Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024: LIVE blog and everything you need to know about the Z Fold 6, Flip 6, and Galaxy Ring
Unpacked is here.
It’s hotter than all get out, which means we’re right in the middle of summer. This also means that we’re gearing up for the latest Galaxy Unpacked event. We’re expecting it to be jam-packed, complete with phones, wearables, and possibly more. Samsung is hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, but you don’t have to jump on a flight. Instead, you can watch from the comfort of your own home, so hit the link below to learn more about the event.
From the way that everything appears to be shaking out, Samsung’s next lineup of foldables are taking a backseat this year. Instead, the focus is expected to be on the company’s wearables. Not only are we expecting the Galaxy Watch 7, but rumors suggest Samsung is set to announce two new products, one of which sees Samsung entering an entirely new product segment.
Let’s get the party started with arguably the most highly-anticipated product that could finally debut at Unpacked — the Galaxy Ring. Until recently, Oura has really been the only player in the smart ring market, as the original Oura Ring was released in 2015 following a successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then, Oura has released two new iterations, with the most recent being in 2023 and the 4th generation is expected sometime this year.
Other companies have joined the fray, with notable releases from Ultrahuman, RingConn, and Amazfit. Seeing the success and market heating up, Samsung wants to get in on the fun, with rumors of a potential Galaxy Ring beginning in 2023.
Galaxy Ring rumors sporadically popped up as we went into 2024, and was surprisingly announced at the end of the first Galaxy Unpacked of the year. Not much was actually shared, as Samsung only showed off a teaser video, confirming the name, and that it would be released “later this year.”
We had to wait about a month and a half to learn more, as Samsung showcased the Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024 in Barcelona. It was here that the company began revealing and confirming what this new wearable would be capable of. This includes things such as the smallest version weighing just 2.3 grams, while the heaviest one weighs 2.9 grams. In comparison, the Oura Ring “tips the scales between 4 and 6 grams.”
Besides that, Samsung stopped short of revealing much more about the Galaxy Ring, besides that “it’s a wellness-focused gadget taking on the likes of Oura, packed with a bunch of sensors.”
Our very own Nick Sutrich was on the ground at MWC 2024, and was able to get a “close-up look” at the Galaxy Ring. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a hands-on session, but Nick provided us with his own opinions while snapping a bunch of photos showing off the array of sensors on the inside of the different rings. NIck came away feeling “particularly impressed by how much the Samsung Galaxy Ring looks like a proper piece of jewelry rather than a geeky gadget.”
From there, bits and pieces of information about the Galaxy Ring has been rumored and/or leaked. In March, Dr. Hon Pak, head of the digital health team at Samsung, confirmed that this new wearable “lasts for about five to nine days.” The battery life is dependent on the size that you get, as the smallest Galaxy Ring is equipped with a 14.5mAh cell, with the largest coming with a 21.5mAh battery.
Shortly after the battery life was seemingly confirmed, a report surfaced suggesting that Samsung was gearing up “to produce 400,000 units for its launch.” The same report also confirmed that the Galaxy Ring would not be labeled as a “medical device,” as the company was “still going through the required certification loops.” Instead, Samsung is expected to market the Galaxy Ring as a “wellness wearable” at launch, but that could change if the medical certification is acquired.
At this point, there were still a lot of questions left unanswered, but some of that changed after nine models of the Galaxy Ring appeared at the FCC. This confirmed that Samsung will offer the Ring in sizes ranging from Size 5 to Size 12. The FCC appearance also gave us our first look at the “charging cradle” for the Galaxy Ring, but the filing only showed a drawing of the bottom of the cradle.
It wouldn’t be until June before more information was leaked regarding the cradle, this time coming courtesy of Ice Universe. An official-looking render showed that the Galaxy Ring will likely reside in what looks to be a ring box when it needs to be charged. When the box is opened, there’s a “raised portion with the expected contact pins for charging purposes.”
A little over a month ahead of the expected launch date, Samsung filed a lawsuit against Oura Health Oy, the parent company of Oura Ring. It might seem like an odd thing to do considering that the Galaxy Ring was not yet released. However, the documents stated Samsung’s reasoning was due to “Oura's pattern of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement against any and all competitors in the smart ring market" is an "actual, imminent risk to Samsung.”
The move makes sense from Samsung’s point of view considering that Oura pointed out that it holds “100 granted patents, 270 pending patent applications, and 130+ registered trademarks.” At the time of this writing, there has yet to be an outcome rendered in the lawsuit, which was to be expected.
By filing the lawsuit, Samsung also revealed that the Galaxy Ring was entering “mass production ‘in mid-June 2024’ and will open smart ring sales ‘in or around August 2024.’”
Following the lawsuit, only a few other bits of information have trickled out regarding the Galaxy Ring. Instead, it’s just been a waiting game until Galaxy Unpacked gets underway.
Much like the Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, we’re not expecting many changes when it comes to the Galaxy Watch 7. However, the big change this year is that it’s unlikely that Samsung will release a Watch 7 Pro or Watch 7 Classic. On the bright side, spec leaks point to the Watch 7 still coming in two sizes; 1.3-inches or 1.5-inches. Besides that, don’t expect much in the form of any major design changes.
Instead, the bigger change will come via the rumored Exynos W940. According to a rumor earlier this year, the W940 is internally known as the Exynos 5535 but will be branded. What makes the W940 so special is that it’s rumored to be built on the 3nm process, and “allegedly ‘improves power consumption by 50%, performance by more than 30%, and reduces area by 35%.’” The Watch 7 is also rumored to now offer 32GB of storage, a big upgrade over the 16GB found in the Watch 6 lineup.
When it comes to software, we’re in for another year of Samsung relying on Wear OS. However, the Watch 7 is said to be released “with One UI Watch 6 before receiving the full Wear OS 5 update later this fall.” One UI Watch 6 is currently in beta, but will likely launch alongside the Galaxy Watch 7. With it, Samsung is implementing a slew of Galaxy AI features, including things such as “energy score, workout routines, racing past routes, new HR metrics, and enhanced health algorithms.”
In lieu of the Galaxy Watch Pro or Classic, Samsung’s borrowing a trick from Apple’s playbook as all signs point to the Galaxy Watch Ultra arriving at Unpacked. Rumors of an Ultra smartwatch began swirling in late 2023, suggesting that Samsung was working on an Apple Watch Ultra competitor. At the time, one rumor claimed Samsung would opt for MicroLED, the same technology found in many of the latest Samsung TVs. It would also give Samsung a jump-start on Apple, as the latter has been rumored to implement MicroLED into its high-end smartwatch.
As is the case with most devices, we got our first “look” at the Galaxy Watch Ultra thanks to renders from @OnLeaks and SmartPrix. These renders also seem to confirm one way that Samsung aims to differentiate the Watch Ultra from its cheaper counterparts. Instead of using the tried-and-true round design, the renders showed off a smartwatch with a “squircle” frame. Yes, it’s the same design as the icons found on Samsung smartphones.
Along with revealing the renders, OnLeaks stated that the Watch 7 Ultra would feature a 1.5-inch display. Although this is the same screen size as the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the overall dimensions would be slightly different, measuring 47 x 47.14 x 16.4mm. Some of the other inclusions mentioned in this leak are a rotating bezel, and a third button, perhaps similar to the Action Button from the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Although the renders and information from OnLeaks were convincing, some didn’t consider them serious until the Ultra stopped by the FCC. This didn’t provide too much, besides confirming the model number (SM-L705,) along with LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC support. But, this was only the beginning.
As the calendar turned into July, the biggest leak came in the form of supposed spec sheets for both the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. This gave us a pretty clear picture of what to expect, seeming to confirm much of what was previously leaked. According to the leaked spec sheet, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is said to be powered by a 3nm SoC named the Exynos W1000, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
The leaked spec sheet also taught us that this is about as close as it gets to being a true Apple Watch Ultra competitor. Samsung’s Ultra is said to use a Titanium casing along with Sapphire Glass while offering IPX6 dust resistance and being equipped with a 10 ATM waterproof rating.
From here, the only question remaining is how much Samsung plans to charge for the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra. That question was somewhat answered in the same leak that revealed the entire spec sheets. I saw “somewhat,” because the leaked pricing is for what the wearables could retail for in France. With that in mind, the Watch 7 is said to start at €319 (~$342) for the 40mm model, going up to €349 (~$374) for the 44mm version, and the Watch Ultra comes in at €699 (~$750.)
With Samsung’s lineup of wearables out of the way, it’s time to switch gears to the new phones that we’re expecting. It’s admittedly a bit odd knowing that the Galaxy Fold and Flip won’t be taking center stage, but with two brand-new products, it kind of makes sense. Along with that, the leaks and rumors suggest that at least one of these foldable phones won’t be more than an iterative update.
Kicking things off with the smaller of the two, it didn’t take long before we started seeing rumors about the Galaxy Z Flip 6. One of the big complaints regarding Samsung’s foldable phones is that the cameras fall a bit short compared to the company’s flagship slab phones. However, in August 2023, an early rumor claimed the Galaxy Z Flip 6 would be upgraded with a 50MP primary lens.
A subsequent report from Ross Young of DSCC claimed that Samsung was looking to increase the size of the Cover Screen. This would mean moving up from the 3.5-inch panel on the Flip 5 to about 3.9-inches on the Flip 6. At the same time, Young also claimed that both screens on the Fold 6 would be larger, but stopped short of providing specific sizes.
Although battery life has gotten better thanks to improvements made to the Qualcomm’s chips, it’s still not quite on par with traditional phones. Samsung was reportedly testing larger batteries for the Flip 6, potentially resulting in the same battery size as the standard Galaxy S24 at ~4,000mAh.
Fast forward to March, and we got our first supposed look at the Galaxy Flip 6 courtesy of renders from OnLeaks. This seemed to confirm that the Flip 6 would be a bit thicker, presumably to accommodate a larger battery. However, it also potentially debunked previous rumors of a larger Cover Screen, as the renders portrayed Samsung relying on the same size displays from its predecessor.
There was a bit of a lull in terms of any “major” leaks or rumors regarding Samsung’s smaller foldable phone. However, that all changed in May as the Flip 6 made an appearance at the FCC alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Coming as little surprise, this did nothing more than confirm the model number, in addition to the 5G network support, to go along with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and wireless charging.
Last, but certainly not least, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is also expected to be announced during Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung hasn’t had much pressure to deal with here in the States, but we were hopeful that the OnePlus Open would push Samsung to innovate its book-style foldable further. However, the company was seemingly looking to take a different approach as rumors earlier this year suggested a cheaper Z Fold was in the works.
According to multiple reports, Samsung was “considering developing an entry-level model for the new Galaxy Z Fold 6. The goal with such a move would be to cater more towards the Chinese market, where the foldable competition is much more fierce. This was followed by the appearance of a third device codename appearing alongside Samsung’s component orders for the Z Fold 6 and Flip 6. The codename, Q6A, denotes an alternative version of the Z Fold 6, which carries the Q6 codename.
Surprisingly, not much else was leaked regarding the Galaxy Z Fold 6, until renders appeared courtesy of OnLeaks and SmartPrix. These got us a bit excited, as they showed off a supposed redesign with flatter edges, similar to what we saw with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. As a result of this change, the Cover Screen would sport a 22:9 aspect ratio, slightly wider than the 23:9 ratio of the Z Fold 5. Unfortunately, this also would mean that while the inner screen would be larger, it likely wouldn’t be very noticeable.
Instead of trying to take the fight to OnePlus or Vivo, the next set of rumors seemingly confirmed that while the Fold 6 wasn’t going to be completely overhauled, Samsung was set to at least make it lighter. The first rumor claimed the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would be “the world’s first foldable phone with a titanium frame,” following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This would make it lighter, while also aiming to improve the durability, which in turn, could result in higher sales as there are still concerns about the longevity of foldable phones.
A few weeks later, Ice Universe claimed the “Galaxy Z Fold6 weighs 239g and finally reaches the first-tier level. It weighs the same as the Voyage Black OnePlus Open.” The comparison to the Open is an obvious one, as OnePlus really won over foldable fans with the release in late 2023. However, it’s worth pointing out that this would offer quite a dramatic decrease in weight as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighs 256 grams.
While many of us were enjoying burgers, hotdogs, and fireworks, a surprise leak spilled the beans on the specs for Samsung’s upcoming foldables. According to the leak, both devices would be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the display on the Z Fold 6 would now be able to reach up to 2,600 nits of brightness, a massive improvement over the 1,750 nits from the Fold 5.
Despite relying on the same 4,400mAh battery, the leak showed claims of an extra hour of “LTE internet,” and two more hours of video playback. It also revealed that Samsung would not be implementing any upgrades to the triple rear camera setup, marking the third generation of Z Fold devices to use the same camera system.
Given all of the leaks and rumors about what is set to be a somewhat boring release, there was still hope that Samsung would be lowering the cost of its foldable pairing. Unfortunately, a report in June claimed that not only would we not be seeing lower prices, but that the Flip 6 and Fold 6 would actually cost $100 more than their predecessors. What makes matters more frustrating is that the only real explanation could be a rise in cost for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, as that’s what’s been attributed to the higher price tag of the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung’s second major event is set to get underway at any minute, but we’ll keep you posted on what we think about today’s announcements. And remember, you can watch Galaxy Unpacked alongside us, as it’s being live-streamed. Just hit the link below to learn more about how to watch as Samsung unveils its next lineup of flagship products.
After a brief teaser video, Samsung wasted no time talking about AI, as TM Roh, President of Samsung Mobile, took to the stage to kick us off! Roh states Galaxy AI will come to more than 200 million Galaxy devices this year, while bringing support to more than 16 languages.
The first new device to be "unveiled" is the Galaxy Ring. There are three different sensors that track sleep, activity, heart rate and more. Samsung also claims the Galaxy Ring will be able to last for up to seven days on a single charge.
Samsung's literally not wasting any time here. A couple of minutes after talking about the Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is being revealed. The video playing shows the Ultra at a bunch of different angles, including close-ups of the new quick release band system.
Samsung's claiming the Watch Ultra can last for up to 100 hours in Power Saving mode. Part of this is made possible by the new 3nm processor, the Exynos W1000, making it the "fastest Galaxy Watch." Oh, and this is the first smartwatch to launch with Wear OS 5.
Samsung's BioActive Sensor has also been revamped to provide better and more accurate recordings. It allows for tracking blood pressure, ECG, and for the first time on a Galaxy Watch, is capable of identifying Sleep Apnea. Samsung was able to acquire FDA approval for the Sleep Apnea feature, which is quite impressive.
In a recap of sorts, Samsung announced that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is priced at $349, the Galaxy Watch 7 got a brief mention with a starting price of $299, and the Galaxy Ring comes in at $399. You can pre-order any of these starting today!
I can't believe how quickly Samsung is moving here. We're not even 30 minutes into the event, and now the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are being announced. Samsung claims it's taken "another giant leap forward" with the Fold 6 between the layers of the display and durability.
Samsung managed to slim down the bezels and make the screen brighter for the Fold 6, maxing out at 2,000 nits of brightness. It's also bringing Ray Tracing to its foldable, while also working with partners to improve Vulkan compatibility for games.
Unsurprisingly, Samsung's bringing new Galaxy AI features to the Fold 6. Circle to Search is getting new features as it can "instantly translate" whatever is on the screen if it's in a different language. "Learn with Circle to Search" lets you circle the problem and provides step-by-step instructions on how the answer is achieved.
Also, who still uses navigation buttons as opposed to gestures?
Samsung's also pointing out how Galaxy AI is "multi-modal." This gives you different ways to interact with AI, whether it's with your camera, voice, text, or even handwriting. Now, Jenny Blackburn from VP of Gemini User Experience at Google, has taken to the stage to talk about Gemini.
Apparently "Gemini is deeply integrated and optimized" for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It sure seems like this might be the first phone to launch with Gemini as the default voice assistant, replacing Google Assistant.
Composer makes drafting emails easier with just a prompt. Then, you can have Gemini automatically insert it with the tap of a button.
Voice Recorder is now directly integrated into Samsung Notes. Galaxy AI can translate the recording, and is capable of separating up to ten different speakers. Or, you can just view a summary of the voice recording.
Now that Samsung Unpacked is underway, we can finally preorder the new devices! More early deals are expected to go live throughout the day, but you can already check out some sweet opportunities from the likes of Verizon, AT&T, and Samsung itself. The entire lineup of Galaxy devices hits store shelves on July 24th, so take advantage of these preorder deals before they're gone for good. You can find all of the deets here:
With the S Pen and Fold 6, Sketch to Image lets you draw something on your phone and "bring it to life" with Galaxy AI. It understands what you're trying to draw and provides different styles. But, it also works with the pictures that you take.
Sydney Sweeney is in the audience to help showcase the Portrait Studio feature. It takes an image and provides several different art styles to choose from.
Now, we're onto the Galaxy Z Flip 6 starting with showing off its ability to work as its own tripod for a BTS group recording dance moves and a music video.
Samsung is upgrading the Z Flip 6 camera system, headlined by the 50MP wide-angle lens. Supposedly this will be able to match the Galaxy S24 thanks to the "Pro Visual Engine." Makes us wonder whether the Fold 6 has this feature, or if it's limited to the Flip 6.
The Flip 6 features a built-in Vapor Chamber for the first time. Helping to let the battery breath a bit. It's also the "strongest Flip yet."
AI is also coming to the "Flex Window" on the Flip 6, letting you generate unique wallpapers. There are new cases that have built-in NFC and will automatically change the Flex Window wallpaper to match the case design.
Okay, the event has definitely slowed down a bit as Samsung has moved onto the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I feel like we've seen these before.
Adaptive Noise Control on the Buds 3 Pro turns down the background noise around you. But Siren Detect also ensures that you can still hear emergency vehicles. We presume this will also be available for other sounds and noises.
The Galaxy Buds 3 are also being released, offering an "Open Type" design, with an Adaptive EQ, while being priced at $179. The Buds 3 Pro are priced at $249 and you can pre-order these today.
Samsung confirmed the jump in price for its foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is now $1,099 for the base model, while the Fold 6 jumps up to $1899. Coming as little surprise, the Fold 6 and Flip 6 will receive seven years of OS upgrades.
All of the devices announced today are available starting on July 24th.
Rick Osterloh from Google is now on stage talking about the advancements in AI. While also talking about the ongoing partnership between Samsung and Google and how its "revolutionized the mobile expeirence for billions of users."
New Gemini upgrades and features are on the way, including real-time multi-modal models for smartphones. Osterloh says that the latest foldables are the "perfect devices for innovation" in an effort to "supercharge your life."
Osterloh decided to randomly drop yet another teaser for the XR platform that Samsung and Google have been working on. It comes as a bit of a surprise, as Osterloh also stated that this XR platform is coming this year. However, he stopped short of revealing any other specifics.
TM Roh jumped back on stage, giving us a recap of the devices and Galaxy AI features that were announced today. The event ran a little bit over an hour, ending with another Samsung commercial, similar to the one that we saw at the start.
Well, well, well. Guess what just showed up at the door! I genuinely can't wait to get the Galaxy Z Fold 6 all set up and start putting it through its paces. So be sure to stay tuned for the full review, along with some editorials and more!
With the launch of the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra, these are the first smartwatches to be released with Wear OS 5. However, shortly after the announcement, a blog post published on the Wear OS support page stated that Google's next major wearable update will only support the new "Watch Face Format."
This was announced at Google I/O 2023 but essentially means that if you're currently using a watch face downloaded from the Play Store on a Wear OS 4 device, you won't be able to use it if you upgrade to the Watch 7 or Watch Ultra.
It turns out that Samsung might already have more devices to show off, but decided against doing so today. Shortly after Galaxy Unpacked came to a close, it was revealed that "there will be a Tab S10 series," and that it would be arriving "before the end of the year."
What makes this all a bit odd is that the Galaxy Tab S9 lineup was shown off during last summer's Galaxy Unpacked event. Details regarding why the Tab S10 was pushed back are currently unknown. It could be related to there simply being too many products announced today, or perhaps we're in store for an overhaul to Samsung's tablet lineup.
