screen handset that should be on everyone’s Android shortlist.

Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large

• Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

8. EcoFlow Stream Ultra X

• A game-changing home battery for renters

It's no surprise that in a year of spiraling energy costs one of the big trends has been home batteries that can cut chunks out of your electricity bills — and this powerful, balcony-friendly unit is the most complete we've tested so far.

The EcoFlow Stream Ultra X isn't cheap and, at the time of writing, isn't available in the US (although its lower-capacity Stream Ultra X sibling is). But with its 3.84 kWH capacity and AI-powered energy management, it is a glimpse of a smart home genre that will soon become mainstream.

In short, this lithium iron phosphate battery charges from the sun via solar panels or from cheap grid power during the day, then powers your home at night. In our tests, we estimated that it could easily pay for itself in three years — and that's without connecting it to solar panels.

On its own, the Stream Ultra X isn't powerful enough to power your whole home during a power cut — it's more like the first rung on a ladder that can take you to solar or a bigger home energy system. But you can connect five more Stream series units to hit 23 kWh of power, and its versatility makes it one of the best examples so far of what the Germans call 'Balkonkraftwerke' (or 'balcony power plants').

Mark Wilson, Managing Editor, News (UK)

• Read our in-depth EcoFlow Stream Ultra X review

7. Sony InZone H6 Air

• Sony’s first open-back gaming headset is the best

This year Sony debuted its first open-back gaming headset with the Inzone H6 Air, and it’s the best such model that we’ve tested, blowing strong competitors like the Turtle Beach Atlas Air out of the water.

Underpinned by the same studio quality drivers found in the audio giant’s ever-reliable MDR-MV1 studio monitor headphones, now reworked for additional bass, it delivers crystal-clear, well-balanced sound that’s perfect for both gaming and music listening.

That open-back design lends itself to a wonderfully wide soundstage that adds depth to your favorite games — the detailed weapon sound effects of Battlefield 6 have never seemed so real, while we found that more narrative driven titles like The Last of Us Part 2 or Assassin’s Creed Shadows benefit from a whole new level of aural immersion.

They’re incredibly light and comfortable, coming in at 7oz / 199g, but that doesn’t mean that they feel cheap. The premium aluminum earcup shells are hardwearing and we’re certain that the durable fabric headband will last us for many years to come.

Dashiell Wood, Gaming Editor

• Read our in-depth Sony InZone H6 Air review

6. DJI Avata 360

• Our new favorite all-seeing drone

The big new trend for drones in 2026 is 360 models. A bit like flying versions of cameras like the Insta360 X5, these all-seeing aerial gadgets let you reframe your aerial videos and photos after you've landed, so you don't need to be so precise or decisive up in the sky.

The DJI Avata 360 isn't the first 360 drone we've seen — that was the Antigravity A1 — but it is our new favorite thanks to its unrivaled versatility. Yes, you can shoot 360 videos thanks to its dual 1-inch sensors, then edit that footage using DJI Fly mobile app or the DJI Studio desktop software.

But switch to the drone's single-lens mode, and you effectively have a DJI Avata 2, an FPV drone that can perform aerial acrobatics and get some very different footage. Because you get to choose between using FPV goggles and a standard RC2 two-stick controller, you also don't always need to bring along a spotter friend to fly it legally either.

Mark Wilson, Managing Editor, News (UK)

• Read our in-depth DJI Avata 360 review

5. Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

• A surprisingly powerful heat wave savior

Heatwaves have been another big theme of 2026 — and if you've been baking under a 'heat dome' in the past few months, you might well be interested in the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, a tiny fan whose performance is as good as its name.

Dyson’s first portable fan excels for two main reasons. Firstly, the fan’s powerful motor reaches a staggering 65,000rpm, and the shape of the HushJet nozzle concentrates the airflow so it’s all directed right at you. Even on the lowest setting you can really feel it, but dial it up to maximum and you’d think you’re using a hairdryer.

You also don’t just have to use it as a hand-held fan — you can wear it around your neck, attach it to clothing or a bag strap, or stand upright on your desk, so it’s pretty versatile to boot. But we know what you’re thinking; it's a Dyson, so isn’t it going to be ridiculously expensive? Fortunately not, so that's why we awarded it a rare five stars.

Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

• Read our in-depth Dyson HushJet Mini Cool review

4. JBL Go 5

• The best tiny Bluetooth speaker, now even better

When I fired the JBL Go 5 up for the first time, it genuinely blew me away. See, its predecessor was already a very solid-sounding speaker given its minuscule size, and it had great build quality and features to match.

But JBL really outdid itself with this sequel. The Go 5 has even more open and expressive sound than what came before, with clean and agile bass, enhanced detail and clarity in the mid-range, as well as articulate and controlled treble. Pair that with new, customizable edge lighting, improved IP68 dust and waterproofing, and options like USB-C lossless audio, and the Go 5 is easily one of the best small speakers on the market.

It’s also drop-proof, comes in a range of funky colors, and has personalizable EQ, enabling you to find the perfect sound for any occasion. At less than $55 / £40, it’s also sensational value for money, and it couldn’t be more deserving of its five-star rating.

Harry Padoan, Senior Writer, Reviews

• Read our in-depth JBL Go 5 review

3. Philips Baristina

• Bean-to-cup that's great value and a doddle to use

As far as entry-level coffee makers go, the Philips Baristina is simple, stylish, and just as easy to use as any pod coffee machine. Basically, it’s the best affordable bean-to-cup espresso machine we’ve tested.

Like a manual espresso machine, the Baristina uses a portafilter handle. All you need to do is push the empty handle into place, select your drink, and the Baristina will grind the right dose of coffee into the filter basket, so you don’t even need to weigh the coffee beans before brewing.

Using a simple set of three buttons — one for single espresso, one for a lungo, and one to boost the intensity by increasing the dose of ground coffee — it’s incredible value for money. While it doesn’t come with a steaming wand for milk and is very much espresso-first, the Baristina remains an excellent beginner-friendly espresso machine that's perfect if you're new to fresh beans.

Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

• Read our in-depth Philips Baristina review

2. Sony A7R VI

• Sony just perfected mirrorless cameras

I've tested just about every major camera release spanning the last 15 years, and I don’t use the word 'perfect' lightly — but that's what the Sony A7R VI is. For me, it’s the winning combination of raw quality and speed — thanks to a stacked 66.8MP full-frame sensor with ludicrous dynamic range, lightning-fast burst-shooting and reliable autofocus performance. I really pushed the A7R VI, shooting everything from landscape photography to wildlife and portraits, and it didn’t skip a beat.

The A7R VI is also a seriously well-designed professional mirrorless camera, with an immersive high-resolution EVF and multi-angle touchscreen, plus it packs an all-new higher-capacity battery that bags more shots. Sure it costs a lot, but considering it’s capable of 95% of what the A1 II can do, with more resolution, for a much lower price, I think it’s decent value.

I've never owned a Sony Alpha mirrorless camera, but the A7R VI has me seriously tempted, especially since Sony has made my favorite lenses over the last 18 months. If I could keep a hold of a single new camera from 2026, the A7R VI would be it, and that’s why it’s my top pick.

Timothy Coleman, Cameras Editor

• Read our in-depth Sony A7R VI review

1. LG C6

• The OLED TV that somehow improves on its near-perfect predecessor

The LG C6 is the best TV I’ve tested this year so far. Impressively, it makes huge improvements over its predecessor, the LG C5. Thanks to its new, flagship-level processor, the C6 delivers brilliant, vibrant colors, powerful contrast and crisp detail, delivering better picture quality over the C5: which is no mean feat. When I tested the C6 next to the C5, the C6 proved to be more accurate too, eliminating a green tint that was noticeable on the C5.

The C6 is a gaming powerhouse, continuing the LG C-series’ legacy as one of the very best gaming TVs on the market. With four HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K 165Hz, full VRR including FreeSync and G-Sync, Dolby Vision and ALLM all supported, plus an ultra-low, measured 9.2ms input lag time, gaming is fantastic on the C6.

The C6 covers all the bases, offering solid built-in sound, an intuitive smart TV system that gets better each year and it’s generally the most competitively priced OLED as well. The C6 will take some beating in 2026.

James Davidson, TV Hardware Staff Writer

• Read our in-depth LG C6 review

• A new report suggests foldable phone prices could rise by 18% this year
• That's in part due to the iPhone Ultra, which could launch at a very high price
• Samsung and other brands may well cash in on this market shift

2026 could be one of the biggest years for foldable phones yet, as the foldable iPhone Ultra looks set to finally arrive in September. But while that’s sure to excite anyone who’s been waiting for an Apple-made foldable, it could also come with some bad news for consumers.

You see, according to a recent Counterpoint Research report (via 9to5Mac), the average price of foldable phones could rise by as much as 18% this year, and that increase will in part be thanks to Apple’s upcoming model.

Specifically, the average price is predicted to rise to $1,485 (roughly £1,110 / AU$2,140), and that’s in part because the iPhone Ultra itself will probably cost significantly more than that, with a recent IDC report predicting that the phone could retail for as much as $2,500 (around £1,870 / AU$3,600) — and that might just be the starting price.

This being an iPhone, it’s sure to be popular and could therefore drive up the average price of foldable phones. But its impact might extend to other brands too, because a $2,500 foldable iPhone could make such prices more palatable when attached to phones from Samsung and other companies.

A welcome rival

With this in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that a Samsung exec said last year that the Korean giant is “welcoming others to join this category,” in response to a question about the iPhone Ultra’s arrival.

Don’t be surprised, then, if future Samsung foldables cost more than current ones — and not just because of rising RAM prices and inflation, but also because of the Apple impact.

Still, this Counterpoint report has some good pricing news too, as while it predicts that book-style foldables will continue increasing in price, clamshell models are expected to fall in price on average, bringing them “closer to premium bar-type smartphone alternatives.”

So while book-style foldables might start feeling even further out of reach for a lot of buyers, clamshell models could become increasingly attainable.

• Samsung reveals industry first UFS 5.0 storage: A single fingernail-sized chip that can read at up to 10.8GB/s
• With capacities of up to 1TB on offer, it makes a solid case for displacing existing M.2 drives in laptops, handhelds and game consoles amongst other hardware
• The chip is also relevant for AI, offering a significant increase in read speeds for on-device AI solutions as a 40% decrease in power consumption versus UFS 4.1

Samsung has unveiled what it says is the industry's first look at UFS 5.0, a new storage standard for its customers.

The memory and storage giant unveiled its new storage chip on the 23rd of June while positioning its embedded storage standard as an important breakthrough for localized, or on-device, AI solutions.

Samsung claims its chips are based on the standard feature a sequential read speed of up to 10.8 GB/s and a sequential write speed of up to 9.5 GB/s, making them more than twice as fast as the previously mainstream UFS standard, which clocks in at 4.2 GB/s and 2.8GB/s respectively.

Faster, less power hungry flash in a more compact package

Samsung's latest offering isn't just an iterative upgrade in raw speeds compared to past generations; it sets the stage for devices that have yet to come as the world grapples with the need for on-device AI solutions, even as demand for more localized solutions dwarfs expectations among many manufacturers.

With generative AI often leveraging fast NAND flash as a substitute for relatively more expensive DRAM even as smartphones and computers are increasingly hit by rising prices for both components, Samsung's UFS 5.0-based offering fills an important gap for many of its OEM customers as well as its own smart devices lineup.

“In the era of on-device AI, storage devices are evolving into a key driver defining AI experiences," noted Jangseok Choi, head of Memory Product Planning at Samsung Electronics.

"As we successfully move beyond the development stage of the industry’s first UFS 5.0 solution, Samsung is setting a new standard for storage on the go and will continue to drive innovation for the next-generation mobile platform market."

As AI solutions range from hyperscalers to things smaller than smartwatches, Samsung's offering becomes even more important. The package for its solution is 16.7% smaller than its previous-generation offering, measuring just 7.5mm x 13mm x 0.9mm, or smaller than most people's fingernails.

Samsung's most important achievement, however, might be the 40% power efficiency it claims to offer compared to its new chip's predecessor, while delivering speeds that effectively make its solution viable for most local models to run on.

With Samsung touting 5x faster random read speeds, it is clear that it is aiming to position its upcoming UFS module as a de facto solution for downstream AI inference, and it could pose a very real threat to some of the most powerful NVMe SSD drives out there.

• Samsung is phasing out the Vascular Load feature on Galaxy Watch in the US
• It's replacing it with Blood Pressure Trend in late July
• Users believe this is due to FDA compliance issues

Samsung's range of smartwatches covers every base when it comes to fitness tracking, but the tech giant is pulling the plug on a health monitoring tool it rolled out only last year. Don't fret; a replacement feature is on the way.

The company’s experimental Vascular Load feature, a tool that was introduced alongside the launch of the Galaxy Watch 8 at last year’s Galaxy Unpacked 2025, will be phased out in the US by late July. Its removal aligns with the upcoming Samsung Health 7.0 and One UI 9 watch updates, but it appears that Vascular Load will still be available to users outside of the US following the changes.

When Samsung removes Vascular Load at the end of the month, you'll no longer be able to access this data in the Samsung Health app. However, you can download your existing data by opening the app and tapping Samsung Health Settings, then find Samsung Health Information to continue.

Users are currently being notified via the Samsung Health app, but the company has yet to issue a wider announcement, which is a little frustrating, as I can imagine users just want a bit of clarity. That said, Samsung isn’t leaving you high and dry.

Vascular load feature being removed in the US from r/GalaxyWatch

To make up for the loss of the Vascular Load monitoring tool, the company is offering an alternative: Blood Pressure Trend — which Samsung says will be available in the upcoming Galaxy Watch (we assume this is referring to the Galaxy Watch 9).

While Vascular Load uses your heart rate data to measure factors like changes in blood volume, Blood Pressure Trend is designed to monitor your blood pressure periodically and show you a trend over time. In addition to this, it will also offer you tips and tricks to help maintain healthy habits.

To get started with Blood Pressure Trend, Samsung highlights in the notification that you’ll need to use a blood pressure cuff with your Galaxy Watch, and then once every 28 days to maintain accuracy (according to Android Authority). The company also shared that Blood Pressure Trend “is for wellness only”, and “not for the diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition”.

It’s still early days, and Galaxy Watch owners are awaiting further information on the upcoming changes, which have sparked online debate regarding the reasons for its US removal.

A vast majority of the online commenters believe that Samsung is concerned about Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliance — one user says that the FDA often drags out approvals like this. While this idea gives the removal credibility, Samsung has yet to detail the reasons for its decision to stop access to Vascular Load, so we have to take this speculation with a pinch of salt.

If you own one of the best Samsung phones, and have a habit of mislaying your wallet or keys, then the Samsung SmartTag 2 is exactly what you need. Samsung’s answer to the Apple AirTag, the dinky SmartTag 2 can be attached to, or inserted in, practically anything you can think of. If you lose said item, you can use your Samsung device to track it down.

And right now you can grab a 4-pack for the low price of just AU$71.06 at Amazon for a limited time. That’s just under AU$18 per tag, which is a surefire bargain.

The SmartTag 2 is incredibly simple to use. Just connect a tag to any object, register it with the SmartThings Find app and use Search Nearby to find your item. You can also make the Galaxy SmartTag 2 play a sound if it's near enough to find with its ringtone feature.

You can track the Galaxy SmartTag 2 so long as it stays attached and intact. And, don't worry, with a battery life of up to 700 days and IP67 rating for protection against dust and water, it will last long enough for you to find your items, even if they somehow find their way to the desert or the bottom of the pool.

If you're looking for an iOS compatible smart tag, try the Apple AirTag 2, which is also seeing a discount on the 4-pack at Amazon, now down to AU$132.82 thanks to a AU$6 saving at the checkout, but I’d wait to see if these drop in price further come Prime Day 2026 in Australia.

If you want a smart tag that works for multiple devices, including iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel, try the much cheaper Life 360 Tile, which is now AU$55.95 for a 4-pack.

• Samsung launches cryptic social media campaign
• It appears to be about the next generation of foldables
• More specificially, Samsung is trying to tell us about shapes

Samsung is slicing up pizza, smearing paint, and playing with puzzles all in an effort to hint about what's to come in its next big Unpacked product event this month, which we all expect to be about foldables.

After clearing out its social media accounts, Samsung returned with a handful of social, almost ASMR videos that focus on sound and visuals but offer little in the way of concrete information.

The social media campaign starts with a photo booth printout that features four images of a woman and her dog. The print includes a substantial top border with the word "Snapply." Someone cuts that off before we see the words, "Cut to what matters."

Next, there's a pepperoni pizza where someone uses a rolling pie cutter to slide out a small, rectangular shape. They remove the slice, slide away the remaining pie, and the words "A whole new slice" appear. Next, there's a tiny dog puzzle. Someone removes the top row of pieces, and the words "Feels just right" appear. The last one, though, might be most telling.

It starts with some paint drops on a white palette. A squeegee slides over them to mix the colors and reveal the number 8 with the words:

"Bold stroke

New shape"

One thing we can glean here is that all of these social media bits are talking about design, shape, or aspect ratio. After all, the word "shape" and words that apply to shape appear throughout.

The "8" makes sense. We're still sporting our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 devices, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are, presumably, the next phones in line. There are rumors of a new wide device, too, which fits the "new shape" idea Samsung is teasing here. Beyond that, though, we don't know much.

This is different

Samsung told us via email that the company is "hitting reset."

"After seven generations of pushing the boundaries of foldables, Samsung is taking a different approach to how it builds anticipation this year," the company wrote.

This new social media campaign is purposely devoid of product details and encourages guesswork. The recurrent shapes and patterns are intentional.

Clearly, all these videos are not just about the shape. They might be trying to tell us about some of the new features coming with the next generation of Galaxy Z foldables. For instance, there is another hint, perhaps unintentional: both the puzzle and the paint video are, according to the fine print, AI videos with edits. Were they created on the new devices? Only time will tell.

Take our advice and keep watching all of Samsung's social media channels for additional hints and details.

• A lawsuit claims RAM suppliers colluded to fix memory prices
• It says they did this by shifting manufacturing to higher-priced HBM
• But I doubt the lawsuit will make memory cheaper for consumers

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll probably know that prices of PC components are out of control right now. Costs of computer memory are some of the worst affected, making upgrading your PC next to impossible for all but the five richest kings of Europe.

Now, it seems that some people feel there is something deeply fishy about all these price rises. Indeed, a recently filed lawsuit has alleged that the globe’s leading RAM producers — Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron — colluded to deliberately constrain memory supply and push prices up as a result.

According to the filing (via AppleInsider), the three named companies shifted manufacturing capacity away from DRAM modules such as DDR3 and DDR4 — that is, the type of memory used in phones, computers, tablets and other consumer devices — towards HBM, which is used in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and sells for a higher price. With lower supply, memory prices rose accordingly.

On the face of it, that's not illegal — companies are allowed to make strategic decisions to maximize profit if they wish. But what the lawsuit claims is that this move was a concerted, coordinated decision between the three firms, rather than each one separately responding to market conditions.

Because they have a stranglehold on the RAM market (up to 89% of DRAM market share and 100% of HBM market share, according to Counterpoint Research), the allegations of coordination — if proven — could amount to illegal behavior, potentially including price fixing.

Will this end the RAMpocalypse?

If you’re reading this and are desperate for some good news among all the PC component doom and gloom, you might be hoping that a favorable judgment in this lawsuit would open the door to lower memory prices and go some way towards getting costs back to reasonable levels.

Unfortunately, that outcome is unlikely. The lawsuit has not proven anything yet, and showing beyond doubt that Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron colluded to screw over consumers — rather than merely making independent decisions in response to the same crisis — will probably be exceedingly difficult to prove.

But even if the plaintiffs succeed in doing that, the lawsuit is likely to be a long, drawn-out process, with many appeals and potential reversals. And even then, it won’t change the reality that right now, prices are through the roof. We’re not getting any immediate relief, no matter what happens in the courtroom.

That skeptical view is widely reflected on social media. On Reddit, for example, user HorsePockets pointed out that HBM memory “pays way more than conventional DRAM and allows [the defendants] to transition away from being purely cyclical stocks.” Ramping up HBM production simply makes sense from a business perspective, they argued.

EloquentPinguin, meanwhile, put it this way: “If they truly think that DDR3 was wound down in favor of HBM, and not because it’s an almost 20-year-old technology with two well-established successive generations, then they might just be grasping [at] straws.”

That illustrates just how difficult this case could be to prove — and how little impact it might have on the ongoing RAM crisis. But the reality is that prices are completely out of control right now, whether or not memory manufacturers colluded to ensure that happened. Punishing the alleged culprits might feel cathartic, but it’s not going to put prices right any time soon. And that’s the real injustice here.

• Samsung Messages is shutting down for US users in July
• Google Messages is the suggested alternative, but there are other options
• You should switch to a new app before the shutdown date to ensure you keep your chat history

If you’re a Samsung Messages user then you’re probably already aware that the app is soon shutting down in the US — and if you’re not, you need to be, because there are steps you’ll need to take to preserve your messages and continue being able to chat.

While the exact shutdown date hasn’t been confirmed by Samsung, the company has said that it will be switched off at some point in July, and it’s looking like it will probably happen on July 6, as some users reported getting notifications with that date.

So, you don’t have long to get your messaging house in order. With that in mind, we’ve detailed the five things you should do before Samsung Messages shuts down.

1. Check if you’re affected

Oddly, it seems that right now at least, Samsung isn’t shutting down its messaging app everywhere. In fact, initially, it’s only shutting down in the US.

Even then, it will seemingly continue working on devices running Android 11 or older, so if you’re outside the US or running a very old version of Android, you don’t necessarily need to do anything (though you might still want to, as detailed below).

But Android 11 is likely to have numerous security vulnerabilities these days, so if you are still running that version of Google's software, it’s worth updating your device or getting a new one anyway if possible.

2. Consider switching even if you’re not affected

While Samsung has said that it currently has no plans to shut down Samsung Messages outside the US, it’s hard to imagine this isn’t something the company is at least considering.

We’d think it’s likely that the US shutdown is just the first step, with other regions potentially following sometime later, and even if it isn’t shut down elsewhere, this move rather suggests that Samsung Messages isn’t a priority for the company, so you might find it doesn’t get updated as much as alternative apps.

All of which is to say it could be worth switching messaging apps anyway, even if you don’t actually have to yet.

3. Choose and download a new messaging app

Assuming you either have to switch or have decided that now’s the time, you’re going to need to choose an alternative.

Handily, there’s no need to give this much thought, as Samsung is directing users to Google Messages, so if you’re happy with that, you can download it from Google Play and skip to the next step.

But you might want to consider other options too, such as Fossify Messages, Textra SMS, Beeper, or Pulse SMS.

However, be aware that only Google Messages and Beeper support RCS (Rich Communication Services) — the others are limited to SMS, which has fewer features and is less secure.

4. Set it as your default messaging app

Next, set whichever app you’ve chosen as your default messaging app. In most cases, you should see a prompt asking you to do this when you launch the new app for the first time, but if not, just head to Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > SMS app, and then tap the one you want to use.

5. Wait for your chats to move across

In most cases, once you download a new messaging app and set it as your default, your previous conversations from Samsung Messages will move across to it automatically, though this can take up to 24 hours, so don’t panic if they don’t immediately appear.

But if you choose to switch to Beeper, then the process is a bit more involved, as you’ll first need to download Google Messages anyway and move your conversation history over to that. Then you can connect Beeper to your Google account to give it access.

• SVP at Samsung says the Galaxy Ring 2 is officially in development
• It could come with a slew of design upgrades as well as deeper integration with other Samsung devices
• The biggest improvement is support for iOS, a first for Samsung wearables

When Samsung released the Galaxy Ring in 2024 it shot to the top of our list of best smart rings, but the Korean tech company has been rather silent on plans for the next-gen wearable — until now.

Speaking with Forbes, Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team at Samsung, Hon Pak, shared that the company’s next smart ring (presumably named the Galaxy Ring 2) is officially in development; “We are working on the next generation. I can tell you that,” he shared.

The announcement arrives just after the new Oura Ring 5 hit the shelves which, compared to its predecessor, is roughly 40% smaller with an even longer battery life, although does come with a higher price tag. It’s about time Samsung returned to the smart ring world given how fierce the competition has grown over the last two years — so how will the Galaxy Ring 2 stand against its rivals?

When Samsung released the first Galaxy Ring, Pak described it as “a comprehensive and simplified approach” to health and sleep, and it seems that he wants to build on this across both hardware and software.

For starters, if we look at the Oura Ring 5’s slimmer redesign, it wouldn’t come as a complete surprise if Samsung replicated a similar ‘smaller but tougher’ approach to its own smart ring for added comfort improvements.

Additionally, Samsung could take a page out of Oura’s book and remove skin contact bumps from the inside of the ring, all while extending its battery life — we also predicted that it will come with a solid state battery.

Though design upgrades are likely, Pak hinted that this won’t be the biggest difference with the Galaxy Ring 2. “If you look at the comparison of other rings, regardless of the competitor, the sensors are not that different right now,” he said, adding “It’s really about what services you create on the top layer. It’s really the software differentiation that you see.”

With these remarks in mind, the Galaxy Ring 2’s main focus will be on developing deeper software integration rather than reupholstering the hardware. Pak also shared that Samsung has plans to build on its connected ecosystem to help users receive more accurate metrics and get a better sense of their health habits.

Instead of using just the Galaxy Ring 2's collection of metrics to present the full picture of your well-being, Samsung takes your data from the smart ring and blends it with other devices in its network via the Samsung Health app. This could include Galaxy Watches and smartphones, and even its range of SmartThings home appliances to give you more detailed context into your daily activity and overall well-being.

For users who are deep into Samsung’s ecosystem of devices already, it’s a huge win, but one of the biggest setbacks with the first-gen Galaxy Ring is its lack of support for iOS. While Samsung has the overall edge over the likes of Oura, the latter supports iOS, giving users more reason to opt for its wearables over Samsung’s — but this could change with the Galaxy Ring 2.

In addition to software upgrades, Pak heavily teased that iOS support will finally be coming to the Galaxy Ring; “I’m smiling but I can’t say anything,” he hinted. Out of all the new upgrades, iOS support would throw the biggest curveball into the competition, giving non-Android users even more reason to make the switch to Galaxy Ring over rival wearables.

While it’s not exactly a formal announcement, it’s certainly a promising affirmation of what to expect from the long-awaited wearable. Despite not giving any details on an official launch date, Galaxy Unpacked 2026 is just around the corner where we’re expecting the announcement of the S26 lineup — could Samsung also throw the Galaxy Ring 2 into the mix?

• Samsung wants NAND layer counts to reach four digits this decade
• Future M.2 SSDs could expand from 8TB to 32TB capacities
• Cell Multi-Bonding may replace traditional approaches to NAND density growth

Samsung has mapped out a NAND strategy stretching toward 1000-layer memory designs as demand for denser storage continues accelerating across industries.

The roadmap, disclosed during the IEEE/JSAP VLSI Symposium 2026, extends current vertical scaling plans far beyond existing commercial products.

At the centre of those ambitions sits a future generation of storage capable of pushing familiar SSD capacities into unfamiliar territory.

The route from today's drives to tomorrow's 32TB M.2 SSDs

Samsung expects its NAND technology to reach roughly 420 layers by 2029 before advancing beyond 560 layers during 2030.

Beyond that point, the company intends to explore architectures carrying between 900 and 1000 layers within future generations of flash memory.

Rather than constructing one towering NAND structure, Samsung plans to combine multiple stacks through its Cell Multi-Bonding technology approach.

The method joins separate NAND structures together inside one package to achieve densities that resemble a single 1000-layer device.

Samsung specifically discussed pairing two approximately 450-layer structures to approach the effective density associated with future four-digit layer counts.

According to company projections, this arrangement could increase storage density by as much as four times current generation solutions.

One example outlined during the presentation involved an 8TB QLC M.2 drive eventually scaling upward to reach 32TB capacities.

That scenario would allow substantially larger SSDs without increasing physical dimensions, preserving the compact M.2 format many users remember well.

The same scaling approach could eventually contribute toward enterprise drives exceeding 100TB while bringing Petabyte SSD discussions closer to reality.

The engineering problems standing between Samsung and a petabyte SSD

Samsung acknowledged that increasing layer counts introduces manufacturing complications that become progressively harder as structures grow vertically taller.

One major concern involves wafer warpage, where taller structures can deform during production and reduce manufacturing consistency or yields.

Another challenge comes from maintaining alignment accuracy across hundreds of stacked layers, requiring extremely precise overlay control throughout fabrication processes.

Even relatively minor deviations between layers can affect long-term reliability, performance, and manufacturing efficiency across finished storage products.

To limit deformation effects, Samsung plans to introduce an Upper Chuck Design intended to stabilise increasingly complex wafer structures.

The company also discussed Overlay Correction technologies intended to improve alignment precision as future NAND structures continue growing upward.

These developments arrive as conventional process shrinking becomes increasingly difficult, forcing memory manufacturers toward more elaborate vertical architectures.

Samsung has separately discussed a record-breaking 400-layer NAND generation that could help push AI hyperscaler SSD capacities beyond the 200TB barrier.

The company has also linked 430-layer NAND technology with a future where 100TB SSDs become increasingly mainstream across enterprise deployments.

Samsung will work with hafnia ferroelectrics in order to extend the practical layer counts beyond 1000 layers.

However, whether these designs eventually deliver mainstream 32TB M.2 drives or petabyte SSDs remains dependent upon manufacturing realities rather than roadmaps.

Samsung's latest roadmap nevertheless suggests the race toward NAND supremacy depends upon stacking ingenuity rather than shrinking dimensions.

Via The Guru of 3D