Samsung will hold its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, 2026, in London, starting at 9AM ET / 6AM PT (2PM BST). The invitation, sent out earlier in July, carries the tagline "A New Shape Unfolds" (Samsung Newsroom).

The main product is the Galaxy Z Fold 8, a phone that folds open like a book to reveal a larger screen. It is expected to be wider than earlier models (The Verge). Leaks point to a 7.8-inch folding screen paired with a 5.4-inch screen on the outside that you use when the phone is closed (Tom's Guide). A wider version is tipped to use a 4:3 shape ratio and step up to an 8-inch folding screen (The Gadgeteer). The Z Fold 8 is also expected to include a 5000 mAh battery with 45W charging support (The Gadgeteer).

Samsung is also expected to reveal a Z Fold 8 Ultra with a larger battery than the standard model (The Verge). Beyond the folding phones, a refreshed Galaxy Z Flip 8 is anticipated, along with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Watch 9 (The Verge).

The display sizes from the June leaks match Samsung's tagline about a new shape. A 4:3 ratio on the wider version would be a change from the narrow, tall outside screen that has defined the Z Fold line through its first seven generations. Wider proportions would bring the unfolded screen closer to a near-square shape, which matters for multitasking, split-screen app layouts, and watching content. A wider outside screen also addresses a long-standing complaint: that the Fold's exterior screen felt cramped for everyday phone tasks compared with a regular flagship phone.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra adds a new level to Samsung's folding phone lineup. The confirmed facts specify a larger battery as the distinguishing hardware feature. Whether the Ultra also gets display upgrades or other internal differences remains unconfirmed. Samsung's decision to split the Fold into standard and Ultra models mirrors what it has done with its Galaxy S smartphones, suggesting folding phones are entering a maturity phase where manufacturers offer different feature sets and prices rather than competing with a single device.

The 5000 mAh battery and 45W charging on the standard Z Fold 8 are notable given the power demands of a larger folding screen. 45W wired charging has been Samsung's ceiling for several generations, and the leak does not indicate a step up in charging speed. Battery capacity at 5000 mAh matches what Samsung has shipped in recent Fold models, meaning the Ultra's larger battery may be the main difference in how long the phone lasts on a charge.

The wearables at Unpacked, while typically a secondary draw, round out the ecosystem story. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 succeeds Samsung's first-generation Ultra watch, and the Watch 9 is the standard refresh. Both are positioned as companions to the phone lineup, and their co-launch reinforces Samsung's strategy of presenting an integrated device portfolio at a single event.

London as the venue is a geographic shift for Unpacked, which has rotated through New York, San Francisco, Seoul, and Paris in recent years. The choice of city does not change the product strategy, but it signals Samsung's continued interest in staging Unpacked outside its home market and outside the default US tech hubs.

The broader context here is that folding phones remain a category where Samsung faces increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers, and the design decisions on the Z Fold 8, particularly the wider shape, can be read as a response to rival devices that have already adopted broader proportions. The introduction of an Ultra tier adds pricing flexibility and gives Samsung a flagship model above the standard Fold. Whether the wider display and the Ultra variant translate into meaningful market-share movement is a question the event itself will not answer, but the product lineup indicates Samsung is no longer treating folding phones as a single-device experiment.

For anyone watching the event, the key things to track on July 22 are the confirmed screen sizes, the Ultra's full specifications, pricing across the folding phone range, and any details on the processor and AI features. The event begins at 9AM ET.