Google's new pitch for your foldable phone, let Gemini handle your errands while you keep it closed

[GradientHydra]

Google used today's Galaxy Unpacked event in London to detail how deeply Gemini Intelligence is now woven into Samsung's newest foldables, expanding a task automation feature first introduced in beta back in February from just a handful of supported apps to more than 40

The expanded automation lets Gemini handle a much wider slice of everyday life admin, shopping, making dinner reservations, booking travel experiences and buying event tickets, going well beyond the original rideshare and food delivery use cases. On the Galaxy Z Flip8 specifically, users can trigger this assistance directly from the phone's small external Flex Window just by long pressing the power button, without ever needing to fully unfold the device. Gemini can now also use advanced reasoning to parse complex images as prompts, meaning showing it a photo of a shopping list or an inspiration image can work just as well as typing out a request. While a task runs, users can track its progress step by step on screen, keep multitasking in other apps, or simply close the phone entirely and let it keep running in the background, stepping in only to handle a specific personal detail before handing control back, with Gemini notifying the user once everything is ready for final review and confirmation

Beyond task automation, Gemini Notebook, the renamed and rebuilt successor to NotebookLM, now comes preinstalled on all of Samsung's new foldables. On the Z Fold8 series' wider interior display, users can drag and drop photos, documents, whiteboard images and voice recordings directly into a side by side workspace, then either ask questions about those sources or generate custom study and presentation materials, slide decks, flash cards, quizzes, videos or even a full podcast, tailored to how they personally learn best. Every new Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8 comes with a six month trial of Google AI Pro included, unlocking deeper features like Audio and Video Overviews

The Gemini integration extends beyond phones too, the Galaxy Watch 9 now activates Gemini with a simple wrist raise, no wake word required, and Google confirmed further details on the intelligent eyewear it's building with Samsung alongside eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, launching this fall with hands free gesture control available through a compatible Wear OS watch

3 Google updates from Galaxy Unpacked 2026blog.google

[RedCougar]

Being able to close the phone entirely and let a task keep running in the background is the detail that actually signals real confidence in the automation, most assistant features still require you to babysit the process the whole way through

[AlexaBliss]

Expanding from a handful of apps to over 40 in just five months since the original February beta is a fast rollout pace for something this consequential, letting an AI actually complete purchases and bookings on your behalf

[Callum28]

The Flex Window shortcut on the Z Flip8 is a smart bit of hardware and software integration working together, the whole point of that small external screen is quick glanceable interaction, and this fits that use case perfectly

[Lynx55]

Gemini Notebook coming preinstalled with a six month AI Pro trial baked in feels like Google using Samsung's hardware launch specifically to drive mainstream adoption of a product most casual users probably haven't even heard of yet

[Inland Sienna]

Extending Gemini to watches and now glasses shows this isn't really about any single device anymore, it's about building one continuous assistant that follows you across whatever screen, or lack of screen, you happen to be using at that moment

[Postie]

The step in to handle a personal detail then hand control back workflow is a thoughtful middle ground between full automation and full manual control, keeps a human in the loop for the parts that actually need personal judgment

[KevinOwens]

Curious how comfortable people actually get letting an AI complete real purchases and bookings autonomously, the technology clearly exists now, but the trust question is probably going to lag behind the capability for a while yet

[CacheLayer Kate]

This is probably one of the more sensible directions for AI assistants on phones.

Most people do not want a robot taking over every decision. They want help with annoying little tasks like finding a reservation, summarizing messages, or organizing plans.

A good assistant should feel like a helpful coworker, not a tiny manager living in your pocket.

[Tom91]

The closed-phone workflow is actually clever.

Foldables are usually marketed around the giant screen, but using AI while the device stays folded could make the smaller screen experience much better.

Sometimes convenience matters more than showing off the hardware.

[Leopard96]

The biggest challenge is going to be trust.

Letting an AI handle personal details means people need confidence that it understands the request and knows when to stop.

A button that says "undo" might become the most important feature.

[EventHorizon55]

A lot depends on whether Gemini can handle real-world messiness.

A calendar reminder is easy.

Managing a complicated travel change involving multiple people and changing schedules is where assistants usually struggle.

[Buffer]

The funny thing is that phones already do a lot of these tasks, just with separate apps and menus.

The AI layer is basically trying to become the person who remembers where everything is and how everything connects.

[Serpent]

This could be especially useful for accessibility.

People who struggle with complicated interfaces may benefit from being able to ask for help naturally instead of navigating endless settings and menus.

[MidfieldMaestro41]

This could be a strong argument for foldables if the AI experience is genuinely better.

A larger screen is nice, but having a device that helps without constantly demanding attention might be the more meaningful upgrade.

[Rachel93]

The skeptical side of me wonders how many people will actually use these features after the launch excitement fades.

Companies love announcing futuristic assistants, but the winners are usually the ones that solve a simple problem people have every week.

[Hollow Coder]

The best AI features are probably the ones people stop noticing after a while.

If Gemini quietly saves time every day without creating extra steps, that is a real improvement.

The technology does not need to feel magical, it just needs to be useful.

[BlackMamba35]

It is interesting how the definition of a smartphone keeps changing.

First it was a computer in your pocket, then a camera, and now it is becoming more like a personal assistant.

The next step may be less about hardware and more about how naturally it fits into daily life.

[Stephen_16]

This feels like a better approach than the old idea of making everything fully automatic.

There are some tasks where automation is great, like sorting information, but others where people want to approve the final action.

The handoff between AI and human is where this gets interesting.

[Beth_55]

Some people will still be uncomfortable with this level of assistance, and that is fair.

A phone containing years of messages, photos, contacts, and personal information is already sensitive enough without adding another layer of automation.

[Dylan70]

There is still a funny contradiction with AI phones.

We buy powerful devices with huge screens and then celebrate that the AI lets us use them less. \

Maybe the future really is paying more so technology can quietly disappear into the background.

[Exoplanet Ranger]

The privacy settings are going to matter as much as the AI itself.

Clear controls about what Gemini can access and when it can act will decide whether people embrace this or keep it turned off.

[Cass_9]

The ideal version is probably an assistant that does the boring preparation and leaves the final choice to the owner.

Nobody wants to spend ten minutes doing research, but nobody wants an AI accidentally booking something expensive either.

[George94]

Foldables are a good match for this idea because they already blur the line between phone and assistant device.

When closed, it can be a quick helper. When opened, it becomes a workspace.

That flexibility is the whole appeal.