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Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra: Five major differences revealed in leaks

12 July 2026 at 20:39

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra are launching this month; these two will bring a side-folding design, but their form factor has 5 major differences.

This comparison becomes necessary in the face of launching a new wide-folding device- the Fold 8. This smartphone will come with a fresh form factor, offering a unique user experience. Here’s what you should know.

Dimensions

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will be taller and adopt a full rectangular appearance, but the Fold 8 will carry a new shape that offers a wide resolution. The Fold 8 will feel more like a tablet, both in open and closed positions.

Screen

Matching their dimensions, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a wider aspect ratio for internal and external displays compared to the Fold 8 Ultra. However, the Z Fold Ultra will continue the traditional mobile experience, taller screen, and compact grip.

Weight

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 could be slightly lighter than the Fold 8 Ultra. That’s due to the reduced screen size and camera specs. However, the difference may not be huge.

Camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will feature two rear cameras – a main and an ultra-wide angle. On the other hand, the Fold 8 Ultra will equip a triple camera system – 200MP main, an MP ultra-wide angle, and a telephoto.

Battery

Samsung is reportedly upgrading the battery in the Fold 8 Ultra to 5000mAh, which is a 600mAh increase over the Fold 7. The Fold 8 will also serve around a 4800mAh battery, which is decent for its debut device.

Conclusion

The company will feature the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in these foldables, while the Flip 8 is likely to use Exynos. Another thing to mention is that all three of these will run One UI 9.0 (Android 17) out of the box.

Samsung will launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 at the Unpacked event on July 22 in London.

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How come iPhones are getting more aggressive battery upgrades than Galaxy flagships?

12 July 2026 at 16:12

This year, Apple is planning to give the iPhone its biggest battery upgrade. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy flagships are still using the old battery packs.

A recent filing of the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s battery revealed a battery capacity of 5500mAh. This will be the biggest battery ever featured in an iPhone. Over the past two years, Apple has paid special attention to this segment, and the iPhone 17 Pro has become a stepping stone to its new ambitions.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have adopted a new aluminum unibody design that helped Apple engineers make space to distribute important components inside the wide camera bump, while making more space for an extended battery. As a result, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max come with a bigger battery.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max brought a 3582mAh and 4685mAh battery, respectively. The 17 Pro and Pro Max have 4252mAh and 5088mAh batteries, respectively. These statistics stand for the eSIM version, but the physical SIM version also had substantial upgrades.

However, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will take these numbers to the next level, especially the Pro Max. As revealed by tipster Ice Universe, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will come with over a 5500mAh battery, which is a huge gain from its predecessor.

What’s interesting is that Apple has more control over its software and hardware, compared to Samsung. This may help it gain major feats with the 2nm A20 Pro chipset. The tipster also predicts that this iPhone could fight against a 7000mAh battery phone.

Samsung

Meanwhile, Samsung has been using the 5000mAh battery for the past six generations of the S-series Ultra flagship. Throughout this time, it relied on the chipset’s power efficiency to increase its battery performance.

However, we’re in a time where Chinese phone makers are promoting large batteries as a feature. Even Apple is going after this important component, which leaves Samsung lagging in the race.

What you should know is that Apple is using the Lithium-ion battery to increase its capacity. In the process, it’s ready to sacrifice some thinness for the upcoming iPhone. Meanwhile, Samsung may have been waiting for a miracle to strike past its battery problem, but we still have months to see which path it takes for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

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Price hike fear driving demand for Galaxy S26 series

12 July 2026 at 13:56

Consumer electronics price hike fear is looming across the world, and the same reason is now driving the demand for the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

According to the Korean media, Samsung is producing 1.5 million additional units of the Galaxy S26, which has exceeded the previous forecast for July. Customers doubt that the Galaxy S27 series, releasing next year, could get a price hike due to the rising memory prices.

The new production plan adds up to 50% of what it originally decided for the current month for domestic and global markets. That’s not it; Samsung may add more volume to the production if the demand climbs.

On top of that, Samsung is also running special promo campaigns in the home ground to promote the latest devices. These are also contributing to this increased interest. Still, the price hike fear is real, and it’s showing effect among consumers.

DRAM crisis:

The semiconductor industry is cashing in on its resources during the generative AI era, and memory makers such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have taken the central role in this price hike conversation.

These companies are putting more of their memory shipments to large AI firms, and reducing the DRAM production share for consumer devices. As a result, they not only created a supply issue but also increased the prices of the available memory chips.

Despite being part of the same group, Samsung’s mobile division isn’t getting any special offer on the memory prices. Therefore, it has to buy DRAM and NAND at the same prices as Apple and other memory makers.

To sustain its gross margin in each device, Samsung must increase the prices or bear the loss. The second option is very difficult. So, increasing the price remains the only way. For now, the Galaxy S26 series price remains unchanged, but there’s no certainty on what may come next.

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Will Samsung launch eSIM only Galaxy S27?

12 July 2026 at 12:43

Samsung has been offering an optional eSIM capability in smartphones for a while, and it is the right time to offer an eSIM-only version of the Galaxy S27, S27 Plus, S27 Pro, and S27 Ultra in limited markets.

The phone maker could adopt an iPhone-like strategy because there are no regulatory barriers. For example, Samsung, Apple, and any other smartphone maker in the US falls under the same framework from the FCC and carriers. So, rules are the same for each player, and it’s up to the company to decide when to sell such smartphones.

Can Samsung do it?

Yes, Samsung is already offering an eSIM feature that could pair with major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The company has set up guides for a better user experience. Apple started doing this with the iPhone 14 and continues to do so with each new release.

Why should Samsung introduce eSIM?

Besides easy switching, the eSIM has its own benefits.

Security

The first thing thieves do when they steal the device is remove the physical SIM to stop the cellular connection. This move prevents the owner from tracking the device through services like Find My. This isn’t possible with the eSIM phone, which requires user authorization. Basically, the phone will remain online as long as it has power.

Better design

Removing the physical tray eliminates vulnerable points for moisture and micro-particles to enter the device. This would further strengthen its IP68 rating and increase the longevity of the phone.

Space

Even a small SIM tray takes notable space, and removing this entire structure could free up useful area. This could be utilized to increase the battery, improve the cooling system, or do anything that the smartphone maker may fancy.

Conclusion

Yes, this isn’t for every country, but markets like the US are perfect to sell eSIM-only devices. This cannot be done with the upcoming foldables, so Samsung can offer eSIM-only versions with the Galaxy S27 series next year.

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One UI Tip: Respond calls and alarms with tap instead of swipe

12 July 2026 at 10:12

Samsung Good Lock unlocks many possibilities to customize the One UI software experience, but there’s an in-built feature that could help you remove the swipe gestures and enable a tap button instead.

Swipe gestures are part of the Android ecosystem, it helps users navigate through the system. You can swipe up or down to scroll through the content, gallery, menu, or any of the large screen space. These gestures expand beyond scrolling, such as answering or denying a call.

However, Samsung also gives an option for its phone users to switch off gestures for certain features. I’ve been using tap only for quite some time, and here’s my experience with it.

It makes a lot of difference when answering a phone call. You just need to tap on the answer button, and that’s it. Sometimes, my fingers get greasy, which fails to register a swipe across the display to pick up calls. This shortcut made it a lot easier.

Gestures are a nice way to interact with the phone, and I use them all of the time, especially the back gestures. However, it may not suit every situation. Most One UI versions support replacing swipe gestures with the tap button for calls, alerts, and alarms. Here’s how you can activate it.

  • Open Settings
  • Search “Replace swipe with single tap”
  • Tap on the slider to activate

Alternatively, go to Settings > scroll down and enter Accessibility > Interaction and dexterity > Replace swipe with a single tap > tap on the toggle to activate.

Replace swipe with tap for essential features

Samsung has mainstreamed this feature in the One UI 9.0 settings, while previous versions required an extra tap on the screen.

 

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One UI 9.0 beta 4 coming next week, here’s what you should know

12 July 2026 at 08:35

The One UI 9.0 beta 4 is set to rollout next week, and here’s everything you need to know about its release for the Galaxy S26 series.

So far, Samsung hasn’t shown any major additions in the One UI 9.0 software development pipeline. There are some UI exceptions and minor changes to the system apps.

This might be due to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 launch this month. These will be the first to feature One UI 9.0 out of the box. Of course, Samsung may have some new features designed for the foldable user experience. However, the picture painted by the beta so far isn’t looking promising.

Another thing to know is that Samsung is fixing bugs with the new beta updates. The past three rollouts have mentioned several bugs that target stability and the user experience. Yet, the interactions felt quite similar to the beta 1.

The fourth beta may also go low in the charts, because Samsung may not want to take the spotlight away from the next-gen foldables. Simply put, the software must showcase first at the Unpacked. Then it will resume focus on the One UI 9.0 beta program with new beta releases.

It’s possible that Samsung could give users a glimpse of what’s coming with the update when it showcases at the Unpacked.

In the meantime, the Galaxy S26 series is receiving a One UI 8.5-based July 2026 security update. It’s also possible the One UI 9.0 beta program may add more devices, such as the Galaxy S25 series and others.

To conclude, the beta 4 is looking quite gloomy in terms of new feature rollout. We’ll keep you posted on the One UI 9.0 beta 4 rollout and share our insights on what’s new in this update next week.

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Samsung Galaxy S26 grabs July 2026 security update globally

13 July 2026 at 12:40

Updated on July 13, 2026 | By Yash Rathore

Samsung has now started expanding the July 2026 security update to Galaxy S26 series users globally. The latest software comes with PDA build version ending with AZG5 and weighs around 555 megabytes (MB).

Last week, Samsung detailed its July security patch. The SMR comes with 41 CVE items for Android and 16 SVE items for One UI. That said, the complete package brings 57 security improvements to Galaxy smartphones.

Besides the July 2026 update, the Galaxy S26 series is currently testing One UI 9.0, based on Android 17. It has installed three beta software updates, which slightly changed the experience, but a major addition is still awaited. Moreover, the company is now heading toward the 4th beta, releasing next week.

Published on July 9, 2026 | By Chanakya Shrutam

Samsung has started releasing the July security update for the Galaxy S26 series smartphones in Korea. The update comes with the latest security patches, fixing vulnerabilities that could compromise users’ data and device security.

This update is released for devices running One UI 8.5, and a global expansion should follow in the next few days. Looking at the update details, it has build version S948NKSS4AZG3, and the downloadable package weighs around 554MB. Note that these details will change based on the country and the region.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra July 2026 security update

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