Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 LIVE updates: Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6 revealed
We're reporting live from Seoul and beyond.
We’re less than 24 hours away from Samsung’s second major event of the year. This time around, it’s going to be all about the latest foldable phones, as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 are expected to make their official debut. The company is even giving away $50 for free just for registering your interest, but this deal expires as soon as Unpacked kicks off. All they need is your name and email address, and there's no commitment or payment required today.
If it wasn’t obvious from the different promos, this Unpacked event is going to be mainly focused on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. If the rumors and leaks come to fruition, this will be for a good reason, as the Z Flip 5 is in line to get quite an overhaul. As Motorola has been making waves with its larger cover screen, Samsung is finally expected to implement a larger cover screen of its own with the Flip 5. Rumor has it that Samsung is making the jump to using a 3.4-inch outer display, up from the 1.9-inch screen found on the Flip 4, complete with “new features and widgets.”
What’s still unknown is whether you’ll be able to use full versions of your favorite apps, similar to what is currently possible with the Moto Razr Plus and other recently-released flip phones.
Moving over to the Fold 5, we’re not expecting Samsung to “come out swinging” with a completely new design, except for hopefully solving one major complaint with Samsung foldable phones.
One rumor that we’ve been hearing a lot about since last year is that Samsung will finally adopt the “waterdrop” hinge, allowing both the Fold 5 and Flip 5 to close completely shut when folded. Back in March, a report claimed that this new hinge was being tested and is "expected to carry out a folding test of 200,000 basic times and a limit of 300,000 times.”
Leaked images and videos of supposed Fold 5 and Flip 5 dummy units seemed to confirm the larger cover screen on the latter, along with the new hinge design. With this new hinge, both phones will be slimmer than their predecessors, while also lowering the possibility of dust getting stuck in between the screens and wreaking havoc.
But this also likely means that Samsung won’t be doing much in the way of implementing larger batteries for either the Fold or the Flip, leaving any battery improvements to a new processor and software.
When it comes to the specs, we’re not expecting anything out of the ordinary, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy likely to power both the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. This is the same chip that was introduced alongside the Galaxy S23 lineup, providing excellent performance and vastly-improved efficiency over the Galaxy S22. The Fold 5 is said to be paired with 12GB of RAM and at least 256GB of storage, with the Flip 5 offering 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage.
What about the cameras in the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5?
If our predictions are correct, we won’t be seeing any major camera upgrades in the new foldables, as Samsung is rumored to be re-using the same camera hardware from the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4. This is rather disappointing considering how excellent the Galaxy S23 Ultra cameras are, along with the overall experience you’ll find with the new Google Pixel Fold. It’s also rather surprising that Samsung is sticking with the same camera hardware, and isn’t even planning to implement the sensors from the non-Ultra Galaxy S23 models.
The Fold 5 and Flip 5 aren’t the only devices expected to make their debut during Unpacked, as we’re also likely to see the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. Again, we aren’t expecting many changes on this front, save for the rotating bezel and “Classic” moniker making their return with the Watch 6 Classic. This was removed from the Watch 5 Pro for inexplicable reasons, but Samsung seemingly actually listened to its customer base and is said to be bringing it back.
Shruti here! I'm in Korea for the event and it's pretty intense, there are a lot of people here!!!
We’re likely to see a total of four different sizes, with the Watch 6 being available in either 40mm or 44mm, and the Watch 6 Classic coming in either 43mm or 47mm. But while the case sizing won’t change, recent leaks claim that the displays for all four models will be larger:
And powering these new smartwatches will be Samsung’s Exynos W930 SoC paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The W930 is said to provide about 10% faster performance than the Exynos W920 found in the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.
Not going to lie, they've been showing the same ad over and over again and I'm just about ready for the show to start! only 10 mins to go!
Last, but certainly not least, we’re in line for some new flagship Android tablets, and the Galaxy Tab S9 lineup is expected to debut during Unpacked. The biggest change across all three models is really only going to be a spec bump, as these tablets are said to be powered by the same chip as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5. But with the Galaxy Tab S9 specifically, Samsung is rumored to finally be moving away from the 11-inch TFT LCD display in favor of an OLED panel. It’ll be interesting to see if this new display brings a bit of a price bump, similar to what we saw between the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S8.
IT'S ALL HERE GUYS READ OUR ARTICLES
Samsung is doing this interesting new 360 degree type of presentation and I'm not sure how I like it..
Complete side note, one of the members of BTS and Sydney Sweeney are both here!
It's great Samsung wants to focus on sleep, and if the rumors are true about a Samsung Galaxy Ring then optimizing it with the watch would be kinda cool...talk to me about that later if you wanna know more
It's great that the Galaxy Watch 6 will measure loads of new things like ECG, but remember, this is just gathering of insight, you should never rely on this only. Go to your doctor if you think something is going on that doesn't feel right!
As Nick Sutrich writes: The Tab S9 sure is a tablet but I still don't understand why anyone would want to spend this kind of money on one." And honestly.... WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE??? Buy a laptop instead ?? I just don't get it.
And that's a wrap from our fearless leader who was lucky enough to be in person for Samsung Unpacked. Andrew here, and I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the event in total. That being said, I'm still interested to get my hands on the Fold 5 just to see how the new hinge feels.
Nick spent some time with the Fold 5 and says "Unlike previous Z Folds, the Z Fold 5 now folds completely flat thanks to that new hinge. In the hand, it doesn't feel all that different from the Z Fold 4's design. Sure, it folds flat when closed but, as I said before, it's not a revolutionary redesign that's going to blow your mind."
Did you know both the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 have a new shock absorptive layer under each phone's folding display? Samsung says that should help prevent any durability issues people have been seeing from long-term use — you know, those times when the screen just cracks for no reason right down the middle of the hinge.
That's in addition to the hinge itself, which now folds the glass into a waterdrop shape. Previously Z Flips and Folds bent the glass into a U shape, while the new one looks more like the waterdrop emoji 💧.
Based on other foldables that already used the waterdrop style bend — like the Motorola Razr+ — this should further help prevent random breakage and make people feel good about folding their expensive phones in half.
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 512GB: FREE with trade-in and new line
Samsung Unpacked just ended a few hours ago, and yet we're already seeing some excellent Galaxy Z Flip 5 preorder deals. Verizon, in particular, is offering up to $1,000 off when you trade in an eligible device and add a line on select Unlimited plans.
Since the Z Flip 5 starts at $999.99, you could be getting the new device for free if you play your cards right. They'll even give you a complimentary storage upgrade to 512GB. Of course, that's a good bit of fine print, but if you're able to meet the eligibility requirements, it's a fantastic opportunity.
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Up to $1,000 off with trade-in, plus free storage upgrade
Speaking of preorder deals, quite a few retailers have launched early offers on the Z Fold 5 as well. Order the innovative foldable directly from Samsung, for instance, and they'll give you up to $1,000 of trade-in credit. That could put a serious dent in the Z Fold 5's steep price, plus they'll throw in a free storage upgrade to 512GB, just for kicks. If you're rather pick up the 1TB version of the phone, Samsung will give you a straight $150 discount to cover some of the storage cost.
Not sure if your old phone is eligible for trade-in? Well, it seems like you're guaranteed to get the full credit amount if you send in a Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, or S23 Ultra. They'll also happily accept your old Galaxy S22 Ultra. Other phones may not get you the full $1,000 of trade-in credit, but plenty of lesser discounts are available.
Samsung may not be the only website selling the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but they're offering quite a few stylish color options that you won't find anywhere else. Beyond the Graphite, Lavender, Mint, and Cream versions of the phone being sold by Verizon and AT&T, for instance, Samsung is also selling the Z Flip 5 in Blue, Green, Yellow, and Gray.
Unfortunately, you can't personalize the Z Flip 5 as much as its predecessor. When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 launched last year, you were able to customize your new phone with 75 unique color combos. It's kind of a bummer that they didn't do a similar promo this time around, but it may be because of the Flip 5's large cover display.
Samsung also took a few moments during Unpacked to talk about the environmental impact of manufacturing their latest devices. As part of their 'Galaxy For The Planet' initiative, Samsung is using more sustainable materials in the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 than in past generations of the phones, mostly by recycling ocean-bound plastics, pre-consumer glass, and aluminum. The packaging is also constructed from 100% recycled paper.
Just like the S23 series, Samsung is also guaranteeing loads of software support with their latest foldable phones. Both the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 will receive five years of security updates and four OS upgrades, which means you could be using these phones for many years to come.
Samsung has also just launched a pretty enticing Galaxy Watch 6 deal ahead of the wearable's August 11th release date. Buy the watch during the preorder period and Samsung will hook you up with an additional fabric replacement band for free (a $50 value), plus you'll be eligible to receive up to $250 off when you trade in.
To make the deal even sweeter, you can also use Samsung's virtual Bespoke Studio to personalize the look of your Galaxy Watch 6 by mixing and matching a variety of case and band color options.
I wanted to focus on the newly revived physically rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic because it's so darn good. Sometimes, when a tech product comes out with a new (or revived) feature, you wonder how you ever went without it. That's exactly what this bezel felt like to me during the hands-on and it truly makes me want to swap out my Pixel Watch for it.
There's just no denying how much better a rotating bezel is on a smartwatch than a rotating crown. It's more ergonomic, offers more precision, and is easier to use one-handed than a crown. Plus, this one is 15% smaller than the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic so it looks better, too.
That, combined with the faster processor and enhanced health tracking features makes the Watch 6 Classic the smartwatch to get this year.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: Up to $650 off with trade-in, 50% off a keyboard cover, plus free storage upgrade
It's been a fun day, but we're about to have even more fun. Our Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review unit just landed, and we couldn't be more excited to see what's possible with Samsung's latest and greatest tablet.
Even though I own the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, it's been out of commission for a little while. That being said, I forgot how massive this tablet really is, as it dwarfs my 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Pixel Tablet, and pretty much everything else that isn't a dedicated monitor.
Let us know what questions you have, and what you would like to see covered in the review. But to get a quick gripe out of the way: No, you can't use the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra's Book Cover Keyboard with the Tab S9 Ultra, or any other Tab S8 Ultra case for that matter.
By many accounts, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 was the star of this morning's Unpacked event. But it wasn't the only thing announced today, as we actually got a total of seven new devices. In the event that you weren't able to catch the event live, you're in luck as we've rounded up everything that Samsung announced during its second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023.
On the surface, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks almost exactly like its predecessor. So how do you choose between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4?
Under the hood, both phones share the same battery, camera hardware, and charging tech, but the biggest upgrade appears in the foldable hinge. Unlike the Z Fold 4, the Z Fold 5 has a hinge that's been specially designed to fold completely flat. This also makes the crease in the center of the inner display much less visible without sacrificing any durability. The Z Fold 5 also boasts the power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Naturally, all of these improvements come at a steep price, so which foldable phone should you buy?
For most folks, it'll depend on your budget and whether or not you can find a great Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 deal or Z Fold 5 preorder opportunity. Happy hunting!
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 512GB: $1,799.99, plus FREE $200 gift card
Although they were a little slow on the draw, Amazon finally has the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 available for preorder! Buy the unlocked phone on the site and the retailer will hook you up with a $200 Amazon gift card and a free memory upgrade to 512GB, no strings attached.
This deal is particularly nice if you're sick of all the carrier deals and trade-in opportunities. This is a straight discount, which means there's no fine print or list of eligibility requirements to worry about. Simply add the Fold 5 to your cart and the gift card is yours.
