Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra measures 4.1mm when unfolded and weighs 215g. It is Samsung’s thinnest Galaxy Z Fold yet. To achieve this slim design, Samsung reworked the display structure, materials and internal architecture as one connected system.

Making a foldable thinner is a complex engineering challenge. The display must withstand repeated folding. The hinge, battery, thermal system and other components must also fit within the device. Each component must work seamlessly with the others.

Samsung therefore took a system-level approach to the design. This helped the company reduce the device’s thickness while maintaining the flexibility and strength required from a foldable.

Flex Titanium Supports a Thinner Display

Samsung introduced Flex Titanium as part of the new display structure.

Flex Titanium combines a titanium plate with a titanium-alloy film. The titanium plate sits beneath the display and provides structural support. It also helps absorb pressure and impact from both sides of the device.

Samsung developed a precision-engineered lattice structure for the titanium plate. This structure allows the plate to remain flexible while maintaining its strength.

The titanium-alloy film sits beneath the display panel. It provides additional strength, flexibility and elastic recovery. It also supports the repeated folding that is central to the Galaxy Z Fold experience.

A Thinner Display Creates More Internal Space

Samsung reduced the thickness of the display module by 10%. This created additional space inside the device for components such as the battery, thermal system and camera.

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra also features a 5,000mAh battery and an 8-inch main display. The slimmer display structure helped Samsung maintain these capabilities within a thinner overall design.

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra measures just 4.1mm when unfolded.

Samsung tests the complete foldable system

Samsung did not treat thinness as a standalone design goal. The company engineered the display, hinge and internal components together.

Samsung subjected the latest Galaxy Z series to more than 100 reliability validation tests. These tests covered drops, repeated folding, pressure, moisture and debris.

The testing helped Samsung assess the complete device under conditions that reflect everyday use.

Every Millimetre Matters

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra brings together advances in materials, display engineering and internal architecture. The result is Samsung’s thinnest Galaxy Z Fold yet.

The device demonstrates how changes to one part of a foldable can create opportunities across the entire product. Samsung’s approach focuses on making every millimetre count while preserving the strengths of the foldable form factor.

The Health Forum held at Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 also shared Samsung’s Connected Care vision for the next chapter of digital health — a future where care moves from reactive treatment toward preventive, personalized, and connected experiences, supported by trusted health innovation and partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem. One technology that is helping power these new consumer experiences is the health foundation model.

Researchers from the Digital Health Team at Samsung Research America (SRA) are developing new AI technologies to continuously understand a person’s health state from biosignals, generate health insights, and offer appropriate health guidance.

Samsung researchers recently introduced two foundation models based on wearable data: xMAE (Physiology-Aware Masked Cross-Modal Reconstruction for Biosignal Representation Learning), which learns the temporal relationship between different biosignals, and HiMAE (Hierarchical Masked Autoencoder), which understands health patterns across different time scales in wearable time-series data. Both studies demonstrate advancement of health AI models that can better understand the physiological relationships and temporal structure of biosignals.

Samsung’s work on xMAE and HiMAE models was accepted to the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), and the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), respectively, highlighting the significance of this research.

Health Foundation Models That Read the Body’s Signals: Why They Matter for Health 

A health foundation model is an AI model that uses self-supervised learning to learn meaningful features from unlabeled biosignal data. After being pretrained on large-scale health data, the models can be applied to perform a wide range of downstream health tasks, including biosignal analysis, developing new or improved biomarkers, and health issue prediction.

xMAE AI model: Continuous Cardiac Insight from Wearables

An electrocardiogram (ECG) on wearables directly measures the electrical activity of the heart and is useful for measuring heart rate and heart rate variability, identifying abnormal heart rhythms and risks for conditions such as atrial fibrillation. ECG is highly accurate, but typically requires users to pause and take an active measurement. On the other hand, photoplethysmography (PPG) can indirectly measure cardiac function by detecting changes in blood flow and can be passively and continuously measured through sensors in wearable devices such as smartwatches.

The two signals originate from the same cardiac activity, but they appear with a certain time difference, much like thunder is heard after lightning is seen. xMAE is a biosignal pretraining framework designed to learn the temporal relationship between the two signals by reconstructing masked portions of the ECG signal using the more easily and continuously measured PPG signal. As a result, cardiovascular health-related features can be analyzed more precisely using PPG without requiring separate manual ECG measurements.

The researchers pretrained xMAE using approximately 9,400 hours of ECG and PPG data. The model outperformed unimodal biosignal models and existing multimodal learning methods in 15 of 19 evaluation tasks, including cardiovascular disease prediction, abnormal test-result detection, and sleep-stage classification. The study also confirmed the potential to use the learned features across different sensor devices, body locations and data-gathering environments.

HiMAE AI model: Reading the Body at Every Time Scale on the Device

Health data measured from wearable devices can reveal different information depending on the time scale at which it is analyzed. For example, short time segments can reveal rapidly changing signals such as heartbeats, while longer time segments can uncover patterns that accumulate over time, such as sleep or physical activity. This is similar to examining different information by zooming in and out of an image.

HiMAE is a self-supervised learning model that learns representation from wearable data across multiple time scales. It uses multiple encoders to analyze short and long segments separately, allowing the model to identify information required for each health task, such as heart rate analysis or sleep prediction, at the appropriate time scale. During training, the model reconstructs masked parts of the data. This enables it to learn key patterns in biosignals even when labeled data is limited.

A single pretrained HiMAE model handles classification, numerical prediction and data generation. The model achieved high performance while being smaller than existing models. It also improved computational efficiency to the point where it can produce results in less than one millisecond on a smartwatch-class central processing unit (CPU). Most importantly, HiMAE demonstrates the potential of on-device health foundation models for the first time — analyzing raw health signals in real time, without relying on cloud servers.

The Next Step Toward Connected Care

Together, xMAE and HiMAE, represent an advance in AI models that precisely understand the physiological relationships and temporal structures unique to biosignals. Both models aim to deliver precise, continuous, personalized health insights and to generalize across many health tasks from a single pretrained model. Hear more from the researchers behind this work below.

Samsung’s latest innovations, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, redefine what it means to be the best foldable by offering two distinct form factors tailored to different lifestyles. Whether you’re immersed in entertainment, multitasking, or content creation, these devices provide the perfect blend of design and functionality to meet your needs.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 stands out as the best foldable for immersive discovery and content experience. Its redesigned proportions ensure a compact profile when closed, while unfolding reveals a wider canvas that enhances how content is experienced. The 4:3 main display offers an immersive viewing experience for movies, gaming, and social media, while rotating the device to a 3:4 orientation makes it ideal for reading and browsing. At just 201 grams, it’s Samsung’s lightest Galaxy Z Fold yet, combining portability with a 4,800mAh battery that supports up to 26 hours of video playback. This makes it the best foldable for users who want a seamless and natural way to consume content.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the best foldable for powerful productivity and creation. As the first Ultra model in Samsung’s Galaxy Z series, it features an expansive 8-inch display that provides a large workspace for multitasking and creative work. Despite its size, it remains remarkably slim at just 4.1mm when unfolded and weighs only 215 grams. The advanced camera system, including a 200MP main camera, extends its capabilities for creators who want to capture, edit, and share from one device. This makes it the best foldable for professionals and creators who need a powerful mobile workspace.

Together, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra represent two different interpretations of what it means to be the best foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold8 is designed for discovery, offering an immersive way to experience content, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is built for maximum productivity and creation, delivering the power of an Ultra experience in a foldable form.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your lifestyle. Will you choose the Galaxy Z Fold8, the best foldable for immersive content discovery, or opt for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, the best foldable for powerful productivity and creation? The decision is yours.

Samsung Electronics’ new Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 support healthier lifestyles with advanced fitness tracking and everyday wellness features. Galaxy Watch Ultra2 helps runners maintain their pace in different environments with Trail Run, while Galaxy Watch9 provides personalized health insights through continuous health monitoring.

Samsung Newsroom explores how Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 expand the digital health experience through the two videos below.

A Smarter Running Partner

A 24/7 Health Companion

From July 22 to 24, Samsung Electronics brought together 51 Samsung Members Stars from 17 countries for Galaxy Community Connect July 2026 in London. Samsung Members Stars are highly engaged Galaxy users who consistently create high-quality content and actively contribute to the Samsung Members platform.

Participants attended Galaxy Unpacked July 2026 and explored various parts of London through a cultural tour, where they got hands-on experience with the newly unveiled Galaxy Z series and Galaxy Watch9. Samsung Newsroom highlights the features Samsung Members Stars picked as their favorites in the infographic below.

Samsung Electronics’ new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 expand everyday experiences even further. Combining agentic AI with the versatility of the foldable form factor, the new Galaxy Z series offers a more immersive and intuitive experience.

Samsung Newsroom explores how the new Galaxy Z series transforms everyday experiences through the four videos below.

Agentic AI: Intelligence for Every Moment  

All-New Form Factor: Optimized for Immersion

AI-Powered Camera: Effortless Shooting and Editing

FlexCam: Folded and Ready

From foldables to smartwatches, Samsung’s latest Galaxy devices take different forms but share the same design philosophy — comfort.

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Hubert Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Design Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, to hear how this approach shaped the new lineup.

Q. What were the key design considerations for this year’s Galaxy foldable lineup?

Today’s Galaxy devices are faster and more powerful than ever. We considered how we could go one step further to deliver a more natural and comfortable experience.

Slimness and lightness are essential to creating a comfortable user experience, since they influence how naturally a device opens, how comfortable it feels in the hand and how easily it fits into everyday life. That is why we consider not only the product itself, but also every moment of the user experience it creates.

From an aesthetic perspective, we applied the concept of “Emotive Geometry.” This design approach brings human warmth to Galaxy’s simple, refined forms, creating a balanced design that goes beyond powerful performance to connect with users on an emotional level.

Product sketches and design elements on display illustrate the design process behind the new Galaxy Z series.

Q. What drove the expansion of the Galaxy Z series portfolio?

Across seven generations of foldable innovation, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of how people use their devices. As user expectations for foldables have become more diverse, we have also recognized that no single foldable can meet every need – One size does not fit all.

Some users prioritize productivity and multitasking, while others value portability. Based on these insights, we expanded the Galaxy Z series lineup so each device could better serve different priorities.

Q. Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the slimmest Galaxy Z Fold yet. What shaped its exceptionally slim design?

The design concept behind the newest Galaxy Z series is “Emotive Slim” — an approach that focuses not only on reducing thickness, but also on how slim it looks and feels in everyday use.

We applied a gentle slope to the frame to make the foldable easier to open and created a more curved outer silhouette for a softer, more comfortable grip. We also minimized the flat side profile to create a visually slimmer appearance.

Q. Why was a passport chosen as the design inspiration for the new Galaxy Z Fold8?
The classic passport is designed to be easy to carry, hold with one hand and read at a glance. Those same ergonomic principles shaped Galaxy Z Fold8, extending our focus on comfort throughout the device’s overall layout.

When folded, it features a 16:10 aspect ratio optimized for one-handed use. Unfolded, it becomes a more immersive 4:3 display with balanced symmetry.

Q. How were these colors chosen for the new Galaxy Z series?

Each color was chosen to reflect the lifestyle of the people each device is designed for. Violet Shadow gives Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra a chic, sophisticated look, while Lavender brings freshness and softness to Galaxy Z Fold8. Pink adds vibrant, playful energy to Galaxy Z Flip8. Cream and Graphite round out the palette with timeless versatility.

Q. How did Samsung refine the design of Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9?

If a smartphone lives in the hand, a smartwatch delivers its greatest value when it’s comfortable enough to wear every day. That’s why our approach to the new Galaxy Watch series focused on refinement rather than reinvention, preserving our core design while enhancing the details that matter most.

At the center of Galaxy Watch is the cushion design. More than a shape, it defines the watch’s identity by balancing presence with softness and precision with comfort. For Galaxy Watch Ultra2, we brought the screen, bezel and cushion body into a seamless form, creating a cleaner profile and a more premium look. We also carefully refined the spacing and tactile separation between the buttons, making each one easier to distinguish by touch and enabling precise control without looking at the screen.

Q. How have the bands on Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 changed?

Bands play a critical role in wearability. For this generation, we made them lighter, thinner and more breathable with a new air pocket structure.

Because every wrist is different, we used computational design to validate comfort and fit using more than one hundred million real-user wrist data and ten thousand of simulations. We refined the balance between the watch body and band for greater stability on the wrist, while expanded band options give users more ways to express their personal style.

Q. What design philosophy ties this year’s Galaxy devices together?

In an era shaped by AI-driven change, human-centered values are more important than ever. Design shouldn’t only be seen — it should also be felt. For design to feel truly human, it must begin with a deep understanding of how people live, work and interact with technology every day. That belief has guided our approach to designing foldables and smartwatches.

Built on decades of expertise in mobile engineering, hardware design and product craftsmanship, intelligent eyewear combines true wearability with mobile AI experiences and seamless connectivity within the Galaxy ecosystem.

Samsung Newsroom spoke with James Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of XR R&D Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, to learn about the development of intelligent eyewear, the engineering behind its design and Samsung’s long-term vision for the AI glasses category.

Q. Why is Samsung introducing intelligent eyewear now and why does it believe AI glasses will become the next interface for mobile AI?

AI glasses will only become mainstream if people genuinely want to wear them every day. Achieving this level of wearability requires more than advanced AI — it also demands deep engineering expertise, mobile technologies and an understanding of how people use technology in their daily lives. Drawing on decades of mobile leadership, Samsung is well positioned to bring these elements together and help move the category forward.

AI glasses understand what users see, hear and experience around them and enable more natural, contextual and seamless interactions, bringing AI closer to the moments that matter in everyday life. Our goal is not to replace the mobile phone but to create AI glasses that help people use their phones less, while getting more value from the mobile experiences they rely on. Samsung is laying the foundation for this vision through the new intelligent eyewear, extending mobile AI beyond the screen.

Q. What are the biggest engineering priorities when developing AI glasses?

The journey began with Galaxy XR. Through our experience developing it, we learned how to design technology that people can comfortably wear on their faces. We applied those insights to intelligent eyewear, focusing every engineering decision on comfort, fit and everyday use.

Wearability isn’t simply a design challenge — it’s an engineering one. When it comes to eyewear, even a tenth of a millimeter matters. That is why we took a holistic approach, carefully considering weight, materials, thermal management and battery efficiency.

Designed to be slim and light, intelligent eyewear incorporates patented slim hinges, advanced thin-wall molding, lightweight materials and optimized hardware components. Its hinge structure prevents corrosion and withstands the demands of everyday wear, while the patented temple architecture improves structural rigidity. Thermal graphite material on the left side of the glasses also helps prevent heat generated by the AP (Application Processor) from transferring to the user’s face.

Because every face is different, we used computational design and worked closely with our eyewear partners to refine the fit across key contact points including the forehead, cheekbones and behind the ears. We also balanced the weight across both sides of the frame, so users can barely notice any difference.

Samsung has filed around 200 patent applications in this category, reflecting its long-term investment in intelligent eyewear. Ultimately, all that engineering is designed to disappear into the experience, making the glasses feel as natural as an ordinary pair.

Q. How did you ensure intelligent eyewear was resilient enough for everyday use?

Users expect Samsung-quality products, regardless of form factor. We applied the manufacturing expertise and rigorous verification standards developed over decades of Galaxy device innovation, while introducing additional testing tailored to intelligent eyewear.

Because it is worn directly on the face, intelligent eyewear had to meet the standards of both mobile devices and eyewear — and go beyond them. It underwent extensive durability, environmental and safety testing, including exposure to high temperatures, humidity, sunscreen, cosmetics and sweat, as well as folding and hinge expansion tests.

Despite the extensive engineering packed into its slim and lightweight design, intelligent eyewear delivers uncompromising performance, including strong battery life. Through hardware and software optimization, intelligent eyewear provides up to nine hours of active use on a single charge, even during demanding experiences such as Gemini and video recording. The charging case enables more than seven full recharges for extended multi-day use.²

Q. Why do you see intelligent eyewear as a new entry point for mobile AI?

Intelligent eyewear introduces a more natural and intuitive way to experience mobile AI. Its ability to understand what users see, hear and experience around them enables more personalized, contextual support in the moment.

With a high-quality camera, microphones and speakers integrated into its frame, intelligent eyewear responds through natural conversation, while reducing the need for users to stop and reach for a phone.

From real-time guidance and live translation to line-of-sight capture and context-aware assistance, these experiences are designed to help users access mobile AI while staying present in what they are doing.³

Q. How does intelligent eyewear fit within the broader Galaxy ecosystem?

Intelligent eyewear is designed to work as a companion device to Galaxy phones and other Galaxy wearables, extending mobile AI beyond the screen through more personalized experiences. Users can access apps and services they already rely on — from Samsung and Google apps to third-party content — through a natural, hands-free interface.

For example, they can start recording hands-free with intelligent eyewear, preview what they have captured on Now Bar and then access it in Galaxy Gallery on their phone.⁴ Through split computing, processing is distributed between intelligent eyewear and the connected Galaxy phone, helping optimize performance.

Intelligent eyewear also works with Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds. Users can manage the device directly from their wrist through the Galaxy Watch screen or with intuitive gestures.⁵ When Galaxy Buds are connected, they can switch audio without interrupting the experience.

Q. How did you integrate privacy and trust into the design of intelligent eyewear?

As AI becomes more personal and integrated into everyday life, trust becomes even more important. That’s why privacy was built into intelligent eyewear from the beginning, with safeguards designed to protect users and those around them.

A bystander-facing LED indicator and an inner LED clearly show when recording is active. Wear detection automatically disables recording when the glasses are removed, while a thwart detection feature disables recording if the external LED indicator is blocked.

Users can also manage privacy and personalization settings through connected Galaxy phones. Their audio, video and screen-sharing data are not used to train AI models.

Samsung will continue to enhance its privacy features to give users greater transparency and control.

Q. What does intelligent eyewear represent for Samsung’s long-term vision?

Samsung has a long history of helping define new product categories — including foldables — and setting the standards consumers have come to expect from them. Intelligent eyewear is the next step in its vision to make AI more wearable, personal and seamlessly integrated into everyday life, but it is still only the beginning. With this first generation, Samsung aims to establish a new best-in-class benchmark for the emerging category and continue advancing it with each generation.

1. Availability may vary depending on market. All functionalities, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, components, performance, availability and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice. ︎
2. Battery life varies by network environment, features and apps used, device settings, the number of times charged and many other factors. ︎
3. Feature availability may require a network connection, compatible Galaxy device or supported app. Translation and navigation-related experiences may vary by language, region, app, service provider and network environment. Contextual and history-based experiences may require user permission, supported apps and compatible services. ︎
4. Live visual sharing and recording features may vary by app, service, market and applicable laws or consent requirements. ︎
5. Gesture interactions are only provided through Watch9. ︎

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 have achieved remarkable success, with 45% of pre-orders originating from tier 2 cities and beyond. This underscores a growing demand for foldable devices in these regions, establishing them as a new frontier with immense growth potential. The surge reflects not only the widespread appeal of foldable smartphones but also the shifting consumer landscape, where innovation is no longer confined to metropolitan hubs.

Given this unprecedented success, Samsung is confident of matching the pre-orders secured for the S26 series launched earlier this year, signalling widespread adoption of foldable technology.

“The overwhelming response to our new Galaxy Z series highlights India’s increasing demand for innovative technologies that enhance productivity and unlock creative potential. These devices, offering personalised Galaxy AI experiences, are not only Made in India but also supported by our robust Indian R&D capabilities tailored to meet the dynamic needs of Indian consumers. With 45% of pre-orders originating from Tier 2 cities and beyond, we are observing the rise of a promising growth market with significant potential,” said JB Park, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia.

Galaxy Z Fold8: Built for Discovery

The Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a new foldable experience designed around how people consume content throughout the day. Its 10:16 cover display offers a natural smartphone experience for messaging, browsing and watching short format videos, while the 4:3 main display transforms into a larger canvas for reading, gaming, streaming and multitasking. When rotated, the display ratio becomes better suited for reading articles and e-books.

Weighing just 201 grams, Galaxy Z Fold8 is Samsung’s lightest Galaxy Z Fold yet. It combines a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor with a 4800mAh battery to deliver responsive performance and all-day endurance.

Samsung has also redesigned the display structure with new Flex Titanium technology, helping make the device thinner while improving durability and reducing crease visibility over time. The display supports up to 3000 nits of brightness, Vision Booster and a low-reflection finish for improved outdoor viewing.

For photography and video, Galaxy Z Fold8 features dual 50MP cameras for consistent image quality across wide and ultra-wide perspectives. Dual Recording captures both sides of a moment simultaneously, while My FanCam automatically tracks a selected subject and reframes footage for social-ready videos.

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: The Ultimate Productivity Foldable

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra brings Samsung’s Ultra experience to the foldable category. Its expansive 8-inch main display creates a larger workspace for multitasking, content creation and AI-powered workflows, while its slim 4.1mm unfolded design weighs just 215 grams.

The device features a 200MP main camera with HDR support in 200MP mode, a new 50MP ultra-wide camera, enhanced Nightography and professional video tools including 8K recording with APV codec and Cine LUT support that gives users greater flexibility during editing and post production.

Powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is engineered for demanding workloads. It combines a large 5000mAh battery, new dual-path 45W fast charging architecture and an expanded graphite cooling system to sustain performance during intensive multitasking and AI applications.

Galaxy Z Flip8: AI in Your Pocket

Galaxy Z Flip8 is Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Flip device yet, designed for users who want fast interactions and AI-first experiences in a compact form factor.

The reimagined FlexWindow becomes an AI-native interface that surfaces apps, insights and actions directly on the cover screen. Users can access Now Brief for personalised updates, use Gemini Intelligence without unfolding the device and complete connected actions through voice or the side key.

Galaxy Z Flip8 also expands Samsung’s signature Flip camera experience. Its 50MP camera is powered by the ProVisual Engine for improved portraits and natural skin tones. Flex Mode enables hands-free shooting from multiple angles, while features including Camcorder Grip with Zoom Rocker, Super Steady with Horizontal Lock, FlipShot and Mirror View make capturing and sharing content easier.

Galaxy AI Designed for Foldables

The new Galaxy Z series introduces Galaxy AI experiences optimised for foldable devices. Now Brief delivers personalised daily insights and recommendations. Now Nudge helps users move from information to action by surfacing relevant next steps during conversations. Gemini Intelligence supports requests across apps and services, while Gemini Notebook brings together notes, files, recordings and images into a single workspace with AI-generated summaries and reports.

Galaxy AI also works seamlessly with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 to create connected experiences that span devices throughout the day.

Privacy Built In

Samsung continues to strengthen on-device AI security with Samsung Knox, combining on-device personalisation with user-controlled cloud processing. Personal Data Engine, Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection, Knox Vault and new One UI 9 AI transparency features give users greater visibility and control over how AI uses their information. One UI 9 also introduces an AI Assistant Activity dashboard, allowing users to review AI actions and settings in one place, alongside enhanced Privacy Alerts that proactively identify potential security risks.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at INR 199999, the Galaxy Z Fold8 at INR 179999, and the Galaxy Z Flip8 at INR 124999. All models are available with an industry-first 30-month, 0-down payment, no-cost EMI option.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI and foundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI across its portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com/in/

To explore that vision, Samsung hosted a Health Forum panel, “Rewriting the Rules of Preventive Health.” Moderated by Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, the session brought together leaders across nutrition, fitness, clinical research and AI to examine how technology can close the gap between knowing and doing in everyday health.

The Paradox — and the “Missing Miles” of Health

Opening the discussion, Dr. Pak described a paradox at the heart of modern health: innovation and technology today has been transformational and accelerating, yet chronic disease continues to rise around the world.

“We live in the most measured era in human history — billions of people track their sleep, their stress, their heart rate every single day. And yet chronic disease keeps rising. More data, it turns out, hasn’t resulted in better health.”

He framed the disconnect as two “missing miles.” The first mile is detection and monitoring: much of what shapes our health happens outside the clinic and until recently, continuous monitoring was neither available nor connected to the physician. The last mile is action: even after a diagnosis and a care plan, it is the individual who has to act day after day — and life is busy and change is hard.

Samsung, Dr. Pak argued, is uniquely positioned to close both gaps. With technology that stays with people throughout their daily lives — across wearables, mobile phones and a connected ecosystem — Samsung can understand not just raw biometric numbers, but the context behind them.

“We don’t just see a number — we see what’s around it: whether this is a moment you’re ready to change something or a moment you need a bit of support. Being there, at the point where personal decisions actually get made, is hard for a hospital or any other company to measure or act upon.”

But no single company can do this alone. That, he said, is why Samsung is building Connected Care together with partners — closing the first and last mile to scale prevention, with AI as the enabler across both. He introduced the three focus areas that would structure the conversation: everyday behavior, clinical credibility and privacy and advanced AI and research.

Everyday Behavior: Closing the Last Mile at the Dinner Table and the Gym

Diet and exercise are two of the biggest levers on long-term health — and two of the most within our control. They are also, Dr. Pak noted, where the gap between knowing and doing is widest.

Kartik Poria, Head of Product at Samsung Food, located that gap in a moment everyone recognizes.

“It’s Tuesday, six o’clock. You’re tired, you’re staring into the fridge and everything you know about eating well loses to whatever’s quickest. That moment is what we’re going after — because what you eat, day after day, is one of the biggest levers we have on preventing chronic disease.”

He described how Samsung Health and Samsung Food are coming together to tackle two halves of the same problem: Samsung Health surfaces what is happening beneath the surface — indicators such as meal logs, BMI, the Antioxidant Index and the AGEs Index — while Samsung Food’s global recipe library facilitates meal planning and its food intelligence reflect how people actually like to eat. Sitting on top is a nutrition experience grounded in behavior change science rather than tracking alone — learning a person’s habits and working with them so the healthier pattern becomes the easier one.

“We’re not adding another thing to manage — we’re making the healthy choice the easy one, for the night you’ve got the energy to cook and the night you don’t.”

Turning to movement, Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT, described exercise as foundational to both physical and mental wellbeing and explained how iFIT’s expert-led programs are becoming more accessible through Samsung Health.

“Exercise is vital for both physical and mental wellbeing — cardiovascular health, strength, mobility, sleep quality, stress management.”

Through Samsung Health, users can discover and subscribe to iFIT’s premium fitness programs, while iFIT workouts integrate with Galaxy Watch so users can track key metrics during guided sessions. With Fitness Index, they receive a holistic view of their physical fitness in a single, easy-to-understand score, with personalized recommendations. Looking ahead, Duffy pointed to Samsung’s Health Assistant as a way to bring a user’s Fitness Index, goals and activity history together to surface the most relevant workout at the right moment.

“Exercise is not just about being active — it’s about understanding your body, building sustainable habits and having the right guidance at the right time. By combining iFIT’s expert-led experiences with Samsung Health’s connected insights, we can help more people make movement a meaningful part of their everyday lives.”

But content and insights alone, Dr. Pak noted, don’t close the last mile. The harder question is how to move from engagement to activation. Samsung designs for real life, recognizing that people slip and miss goals most of the time — and that those moments are precisely when timely, well-contextualized support matters most.

The real measure, he argued, is not how often the system nudges someone, but how many healthy actions actually happen — a doctor’s low-salt advice quietly showing up as items in a grocery cart or a workout that meets a person where they actually are that day. Poria added that this is the true shift: from nudging people to changing the choice in front of them.

Clinical Credibility and Privacy: Trust Earned Through Evidence

Dr. Pak turned next to the question of trust — noting that wearable data is now something most clinicians have seen, but far fewer have been able to build into their day-to-day care. Closing that gap, he said, is a matter of evidence, workflow and trust.

Rohit Ail, Head of the Technology Incubation Lab at Samsung R&D Institute UK (SRUK), spoke to how his team works to generate clinical evidence in real-world settings.

“Our goal is to meet the standards expected by clinicians, researchers and regulatory bodies and that means generating evidence in real-world clinical environments. This commitment builds on Samsung’s growing body of clinical research and validation evidence.”

He referenced ongoing collaborations across Europe, including partnerships with the NHS and clinical validation studies with leading hospitals. With San Cecilio University Hospital in Spain and Gemelli in Italy, Samsung is working on identifying and managing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using AI and decision-support technologies; with Fondazione IRCCS in Italy, the focus is on understanding and addressing the late effects faced by adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors through AI-based digital phenotyping and a non-invasive, holistic approach.

On privacy, Ail noted that Samsung considers user data to belong to the user, with Samsung acting as custodian.

“Trust begins with protecting users’ data. Samsung takes a three-layer approach: Samsung Knox for device-level security, GDPR-compliant infrastructure and alignment with the European Health Data Space framework.”

He added that SRUK has also developed a Decentralized Clinical Trial framework, in which participant identities remain under the control of healthcare organizations and data is pseudonymized from the outset.

Advanced AI and Research: Reading the Body’s Signals

If everyday reach and clinical trust are two of the three pillars, intelligence is what binds them together. Dr. Pak introduced foundation models as a genuine turning point — a shift from population averages to something truly personal.

Otávio Penatti, Head of the Health AI R&D Team at Samsung R&D Institute Brazil (SRBR), explained what a foundation model for health actually means.

“A health foundation model is an AI model that uses self-supervised learning to learn meaningful features from unlabeled biosignal data. At Samsung, we are advancing health foundation model research across multiple global research teams, combining expertise in biosignal intelligence, wearable AI and personalized health insights. Building on the success of large language models, we can now interpret complex biosignals — such as ECG, ACC and PPG — not as isolated data points, but as a structured biological language. These signals can be measured through wearable devices in everyday situations and by applying foundation models to understand these biological patterns, we have the potential to provide more accurate predictions and continuous, personalized health insights.”

Three Focus Areas, One Goal

To close, Dr. Pak asked each panelist for a one-sentence vision of Connected Care in the era of AI five years from now.

• Kartik Poria (Samsung Food): “In five years, eating well won’t run on willpower — it’ll feel like having a chef and a dietitian in your pocket, turning what your body needs into what’s for dinner, day after day.”
• Kevin Duffy (iFIT): “A coach that knows your body and adapts every workout to who you are that day.”
• Rohit Ail (SRUK): “Care that clinicians trust and patients control — evidence-based and private by design.”
• Otávio Penatti (SRBR): “AI that understands the body’s language and acts before problems begin.”

Dr. Pak closed by tying the threads together: everyday behavior, clinical trust and personal AI — three focus areas, one goal of closing the first and last mile to scale prevention while meeting people where they are. “The future of health is connected, trusted and proactive — and it’s a road we’re glad to be traveling together.”