Tech
Samsung’s next Unpacked event is coming soon – here’s what to expect
New folding phones and wearables are expected from Samsung.
Samsung’s next Unpacked event is coming on August 11, where the company will show off its latest mobile devices. The main event? The new crop of foldable smartphones, which look better than ever in the early leaked materials.
Before we go into what’s actually showing up, we wanted to take a moment to tell you what won’t. That’s the beloved phablet, the Galaxy Note. Samsung has already said that the Note won’t be making an appearance, and who are we to disbelieve them?
That said, let’s see what they will be showing off, courtesy of Samsung’s own teasers and the rumor mill.
Will it fold?
Okay, I guess the better question is: which way will it fold? because Samsung is all-in on foldables this year. It’s the third generation of the Galaxy Z series in all its unfolding glory.
The Galaxy Z Fold is back for the third time, and if the rumors hold up it will have a 6.2-inch exterior panel and a 7.6-inch interior one. Triple 12-megapixel cameras outside and two selfie cameras on either side will probably be there, and IPX8 waterproofing. No dust rating though, so that’s one problem their engineers haven’t managed to fix with the hinges yet.
The other foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip, looks like a flip phone when folded, but unfolds into a 6.7-inch extended rectangle. It’s rumored to have a 1.9-inch outer screen, larger than the prior model, which should be great for notifications or as a mirror if using the back cameras for selfies. Rumors also say the inside screen will run at 120Hz, and the device will have dual 12-megapixel rear cameras and a 10-megapixel selfie camera.
Both foldables will support the S-Pen, a usual hallmark of the absent Note series. That’s all we know about this version of the S-Pen though, so it might be a different size to the usual one or have new features that take advantage of the foldable screens. It’s likely to have a different nib, to avoid damaging the softer foldable OLED. We’ll find out more in a week.
Wearables and more wearables
We already know what’s going to be running Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch, because Google leaked it already. Okay, not really leaked but whatever. The Samsung Watch that’s slated to release on August 11th will be running the new version of Wear OS, with the “best bits” of Samsung’s Tizen OS thrown in. That should make for a good UI experience on the Galaxy Watch 4 (assuming Samsung doesn’t change up the naming scheme as well).
The ever-dependable @evleaks reckons it’ll come in an Active and Classic version, similar to previous Galaxy Watch releases. The rumor mill also thinks that the Classic version will have three sizes, so there should be a version that’ll look good on your wrist, no matter what size it is.
Earlier leaks also pointed at the Galaxy Buds 2 releasing at Unpacked, with multiple new colors rumored. They’re kinda the same forbidden jellybean shape as the prior buds, with a slight refinement. We also saw a leak of possible noise-cancellation, touch controls, and a new battery interface.
Will Samsung have any surprises in store for us, after all of the leaks? Maybe, as we don’t know many details on how the S-Pen will work with the new wearables, and they might surprise us with some Galaxy Note news. We’ll see on August 11 at 10 EST.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- Samsung’s new foldable phones are going to cost a whole lot less than older models
- Your iPhone could soon have a feature that automatically scans your photos for child abuse
- Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 will feature a brand-new chip and a big-ass camera bar
- Screens are dying on some Samsung Galaxy S20s and no one knows why
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