Something significant happened at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22 — and it wasn’t just about foldable phones. Google used Samsung’s flagship hardware event to push the Google Gemini Intelligence update into a new phase, one that extends AI-driven task automation well beyond what most users have seen from a smartphone assistant before.
Summary
Key takeaways
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8 are the first devices to ship with Gemini Intelligence task automation capabilities.
- Gemini’s task automation now supports more than 40 popular apps, up from a handful during the beta that launched in February.
- Gemini Notebook — formerly NotebookLM — comes preinstalled on new Samsung foldables, alongside a six-month Google AI Pro trial.
- On Galaxy Watch 9, Gemini activates with a wrist raise — no wake word needed.
- Intelligent eyewear developed with Samsung, featuring designs from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, is set to launch this fall.
Google and Samsung launch new Galaxy devices with Gemini Intelligence
The partnership between Google and Samsung has steadily deepened over recent years, but the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event marks a clear acceleration. The three new devices — the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 — arrive as the first hardware to carry what Google is calling Gemini Intelligence, its broader vision for AI that handles real-world tasks on behalf of users rather than simply answering questions.
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8 integrate Gemini AI
Menaka Shroff, VP of Android Ecosystem Marketing at Google, framed the announcement around a simple premise: Gemini should reduce the time people spend managing digital errands. Whether a user unfolds their device for a large-screen productivity session or keeps the phone closed, the AI is designed to operate in the background, tracking progress on delegated tasks and alerting users only when a review or final confirmation is needed.
On the Galaxy Z Flip8, task automation is accessible directly from the Flex Window by long-pressing the power button — a design choice that speaks to how deeply the feature has been integrated into the hardware, not just the software layer.
Expanded task automation supporting over 40 apps
When Google introduced the task automation beta back in February, it covered only a small selection of apps. The version shipping with the new foldables now supports more than 40 popular apps, spanning shopping, dining reservations, travel bookings, and event ticketing. That’s a meaningful jump — and it signals that this feature is moving from early experiment to something Google intends to make a core part of the Android experience.
What makes the expansion strategically interesting is its scope. Covering over 40 apps means Gemini can now handle a genuinely broad range of everyday tasks without requiring users to open individual apps manually. The practical effect is an assistant that manages workflows across services rather than responding to isolated one-off requests.
Gemini Intelligence enables advanced image and list recognition for automation
One of the more technically notable additions is Gemini’s ability to parse complex images and lists as task prompts. Instead of typing out what they need, users can show Gemini a shopping list or an inspiration photo, and the AI uses advanced reasoning to understand the context and begin acting on it.
This matters because it removes a significant friction point. Describing a task in text requires the user to already know what they want clearly enough to articulate it. Showing a picture sidesteps that entirely. The feature effectively lowers the bar for interacting with task automation, making it more accessible to a wider range of users and more applicable to real-life situations where the input isn’t always a clean, structured request.
Users can also multitask while Gemini works, or close the phone entirely and let the process run in the background. If an adjustment is needed mid-task, users can step in, make a change, and hand control back to Gemini to finish — a workflow that keeps humans in the loop without requiring constant attention.
Project management enhanced with Gemini Notebook and Google AI Pro trial
Beyond task automation, Google is bringing Gemini Notebook — formerly known as NotebookLM — directly to the new foldables as a preinstalled app. The rebranded tool positions itself as a research and thinking partner, powered by Google’s multimodal models.
On the Galaxy Z Fold8 series, the larger display makes the app particularly well-suited to a side-by-side workflow. Users can drag and drop photos, documents, whiteboard images, and voice recordings into a workspace and then use a chat interface to ask questions or generate materials — slide decks, flash cards, quizzes, videos, or even podcast-style audio — tailored to the project at hand.
To support more demanding use cases, every Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8 comes with a six-month trial of Google AI Pro, which unlocks enhanced features including Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, and Slides. It’s a direct on-ramp to Google’s premium AI tier, built into the device purchase itself — a strategy that lowers the barrier to adoption while giving Google a substantial base of users experiencing its most capable features firsthand.
Expanded Gemini access on Galaxy Watch 9 and new intelligent eyewear
The Google Gemini Intelligence update isn’t limited to phones. On the Galaxy Watch 9, Gemini now activates simply by raising the wrist — no wake word required. The gesture-based trigger makes the assistant genuinely useful in on-the-go moments when pulling out a phone isn’t convenient.
Control smart glasses via Wear OS watch hand gestures
Google and Samsung also announced intelligent eyewear, first teased at Google I/O 2026, with a fall launch confirmed. The glasses integrate Gemini directly and can be controlled through hand gestures using a compatible Wear OS watch — bridging wearable devices in a way that creates a more seamless, hands-free interaction model.
Partnerships with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for eyewear designs
Two additional frame designs were revealed at Galaxy Unpacked, adding to the earlier designs from eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. The involvement of established fashion-forward eyewear names suggests Google and Samsung are prioritizing wearability and everyday style alongside the technical specs — a lesson learned from the limited mainstream uptake of earlier smart glasses products in the industry.
Taken together, the announcements represent a deliberate effort to push Gemini across every screen a person interacts with in a day: the phone they carry, the watch on their wrist, and the glasses on their face. Whether users will actually delegate tasks across all three surfaces simultaneously remains to be seen — but the infrastructure to make that possible is now being actively built out.
FAQ
What new Samsung phones include Gemini Intelligence?
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8 include Gemini Intelligence task automation and productivity features.
How many apps does Gemini’s task automation currently support?
Gemini Intelligence task automation now supports over 40 popular apps.
Can Gemini understand images and lists as part of task automation?
Yes, Gemini can parse complex images and lists as prompts to help automate tasks.
What new features come with Gemini Notebook on Samsung foldables?
Gemini Notebook, preinstalled on new foldables, helps manage projects through multimodal inputs and a chat function, with a six-month Google AI Pro trial included on every Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
