News
- An amateur astronomer has discovered a meteorite crater on Google Maps
- The crater is thought to be 390 million years old
- The finding was verified when a scientists visited the site and found telltale rock formations
Sometimes, I find myself idly browsing Google Maps, marveling at the wondrous locations I can spy from a satellite’s vantage point. Sadly, though, I’ve never discovered a 390-million-year-old meteorite crater while enjoying my nerdy pastime — but one clever Canadian has just managed to do exactly that.
Speaking to The Canadian Press, amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe said he was plotting a summer hiking trip in Québec when he spied a strange ring-shaped indentation in the ground spanning some 15.5 miles across.
The circular pit fired up Lapointe’s Spidey-Senses, but he kept telling himself that it was unlikely to be an actual meteorite crater: “I told myself, ‘You haven’t discovered anything, Joël, it’s not possible, they must already know about this.’” Yet, when the formation did not appear in any of the crater databases Lapointe searched, he decided to submit his finding to the experts.
Although Lapointe spotted the geological anomaly back in 2023, his hunch wasn’t confirmed to be correct until October 2025. That’s when planetary geologist Gordon Osinski of Canada’s Western University conducted a field survey at the location, and discovered impact melt-rock and shatter cones, both rock formations caused by a meteorite impact. The findings — which dated the crater as around 390 million years old — are due to be presented at the 88th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting in Germany in August this year.
How to find this ancient impact siteThe meteorite impact crater can be seen from Google Maps. (Image credit: Google / Future)If you want to view the impact crater for yourself, it can be found at the following coordinates: 51°13'57.3"N, 64°39'53.0"W. Zoom out a little and the circular nature of the crater is clearly visible, with Lake Marsal located at its center.
Lapointe was delighted with his discovery, telling Radio Canada that: “It’s not every day that an ordinary citizen finds a 390-million-year-old crater. I encourage everyone to not ignore intuition or an observation, even if it isn’t part of your field of expertise.”
He’s not the first person to notice something strange depicted within Google Maps’ extensive imagery. Past explorers have found shipwrecks in shallow waters, and discerned commercial aircraft mid-flight, and even what appeared to be a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, although neither of those aircraft can be viewed today, as Google has updated its satellite imagery.
Still, Lapointe’s story shows that sometimes, idly scrolling around Google Maps can lead to impressive discoveries. As Osinski — who often gets erroneous reports of possible craters — put it, “It just goes to show, while 9 out of 10 or 99 out of 100 might not be [impact craters], there could always still be that one that will surprise you.”
If you're looking for a cheap portable monitor for travel, then I definitely recommend the AOC 16T35 for $60 (was $90) at Best Buy. This is a very limited-time deal though, which runs out soon.
We tested the AOC 16T3EA, which is identical in size, weight, and screen, awarding it 4.5 stars and a Highly Recommended badge in our review.
Now, the AOC 16T35 is a significant upgrade that's actually cheaper to buy. Notably, it boasts two USB-C ports rather than one, an additional mini HDMI port and, addressing one of our issues with the stripped back version, it has built-in speakers. They're not ultra loud, but I always find it's better to have them if you're just jumping on a quick video call.
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the AOC 16T35 if...
You're looking for a budget portable monitor that delivers a good display for office tasks. In our tests, we found it made viewing and editing business documents "absolutely superb."
❌ Skip the AOC 16T35 if...
You're a creator. While the FHD display makes it a great business companion, we found the limited color accuracy holds it back from being a recommended pick for creative professionals.
A 15.6in display with a slim and lightweight design. This 3.3lb portable monitor has a built-in kickstand for portrait and landscape viewing, features a 1920x1080 resolution, two 1W speakers, two USB-C ports, a single 3.5mm audio jack, and one mini HDMI port. View Deal
Why we recommend itIn our review, we called AOC's portable screen "a solid, lightweight option for working on the move." And that was for the pared back AOC 16T3EA.
This is a much better offer at a much better price. The AOC 16T35 increases USB-C ports from one to two, adds a mini HDMI, and includes built-in speakers. If you were choosing between the two, I wholeheartedly recommend the 16T35 model.
The portable monitor performed well in our tests particularly for business-oriented tasks like viewing PDFs, browsing, checking emails, and running office software.
We found it very easy to set up, and we appreciated the amount of control you have over the display in the OSD.
It's not suitable for professional creative tasks, given the color accuracy - although, if you're just using it to expand screen real estate while editing photos for your social media page, it's more than suitable for that. Just don't go using it for editing features or print-ready marketing materials.
In fact, in our testing, we specifically highlighted that: "Overall, the monitor performed well, with a clear display and a beautiful matte finish that made it ideal for office work and browsing the internet. In creative use, it was also a good option for palettes, as well as email, documents, and anything else that didn't require absolute colour accuracy."
Price Context & Historical ValueAt $60, this sits firmly at the budget end of the best portable monitors we've tested. Considering what you get here - a second screen with three actually useful ports, a clever kickstand, and built-in speakers, this is an easy recommendation. A lot of cheap portable displays that hover around the $50-60 mark - particularly the non-branded ones - lack all of these features.
The Catch: What to know before you buyObviously I've mentioned the color accuracy issue already. But if that forms any part of your workflow, avoid this monitor. And look for one with a higher resolution, too - 2K should do nicely.
The other issue is the speakers. While I always appreciate them, it's fair to say the ones equipped to the AOC 16T35 aren't especially powerful. They're fine for video calls or checking videos, but I'd recommend investing in a proper external speaker if you're relying on audio in your job.
- US data center electricity usage is expected to quadruple by 2035
- There has been a surge in signups for Trump's Ratepayer Protection Act
- Residential electricity rates have risen by 25% over the past four years
US data centers are expected to use four times more electricity by 2035 than they currently use, bringing the total consumption to one fifth of the country's electricity production.
In an attempt to quell the national dissatisfaction with AI and the data centers needed to support capacity, over 200 entities have joined President Trump’s pledge to not pass on rising electricity costs to consumers.
But Trump’s pledge is entirely voluntary, and has little control over electricity pricing which is decided by state regulators and electricity buyers and sellers - and in some states with huge data center buildouts electricity pricing has already risen significantly.
Electricity consumption set to quadrupleA new report by BloombergNEF seen by TechCrunch predicts that global AI compute will rise to as much as 200 gigawatts over the next decade, with most of it concentrated in the US. Additionally, many already strained power grids across the US will struggle to handle new data center connections without huge infrastructure buildouts. Current infrastructure buildouts have seen the US government seize private property from landowners using eminent domain.
The PJM Interconnection across Virginia and Illinois is expected to see 34% of its electricity go to data centers over the next decade. In the same timespan, Texas’ ERCOT will have to divert 22% of its electricity to data centers.
There is one caveat, however. The BloombergNEF report is likely a conservative estimate. Compared to a report released in December, BloombergNEF’s new electricity usage estimates are 83% higher than the previous prediction.
The strain caused by the buildout of AI data centers is even causing a rift between utility companies and grid operators. American Electric Power threatened to pull out of the PJM interconnection due to the supply-demand imbalance causing prices to rise by as much as 76% in the last year.
Trump pledges to stop electricity price rises caused by big techAccording to exclusive WSJ reporting, there has been a huge surge in signups to Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which is a voluntary commitment to not pass on the rise in electricity prices caused by AI data center buildouts to consumers. The pledge encourages private companies to “build, bring, or buy” new electricity sources.
Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI were among the first to sign up back in March 2026, but since then the nation’s biggest utilities and data centers developers have also joined the pledge, including NextEra Energy, Duke Energy, Equinix and Digital Realty.
New commitments for the Ratepayer Protection Pledge are expected to be announced by Trump at an event by the Environmental Protection Agency, but Trump’s track record on environmental protection has been less than stellar. New fossil fuel energy production facilities can now expedite their application process, and Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” policy has significantly reduced funding and support for clean and renewable energy sources, which are far cheaper than their fossil fuel counterparts.
Despite the pledge not to pass on the rising costs of electricity to consumers, there have already been significant consumer electricity price increases across the US.
According to ElectricChoice statistics, average US residential electricity rates are up 7.4% year-over-year, with Ohio alone seeing a 19.4% increase in the same period. 13 US states have seen double digit increases in year-over-year electricity pricing, while only 5 states have seen pricing stay the same or decrease.
(Image credit: Electric Choice)In the past four years, residential electricity rates have risen by 25%, with grid modernization investments and record data center construction cited as two of the main reasons for the rapid growth in pricing.
According to Cleanview, the US currently has 1,214 operating data centers with a further 1,714 planned or in construction.
(Image credit: Cleanview)A bill that seeks to actually hold tech companies responsible for their contributions to the increase in consumer electricity prices has been introduced to congress, called the Ratepayer Protection Act. The bipatisan bill looks to introduce a “large load standard” requiring tech companies to bear the cost of the energy they use, alongside upgrades to the local grids they connect to.
'Intelligent Eyewear' is the fresh term Samsung is using to perhaps give its new wearable technology a fresh start in a market that's showing signs of smart glasses fatigue. With a focus on style and design, the company has unveiled a series of Warby Parker- and Gentle Monster-designed glasses that put fashion and Gemini at the center of the experience.
Samsung unveiled the long-promised collaboration between it, Google, and these premier eyewear brands alongside its new suite of Galaxy foldables at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on July 22. Its Intelligent Eyewear is finally challenging chief competitor Meta, whose own Ray-Ban and EssilorLuxottica smartglasses have become the dominant products in this space.
In a preview just before the big launch, I got an up-close look at the new smart frames, though Samsung was insistent that I not try them on or actually use them, which was disappointing.
Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear consists of designs ranging from classic square and round-style frames to cat-eye-style silhouettes, and in colors ranging from amber to green and black. Lenses are available in clear and transition. There's no pricing, and the ship date is described as "this Fall".
Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureAs I picked up multiple frames (but never donned them, mind you), I quickly noticed that the frames, which are filled with, among other things, Qualcomm Snapdragon wearable silicon, are quite lightweight. Also, aside from somewhat larger stems than you'd find on standard glasses, they're pleasingly thin, so that someone looking at you head-on might not initially realize you're wearing smart...er...intelligent eyewear.
There are, however, tells.
On the front of the frames are a pair of what look like cameras, but only the one on the right is a shooter of indeterminate megapixels (more info Samsung chose not to share), and the one on the left is the critical LED to let people know you're taking photos or videos.
Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureWhen I flipped the lenses around and looked at the left stem very near the frames, I noticed a large meta switch. Yes, this Intelligent Eyewear appears to feature a large power button, something I have not seen on previous smart frames.
I then flipped the frames over to look at the bottom of the stems where I spotted the stereo speakers (one for each stem) and what appear to be a pair of far-field microphone holes.
There's a single button on the top of one stem that you can use to trigger a photo or video capture or to summon one of the personal assistants. Though I asked multiple times, I was told that there's no gesture recognition for the frames that you could use, say, to lower or raise the audio volume.
Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureAs with other intelligent wearables Samsung has produced with partner Google (see the much more powerful, reality-mixing Samsung Galaxy XR headset), the new Warby Parker and Gentle Monster Intelligent Eyewear put AI access at the center. The notion is that you will use your voice to summon Gemini and have it assist you in a variety of ways. Think having it identify what you're looking at, translate signs and menus in a foreign language, answer general prompts, help you ideate while on the go, give you email summaries, guide you through a recipe, and maybe access your email.
Nestled alongside Gemini is Samsung's Bixby assistant. It has the less-exciting job of, say, accessing phone apps and controlling eyewear features like volume.
I also got a chance to look at both the Warby Parker and Gentle Monster charge cases, nice white containers that were a bit lighter than the Meta Glasses case I didn't bring with me to the UK because (with the glasses inside) I thought it was too heavy.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadar Samsung on design choices, limitations, and looming privacy concerns(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)I can't tell you much about how these frames work, but we did get some useful insight about Samsung's strategy from James Choi, Samsung's Head of XR R&D Team EVP.
One thing Choi made clear is that, for now, these glasses are in no way a replacement for the phone. Part of the issue is the demands of AI processing, which for now are too high to place solely on the Intelligent Eyewear, but, he noted, "We want to extend heavy use of AI on phone to here."
He was also fairly transparent about things they have yet to solve with the frames, like adjustable nose bridge and stems. On the latter, Choi admitted that with regular glasses the stems are highly adjustable, but that's not the case with Samsung Intelligent Eyewear because there's technology and sensors in there.
In fact, when I examined some of the new frames, I noticed I could see through the housing to view some of that stem-based technology. What Choi seemed unaware of, though, is that with the just-released Meta Glasses from Essilor Luxottica, both the stems and nose bridge are adjustable.
Choi also discussed at some length the growing privacy concerns being raised with the entire smart glasses category.
He explained that some of the negative response to the technology is rooted in particular societies and cultures, noting that, in South Korea, with all the public transportation, people are closer and the concerns can be greater.
"Regarding public acceptance, it takes time," he added.
It's by no means a settled issue for Samsung. Choi explained that the company continues to work on what is an important topic for them and indicated that some future innovations in the shape or form factor could impact acceptance.
These concerns, though, are not a reason to end development or stop trying.
"We cannot stay here without innovating this. Intentional bad uses need to be covered and protected. If, because of that, we stop innovation, we don’t go anywhere."
What's coming in the Display Intelligent Eyewear space(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Samsung has not forgotten about display lenses, and Choi assured us that they have "something with very good technology better than what’s in the market."
He also acknowledged the challenges and, without mentioning Snap and its recent release of the chunky Specs, the technical challenges of combining displays in a form factor meant to be worn discreetly on the face.
Samsung wants its display glasses to be, as he waved around a pair of the Warby Parker Intelligent Eyewear, “almost near to this form factor.”
It's not just the design that's a challenge. Battery life is a considerable issue (one of the reasons why display lenses still tend to be so thick). "If we publish display glass, we want to promise a certain level of daily use… really tough. We’re working on it."
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might look much the same as last year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it feels very different to wear thanks to Samsung’s efficiency savings. A 12% slimmer titanium body and a lighter band (that remains the same size) mean the watch weighs less as an overall package and has better lockdown onto your wrist, so it doesn’t move around as much during strenuous exercise.
It’s got a new chipset under the hood: the AI-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, which, Samsung says, offers 32% faster CPU and 19% faster GPU performance compared to last year’s model. It’s launching with three new bands, new wellness features like Vital and Heart Health, and all the usual smartwatch goodies like notifications, call accept/reject, digital wallet and third-party app support. The Ultra comes with LTE capabilities as standard to add the watch to your phone’s data plan, and new fitness tools tailor-made for adventurers, including trail running features with GPX routes, a Daily Cardio Load metric, mid-activity hydration alerts, professional-level diving certifications and — soon — a dedicated diving app.
Fortunately for them (but perhaps unfortunately for Samsung) adventurers find themselves spoiled for choice these days between the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the best Garmin watches, and challengers from brands such as Coros, Polar and Amazfit. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may be good in a vacuum, with excellent health and fitness features, but it’s fighting for space amid a crowd of exceptional wearables. Ultimately, it’s the best Galaxy Watch ever from a specs perspective, and does everything you expect a smartwatch to do (and several things you might not expect); but it’s also expensive, big and bulky. I do wonder how many Samsung users will opt for this over either the much cheaper Galaxy Watch9 or, at the other end of the scale, a chunky specialist tool such as the Garmin Fenix 8 if they’re really interested in wilderness exploration.
It’s fast, it’s accurate (albeit with some niggles — see the Performance section below for more details), it’s got the brightest screen of any smartwatch, on-device Gemini capabilities, and is packed with enough features to make any smartwatch aficionado happy. It’s a terrific gadget, and if you’re a Samsung user who wants the best native watch for your phone’s ecosystem, this is it. But if you’re buying it for trails and routes, Garmin does this better, and with far better battery endurance, albeit with a less robust AI-powered interface for all your communication features.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Specifications(Image credit: Future)Component
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Price
$699.99 / $649
Dimensions
47mm: 47.4 x 47.1 x 10.7mm
Weight
61g
Caze/bezel
Titanium
Display
498 x 498 Super AMOLED
Operating System
One UI Watch 9 (Wear OS 7)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite
Memory
2GB of RAM
Storage
64GB storage
GPS
(L1+L5 Dual Frequency GPS)
Battery life
Up to 60 hours with always-on display
Connection
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE
Water resistance
WR100 (diveproof)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Price and availability- $699.99 in the US
- £649 in the UK
- AU TBC
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $699.99 / £649, with AU pricing TBC. This is actually a small increase of $50 / £50 in the UK over the launch price of the original Watch Ultra, likely due to the escalating price of electronics components.
While it’s still relatively competitively priced compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and premium Garmins such as the Garmin Forerunner 970, it’s certainly on the higher end of the smartwatch price scale; but then again, this is a higher-end smartwatch.
- Value score: 4/5
- 12% slimmer, but still quite bulky
- Titanium squircle cushion
- Strap is 25% lighter
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 iterates on the titanium squircle case design we first saw on the original Ultra, which Samsung calls a ‘cushion’, and which has since become a staple of the entire Galaxy Watch range. Housed within this body is the circular display, which is, according to Samsung…
The cushion incorporates new innards, including a larger 800mAh battery and a new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor. Despite the upgrades, the chassis is actually 12% slimmer than the original Watch Ultra’s, which is really a blessing, as that watch was a real beast. The cushion shape looks bulbous, but while it’s still a big watch that’s unsuitable for small wrists, it’s now better suited to a slightly wider variety of wrists than 2024’s enormous cuboid.
Couple this with the bands being 25% lighter this year, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has had a serious size and weight reduction, which makes it much better for staying locked on your wrist during strenuous exercise, where the previous model was prone to moving around.
The Ultra 2 has the Samsung Galaxy Watch series’ standard pair of side buttons, plus the programmable ‘Quick Button’ that only the premium watches get. This is set to opening ‘my exercises’ as standard, while a long press can activate the watch’s emergency siren, but you can assign a different function to this button to suit your needs. If you’ve used a Samsung watch before, the UI (One Watch UI, to be exact, based on Google’s Wear OS) is virtually unchanged, and for beginners it’s easy and intuitive to use.
The redesigned, AI-forward Samsung Health app is simple to use too, and even though much was made of its big makeover, it’s a far cry from Google Health’s chatbot-focused premium tier.
- Design score: 4.5/5
- All the smartwatch features you’d expect
- Parcel of new health metrics: Vitals, Vascular Load & more
- Diving and trail-running features
The Ultra 2 offers all the usual smartwatch features you’d expect from an LTE-enabled watch, so I won’t list them all here, but suffice to say you can use virtual wallets, accept calls, message, control or store music, use the screen as a viewfinder for a Samsung phone’s camera, and even use Google Gemini via the new, easier Raise-to-Talk feature. Gemini works across devices, so you can make a quick voice note in the moment, and have it transcribed and saved to Samsung Notes or Google Keep, to be viewed later on your phone, tablet or laptop.
Samsung watches have always had strong health credentials, and the Ultra 2 is no different. It retains more esoteric features like blood-pressure monitoring (which requires an inflatable cuff for regular calibration, then uses your biometrics to predict fluctuations) and body composition (which uses electrical signals to estimate your fat and muscle mass) alongside the usual heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG scan functionality (which is medically certified, according to Samsung) and more. Running Coach, introduced last year, also makes a welcome return, along with its advanced analytics for runners.
New health features include Vitals, which looks at readings of five different heart-related metrics while you sleep and lets you know of any baseline deviations, a Daily Cardio Load score that estimates how much stress your exercise routine is putting your heart under, and Vascular Load, which measures stress and arterial stiffness.
Finally, new features have been added in the shape of two adventure-themed activity profiles. The watch is now a working dive computer — or will be when its companion app is released later this year in partnership with diving company Mares. The Apple Watch Ultra has a similar app, so I’m sure Samsung has been working overtime to catch up.
The Trail Running profile now includes the ability to save GPX routes into the workout activity itself, so you can follow turn-by-turn directions and see maps on your watch with a swipe of your finger. You can download routes yourself, or you have the option to save previous outdoor runs as a route to test yourself against later on, if you want to try to beat your own personal best. What you can’t do is create your own routes in-app, as you can in Garmin Connect for example.
- Features score: 4.5/5
- Heart rate had some drift compared to Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Polar H10, but tightened up after 10-15 minutes of wear
- Watch is more comfortable to wear than its predecessor
- Accurate sleep tracking
I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for five days and four nights before writing this review, and I'll update it when I’ve logged enough nights sleep for features like Vitals to calibrate with seven-day averages. I was dreading wearing the Ultra 2 to bed given its bulkiness and size, but the slimmer, lighter Watch Ultra 2 was surprisingly comfortable for all-day wear — although I’m a man of fairly average build, and those with slimmer wrists may still find it uncomfortable.
Battery life was as described, with the Ultra 2 lasting the as-described 60 hours with always-on display enabled before needing a charge. Sleep was estimated accurately, with the watch and app correctly identifying my wake-up times during the night, and generating numbers corresponding with my energy levels.
To test GPS and heart rate accuracy, I went on a 30-minute run with the Watch Ultra 2 on one wrist, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other, and a Polar H10 electrical heart-rate monitor (the gold standard for wearable heart-rate accuracy) strapped to my chest.
I was initially quite surprised at the difference in heart-rate readings the Watch Ultra 2 recorded at the start of the workout compared to the other two devices, with the Samsung watch sometimes reading 20 beats per minute lower than the Apple and Polar devices. However, after 15 minutes of exercise, I found that the Ultra 2’s readings were closely matching those of the other devices, as you can see from the corresponding graphs and readings below / above.
Initial heart rate ‘drift’ is a known problem with many optical heart-rate sensors (used by all smartwatches) in comparison to electrical ones, although Apple seems to have ironed out much of the problem with its Ultra 3. Still, even if the Samsung Ultra 2 does show some deviation at the beginning of a workout, if you’re exercising for any length of time your results are likely to be broadly accurate. I repeated this test during an indoor HIIT workout, and the results were the same: accurate after a brief warm-up period.
I also tested Body Composition, which uses the same method as the best smart scales — an electrical pulse moving through fat, muscle and water at a variety of speeds. I tested this against an industrial scale at my local gym after my run, and the ticket the scale produced showed that I was at 19% body fat. The smartwatch estimated 9%, a huge difference. It wasn’t until I did the test again later that day, after hydrating and adjusting my technique by raising my arms, that the watch showed 16% — a much closer result, and within the range of deviation I’d expect from two different devices.
I also tested the Ultra 2’s water lock feature by dunking it in a glass of water — after all, I’ve been burned before by so-say dive-ready watches — and it worked just fine afterwards.
(Image credit: Future)- Performance score: 4/5
Category
Comment
Score
Value
On a par with similar devices in its category.
4/5
Design
Bulky, but much improved over its predecessor, with an intuitive UI.
4.5/5
Features
Absolutely stacked.
4.5/5
Performance
Some health feature are fiddly to use, but generally very accurate.
4/5
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Should I buy?(Image credit: Future)Buy it if…You’re a runner
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is awash with terrific running features, and now trail runners are well catered for too.
You’re a Samsung phone user
Unsurprisingly, the Watch Ultra 2 works perfectly within the wider Samsung ecosystem.
You’re a Gemini user
Use AI for everything? Samsung’s Raise-to-Talk functionality and true on-watch Gemini makes using the smart assistant a doddle.
Don’t buy it if…You need ultimate battery life
If you prioritize battery life and fitness features over connectivity, consider a Garmin or Coros watch.
You’re a casual exerciser and gym-goer
The Samsung Galaxy Watch9 is a much better-value fitness tracker for those who won’t use all the extra adventuring, diving, and safety features.
You’re an Apple user
The Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t work with Apple phones.
Also Consider…Garmin Forerunner 970
A similarly-priced, adventure-ready Garmin watch with lots of running features.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 970 review
Google Pixel Watch 4
Not as rugged, but a solid alternative for Wear OS users.
Read our full Google Pixel watch 4 review
How I tested @techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadarI wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for the better part of a week, running the battery down and using it as my daily driver to accept and reject calls, check notifications and messages, use Gemini and control music. I tested it against devices such as the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Polar H10 electrical heart rate monitor, and an industrial smart scale, and I dropped it into a glass of water to test its water lock feature.
First reviewed: July 2026
When it comes to battery life, foldables have it harder than regular phones. These devices need to power not one, but two screens (one of which is twice as large as the other), and so it's important to pick a model with decent endurance if you don't want to lug around a portable battery at all times.
Yet in the throes of a seemingly unquenchable thirst for thinness, Samsung has somewhat neglected the battery tech in its foldable phones. That is, until now, because the brand has finally introduced silicon-carbon batteries in its latest devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8. The former, specifically, packs a 5,000mAh cell that, based on Samsung's own testing, offers 27 hours of video playback.
Now, as uninteresting as this may sound, it's actually pretty big news, especially given that the phone is thinner than ever and the same weight as last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. We were invited to an exclusive, early-access hands-on session alongside SuperSaf to try out the new phones, and we discussed this change (and others) in our latest podcast episode, which you can watch just below.
It's not just us professional tech nerds moved to excitement by the news; in a poll we shared in the weeks running up to the latest Samsung Galaxy Unpacked show, our readers overwhelmingly agreed that a larger battery life would be their biggest wish for the latest and greatest Samsung foldable, and those prayers have been answered. Feels good, right?
The sad news is, the second-most desired change remains unmet — that being the re-introduction of the S Pen and the digitizing layer under the display that makes the technology compatible. In fact, as reported by 9to5 Google, Samsung recently quietly removed product listings for all previous-generation S Pens, which perhaps doesn't bode well for the longevity of the styluses overall.
It's a real shame, and one I highlighted in the podcast as being particularly at odds with the phone's productivity-first marketing messaging; if the idea is that the best way to use this phone is like a tablet, which, for me, includes doodling, taking notes and not having to constantly wipe off grubby fingerprints, then hand me the S Pen and be done with it, even at the cost of a few more millimeters thickness.
That being said, at least in the case of the S26 Ultra phones, a Samsung exec shared with TechRadar just last year that the S Pen is a crucial part of the phone's DNA, so I hope that gives at least a little more runway for these handy accessories.
You can watch the full episode of the TechRadar podcast above or head directly to YouTube to hear all of our expert opinions on the latest slate of Samsung foldables and smartwatches.
I’ve tested plenty of the best foldable phones in my time at TechRadar, but I’ve never opted to use one of these devices as my main handset long-term.
I use my phone for consuming content — scrolling, reading, watching — more than I do for productivity tasks, and so the appeal of having a heavier phone with a giant, square-sized foldable screen isn’t, for me, all that strong. Why would I watch a YouTube video with big black letterboxing above and below it, when I could simply use my regular phone in landscape for a better video-watching experience?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a different proposition entirely. It’s still a book-style foldable — it’s got one smaller screen on the outside, and one larger screen on the inside that you open with both hands — but it’s shorter, wider, and dare I say cuter than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 before it. It’s the Galaxy Z Fold 7.5 in all but name (or maybe the Galaxy Z Fold Fat?).
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThis passport-shaped foldable has a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display, with aspect ratios that make it, when closed, easier to use one-handed and better suited to video-watching when open. Specifically, when closed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 3:4 ratio in portrait — meaning your thumbs can easily reach the top of the screen — and a 4:3 aspect ratio in landscape. When open, it’s a 10:16 ratio that’s optimized for widescreen content.
For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — and indeed the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which retains the former’s tall and narrow form factor — has a 21:9 cover display and an almost square 1.11:1 inner display, which is great for spreadsheets and multitasking, but less brilliant for watching World Cup highlights on the train home.
Here’s how the video-watching experience on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — which you can read about in our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra preview — compares, in both orientations:
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureYes, I know — the black bars are still very much visible when the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is unfolded. But still, they're significantly smaller than those on the Ultra, and as for the outer display, the difference is night and day.
This is the key selling point of Samsung’s new shorter, wider foldable. Its displays have the same 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000-nit peak brightness as the pricier Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but they don’t waste as much screen real estate as those on that square-sized premium model. If, like me, you use your phone primarily for watching videos and scrolling through social media, this is a big deal.
“We realize that there's enough of a segment where consumers are very heavy on media, and basically you consume social media, you consume videos, you play games, and you read books in a mostly similar form factor,” Samsung told us for our deep-dive into why it built the Galaxy Fold 8.
The company also describes the phone’s unfolded screen size as “the new standard for viewing content,” which makes sense when you consider that Apple is also rumored to be releasing a similarly sized foldable iPhone later this year.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadar Small but mightyThe entire Samsung Galaxy Z 8 lineup (Image credit: Future)An important note: in the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, smaller does not mean less powerful. It’s got the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset under the hood — i.e., the same chipset as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the entire Galaxy S26 line — plus 12GB of RAM in every storage configuration except 1TB, in which you’ll get 16GB of RAM.
Naturally, I didn’t have enough time to really test the mettle of this chipset, but let’s be honest: we already know it’s a beast. It powers plenty of the best Android phones, and I don’t expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to feel any different to those Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-equipped devices from a performance perspective.
The first real differences between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and its larger sibling come in the camera department. This wider foldable packs a respectable 50MP wide lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets a superior 200MP wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens for zoom shots.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left), Galaxy Z Fold 8 (center), and Galaxy Z Flip 8 (right)FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left), Galaxy Z Flip 8 (center), and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThe Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra also has a slightly larger battery (5,000mAh) than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (4,800mAh), but both phones finally — finally! — use silicon-carbon battery technology, so you should still get plenty of life from the latter’s smaller cell.
Silicon-carbon batteries can store up to 50% more energy in the same physical space as conventional smartphone batteries, so I’m expecting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to deliver longer battery life than the 4,400mAh-equipped Galaxy Z Fold 7, which lasted for around 12 hours (standard use) in our testing.
For reference, Chinese foldable manufacturers like Oppo, Honor, and Vivo have been using silicon-carbon batteries for some years now, so Samsung’s adoption of this technology is a significant (if long overdue) step forward in markets like the US, where it hasn't been readily available.
As for charging, you’ll get 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging, regardless of which model you choose, so the choice here is really between content and cameras. Would you prefer the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 for scrolling and watching videos, or the taller Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for productivity and taking photos?
Personally, I think the former’s shorter, wider form factor will be better suited to my needs, though I'm intrigued to see how much weaker the Galaxy Z Fold 8's main camera is compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's. At $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, the latter phone is more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — which starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 — so it's safe to expect a noticeable gulf in photo quality.
I look forward to testing both devices properly after Unpacked.