Samsung dates its foldable event, Gemini's big leap looms, and the AI you should actually use

Samsung has confirmed Galaxy Unpacked for July 22 in London, and the teaser — "A New Shape Unfolds" — all but confirms a shorter, wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside the Z Flip 8, a new Galaxy Watch 9, One UI 9, next-gen Galaxy AI, and possibly Samsung's first smart glasses. This is the year foldables stop feeling like a flex and start feeling like a finished product. The interesting question isn't whether the hardware is thinner — it's whether the software finally makes the big inside screen worth the price.

The problem

Foldables have spent years feeling like an expensive flex rather than a phone most people would actually choose — thick, compromised, and priced like a statement rather than a tool.

What changed

Samsung confirmed Galaxy Unpacked for July 22 in London, with the teaser 'A New Shape Unfolds' pointing to a shorter, wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside the Z Flip 8, new Galaxy Watch 9, One UI 9, next-gen Galaxy AI, and possibly Samsung's first smart glasses.

The catch

A thinner hinge and a new shape don't automatically fix the actual problem — whether the software makes the big inside screen worth using, not just showing off.

What it means for you

The question worth tracking through July 22 isn't the hardware spec sheet — it's whether One UI 9 and Galaxy AI finally give you a reason to use that inside screen for something beyond bragging rights.

Gemini 3.5 Pro is reportedly targeting a July 17 rollout with a rumored 2-million-token context window — double Gemini 3.5 Flash and the largest in any production frontier model. Worth flagging clearly: the date, the context number and the pricing are all unconfirmed by Google, and the model is still in limited enterprise preview. If it holds up, the headline isn't raw size — it's being able to drop an entire codebase or a stack of documents into one prompt without the model losing the thread.

The problem

Every major AI lab is racing to support longer and longer documents in a single prompt, but production models have mostly capped out well short of what a full codebase or a stack of real documents actually requires.

What changed

Gemini 3.5 Pro is reportedly targeting a July 17 rollout with a 2-million-token context window — double Gemini 3.5 Flash and the largest in any production frontier model, if it holds.

The catch

None of this is confirmed by Google — the date, the context number, and the pricing are all unconfirmed, and the model is still in limited enterprise preview, not public release.

What it means for you

Don't plan a workflow around this yet — but if the 2M window ships as rumored, it's the first model where you could genuinely drop an entire codebase or document stack into one prompt without losing the thread, which is worth revisiting once Google confirms it.

On a Pixel (and most Android phones), you can grab text that an app blocks from selection. Open the Recent Apps switcher, then long-press the text directly inside the app's card preview — you can select and copy it from there. It's the fastest way to lift a tracking number, an OTP, or a quote out of an app that refuses to cooperate, no screenshot-and-retype required.

The problem

Some apps intentionally block you from selecting or copying text on screen — a tracking number, an OTP, or a quote you need — leaving screenshotting and manually retyping as the only workaround.

What changed

On a Pixel and most Android phones, opening the Recent Apps switcher and long-pressing the text directly inside the app's card preview lets you select and copy it from there, bypassing the app's own restriction.

The catch

It depends on the text being visible in the small card preview, so tiny or scrolled-off text may still be out of reach — this is a workaround, not a guaranteed fix for every blocked app.

What it means for you

Next time an app won't let you copy something you need, don't reach for a screenshot — try the Recent Apps card preview first, it's faster and keeps the text editable.

The honest answer is that no single model wins everything, so match the tool to the task. ChatGPT (GPT-5.6) is the fast, versatile daily driver for most people. Gemini 3.5 Pro shines when you're feeding it huge documents and need massive context. Claude Fable 5 leads on coding and careful, multi-step reasoning. Free tiers cover most everyday needs, so the smarter move is picking per-job rather than pledging loyalty to one app.

The problem

'Which AI is best' gets asked constantly, but it's the wrong question — no single model wins every job, and picking one out of loyalty means settling for worse results on tasks it isn't built for.

What changed

The honest split: ChatGPT (GPT-5.6) is the fast, versatile daily driver for most people, Gemini 3.5 Pro shines when you're feeding it huge documents and need massive context, and Claude Fable 5 leads on coding and careful, multi-step reasoning.

The catch

Free tiers cover most everyday needs regardless of which model you pick, so the actual cost of switching between them is lower than people assume — there's little reason to pay for just one.

What it means for you

Stop pledging loyalty to one app — keep two or three free tiers handy and match the tool to the task: ChatGPT for daily use, Gemini for huge documents, Claude for code.

With Unpacked a week away, the foldable-vs-slab question is live again. Foldables have never been thinner or more capable, but a great flat flagship still costs less and just works. If you were spending your own money this year, which way would you go — and what's the one thing stopping you from switching?