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Samsung Electronics has reshaped its premium smartphone strategy this year, pushing the “Ultra” branding to the top of both its foldable and traditional slab-style phone lines for the first time, a shift that has left shoppers weighing two very different devices with nearly identical internal hardware.

The comparison centers on the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, which succeeds last year’s Z Fold7 as Samsung’s flagship foldable, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the company’s traditional bar-style flagship. According to technology outlet Engadget, the two devices share the same processor, the same RAM and storage configurations, and the same battery capacity, yet deliver dramatically different real-world experiences depending on their form factor.

A reshuffled foldable lineup

This year’s release marks the first time Samsung has applied the “Ultra” designation to a foldable device. Alongside the Z Fold8 Ultra, Samsung introduced a new mid-tier model, the standard Galaxy Z Fold8, positioned with a shorter, wider “passport-style” design that sits below the Ultra in specifications while still offering more functionality than the company’s clamshell-style Z Flip8. That restructuring has clarified the roles within Samsung’s foldable range, splitting it into distinct Ultra, standard Fold and Flip tiers for the first time.

Reporting on the change, Engadget described the shift as revealing more than Samsung may have intended, noting that the differences between the Z Fold8 Ultra and S26 Ultra are “both vast and — paradoxically — surface-deep,” given how similar the two phones are under the hood.

Nearly identical core specifications

Both devices run on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and ship with matching memory configurations: 12GB of RAM paired with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, or 16GB of RAM on the top-tier 1TB storage option. Both phones also carry a 5,000mAh battery. That overlap in core hardware has led analysts to conclude that competition in the premium smartphone segment is shifting away from raw performance specifications and toward differences in form factor and user experience instead.

Where the two phones diverge

The most significant differences between the devices lie in their displays and physical designs. The Galaxy S26 Ultra retains a traditional smartphone shape and introduces a new Privacy Display feature, described as the first hardware-level implementation of its kind in a smartphone, capable of narrowing the screen’s visibility from off-center angles without relying on an added polarizing film layer. The Z Fold8 Ultra, by contrast, emphasizes its large foldable interior screen, offering a combined smartphone-and-tablet experience when opened.

Camera hardware also separates the two devices. The S26 Ultra includes a wider f/1.4 main aperture, which Samsung says allows the sensor to capture 47% more light than the Z Fold8 Ultra’s f/1.7 aperture, along with an exclusive 50-megapixel, 5x periscope telephoto lens not available on the foldable. Both phones share a 200-megapixel main sensor and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, but the S26 Ultra’s additional zoom lens and stronger front-facing camera have made it the preferred option among reviewers focused primarily on photography.

Charging speed favors the slab phone as well. The S26 Ultra supports 60W wired charging, compared with 45W on the Z Fold8 Ultra, giving the traditional flagship an edge in minimizing downtime between charges.

A meaningful price gap

The price difference between the two devices is substantial. The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,299.99, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at approximately $1,999, a gap of roughly $700. According to one detailed comparison, that premium buys a second 6.5-inch cover display capable of functioning as a standalone phone, an 8-inch interior tablet-style display, hands-free video call functionality through a half-fold “Flex Mode,” support for three simultaneous apps in split-screen view, and access to Samsung DeX on the larger interior screen rather than the more cramped 6.9-inch portrait display used for DeX on the S26 Ultra.

Physical dimensions and durability trade-offs

Hands-on comparisons have highlighted meaningful physical differences among Samsung’s three new devices. The Z Fold8 Ultra measures 158.4mm tall when unfolded, matching the exact height of the Galaxy S26+, while its narrower 72.8mm body and 8.9mm thickness make it the sleeker of Samsung’s two foldable options compared with the wider, shorter standard Z Fold8, which measures 81.9mm wide and 9.7mm thick. The Z Fold8 Ultra weighs 215g, just a gram heavier than the S26 Ultra, while the standard Z Fold8 weighs 201g.

Despite steady industry-wide improvements to basic foldable durability features such as water and dust resistance, engineering trade-offs in weight, thickness and long-term durability remain an inherent part of the foldable form factor, according to Engadget’s analysis, distinguishing both Fold models from the more conventional build of the S26 Ultra.

Different phones for different priorities

Engadget summarized the comparison by describing the Galaxy S26 Ultra as “a more balanced device for most users,” while characterizing the Z Fold8 Ultra as “a specialised product that offers the experience of putting a tablet screen in your pocket.” That framing reflects a broader theme running through most detailed comparisons of the two devices: rather than one model clearly outperforming the other, each is built around a different set of priorities, camera performance, charging speed and one-handed convenience on the S26 Ultra, versus multitasking, screen real estate and tablet-like functionality on the Z Fold8 Ultra.

What it means for Samsung’s strategy

The overlapping specifications combined with sharply different display technologies and use cases suggest a broader shift in how Samsung is positioning its flagship lineup. Rather than competing primarily on raw performance, where the S26 Ultra and Z Fold8 Ultra are now functionally equivalent, Samsung appears to be betting that consumers will increasingly choose between devices based on form factor and specialized features, whether that means a privacy-focused display and best-in-class camera system, or a foldable screen capable of replacing both a phone and a tablet in a single device.

With both phones now available, the decision for shoppers weighing Samsung’s two top-tier devices increasingly comes down to a straightforward question: whether they value the flexibility of a folding tablet-sized screen enough to pay a roughly $700 premium and accept a heavier, thicker device, or whether they’d rather have Samsung’s most refined and camera-capable slab phone at a lower price point.

Google parent Alphabet saw its business continue to grow in recent months, yet growing spending on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure put its leftover cash into negative territory.

The company’s free cash flow, the cash it maintained after paying for operations and investments, came in at negative $5.9bn (£4.3bn) for the first time in at least a decade, according to its past financial records.

Alphabet’s spending on AI is now expected to hit as much as $205bn this year, an increase from $190bn, as major tech companies race to build around a new wave of the technology.

Meanwhile, Alphabet’s combined quarterly revenue hit $119.8bn, up 23% compared with the same time last year.

But the company’s stock fell 4% in after hours trading.

Anat Ashkanazi, Google’s chief financial officer, noted on a call with financial analysts that the company had shown negative free cash flow due to growing capital expenditures, essentially all of which was related to AI spending.

She said the company spent $45bn in the second quarter, with 60% of the cost going towards servers and the remaining 40% going towards data centres.

Alphabet’s capital spending was $36bn in the first quarter of this year.

Ashkanazi said on the call that when it comes to AI, “the demand still outpaces that investment”.

“As long as we see these attractive opportunities to invest, we will continue to invest.”

Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, said that the technological shift to AI tools and capabilities still “feels like early innings in a shift across multiple areas” and that the company’s plans around generating financial returns on its spending were “disciplined”.

“What I see with what you can do with frontier capabilities, there is still a lot of work left to do to translate that into experiences for our users. So that looks like extraordinary opportunities with extraordinary returns.”

Tesla, the electric vehicle company controlled by Elon Musk, also reported negative free cash flow on Wednesday of $1.1bn for the second quarter due to its own increasing investment costs.

It was the company’s first negative showing of leftover cash in two years, according to its financial records.

Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s chief financial officer, said during a call with analysts that the company will spend as much as $25bn this year, more than double its capital spending in 2025.

He added that Tesla was in “a big investment cycle” and that its spending would probably increase further over the next three years.

Tesla’s stock also dropped by 4% in after hours trading.

Most members of President Donald Trump‘s Cabinet are expected to launch official TikTok accounts Tuesday, a White House official confirmed to Fox News.

The coordinated rollout, first reported by Axios, follows a July 16 opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluding that federal employees may use TikTok because the app is now operated by a U.S.-approved owner that falls outside the federal ban.

The DOJ opinion concluded that the version of TikTok operated by the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture is not prohibited under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, a 2022 law that barred TikTok from federal government devices because of national security concerns tied to Chinese parent company ByteDance.

The opinion says the law prohibits versions of TikTok “developed or provided by entities in which ByteDance Limited has a controlling ownership stake.”

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According to the DOJ, the current version of TikTok no longer meets that definition because the joint venture “functions independently of ByteDance, is majority-owned by American investors and has revised the content recommendation algorithm and cybersecurity program originally developed by ByteDance to insulate federal government information against the concerning security features that initially motivated the prohibition.”

The decision marked a significant shift in the federal government’s posture toward TikTok after years of bipartisan concerns over the app’s ties to China and data security risks.

Trump has increasingly embraced TikTok, arguing the platform helped him connect with younger voters during the 2024 campaign.

“You know, I watched a couple of people critical of the fact that TikTok, TikTok, it’s so bad. It’s so dangerous. It’s horrible. They’re spreading all these rumors,” Trump said July 8.

“And the numbers came out yesterday. You know who’s No. 1 on TikTok? I am. I’m No. 1 at TikTok.”

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Trump also dismissed criticism from some China hawks, saying his messaging on the platform undercuts concerns about Chinese influence.

“And all I talk about is how bad communism is, right?” Trump said. “They say, ‘Oh, it’s terrible.’ They’re spreading. But I’m No. 1. I listen to Gordon Chang. I like Gordon Chang, but he’s always, like, negative.

“Oh, China is so terrible. They’re so terrible, and TikTok is so terrible. But I am No. 1 on TikTok. I have, like 4 billion views or something like that.”

Earlier this month, Trump also credited TikTok with helping deliver his election victory.

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“We have to be careful because China is a great competitor,” Trump said during a July 6 event. “But, you know, he was talking about we must stop TikTok. I’m No. 1 on TikTok. I think it helped me win the election in a landslide if you want to know the truth.”

Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

Shares of IndusInd Bank dropped over 5% on Thursday, even after the private lender reported a 72% year-on-year (YoY) surge in net profit to Rs 1,037 crore for the first quarter of the ongoing FY27, with brokerages raising target prices for the stock.

IndusInd Bank shares fell to Rs 1,015.10 apiece on NSE today, after the private lender on Wednesday released its earnings for the April-June quarter of the financial year 2027. Its net interest income (NII) remained flat at Rs 4,685 crore in Q1 FY27, as compared to Rs 4,640 crore in the same quarter of last year.

Net interest margin improved to 3.57% from 3.46% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Provisions and contingencies, excluding tax, fell to Rs 1,384 crore from Rs 1,760 crore a year earlier. This supported the rise in bottom-line profit.

IndusInd Bank’s asset quality improved in the June quarter. Gross non-performing assets stood at 3.25% of gross advances as of June 30, 2026, compared with 3.64% a year earlier and 3.43% as of March 2026. Net NPA ratio improved to 0.95%, compared with 1.12% a year earlier and 1% at the end of the March quarter.

Also read | IndusInd Bank Q1 Results: Profit soars 72% YoY to Rs 1,037 crore; NII flat

Nuvama on IndusInd Bank share price

Nuvama Institutional Equities maintained its ‘Buy’ call on the shares of IndusInd Bank but increased its target price to Rs 1,250 apiece. This implies nearly 17% upside potential from the stock’s previous closing price of Rs 1,069.30 apiece on NSE.

The brokerage said IndusInd’s credit growth trajectory has turned sequentially positive while better NII and lower opex led to a strong 37% beat on profit estimate. The private lender’s management expects asset quality to improve further led by falling stress in MFI and hence LLP, which coupled with better credit growth and opex should put the company firmly on path to 1% exit RoA in FY27, it added.
“We believe IIB under new management is on a firm path of a calibrated turnaround beginning FY27 and should deliver a steady uptick in RoA to 0.8–1.5% over FY27–29,” Nuvama said in its note.

Motilal Oswal on IndusInd Bank share price

Motilal Oswal also raised its target price for IndusInd Bank to Rs 1,125 apiece, implying 5% upside potential, while reiterating its ‘Neutral’ rating on the stock. It also raised its earnings estimates by 18-19% in FY27 and FY28, and project the bank’s RoA at 0.7% in FY27 and 1% in FY28.IndusInd Bank reported a healthy quarter, supported by healthy operating performance and one-off income, the domestic brokerage said. It noted that the bank’s business momentum picked up sequentially, led by strong growth in the corporate segment, while retail book growth remains muted.

“Deposit growth was driven by higher retail deposits, taking the retail deposit share to 49.5% of total deposits. The reduction in slippages was broad-based; however, slippages in the VF and MFI segments inched up due to seasonality, leading to a partial miss on our provision estimates for 1Q. The bank expects loan growth to broadly track industry growth in FY27, with potential to outpace the industry in FY28,” Motilal Oswal said.

IndusInd Bank share price

IndusInd Bank shares gained around 6% in one week and 18% in one month. The stock has gained more than 20% in 2026 so far.

In the longer term, IndusInd Bank shares have jumped around 26% in one year, but fell nearly 24% in three years. In the longer term, the bank’s shares have delivered over 8% return in five years. The company has a market capitalisation of nearly Rs 69,490 crore.

Also read | Dividend alert! Last day to buy Bharti Airtel, Hero MotoCorp, among 43 stocks for dividend payout worth Rs 1,127

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Federal regulators on Monday announced the recall of a popular allergy medication over concerns it may have been cross-contaminated with another drug, potentially causing “life-threatening” reactions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said certain lots of Cetirizine hydrochloride Tablets, commonly sold over the counter as generic versions of Zyrtec, are affected by the voluntary recall.

The recall was initiated Saturday by Unique Pharmaceutical Laboratories, a division of J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., based in Panoli, Gujarat, India, according to the FDA.

The affected tablets may be contaminated with ranitidine, a medication once widely used to reduce stomach acid production. Ranitidine, sold under the brand name Zantac, was removed from the U.S. market in 2020 after regulators raised concerns over contamination with a probable human carcinogen. A reformulated version of the medication was later approved by regulators in 2025.

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The FDA warned that some consumers could experience “serious adverse events,” including anaphylaxis, a rapid and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

“For consumers with a hypersensitivity to the ingredients in ranitidine, there is a reasonable probability that ingestion of cetirizine tablets contaminated with ranitidine could result in serious adverse events,” the FDA said. 

Anaphylaxis symptoms may manifest as low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing, swelling of the throat or face, intense itching, hives and loss of consciousness. 

Unique Pharmaceuticals said it has not received any reports of adverse events associated with the recall.

POPULAR GARLIC POWDER RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

The issue was discovered after a pharmacy technician noticed discrepancies while counting tablets during dispensing, according to regulators. Some tablets appeared to have a “red dot,” while others appeared discolored or had multiple red-colored spots. 

The recalled products were reportedly distributed nationwide to wholesalers and retailers.

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The affected antihistamine is packaged in a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle containing 100 tablets of 5 mg cetirizine hydrochloride tablets USP under the National Drug Code (NDC) 16571-401-10.

Four manufacturing lots are included in the recall: GY825029, GY825030, GY825031 and GY825032.

All affected lots have an expiration date of October 2028.  

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
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Unique Pharmaceuticals has notified its distributor, Rising Pharma Holdings Inc., of the recall. 

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Rising Pharma Holdings Inc. at 1-844-874-7464 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday or email pv@risingpharma.com. 

Kalshi is asking regulators for permission to let users speculate on the price of gold, silver and platinum with a new kind of derivative contract that never expires.

The prediction-markets provider has filed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to start offering perpetual futures contracts linked to the spot price of precious metals.

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