(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Samsung's summer Galaxy Unpacked is on July 9. We'll be there covering it live in Brooklyn, New York, and you can livestream Unpacked at Samsung.com and on Samsung's YouTube channel. Even though Samsung only just confirmed the date, countless sites have already published so-called Unpacked leaks. We won’t call out every rumor, and some of our own ideas may overlap, but here’s what we want to see Samsung unveil at Galaxy Unpacked.
Galaxy Z Fold 7: Match the Ultra
Samsung gets a lot right with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, its year-old, book-style folding phone. Its wide cover screen, slim profile, and manageable weight make it more comfortable to use every day than previous generations. Galaxy AI, Samsung's suite of AI tools, adds some productivity and entertainment functionality to further enrich the experience, and it handles basic phone tasks better than most. However, the Galaxy Z Fold doesn't equal the Galaxy S25 Ultra in a couple of important ways.
To start, it doesn't have the same powerful suite of cameras. Now, Samsung has always reserved its very best cameras for the Ultra-branded phones. The Fold series has offered respectable cameras over its lifespan, but never ones that can get shots as sharp as the Ultra. We'd like to see Samsung up the Z Fold 7's camera suite to include better shooters all around, particularly when it comes to zoom. The Ultra's best feature is its periscope-enabled optical zoom lens, which allows for 100x Super Zoom shots. The Fold has nothing of the sort. If Samsung can get the Fold to meet the Ultra even halfway, it will be a much better creative tool.
Then there's the S Pen. The Ultra packs an embedded stylus that slots into the frame. It's a fantastic tool for productivity and creativity. The Z Fold supports the S Pen, but it doesn't ship with one—you have to pay extra for it. Moreover, there's nowhere to stow the S Pen on or in the Z Fold unless you get a special case. Can Samsung find enough room inside the Z Fold to store the S Pen? It's unlikely, but we're holding out hope anyway. We'd even be happy if Samsung magnetized the S Pen so it firmly clings onto the phone's outer chassis.
Last, the durability factor. The Ultra has an IP68 rating, which means it is fully protected from dust and water. The Z Fold 7, meanwhile, has a rating of just IP48. It can handle water just fine, but smaller dust particles can cause the hinge some grief. Hopefully, Samsung can sort out a way to improve the phone's ability to resist dust.
While we're asking, it would be great to see Samsung further reduce the size of the inner display's crease. It's still fairly obvious to the eye and can be a distraction. Other phones, like the Honor Magic V3, have practically eliminated the crease altogether. We know Samsung can do it.
Galaxy Z Flip 7: Unleash the Front Screen
Samsung needs to borrow Motorola’s software playbook from the Moto Razr Ultra and unlock the full potential of the Z Flip 7's cover screen. Motorola treats its second screen almost like a standalone mini-phone. The Razr Ultra can run tons of full apps on the outer screen, which also supports mini apps and widgets for maximum flexibility. It's the best software available for the outer screen of today's flip phones by a wide margin.
Right now, Samsung's outer screen only lets you run a handful of modified apps in a limited fashion before you have to open the phone for more involved tasks. You're forced to turn to an optional app (Good Lock) to make better use of the Z Flip's screen. We'd like to see Samsung take the features of its Good Lock app and build them into the user interface of the Z Flip directly. This could grant it more power to get things done without opening the phone.
Recommended by Our Editors
Project Moohan: Just Don't Fumble Coming Out of the Gate
OK, so we're setting a low bar with this one. Samsung’s mixed reality experiments have never set the world ablaze, but Project Moohan gives the company a second chance. To stand up to Apple Vision Pro, Moohan must match its core experience and pack the same level of advanced features, without any hitches.
Even though we've all been waiting literal years for Samsung to launch this product, it's vital that the company gets it right the first time. That means we're willing to wait (just a little) longer if necessary. Shipping an expensive headset with half-finished software will only reinforce the sense that mixed reality devices are superfluous. So, Samsung (and Google), please make sure it's 100% ready to impress before you let people buy it.
The Rest: Expand Ecosystem Compatibility
The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2 Bluetooth tracker requires a Galaxy device to work. Some advanced Galaxy Watch Ultra features are available only on Galaxy phones. And the Galaxy Buds reserve some functions for Samsung-made products, too. Samsung products work well together, but not everyone wants to live entirely in Samsung's ecosystem.
We'd all benefit if Samsung expanded the compatibility of its accessory devices to include Google-made Pixel phones at a minimum. The two companies could easily leverage their partnership to make the tech work seamlessly between their platforms. It would be even better if Samsung worked with at least some competitors, like Motorola, so its accessories offered the full experience no matter what phone you prefer.
Will Samsung Deliver?
A Z Fold that's as feature-rich as an Ultra, a truly independent Z Flip cover screen with seamless cross-app actions, a glitch-free Project Moohan launch, and a more open Galaxy ecosystem. That's not a whole lot to ask, is it?
We’ve laid out what we want to see at Galaxy Unpacked, and we’ll be on the ground in Brooklyn on July 9 to cover every announcement, hands-on demo, and surprise reveal as it happens.
What do you want to see? Let us know in the comments below.