Samsung's second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year has once again delivered new and exciting devices, gadgets and features that help the company stand out amongst the strong competition.
The South Korean tech giant is constantly bettering its products and services year after year, and expectations were high for this year's July event after a solid edition in January where the latest line of S24 phones was introduced, along with Samsung’s smart AI system.
It seems then that Samsung have well and truly delivered, bringing a host of new iterations of popular products as well as some new ones as well.
Let’s take a look at what was shown off at this year’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked July event.
Galaxy Z Fold & Flip 6
Many of the things announced were expected, with the main feature being the next iteration of the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold phones.
Samsung has essentially been the pioneer behind the revival of flip phones as well as the leader in foldable tablet phones, so seeing what’s new each year is big for the way forward in this market.
The Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 6 will both benefit greatly from the heavier inclusion of AI as well as the general hardware improvements. Here are some of the highlights for each:
- New larger display
- Bigger battery
- Generative image features (create image from drawings, sketch to image)
- 7 years OS & security updates
The sketch-to-image feature is brand new and achieved through the use of AI. Using the S Pen that comes with the Fold 6, it can turn your scribbles and rough sketches into more elaborate works of art.
Both have also had some design overhauls, including a thinner and lighter design for the Fold 6 and a more durable design for the Flip 6.
In terms of performance, both feel super smooth and incredibly responsive, with Samsung putting some emphasis on a better gaming experience, especially on the Fold 6 with the wider screen, potentially due to the rise in popularity of cloud-based gaming.
The bigger battery point only comes with the Flip 5 unfortunately, seeing an increase from the 5’s 3700 mAh battery to 4000 mAh. But with the efficiency that comes from Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip that powers both the Flip and Fold 6, the overal battery performance should be very noticeable.
To top it off, seven years of OS and security updates will mean there is less need to get the next best thing year after year. This years has seen a great leap forward for the Z Flip and Fold, what with all the AI features, and the constant stream of updates that are set to come will keep it feeling up with the times.
There is a big downside to them both, though, and that’s that they have seen a rise in price. Not a considerable amount, but an $100 for both does take them up an even further level, where especially for the Fold 6, which will cost $1899, it seems quite out of reach for your average user.
The Flip 6 also now being $1099 feels like it’s in a bracket of “yeah it’s nice and quirky, but is it really worth it?”
Galaxy Ring
A great new gadget that Samsung really seemed to push during the event was a new wearable, the Galaxy Ring.
It’s their first venture into smart rings and they have pulled off something rather special with it. The ring is designed to be worn at all times, even while you sleep, and aims to deliver better and enhanced health data.
They spoke a lot about the improved health data via Galaxy AI, and the ring is designed to deliver just that. It will utilise AI-powered monitoring features to track activity, analyse your sleeping patterns and offer insights into your health and wellness.
Priced at $399/£399, it is about on par with the likes of the Oura ring, which is currently seen as the leader in the smart ring health tracking sector.
But unlike the Oura ring, it will come with a subscription-free model, which should be seen as a massive plus for Samsung and may put them up towards the forefront of the industry.
While the rich and famous are happy to pay between a quarter and half a grand for their Oura ring plus a monthly subscription fee just to be able to get full insights, the more general public will be pleased to have an option from a bigger company and essentially not have to worry about continually paying for it just to keep it in proper use.
Galaxy Watch 7 & Ultra
If a ring isn’t your thing though, then you’ll be glad to hear that Samsung announced the latest generation of the Galaxy Watch, plus a new premium standard too.
The Galaxy Watch 7 will also benefit from the improved health data that comes from the Galaxy AI.
It also boasts a new processor and some other hardware improvements. The price is still as usual, starting at £289, which keeps it as one of the best value-for-money smartwatches out there.
As for the new Galaxy Watch Ultra, this will essentially be an enhanced version of the 7. It will be bigger and more durable - to a great extent.
It has been tested to military standards, can withstand altitudes between -500m and 9000m, is resistant to temperatures between -20°c and 55°c, and has 10ATM pressure resistance up to 100m in water.
It is also Samsung’s most AI-enhance smartwatch to date, so if all that sounds like a bit of you, you can purchase it from £599.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra are available to pre-order on Samsung now, with their release date set for 24th July.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 & 3 Pro
At long last, Samsung has updated their wireless earphones, with the Galaxy Buds 3 taking a page out of Apple’s AirPods book in terms of design.
In terms of performance, they are similar to its predecessor but with bettered functionality. The new design means they are more suited for those who prefer to still hear some of the outside world with them in.
One thing that lets them down a bit but is an issue with all open earbuds is ambient sound leaks that don’t deliver the best bass performance.
While this is a problem for the Galaxy Buds 3, the 3 Pro’s don’t suffer from this as they will have an enhanced sound quality.
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are set to be the new flagship for Samsung’s earbuds. They follow a similar design to the new one featured for the Buds 3 but with a more striking look.
From what Samsung said about the 3 Pro’s, they seem to be a smart bit of kit, with abilities to automatically adjust the optimal level of noise and sound without manual adjustment through Adaptive Noise Control, Siren Detect and Voice Detect, which is similar to what the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are capable of.
All in all, the new-look Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro are a solid step forward for Samsung. They will be available for £159 for the Buds 3 and £219 for the 3 Pro.
New features
Other than the new devices and gadgets, Samsung had a lot of other new features they highlighted in the event.
Obviously, the utlisation of AI in almost all these new devices was a key factor, and they spoke on how they will better be using Galaxy AI going forward, and how it will help enhance almost all their products starting at the end of this year.
A big semi-surprise also came in their announcement that Samsung and Google will be working together, with many of Google’s Gemini features coming to Samsung’s Galaxy Foldable devices.
This is a big step forward for the two competitors, and while it won’t see the end of either the Galaxy or Pixel mobile ranges, it should see the pair develop a closer working relationship to help enhance both’s range of devices.
