Latest news with #GalaxyFoldUltra
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Samsung says the Galaxy Fold Ultra is a multitasking powerhouse, but it needs to upgrade this feature first
I've been using the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as my daily driver since it came out last year, and while it's packed full of features, it still needs a few things to convince me it's the productivity powerhouse to beat. While I'm eager for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to arrive sometime this summer to replace it, Samsung has me intrigued by its Galaxy Fold Ultra announcement. The teaser caught me by surprise because the last thing I want is to pay even more for another best foldable phone contender, especially when the Galaxy Z Fold 6 commanded an $1,899 premium when it launched. So, it wouldn't surprise me if the Fold Ultra exceeds $2,000. However, the one part about the teaser that makes it promising to me is how Samsung says it's 'a spacious workspace or a multitasking powerhouse' when it's unfolded. Having been a Galaxy Z Fold 6 user for nearly a year now, I know exactly how it can replace my laptop with the help of Samsung DeX, but there's one key feature Samsung needs to bring back to really sell this promise to me. It's support for multiple users. Strangely enough, Samsung offered support for multiple users with its software for a number of years. The last time it was available was through the One UI 5 beta, but it was scrapped with the stable release — with subsequent versions of One UI omitting it as well. Support for multiple users has been a core feature of Android, but some phone makers (like Samsung) have opted to disable it. Meanwhile, Google, Motorola, Nothing, and many other Android phone makers have kept it with their phones. It's an annoyance I know all too well using phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy S25 Ultra the last few months. If Samsung intends on making the Galaxy Fold Ultra a true multitasking powerhouse, it needs to bring back this feature — mainly for the fact that switching Google profiles in Chrome isn't the same as on a desktop. By having the ability to switch Google accounts on the Galaxy Fold Ultra, it would better serve as a personal and work device. One of the biggest incentives for using Samsung DeX is how it delivers that desktop PC-like experience with its interface, so given how the Galaxy Fold Ultra can open up with a bigger canvas to work with, it makes sense DeX will get a big makeover. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Samsung hasn't changed or added much to DeX in the last few years. But there's something promising about this year's One UI 7 release that has me excited after the events of Google I/O 2025. During its developer conference, Google quietly teased the new Android 16 desktop mode it's working on in collaboration with Samsung by 'building on the foundation' of the DeX platform. I already make good use of Samsung DeX to run three and sometimes four apps simultaneously, which is nearly impossible to juggle on a standard slate phone — but it's practical on a larger monitor. The problem with the current implementation is that there's no way to switch profiles in Chrome, nor does it support all the extensions and plug-ins I rely on to do my work. This is why Samsung needs to bring back multiple users support with One UI 8. If the Galaxy Fold Ultra is going to transform the way I work, I can't stress enough the need for multiple users support. At the very least, it could silo different types of accounts on one device. For anyone with kids, they could also lean on this feature to create a kids-only account. I'm hopeful that the One UI 8 beta release does come with is, which is something I intend on investigating.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Samsung Galaxy Fold Ultra is officially coming this summer — what we know so far
It's pretty clear Samsung already planned to bring the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 to stores this summer, likely at a launch event rumored for July. But it sounds like they'll be joined by at least one more foldable device, as Samsung looks to expand its lineup. Late yesterday (June 3), Samsung announced that it's developing an Ultra version of the Galaxy Z Fold. The teaser announcement was short on specs but long on declarations about the central role artificial intelligence would play for the Galaxy Fold Ultra. "With industry-leading hardware, cutting-edge performance and seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format, it's what users have come to expect from Galaxy Ultra," Samsung's statement read. "And when it unfolds, it transforms– into a more immersive entertainment hub, a spacious workspace, or a multitasking powerhouse, now enhanced by powerful Galaxy AI features designed specifically for the foldable form." Samsung's Galaxy AI features debuted last January and are supported by the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 foldables released last year. Samsung even launched new AI-powered features alongside those two devices, highlighted by Sketch to Image, which uses generative AI to turn sketches in the Samsung Notes app into full-bodies illustrations. But that feature arrive on other Samsung flagship phones via a software update. From the sound of Samsung's Galaxy Fold Ultra announcement, the AI features on show here may be developed specifically to take advantage of the foldable format. As for what format this Ultra model would take, an include animation features a phone opening up like a book — the same design offered by the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and likely to be a part of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It's unclear if the Ultra would offer a larger screen than the current Z Fold and its 7.6-inch interior display or if Samsung will keep the dimensions the same and focus on the AI features. Of course, there's always the possibility that the Galaxy Fold Ultra isn't a complement to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — it could be the Galaxy Z Fold 7, or at least the version of Samsung's book foldable that's coming out this year. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Besides AI features, Samsung's teaser announcement touts a "powerful camera," raising the possibility that the main camera could match the 200MP shooter on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and recently brought to the Galaxy S25 Edge. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 50MP main lens. In addition to the specs that will make up the Galaxy Fold Ultra, we're interested to hear about the phone's price. At $1,899, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of the more expensive mobile devices you can buy, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is rumored to be keeping that price. Would an Ultra model cost even more? Rumors have been swirling that Samsung planned to add more foldables to its lineup, with talk of a Galaxy G Fold that feature a tri-fold display. There are reports that the G Fold would launch this year, though the animation accompanying Samsung's announcement would imply we're talking about different models here. Likewise, there's been rumors of Samsung putting out an FE addition of the Galaxy Z Flip, for a lower-cost version of its foldable flip phone to better compete with the standard Motorola Razr's $699 price, but that's another form factor entirely. Samsung doesn't specify whether we can expect a Galaxy Fold Ultra to appear this year, but the implication seems to be that it will be part of the next Galaxy Unpacked event this summer. "The Ultra experience is ready to unfold," Samsung says at the end of its announcement.
