Samsung has launched a wide new Galaxy line-up in Thailand, led by AI-powered foldable phones, smarter watches and its first intelligent eyewear, as the company tries to make everyday devices more useful for people juggling work, health, travel and the eternal mystery of Bangkok traffic.
Unveiled in London, the new range includes the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, all built around Galaxy AI. Samsung is pitching the devices as practical companions for people who want to write emails, edit photos, translate signs and pretend they are not doom-scrolling during dinner.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra sits at the top of the range. It brings Samsung's Ultra badge to a foldable phone, with an 8-inch main display, a slim 4.1mm body when unfolded, a weight of 215 grammes, a 200-megapixel main camera and a 5,000mAh battery. It is a phone that opens like a small tablet and has enough camera power to show every pore, wrinkle and suspiciously expensive iced latte.
For those who want something slightly easier to carry, the Galaxy Z Fold8 is Samsung's lightest Galaxy Z Fold so far, weighing 201 grammes, according to Samsung Thailand's product page. That makes it 14 grammes lighter than last year's Z Fold7, which may not sound much until you realise people in Bangkok already carry a phone, keys, wallet, power bank, umbrella, reusable cup and emotional damage from waiting for a taxi in the rain.
The Fold8 moves from a 10:16 cover screen for quick tasks to a 4:3 main display for bigger jobs such as watching videos, gaming, reading documents or opening several apps at once. That could be useful for anyone trying to answer a work message, check the location of their Grab taxi, compare air fares and see whether the BTS is having a "minor delay".
Samsung says the Galaxy Z Flip8 is aimed at users who want style, portability and a bit of digital theatre. Weighing 180 grammes and measuring 6.1mm thick, it folds down into a compact shape that looks neat in a pocket, handbag or the sort of tiny café table that can barely hold one cappuccino and a laptop.
The Flip8 also comes with an AI-native FlexWindow, which brings updates and automated tasks to the cover screen without needing to open the phone. Its 50-megapixel camera uses Samsung's ProVisual Engine for clearer selfies and soft background effects. The mini foldable phone is designed for people who want the camera to do the hard work, because posing naturally in the heat is already enough of a challenge keeping sweat from dripping down your forehead. The Flip series appears to be gaining more fans, especially among users who like a phone with personality.
Samsung has also updated its smartwatch range with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9. Both run on the Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and are designed to turn health data into daily advice. That means the watch may tell you to rest, move, sleep better or stop pretending that walking from the condo lift to the motorbike taxi counts as "cardio".
The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is built for tougher use and is aimed at active users, including expatriates who spend weekends hiking in the north, diving in the south or telling friends they are "outdoorsy" because they once walked up the stairs at Wat Arun. It comes with a 5,000-nit display for bright sunlight, an 800mAh battery and a 10 ATM rating.
The watch can also track real-time water data, including temperature and depth, when users go swimming or diving. That may appeal to people who want to know more about their diving sessions than simply "the fish were nice" and "yes, I swallowed seawater again".
For everyday use, the Galaxy Watch9 focuses on comfort, routine tracking and health guidance. The 40mm model has a 390mAh battery and a 3,000-nit display, which should make it easier to read outdoors, even under the sort of Thai sun that makes your phone screen look like a black mirror and your forehead look like a weather warning.
Samsung's health features include Sleep Apnea, which the company says uses artificial intelligence to offer insights into breathing disruptions during sleep. Other tools include Daily Cardio Load, which estimates recovery needs and suggests training volume, and Heart Health Score, which gives personalised lifestyle recommendations linked to cardiovascular wellness.
The most eye-catching addition, however, may be Samsung's intelligent eyewear. Developed with Google, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, the glasses bring AI into the user's field of view without needing to stare at a phone screen.
The lightweight frames use the Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 platform and offer up to nine hours of continuous battery life on one charge. The Gentle Monster edition comes in a fashion-led black frame, while the Warby Parker edition uses an upswept brown design.
The glasses integrate Google's Gemini assistant for hands-free use. Samsung says they can support live translation, capture visual context through a built-in camera, summarise meetings, help users find local routes and share live points of view with contacts. For expats, that could mean translating a menu, finding the right soi or understanding a sign before accidentally walking into a staff-only area with the confidence of a confused tourist.
Taken together, the launch shows Samsung's push to make the Galaxy ecosystem feel less like a collection of gadgets and more like a daily helper. The phones handle work and entertainment, the watches keep an eye on health, and the glasses promise help with translation, navigation and information on the move. The appeal may not simply be owning another shiny device, but may be having technology that can translate, organise, track, photograph, guide and gently shame them into sleeping better, ideally before the next tropical downpour arrives and everyone suddenly remembers they left the umbrella at home.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z series in Thailand run from July 22 to Aug 13, 2026, with official availability from Aug 14. The Galaxy Watch line-up follows the same pre-order period, with general availability beginning on Aug 7.
Device model & starting price
- Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra 69,900 baht
- Galaxy Z Fold8 61,900 baht
- Galaxy Z Flip8 42,900 baht
- Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (LTE, 47mm) 25,900 baht
- Galaxy Watch9 (Bluetooth, 40mm) 12,900 baht
