Samsung had folds, flips, watches and more at their latest Unpacked event.
The biggest and most expensive device in the Galaxy Unpacked lineup is the new Z Fold 4, which comes in at the same $1,800 price point as last year’s model. As the follow-up to last year’s Z Fold 3, not much has changed on the surface here. It has a gargantuan 7.6-inch foldable display on the inside and an outer display that allows you to use it more like a regular smartphone with the shell closed.
Samsung says this year’s edition is lighter and slimmer than before, which should help keep it feeling more like a smartphone and less like a tablet. It comes in three colors: phantom black, gray-green, and beige.
The most interesting changes for this year’s Z Fold are on the software side of things. There’s a new Windows-like app taskbar on the bottom of the inner display, and you can drag up to three different apps up from the taskbar to the rest of the screen for multitasking purposes. Want to have Spotify take up part of your screen with your email inbox taking up the rest? You can still do that, though a new “app pair” feature lets you link apps so they always open together. That’s pretty similar to a feature on Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2, so there’s already some light feature cribbing happening in this corner of the mobile market.
As for camera specs, there’s a triple-lens rear camera setup that includes a 10MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP wide lens. A 4,400mAh battery that supports wireless charging will do its best to keep the Z Fold 4 alive throughout the day and S-Pen support means you can doodle away with Samsung’s proprietary stylus (sold separately).
Next up was the Samsung Z Flip 4. It starts at $1,000 and appears to be a mostly incremental upgrade, keeping the Game Boy Advance SP-like clamshell form factor from a year ago. It comes in four colors: graphite, bora purple, pink gold, and blue.
This time around, Samsung slimmed down the Z Flip 4’s hinges and bezels, and incorporated Gorilla Glass Victus+, which the company claims makes it 45 percent more durable than the last-generation model. The small cover screen next to the rear cameras returns, now with additional functionality that includes the abilities to make quick replies to calls and texts, as well as access your digital Samsung wallet.
The Z Flip 4’s dual-camera setup includes two 12MP lenses — one ultra-wide and one wide. Samsung is promising better nighttime shots and even nighttime Portrait Mode support. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor keeps it on par with recent powerhouses like the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and a 3,700mAh battery will power the phone. And yes, it has wireless charging.
Samsung also announced 2 new watches as well: The Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The former starts at $280 and the latter at $450, with a $50 bump in price for each if you want LTE coverage instead of being restricted to Bluetooth and WiFi.
The new smartwatches are supposed to be 60 percent stronger against scratches thanks to new surface glass, and the sensor on the underside of the watch face that touches your skin can measure skin temperature now. Samsung didn’t go deep on what the potential uses of that would be, but of course app developers are free to come up with their own reasons to use it.
As for what you get if you spend the extra scratch for a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, that seems to be centered on durability. Samsung says the Watch 5 Pro’s 45mm watch face is more durable and it comes with titanium casing for extra protection. The battery can also last a whopping 80 hours on a full charge, so the Watch 5 Pro seems to be a useful companion for seriously outdoors-y types.
Finally, Samsung has announced the successor to the Galaxy Buds 2, undoubtedly named the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
These earbuds seem to be a more substantial upgrade to last year’s Galaxy Buds 2. At least, the price jump from $150 to $230 would suggest as much. They come in three colors: white, graphite, and bora purple.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro look very similar to the Galaxy Buds 2, retaining an egg-shaped body for the earbuds with a silicone tip that goes straight into the ear canal like before. Samsung says they are 15 percent smaller than last year’s model and should be more ergonomic for long sessions.
