Samsung’s Newest Foldable is Here!

Summary of Samsung’s Newest Foldable is Here!

by MKBHD

1h 36m•July 24, 2026
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Overview of Samsung’s Newest Foldable is Here!

This Waveform episode covers a packed week of gadget news, led by Samsung’s latest foldables from Unpacked, plus takes on a new Garmin screenless tracker, Jack Dorsey’s decentralized chat app, the Light Phone Flip, a Peak Design camera accessory, and an Apple leasing rumor. The hosts also open with a long-running gripe about weather apps and wrap with a quick trivia segment and a few non-tech tangents.

Biggest Topics Discussed

Weather app frustration

  • The hosts debate a common annoyance in weather apps: showing a rain/thunderstorm icon for the whole day even when rain only happens for a short window.
  • Their main complaint is that “all-day” weather summaries often ignore whether rain actually happens during waking hours.
  • Favorite alternatives mentioned include Carrot Weather and Not Boring Weather for better glanceable layouts.

Garmin’s new screenless tracker

  • Garmin’s new screenless activity tracker is compared against Whoop and the Fitbit Charge/fitness band style devices.
  • Pros:
    • $200 one-time purchase, no subscription required for the base product.
    • Good-looking bands and Garmin’s familiar health metrics.
    • Includes sleep tracking, HRV, calories, body battery/training readiness, and alarms.
  • Cons:
    • No built-in GPS, which the hosts see as a major miss for a Garmin device.
    • Battery life feels only “okay” at about 10 days.
    • Accessory pricing and proprietary charger are criticized.
  • Overall reaction: promising, but less exciting once the specs are digested.

Jack Dorsey’s new app, Buzz

  • The crew talks about Buzz, an open-source, Slack-like messaging app built around Nostr.
  • It has:
    • A Slack-style interface
    • Public/private key-based community access
    • Local + network storage
    • An embedded “agents” area for AI/model-powered helpers
  • The hosts think it’s interesting as an open, decentralized communication tool, but also joke that it may never become widely useful.

Light Phone Flip vs. minimalist phone philosophy

  • The new Light Phone Flip gets the most debate.
  • What it is:
    • A compact flip phone with a minimalist interface
    • T9 typing, voice-to-text, and basic tools like calendar, directions, notes, weather, authenticator, music, podcasts, hotspot, etc.
    • $299 price tag
  • David likes it as a beautiful, intentional object; Marques is skeptical because it omits too many everyday essentials.
  • Main criticism:
    • No email, no rideshare, no messaging apps like Slack/WhatsApp/Signal, and no simple way to handle common “one-off” tasks.
    • The absence of a touchscreen makes even basic tasks feel too slow.
  • Main defense:
    • It may work well as a “personal phone” while keeping a full smartphone as a work device or backpack phone.

Samsung Unpacked: Foldables, Watches, and Glasses

New Galaxy Watch models

  • Samsung introduced updated versions of its Galaxy Watch lineup, including a standard model and an Ultra model.
  • The hosts mostly view these as solid spec bumps rather than revolutionary upgrades.

New flip and fold devices

  • Samsung’s new Flip is described as slightly thinner, a bit brighter, and still expensive.
  • The bigger story is Samsung’s new book-style foldable, which is now split into two tiers:
    • A premium “Ultra” fold
    • A smaller, squarer, passport-style fold
  • The hosts are especially impressed by the smaller foldable:
    • Feels more like a gadget than a phone
    • Very light for a foldable
    • Better aspect ratio for reading and media
    • Less crease
  • Criticism:
    • The naming scheme is awkward and feels forced
    • Pricing is high, especially on the ultra model
    • Still no true Qi2 magnets, only “Qi2 ready” via cases
  • Battery tech is a bright spot:
    • Samsung is cautiously adopting silicon-based battery improvements
    • Charging has been bumped up to 45W

Samsung software features

  • They discuss Samsung’s AI-driven features like:
    • Now Nudge
    • In-app automation via Gemini
    • Generative UI cards for things like weather, health, and videos
  • The hosts like the idea of glanceable, actionable suggestions but remain skeptical about how useful these features will be in daily life.

Samsung Galaxy Card

  • Samsung also announced a credit card tied to its ecosystem.
  • The hosts speculate it may be mainly about pushing Samsung Wallet adoption.
  • They briefly discuss whether cashback rewards could make sense for people deep into the Samsung ecosystem.

Samsung glasses with Gemini

  • Samsung teased new AI glasses in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
  • The hosts are intrigued by a physical switch on the glasses, possibly for power or privacy.
  • Major red flag: reporters were shown the glasses but not allowed to put them on.
  • The overall impression is that Samsung keeps re-announcing this product without giving real details.

Other Tech News and Notes

Peak Design camera bracket

  • Peak Design announced a new field bracket for cameras.
  • It combines:
    • L-bracket functionality
    • Modular accessory mounting
    • A hidden tracker slot compatible with Apple Find My and Google Find Hub
  • The hosts like this a lot, especially because it solves the “where did I put my camera?” problem.

Apple leasing rumor

  • Apple is reportedly preparing a device leasing program through Klarna.
  • It would cover iPhones, Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches with monthly lease payments and buyout options.
  • The hosts strongly advise against it, noting that:
    • Used devices are usually a better deal
    • Traditional financing or secondhand buying is often cheaper
  • They frame it as another sign of Apple leaning harder into financial services.

Sports analogy and AI/math tangent

  • The episode briefly covers the new mile world record and compares the feat to major breakthroughs in tech and AI.
  • The hosts also discuss a recent math breakthrough where AI-assisted work helped disprove a long-standing conjecture.
  • Their take: these are the kinds of “hard problem” wins companies like OpenAI have been promising for years.

Main Takeaways

  • Samsung’s new foldables are better refined than radically new, but the smaller passport-style foldable especially impressed the hosts.
  • Minimalist phones are appealing in theory, but only if they don’t remove too much functionality people still need every day.
  • Garmin’s screenless tracker feels like a solid product, but the lack of GPS is a major strategic miss.
  • Decentralized or open-source communication tools are interesting, but usefulness depends on real adoption.
  • Apple’s rumored leasing program looks like convenience on paper, but the hosts see it as a bad financial move for most people.

Trivia Segment

  • The episode includes a trivia reset and a final reveal that the BlackBerry Passport was the correct answer to a question about early “passport-style” phones.
  • They also identify the Samsung ringtone used in the demo as “Over the Horizon.”