Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked this week: Z Fold 7, Watch 8 Classic, tri-fold phone, more

It's hard to believe that it's been six years since Samsung first entered the foldable phone market, but the Z Fold 7 bears a level of sophistication and polish that can only be accomplished with experience.

The latest phone-to-tablet foldable features its thinnest and lightest design yet, beating last year's Z Fold 6 by 3.2mm in thickness and 24 g in weight. Pair that with larger cover and main screens -- 6.5 inches and 8 inches, respectively -- and you're looking at a foldable that finally squares evenly (at least at first glance) with competitors like the Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V5.

Samsung says it achieved this design feat through strategic material choices, such as opting for thinner advanced armor aluminum to surround the device and a tighter flex-hinge system at the bend. The company also withdrew the display coating that allowed previous Z Fold models to support S Pen inputs, meaning the Z Fold 7 won't register stylus taps and gestures.

Also: I tried Samsung's $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold 7 -- it made my foldable phone look outdated

This year's phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM that should be just enough to handle multi-app workflows, AI tasks and intensive gaming. Unfortunately, Samsung has opted for the same 4,400 mAh battery capacity as previous Z Fold models, so don't expect a noticeable bump in endurance this time around.

Where the Z Fold 7 did get a meaningful upgrade is in the camera, with the main sensor now being a 200MP wide lens that Samsung says captures four times more detail and 44% brighter images. The rest of the rear triple-camera setup includes the existing 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto lens (3× optical zoom). Samsung also swapped out the under-display camera in the internal screen for a more traditional 10 MP hole-punch sensor.

The Z Fold 7 is available for preorder now at a starting price of $1,999 for the 256GB variant, and it's offered in Blue Shadow, Jet Black, Silver Shadow and an online-exclusive Mint color. The device officially goes on sale July 25.

While the Z Fold 7 will inevitably get the most oohs and ahhs, it's the Z Flip 7 that most consumers will likely care about and end up buying. That's been the case for the past six years, and I don't expect it to change this year -- not in this economy.

With the new Z Flip 7, Samsung has upgraded the device in almost every way, from the hardware and design to the battery and software features. On the design front, you're now looking at a 4.1-inch FlexWindow (outer screen) that's both brighter (2,600 nits) and smoother (120Hz) than ever. That means the screen spans from one corner of the phone when folded to the other, with minimal bezels around.

Naturally, the inner display has also gotten a spec bump, now measuring 6.9 inches. Beyond screen size, Samsung has also made the Z Flip much thinner this year, at 13.7mm thick compared to last year's 14.9 mm. Despite the trimming, the Z Flip 7 manages to pack a larger 4,300mAh battery that Samsung says can handle up to 31 hours of video playback time.

Also: I tried the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 -- these 3 features make it worth upgrading to

The improved endurance may be chalked up to the new (and slightly controversial) Exynos 2500 processor powering the system. That's compared to the usual Qualcomm Snapdragon chip found in recent Z Flip models. Having an in-house chipset has also allowed Samsung to bring DeX support -- the company's PC-like user interface mode -- to the Z Flip for the first time ever.

Samsung has kept the camera specs nearly identical to those of the Z Flip 6, meaning you're getting 50MP wide and 12MP ultrawide sensors. These sensors will come especially handy when running multimodal Gemini services on the FlexWindow, which leverages the cameras to process visual information for AI-powered guides and analysis.

The Z Flip 7 will be available in Blue Shadow, Jet Black, Coral Red, and a Samsung online-exclusive color, Mint. Storage sizes range from 256GB to 512GB, and the base model starts at $1,099. It's available for preorder now and officially goes on sale July 25.

It's long been rumored that Samsung is working on a 'cheaper' foldable phone, and I'm still not exactly sure if the new Z Flip 7 FE is that.

The third foldable phone unveiled at Unpacked this week starts at $899 -- which is $200 less than the Z Flip 7, but not necessarily priced affordably either. In ways, the Z Flip 7 FE feels like a rebranded version of last year's Z Flip 6, which felt like a rebrand of the Z Flip 5 that came before it. The beauty of the supply chain, folks.

What do you get with the new FE model? A 3.4-inch AMOLED panel on the cover screen, ideal for quick widgets and glanceable information; a 6.7-inch main display; an Exynos 2400 chipset with 8GB of RAM and a base storage of 128GB; and dual cameras -- a 50MP main and a 12MP ultrawide.

Also: You can save up to $1,100 on the Samsung Z Fold 7 or Flip 7 at Verizon - here's how

With the FE, you're essentially settling for smaller displays and less power, and that may be fine for most consumers, especially if it's their first experience with a modern flip phone.

For what it's worth, the Z Flip 7 FE is packaged with the same Android 16-based One UI 8 software as the Z Flip 7, meaning you'll have access to the same Galaxy AI and widget features as the more expensive model.

Alongside the three new foldable phones, Samsung on Wednesday announced three new smartwatches.

The standard Galaxy Watch 8 series is available in two sizes -- 40mm and 44mm -- and features a slimmer squircle design that Samsung dubs "cushion design." In adapting this form factor, Samsung says it was able to make the watches feel lighter and thinner without compromising battery life.

The Watch 8 series also features displays that are 50% brighter than last year's models, and its curved sides allow for a more comfortable fit along the wrist. The Watch 8 is available in graphite and silver and starts at $349 for the Bluetooth model and $399 for the LTE model.

Also: I tried every Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series model - here's why the Classic wins out

Samsung also introduced a new Watch 8 Classic model that features a rotating bezel that ZDNET's Matthew Miller says feels more tactile and precise than ever. The enhanced build quality makes the Classic a more premium wearable, with a starting price of $499 for the Bluetooth model and $549 for the LTE model. Color options include Black and White.

Lastly, Samsung has brought back the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it's more of an iterative update than a fully revamped successor. This year's Watch Ultra comes with 64GB of internal storage (up from 32GB last year) as well as a new Titanium Blue and Orange colorway. It retails for the same price as the previous Ultra model -- $649.

All of the new Galaxy watches will come with Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 out of the box, which include Google Gemini access and Samsung's latest suite of health and fitness tracking features, such as bedtime guidance, antioxidant index, and Running Coach.

Following Unpacked, Samsung's Head of Mobile Experience, TM Roh, told The Korea Times that the company is gearing up to launch a tri-foldable phone by the end of the year. If true, we may see an upcoming foldable phone that bends in two ways, with a display that surpasses even the Z Fold 7 in ingenuity. 

While Samsung wouldn't be the first to do it -- the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate gets that honor -- it could be the first to launch a phone of such nature in the broader international market, including the US.