Samsung Galaxy Unpacked – 9 things we saw and learned, including the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Ring, and Watch Ultra
The second Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event of 2024 has come and gone, leaving a host of new Galaxy devices in its wake. They range from the usual suspects in the form of two new foldable phones to Samsung’s first smart ring and its answer to the Apple Watch Ultra.
During the keynote, Samsung promoted smart, consumer-focused AI tools for its new devices that should help you get more done, embrace your creativity, stay healthier and sleep better.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked July live blog for detailed coverage of what was announced, plus more reaction and analysis. But read on to learn more about nine of the biggest announcements from Galaxy Unpacked.
1. A new Galaxy Ring to rule them all
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is Samsung’s first foray into a new category of wearables, a minimalist, set-and-forget tracker that’s designed to be worn 24/7. Packing up to seven days of battery life, the Ring packs a variety of sensors for the kind of passive wellness tracking you’ll find on a watch, monitoring heart rate and skin temperature, estimating steps taken, and automatically logging runs and walking workouts.
It feeds that information directly into the Samsung Health app, giving you a sleep score and energy score, along with AI-powered personalized tips. It’s a sleek, sophisticated fitness tracker that’s ushering in a new era for wearables.
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2. But choose wisely…
That’s because the Galaxy Ring’s sizing is based on standard U.S. sizes, with nine different options ranging from a US size 5 to a US size 13. And Samsung says the Ring’s size and color availability will vary by region. To find the right size for you, you’ll need to use a free Sizing Kit when you place an order for the Ring.
However, the smaller the Galaxy Ring, the shorter the battery life. So if you have super slim fingers, your Galaxy Ring will last an estimated six days instead of seven.
3. A smarter, sleeker flagship foldable phone
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks pretty much identical to its predecessor. But look closer and you’ll notice it’s slightly shorter and wider, making the cover display more usable in one hand. What’s more, under the hood, you’ll find a Samsung-tuned Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
That’s handy, because the Galaxy Z Fold 6 needs that bit of silicon to power Galaxy AI features built into its smartphone, including a handy Sketch to Image feature that takes S Pen drawings onto a photo and uses AI to convert them into images of real-world objects. Think sketching the outline of glasses onto an image of a dog and having the AI generate realistic-looking glasses to cover the dog’s eyes.
Another clever AI feature is how the Interpreter app can work on the Fold 6’s displays by offering a conversational mode that shows two-way translations of the main and cover displays. In short, the Galaxy Fold 6 is the smartest foldable phone you can pre-order right now.
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4. Apple Watch Ultra who? Meet the Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra takes the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and supercharges it for outdoor adventures. The Ultra brings an impressively larger battery, a titanium-armored “pillow” redesign, a programmable “Quick” button, improved GPS, and new wilderness survival tools.
It’s clear that the watch takes a lot of inspiration from the Apple Watch Ultra, but it’s great to see that the Samsung Galaxy Watches really step up in terms of performance. And from our short time with it, it’s proven to be a reliable companion both in the office and out and about.
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5. A smarter, sharper Galaxy Z Flip with a serious camera
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 may have been the hot favorite at Samsung’s recent Galaxy Unpacked event, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is definitely the more fun of the two new best foldable phones (who doesn’t love a modern flip phone?).
This year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 brings a host of iterative upgrades over the Galaxy Z Flip 5 – not least a new 50MP camera, a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a larger battery, and improved durability – and it also hosts a handful of new software and AI features. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is available to pre-order now in four colors: Yellow, Blue, Mint, and Silver Shadow.
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6. AI in your ears – thanks to the Galaxy Buds Pro 3
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro take a new direction similar to that of the AirPods, with sticks that run down from the earbuds, new pinch and swipe controls, and a cool “Blade Light” on the Pro model.
More importantly, they have big sound upgrades, including an advanced dual-driver system in the Pro and improved noise cancellation. That ANC is AI-powered, with smart adaptive skills – though it will obviously be better in the more expensive Pro option. They also promise AI-enhancing call quality and better battery life, as well as 24-bit Hi-Res Audio and 3D spatial sound when used with Samsung’s best phones.
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7. A Galaxy Watch to watch
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 doesn’t deviate from the circular design of its predecessors, including the Galaxy Watch 6, but instead makes meaningful changes under the hood. Inside, it’s powered by a 3-nanometer Samsung Exynos chip, and on the back, it sports a completely redesigned BioActive Sensor. Those two pieces of hardware power an Energy Score feature that’s intended to make your health data more digestible and aims to make every metric more accurate.
The Watch 7 also gets pinch gesture controls and Galaxy AI features like smarter suggested replies. Unlike the Fold or Flip, there’s also no price increase.
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8. A new ‘XR’ platform is coming, with a little help from Google
In a moment nearly missed by a blink at Unpacked, Google confirmed its XR platform plans (an umbrella term for VR, AR and MR), in partnership with Samsung, with Samsung President and Head of the Mobile Experience (MX) business TM Roh saying the fruits of Samsung and Google’s XR partnership will be seen “this year.”
We expect to hear more at the Samsung Developer’s Conference (SDC), scheduled for October 3, 2024. But since we’re halfway through 2024, Samsung and Google better act quickly.
9. Get your energy score… with a catch
During Unpacked, Samsung unveiled a new Energy Score feature for Galaxy Watches that
keeps an eye on you and gives you a sort of battery charge rating for your body. It tells you when you’re working yourself to death, which is a symptom of modern life.
Samsung touted the feature as a way to “increase your awareness of how your health affects your daily life, so you can use recommendations based on your current physical condition to focus your daily efforts for improvements.”
But there’s a catch.
The fine print notes that you’ll need a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or newer to get a power score. The Watch 4 was released in 2021, so if you have something a little older like a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, you won’t get a power rating for your body; you’ll have to rely on the old-fashioned way of telling how tired you are by seeing if you can get off the couch after rolling in from work.
