The second Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event of the year has arrived and we’re here to bring you all the news and announcements as they happen.
You can expect to see a suite of foldable phones and wearables at today’s showcase, but the star of the show could be the much-anticipated Galaxy Ring. Oh, and we expect to hear a fair bit about AI too, as that’s the buzzword of the tech world at the moment.
This live blog will bring you all the last-minute rumors and leaks ahead of the live stream, as well as our analysis on what’s being tipped and what gets announced. So without further ado, read on.
Galaxy Unpacked cheat sheet
- A livestream of the keynote will kick off at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEDT
- To watch live, check out our guide on how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024
- Here are 7 things to expect from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked
- We’ll have a full official look at the Samsung Galaxy Ring
- Foldable phones are tipped to be the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6
- We’re expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
- But a surprise smartwatch could pop up in the form of the Galaxy Watch Ultra
- We could see new earbuds, likely the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds Pro 3
- Expect to hear more about Galaxy AI features and what’s to come
Good morning. Managing Editor of Mobile Computing Roland Moore-Colyer here to take you through the run up to what I’m calling the ‘summer’ Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Expect to hear about a good handful of products today.
And AI… always AI.
Right, let’s get into it. First off, here’s what I reckon you can expect:
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: going by the rumors so far, expect a small upgrade.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: expect a decent suite of changes, notably an improved camera system.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: an upgrade on the Galaxy Watch 6, so more wellness tracking features, better specs and maybe a refreshed design.
The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: basically Samsung’s clap back at the Apple Watch Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 and Galaxy Buds 3: new wireless earbuds from Samsung to nip at the heels of the AirPods range.
Of course, all those devices currently exist in the fug of rumors, leaks and speculation. But I’ve been covering Samsung stuff for years, so am rather confident that we’ll see pretty much most of those aforementioned devices.
I’ve not heard a great deal about the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but a recent big leak has sparked the rumors to more than just a little smoldering in the background.
As the ‘boss’ of the Mobile Computing division at TechRadar, which means smartphones and tablets, you’d think I’d be excited about the Galaxy Z Fold 6. After all, I have a Fold 4 and Fold 3 within my grasp and do rather like the literal flexibility of the phones.
But I’m not.
I’m expecting to see a chip upgrade to the next-generation Fold but not a lot more given the rumors. Samsung is sure to equip the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with all the AI chops it put into the Galaxy S24 series, but I’ve not heard much of any unique features to make the Fold 6’s larger display sing with smart tools. And that’s a pity, so far at least, as I’ve already written how I hope Samsung leans on AI to make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 special.
Just take a look at the below renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, seemingly based on insider information, and you’ll see a phone that looks pretty much identical to its predecessor.
I’d normally say that’s no bad thing as I like the design of the current Fold. But equally in the face of tighter competition from the likes of the Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open, I feel Samsung could do with mixing up the design of its flagship foldable phone… try saying that fast and after a few beers.
So keeping the focus on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 for now, I reckon it’ll get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip seen in the Galaxy S24 phones, in addition to a mild battery boost: read our rundown of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 specs for a deeper analysis.
New Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 colors are also predicted. Expect to see navy, a light pink, silver, black, and white. All of which would be pretty run-of-the-mill; I’d love a lime green Fold!
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 price, expect the next-gene Fold to follow the pricing structure of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and start at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599. But I’d not be super surprised if Samsung upped the price of the Fold, given that’s a trend for high-end smartphones that have been released over the past 18 months or so.
So moving on to the Galaxy Z Flip 6. I’m expecting to see a little more in the way of an upgrade in comparison to the Fold 6.
Naturally the Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs will surely include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, but there’s likely to be a battery boost, a new main camera, potentially more base memory and RAM. Plus I suspect we’ll see upgrades to make any Galaxy AI features snappy.
I’m also low-key excited about the Galaxy Z Flip 6 colors, as Samsung is good at giving the flipping foldable phone a decent suite if shades. So far we’re predicting a mint, silver, yellow, black, peach, white, and lavender color options.
As for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 price, I’d suggest it’ll follow that of its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and start at $999.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,649.
On to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. I’m a little lukewarm on this one. The rumors and leaks so far have been a bit ‘meh’, with what could be a small update on the Galaxy Watch 6.
We’re talking a new chipset, sizes of 40mm and 44mm, and likely an improved battery life. On the software side, expect smart, AI-powered workouts and wellness routines. And I reckon the starting price for the next-gen Galaxy Watch will be around $299.99 / £289 / AU$549.
Still, I hope Samsung has a few surprises up its sleeve with its next smartwatch, as I’m keen to see the Apple Watch knocked of its throne, or at least give a damn good shove.
And on to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. The rumors are rather vague around this smartwatch, but it looks set to be a larger take on the Galaxy Watch line, likely sporting rugged features and a tough strap that’ll deal with being deep underwater or up a mountain with ease.
But I’m also forecasting the Watch Ultra will have a mix of wellness and fitness tracking features, like blood glucose monitoring, along with AI-powered features driven by connected Galaxy phones. I do hope that the so-called Galaxy Watch Ultra isn’t completely limited by needing to be used with the best Samsung phones, and can instead work with other Android phones.
But the big announcements that’s surely happening today, will be a proper look at the Samsung Galaxy Ring. I’m rather excited about this, as it’s Samsung’s first smart ring and going by Fitness Editor Matt Evans’ first impressions, it could be a rather feature-packed device.
We’re expecting to see a suite of embedded sensors, and a host of AI-powered fitness and wellness tracking features. But what appeals to me is the simple design and the tracking of things like step counts without the need to wear a smartwatch or deal with the lack of accuracy I feel smartphone-based tracking has.
Now there are other smart rings, but I feel Samsung has the tech ecosystem to really make a smart, smart ring; say support for gesture control in tandem with Samsung phones.
Speaking of wellness tracking, we’ve just spotted some news that claims older Galaxy Watch models are getting a sleep apnea feature retroactively added to them via an update.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where people’s breathing repeatedly starts and stops, which can manifest as loud snoring and not feeling rested after a night’s sleep. Tracking it can be one step on the road to tackling the condition.
So the addition of such a feature to older Galaxy Watches is promising, and a sign that the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch ultra will surely have such a feature as well.
Oh if you want to hear from me directly, because reading might not be your jam, take a look at my TechRadar TikTok video below for a quick rundown on what to expect from Unpacked today.
@techradar
Now some fresh news: according to GSMarena, the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra has been put on hold indefinitely by Samsung.
There’s no clear information as to why that would be the case, but I’d posit there’s just not an appetite for a bigger and more powerful Fold, given the Fold line as it stands has a host of flagship features.
Right, lets talk Galaxy Buds. Going by a very recent leak, it looks like Samsung could be poised to reveal the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds Pro 3 today.
We’re not sure whatto expect beyond improved audio, but the leaks so far suggest a new design is coming, one that’s reminiscent of the AirPods.
