Google expanded Gemini's AI task automation from a handful of apps to 40, announcing the change at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event alongside new foldable phones, watches, and a broader push to put Gemini on every screen in Samsung's lineup. The expanded automation lets Gemini shop, make dinner reservations, book travel experiences, and buy tickets on the user's behalf. Gemini can now also accept complex images as prompts and understand what is displayed on the device screen, broadening the range of situations in which the assistant can act. Engadget

On the Galaxy Z Flip 8, you can access the task automation by long-pressing the power button, which puts the assistant one gesture away from the cover display. On the Galaxy Watch 9, users raise their wrist to activate Gemini and ask questions. The wrist-raise interaction is notable because it removes the need for a wake word or button press on a device where screen space is minimal.

Samsung's new foldable phones will ship with Gemini Notebook pre-installed. Formerly known as NotebookLM, Gemini Notebook is a research tool that organizes sources from the web, videos, and chats into a single information hub. It can turn that material into slide decks, videos, flash cards, and podcasts. A "Collections" feature extends it into a larger workspace for managing multiple source sets and outputs. Engadget; Digital Trends

Google is bundling a six-month trial of Google AI Pro with every Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8. The trial gives new device owners access to Google's premium AI subscription for half a year, after which it converts to a paid plan. The approach mirrors what Google has done on its own Pixel phones: use the device sale as a way to get people onto a recurring AI subscription.

Beyond the phone, Samsung and Google revealed two additional frame designs for their upcoming smart glasses line, which is slated to launch in fall 2026. The smart glasses are the most forward-looking hardware in the announcement, and the addition of new frame options suggests the product is moving toward something consumers would actually wear rather than staying in a prototype phase.

Google also introduced a built-in iPhone-to-Android switching tool directly in Android 17. The feature eliminates the need for a separate transfer app and can move photos, videos, contacts, messages, calendar entries, Google Accounts, passwords, WiFi credentials, and eSIM data from an iPhone to an Android device. The tool has started rolling out to select Pixel models and will be initially available on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8. Engadget

The Galaxy Unpacked event, held on or around July 22, 2026, showcased the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and Galaxy Watch 9. Samsung Newsroom

In the weeks leading up to the event, Samsung made several supporting announcements. On July 21, 2026, the company launched Health Assistant Beta, its first fully integrated AI-powered personal health assistant. On July 15, Samsung introduced Flex Titanium Technology for foldable displays. On July 8, the company began mass production of the PM1763 SSD, a storage drive optimized for next-generation AI infrastructure. And on June 30, Samsung and KDDI completed an AI-powered network optimization trial on a commercial 5G network in Japan. Samsung Newsroom

The broader context here is a familiar pattern in the tech industry: a software provider and a hardware maker teaming up around AI as the feature that sets their products apart. What differs from earlier attempts at building digital assistants is the scope of action. Gemini is not just answering questions or setting timers. It is being positioned as an agent that can spend money on your behalf, and that raises a different set of trust and security questions than voice search ever did. When an assistant can transact across 40 services, the question shifts from "can it understand me?" to "do I want it acting on my behalf?" Google and Samsung are betting that the answer is yes, at least enough to justify a six-month subscription trial that converts to recurring revenue.

The built-in iPhone migration tool in Android 17 is the quieter but structurally important move. Making it easier to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone, without requiring users to download a separate app, has historically been one of the most effective ways to grow a platform's market share. Google is making that path easier at a moment when it is also asking new Android users to adopt Gemini as a daily assistant.

The fall 2026 launch of the smart glasses will be the next concrete checkpoint. If the glasses ship with the same Gemini capabilities shown on the foldables, Google will have an assistant spanning your wrist, your phone, and your eyewear, each with a distinct way of interacting suited to that device. That is the architecture of an AI assistant that is always present across multiple devices, not a single app running on a single phone. Whether consumers want that kind of presence is a separate question, but the building blocks are being laid with deliberate breadth.