Gemini Expands to 40+ Apps on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

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- Gemini task automation expanded from six rideshare and delivery apps at its February beta to over 40 apps spanning shopping, restaurant reservations, travel booking, and event tickets, including Etsy and Expedia
- Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8 ship with an upgraded iPhone-to-Android migration tool that wirelessly transfers Google Account data, passwords, Wi-Fi credentials, and eSIM — part of Android 17, rolling out to Pixel and other Android devices afterward
- Gemini app now uses advanced reasoning to read what's on-screen and parse complex images as prompts, letting users show it a shopping list or inspiration photo rather than typing a request
- Samsung pre-installed the recently renamed Gemini Notebook on its new foldables, with a drag-and-drop workspace for photos, documents, whiteboard images, and voice recordings optimized for the Fold 8's larger display
- Galaxy Watch 9 activates Gemini by a wrist raise, matching the Pixel Watch 4's hotword-less trigger introduced earlier
- Samsung and Google showed new Android XR glasses frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker ahead of the platform's fall launch, with each brand unveiling another design
- Samsung bundles six months of Google AI Pro free with every new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8
Why it matters: Six months of free Google AI Pro bundled with every premium Samsung foldable turns Galaxy Z buyers into a direct subscription funnel for Google's consumer AI stack, while the 40+ app automation footprint — spanning Etsy, Expedia, and restaurant bookings — gives Gemini a concrete daily-use role rather than a chat-window novelty. The simultaneous XR glasses tease keeps Google's mixed-reality hardware alternative visible ahead of fall.


