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Say what you like about Samsung, but it's determined to make foldable phones a thing. Not only did we get the eighth generation of Galaxy Z Fold and Flip devices at its latest Unpacked event this week, but we also got a whole new form factor — and one that we reckon might be a game changer. Your move, Apple.
Of course, Apple might never even get the chance to release its long-rumored foldable, because by then AI might have plunged us all into a Terminator-style wasteland. Okay, so we’re not quite there yet, but the news that an OpenAI model escaped its sandbox and launched a cyberattack on another AI company is not exactly encouraging.
Still, there’s plenty to keep us entertained while we wait for the AI-pocalypse, not least the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer. On second thoughts, maybe that's a little too on the nose. Anyway, catch up on all that and more below.
Marc McLaren, Global Editor-in-Chief |
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| What happened – this week's biggest stories |
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| The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a passport-shaped novelty (Future) |
A foldable for everyone… Just when you thought the foldable phone industry had settled on two form factors — the book-style device and the flip variety — along comes Samsung to shake things up. And just for good measure it also confused everyone with its naming conventions.
Yes, at its latest Unpacked event on Wednesday, Samsung announced the successor to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7, called not the Galaxy Z Fold 8… but the Z Fold 8 Ultra. However, it also launched a device that is called the Z Fold 8, but that one's not really a successor to the 7, because it has a new form factor which we're calling the 'passport foldable' on account of its shorter and wider dimensions.
Still with us? Well done, because we're still not entirely sure ourselves. But our Phones Editor Axel Metz did spend some time with the Z Fold 8 — and he thinks it could be a great choice if you watch a lot of video on your phone.
We also got hands-on time with the Z Fold 8 Ultra — Hamish Hector is in a rush to trade in his trusty Z Fold 7 — and the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which is thinner and lighter than the Z Flip 7, and which Josephine Watson thinks is an excellent alternative to a vlogging camera. There were also two new Galaxy Watches — see 'What we've tested', below, for our Watch Ultra 2 review. And you can tell us which of Samsung's new devices you're most excited about in our poll at the foot of this newsletter.
We also have deep dives into the design philosophy, and the tech, behind the new phones. Samsung execs told Lance Ulanoff why the company built the new-look Z Fold 8, and revealed how its engineers developed new batteries that are more powerful while also being smaller. And, ahead of unpacked, Lance took a tour of the "smartphone torture chamber" in which Samsung tests new handsets to destruction.
We also got a full reveal of Samsung's long-awaited smart specs, now officially called Samsung Intelligent Eyewear. As Lance points out, though, the timing for this particular unveiling could have been better, with smart glances in general currently the target of a growing backlash amid concerns around privacy.
For loads more reaction to, and analysis of, all things Unpacked, check out our special edition of the TechRadar Podcast below. And if you like the look of any of Samsung's new foldables, our deals team has been busy find the best preorder deals — there are some great early offers to be had. |
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You will own nothing… Apple looks to be taking a novel approach to navigating the RAM crisis, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting that the company is about to unveil a scheme that would let customers lease Macs, iPhones and other devices, rather than buying them. Gurman says the scheme, called Apple Upgrade, will launch next week in the US, with customers having the option to buy their device outright, or upgrade, when the lease period ends. This news comes shortly after Apple announced some fairly hefty price hikes, and looks like an effort to keep getting new products into customers hands without them having to pay hefty sums up front. A prime candidate for renting rather than buying could be the rumored MacBook OLED, which is said to still be on track to launch this year, and likely to be the most expensive MacBook yet. It might also be the first MacBook to have a touchscreen, something Apple fans are divided over. As for said RAM crisis, it only shows signs of getting worse. In the first story linked above we report that laptop-maker Framework is grappling with soaring RAM costs, while there's yet more bad news on DDR5 prices, and a grim warning from chip-maker TSMC.
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| What else? More of this week's tech news |
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| Garmin gets on board the band-wagon (Garmin) |
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The Cirqa comes to town… The Garmin Cirqa has arrived after months of rumors, and it's exactly what we were expecting — a screenless fitness band that interfaces with Garmin Connect. It comes in four colors, boasts 10-day battery life, and is subscription-free... mostly. Our Senior Fitness Editor Matt Evans got to try it at the launch event, having barely caught his breath after road-testing the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
As is standard with many fitness trackers now, optional premium features are locked behind a paywall — in this case Garmin's premium Connect+ tier — and include Garmin's Coach service. This is the first time Coach has been an optional add-on — you either get it with other Garmin products, or you don't. Matt says we can expect this feature to get even better — and more expensive — now that Garmin has acquired the excellent TrainingPeaks coaching app.
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| OpenAI boss Sam Altman may have some explaining to do (Getty) |
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AI escapes the lab… In this week's installment of nothing-to-see-here-the-end-of-the-world-is-definitely-not-nigh news, OpenAI was testing the abilities of an AI model to pull off exploits when things went badly wrong, and the AI escaped its sandbox. The rogue agent then managed to launch a cyberattack on a company called Hugging Face.
Hugging Face is a well-known player in the field of machine learning, and what the AI was trying to do was tap the company's data to find the answers to the test it had been given. Yes, it was cheating, pure and simple, but the real worry here is that OpenAI believed it had the AI model safely blocked off from the internet — but the model found a way to get around those defenses and go online, then start hacking.
Darren Allan breaks down what all this means for the future of cybersecurity, and how AI is lowering the bar in terms of the skill required to leverage a hack — and why this is a major worry not just for businesses, but potentially for all of us.
More from the water cooler…
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| What to try: tips, hacks and our favorite new products |
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| Find the coolest content capture camera for you (Future) |
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| The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 (left) is going up against the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (Future) |
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And it's back to Samsung… While we only got brief hands-on time with Samsung’s new foldables this week, Matt Evans was able to hit the gym and pound the streets to deliver his in-depth review of the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. It's slimmer and lighter than the original Ultra, and as a result Matt says it sits more comfortably on the wrist. It has a new chipset, battery life is improved, and there are heaps of new features, including trail-running and diving tools. All this comes at a price — $699.99 / £649 — but Matt says the Ultra 2 is a fantastic option if you're already invested in Samsung's wider ecosystem. Does it do enough to top its chief rival, the Apple Watch Ultra 3? Read Matt's full review to find out; we also compare the two premium watches in a TikTok which you can find below. More from the TechRadar test bench
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| What's on – the week in entertainment |
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| Stuart and Denise are still an on-off thing (HBO Max) |
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| What you think – this week's poll |
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| Which new Samsung device unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2026 are you most excited to try? |
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