I Found the Best Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Rumors for the Fold 7, Flip 7 and Watch 8

CNET

6 hours ago

Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event is a week away and I expect to see new foldable phones such as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 as well as new Galaxy Watches. Remember when July was a quiet month for tech? Not anymore.
Samsung was one of the first companies to launch a foldable phone, but over the past few years, competitors including Motorola and Google (as well as Chinese brands such as Honor, Oppo and Xiaomi) have released their own flips and folds that improve or solve many of the shortcomings found on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 like price, size, battery life and camera quality. A great example of this is the Oppo Find N5, which is one of the world's slimmest foldable book-style phones and closer in size and weight when closed to a regular smartphone.
"Whether I'm using the cover display or the internal one, I'm not constantly reminded of how gimmicky the concept of a foldable phone can be, because everything feels sleek and comfortable," wrote CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti in her Oppo Find N5 review. "Yes, the Find N5 is remarkably thin and lightweight, but it's also exceptionally practical and enjoyable to use."
So how will Samsung respond? The July 9 Galaxy Unpacked event will be a pivotal moment for the South Korean company. In terms of the Galaxy Fold line, many critics want to see Samsung come to parity with Chinese foldable phones or top what they're doing. But there is also growing curiosity about what the company is doing with AI and health and wellness monitoring, specifically in terms of its Galaxy smartwatches.
Rumors, leaks and even some teases straight from Samsung show that the company is ready to meet the moment with an exciting array of foldables phones, including a brand-new budget version of its clamshell flip phone as well as updates to its smartwatch line.
You can watch the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, July 9, at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. Samsung is also offering deals for up to $1,200 off when you reserve the new foldable phones on its website.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra
A frame from one of Samsung's press releases that teased the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Samsung
Over the preceding weeks, Samsung has sent out provocative press releases trying to drum up the hype about a Galaxy Fold 7 and its new Ultra-like camera. In a press release titled, Meet the Next Chapter of Ultra, a video shows a Galaxy Z Fold in silhouette with the sound of a chorus of singers and swooping sound effects of the phone opening and closing.
These teases are vague at best, but could mean that there are multiple Galaxy Z Fold phones. The Ultra variant will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, according to a report on 91mobiles. The main camera could be truly flagship-worthy, if Samsung's tease is true, and similar to the 200-MP camera that's on the Galaxy S25 Edge. There could be a slim version of the Fold that would be the "the thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet." It's unclear if the -- let's call it the Fold 7 Slim -- would have the same Snapdragon processor or an Exynos one.
But what if the Fold 7 Ultra and Fold 7 Slim are the same phone? That might be the reality.
Get ready for an Ultra-fied Samsung foldable.
Samsung
Noted leaker and blogger Evan Blass shared photos in his newsletter of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The images show the unreleased phone in three different colors: blue shadow, silver shadow and jet black. The blue shadow version looks incredible.
The photos of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 are at different angles and really make it look thin. The camera bump sticks out quite a bit and gives off heavy Galaxy S25 Edge vibes. One of the images shows the main screen with a camera cutout at top, which could mean that Samsung is moving away from the under-display camera that's been on the Fold for the past few years.
There are conflicting reports that the Z Fold 7 will have larger 8-inch main displays. It's hard to tell from Samsung PR teases or Blass' photos if that's the case.
Of course, price is the other big factor when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold. Last year, Samsung raised the price of the Fold 6 to $1,900. But with the threat of tariffs and an uncertain outlook for the economy in general, it's tough to know what US prices will be.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE
This is the hinge on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
James Martin/CNET
Motorola came up with a clever way to deal with the high price for foldable phones by offering multiple versions of its Razr, including one that starts at $700. And like Motorola, Samsung could have not one but two Z Flip phones this year. There would likely be a Z Flip 7, a follow up to last year's Galaxy Z Flip 6, and a more affordable Z Flip 7 FE -- and if you're not a Samsung stan, FE stands for fan edition.
The Z Flip 7 would get a larger 4.1-inch cover screen, according to a post by Weibo user Setsuna Digital, similar to the 4-inch one on the Motorola Razr Ultra. Of course, if that's the case, it's going to be exciting to see how Samsung will take advantage of the extra space. Luckily, Blass also shared leaked photos of the Z Flip 7 in blue shadow, coral red and jet black. The cover screen looks enormous without Samsung's file folder tab cutout.
But it's on the inside where things get interesting. A couple of weeks ago Samsung launched its Exynos 2500 processor, and that could be what powers the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
There's the possibility for a Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which after looking at Blass' leaked photos, seems like a repackaged Galaxy Z Flip 6 complete with a 3.4-inch cover screen. And if the Z Flip 7 FE is supposed to be Samsung's more affordable clamshell phone, I have to imagine that the processor will be a step down, too.
Will Samsung price the Z Flip 7 FE at $700, the same as Motorola's baseline Razr? We will find out soon.
Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic
The Galaxy Watch 7 (top) and Ultra (bottom).
John Kim/CNET
Sometimes Samsung teases and other times it just tell us what to expect. A few weeks back, Dr. Hon Pak, Samsung's senior vice president and head of digital health, talked with CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana about the company's plans around its wearables, which are geared toward personalized coaching, monitoring signs of aging and a new blood analysis feature you can use right from your wrist, no needle necessary. The update is part of a broader push to help people fend off chronic illness.
But Pak didn't give away everything. It's unclear how many watches Samsung will launch. It could just be the Galaxy Watch 8, a follow up to last year's Watch 7. There could be a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and also a new color for the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The watches are getting larger batteries, according to a report by SammyGuru. Blass shared leaked photos for three watches: the Watch 8 and its squaricle design, the Watch 8 Classic with its rotating bezel (which I am a big fan of) and an updated version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
There's no word on pricing, but it's great to see Samsung really transform its watches with more of these wellness and health features.
Galaxy Unpacked final thoughts
Here is last year's Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Lisa Eadiccico/CNET
Most of what I've talked about here is based on rumors and leaks, and until Samsung actually announces products, none of this is for certain. Also, it'll be curious to see if there are any updates (even if it's just software) announced for the Galaxy Ring or if Samsung will show off its Project Moohan headset. Remember, this is likely Samsung's last big event for the year and we'll be on top of all the announcements.