Samsung’s foldable ambitions to get an Ultra-sized upgrade

Just when we thought Samsung’s innovation in the foldable space had dried up, the company proved us wrong. In fact, Samsung is about to go Ultra in this competitive arena. In a subtle-but-telling update on its official Newsroom, the Korean tech giant all but confirmed a new addition to its foldable lineup – a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra.

While the company hasn’t revealed specs or pricing just yet, the hints are loud and clear. Think bigger screens, improved cameras, and the now-expected integration of Galaxy AI.

This update is quite timely given how Samsung’s dominance in the foldable market has been waning. While the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is still among the most polished folding phones you can buy, criticisms have stacked up – a camera system that doesn’t quite scream ‘flagship’, an external screen that feels cramped, and a high price tag that raises eyebrows more than it opens wallets.

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Samsung needs something ‘Ultra’ to change the narrative.

So, what is Samsung’s play here?

Samsung’s tease paints the Galaxy Fold Ultra as the ultimate all-rounder – a productivity powerhouse by day, a high-performance camera by night. It imagines a user finishing up work emails on the subway, then whipping out a pro-grade shooter for a night out, all backed by Galaxy AI’s ever-expanding toolkit.

But while the prospect sounds compelling, the Fold Ultra’s rumoured existence also raises questions. Will it sit above the Fold 7 as a premium option? Or is Samsung rebranding the Fold entirely with the Ultra moniker? The company hasn’t revealed much. Yet.

If you’ve handled the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, you know the hardware is far from the problem. The main 50MP camera is solid, the hinge is sleeker than ever, and yes, it can still transform from phone to tablet in one smooth motion. But the wow factor wears off quickly when you realise the software, which used to be Samsung’s strong suit, has now fallen behind.

Even with all that screen real estate, the multitasking feels… familiar. You can open three apps at once, sure, but you’re not doing anything fundamentally new, like you can with the OnePlus’ Open Canvas multitasking system on its OnePlus Open foldable. The Fold doesn’t really rethink workflows; it just stretches them.

Additionally, a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra will almost certainly be even more expensive. If Samsung wants consumers to spend above the $2,000 (or approx. Rs 2,00,000) mark, the company needs to articulate exactly what that extra cash buys you, beyond larger screens and prettier photos.

AI might just be Samsung’s ace in the hole, or at least, that’s what it’s betting on. With its latest announcements, Samsung has positioned Galaxy AI as the connective tissue that will make its foldables feel futuristic again.

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Live translation, note summarisation, on-device generative features, all promise a kind of frictionless productivity. It will be interesting to see how Samsung’s Ultra foldable leverages AI to bring back the company’s glory days in the foldable space.

We’ll know soon enough. Stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma to know when this Ultra foldable drops and more interesting tech updates.