Samsung wrapped up its summer Galaxy Unpacked event yesterday, and there weren’t many surprises. Ahead of the event, leaks hinted at the new Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold phones, a pair of new watches, and more information about the Galaxy Ring. What we got… were announcements of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, and Galaxy Ring proper. Leakers – is there anything they can’t do?
Perhaps the one surprise was the news from Google that WearOS 5 will debut on the new Galaxy Watches before coming to products later. If you want to relive the not-so-much drama as it happened, you can either read our live blog or watch a replay of Samsung’s broadcast. If you don’t have time for all that, we’ve compiled all the news below in an easy-to-digest format.
Galaxy Ring
Kicking off is a new product category for Samsung: the smart ring. The company already revealed that this device (like the Oura Ring) is focused on health and wellness, and now we have a clearer idea of how it might work, as well as how much you’ll have to pay. To remove the Galaxy Ring.
Samsung claims to be able to fit existing sensor technology into the ring’s smaller form factor. Titan Galaxy Ring has accelerometer, PPG sensors for blood flow and skin temperature detection. It can track metrics like sleep score, movement during sleep, heart rate, breathing rate, and menstrual cycles. Samsung will give you an overall Energy Score to give you a picture of your overall health and make suggestions to improve things. None of these require a subscription, which is good news, by the way.
In addition to automatic exercise detection, the ring can provide heart rate alerts and prompt you to move a little if you haven’t moved much recently. Oh, and you can use the smart ring to take pictures remotely with your Galaxy phone.
The Galaxy Ring, which is said to last up to seven days on a single charge and comes with a quick-charge case, will set you back $400. Pre-orders start today in the US. The wearable will start shipping on July 24. Also worth noting is that if you wear the Galaxy Ring and the Galaxy Watch together, the battery life of the former will be extended by up to 30 percent, Samsung claims.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6
Samsung’s foldable phones are getting a refresh, perhaps these days just in time to take them to the beach to test how well those creases hold up. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 are the thinnest and lightest models yet, and Samsung says they’re more durable than ever. The company says there’s a reinforced folding edge to support the two-rail hinge, while “enhanced layers” for the main display help improve creases without compromising strength. Both smartphones have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to make them more durable.
The phones run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. On the cooling front, the Z Fold 6 has a larger vapor chamber than its predecessor. The Z Flip 6 is the first Z Flip to feature a vapor chamber that improves cooling.
Since it’s 2024, the phones have a lot of AI features, including a fully integrated Google Gemini app (some of which appeared on the Galaxy Ultra S24). While there are a number of AI-powered camera enhancements, they can create a more detailed image based on a sketch and email drafts on request.
One of the certainly nice features for the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 is that the Translator app makes the most of the dual-screen format, so both the main and cover screens have translations to encourage more natural conversations. Translations are managed on the device, not through the cloud.
Speaking of screens, this year they’re a bit bigger. The 7.6-inch main screen is 2.7 mm wider, and the overlay screen is 1 mm wider. At 2,600 nits, the screens are also the brightest seen on the Galaxy Fold, matching the Galaxy S24.
When it comes to the Z Flip 6, one of the major improvements is the new camera system. It has foldable 50MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide sensors (same as the base Galaxy S24). First, it has a 2x optical zoom function with artificial intelligence that boosts the zoom function up to 10x. Samsung has also increased the main memory from 8 GB to 12 GB.
Both smartphones are available for pre-order today and general sales start on July 24. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,900, while the Z Flip 6 starts at $1,100. Those who pre-order the Z Fold 6 will get a storage upgrade from 256GB to 512GB or 512GB to 1TB, while you can get a free 256GB to 512GB storage upgrade with your Galaxy Z Flip 6 pre-order you can
Although, if you want to know more about the devices before you get started, you may be pleased to know that we spent some hands-on time with them. You can read our first impressions of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 now or watch the video above.
Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra
Of all the possible words Samsung could have chosen for its new premium smartwatch, “Ultra” should have been perfect. It doesn’t look like any of Samsung’s main competitors have a smartwatch with that moniker or anything else.
Anyway, there’s a new high-end Samsung smartwatch in town, and it’s called the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Powered by Wear OS 5, the device uses a new pad design for enhanced protection and what Samsung calls “visual completeness”. The Watch Ultra is designed for durability, perhaps with extreme athletes in mind.
First, it is said to operate at a wider range of altitudes, from 500 meters below sea level to 9,000 meters above sea level. It is water resistant to a depth of 100 meters and has a titanium bezel. Adventurers won’t have to worry about the device running out of juice in a hurry, as Samsung says it will last up to 100 hours in power save mode, and 48 hours with exercise power save enabled. Either way, it should have the longest battery life of any Galaxy Watch.
Other features include multi-course training tracking (for things like triathlons), an advanced Personalized Heart Rate Zone, and an emergency siren for enhanced safety. The display has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, so it should be visible in very sunny conditions, and there’s a night mode. Samsung says the Galaxy Watch Ultra can even look for signs of sleep apnea. On top of all that, there’s a new programmable Quick Key.
For those who want the latest Samsung smartwatch without too many bells and whistles, there’s the Galaxy Watch 7. This model is the first to feature a 3nm processor, which Samsung says can deliver three times faster processor performance and 30 percent better power efficiency. It features a dual-frequency GPS system for increased location accuracy, health tracking enhancements, and the ability to control the device with double-pinch gestures. Hmm, where have we heard that before?
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is only available in 47mm and costs $650. As for the Galaxy Watch 7, it comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes. It starts at $300. It’s the same with all the other new gear: pre-orders are open with shipping and general availability starting July 24th.
We also got a chance to go hands-on with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, so you can read our first impressions of Samsung’s stab at a higher-end smartwatch.
Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro
There are several new Galaxy Buds, along with rings, watches and foldables. When Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro are paired with Z Flip 6 or Z Fold 6, the Translator app can translate live audio into your ears. This can be useful for anyone studying abroad or taking a foreign language class.
Both models use their microphones to analyze internal and external sound to optimize sound quality and active noise cancellation. Buds 3 Pro can automatically adjust the volume through adaptive noise control, siren detection and voice detection functions.
The in-ear Buds 3 Pro have a new blade (i.e. root) design with built-in lights. You’ll be able to control the audio by pinching or swiping up or down. They boast dual amplifiers, planar tweeters and a super wideband calling function.
Still, pre-orders for the headphones are open today, with general sales starting on July 24. The Galaxy Buds 3 start at $180, while a pair of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will cost $250.
Stay up to date with all the news Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 is here!
Update, July 11, 1 p.m. ET: This story has been updated since publication to include links to the Samsung store and more links and references to Engadget stories from the Galaxy Unpacked event.