Samsung wrapped up its summer Galaxy Unpacked event yesterday, and there weren’t too many surprises in store. Leaks leading up to the event hinted at new Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold phones, along with a couple of new watches and more information about the Galaxy Ring. What we got was… announcements for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Galaxy Watch 7, the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and an actual reveal of the Galaxy Ring. Leakers — is there anything they can’t do?
Perhaps the only surprise was Google’s news that WearOS 5 will debut on the new Galaxy Watches before rolling out to other products later. If you want to relive the undramatic event as it happened, you can catch up via our live blog or check out a replay of Samsung’s stream . If you don’t have time for that, we’ve compiled the news into an easily digestible format below.
Milky Way Ring
Kicking things off is a brand new product category for Samsung: a smart ring. The company has already made it clear that this device (like the Oura Ring) is focused on health and wellness, and now we have a clearer idea of how that might work, and how much you’ll have to pay to get your hands on the Galaxy Ring.
Samsung claims it’s been able to cram its existing sensor technology into the smaller form factor of a ring. The titanium Galaxy Ring has an accelerometer, PPG sensors to measure blood flow and skin temperature. It can track stats like sleep score, movement during sleep, heart rate, breathing rate and menstrual cycles. Samsung gives you an overall energy score to give you a snapshot of your overall health and suggest ways to improve things. There’s no subscription required for any of this, which is welcome news.
In addition to automatic workout detection, the ring can issue heart rate alerts, nudging you to get some exercise if it hasn’t picked up much of a workout lately. Oh, and you can use the smart ring to remotely take a photo with your Galaxy phone.
The Galaxy Ring, which can reportedly last up to seven days on a single charge and comes with a fast charging case, will cost you $400. Preorders start today in the US, with the wearable shipping July 24. Another thing worth noting is that if you wear a Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch together, you’ll get up to 30 percent more battery life for the former, Samsung claims.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6
Samsung’s foldable phones are getting their annual refresh just in time for us to take them to the beach, perhaps to test just how well those folds hold up these days. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 are the thinnest and lightest models in their respective lineups to date, and Samsung says they’re more durable than ever. The company says there’s a reinforced folding edge to support the dual-rail hinge, while “enhanced layers” for the main display help improve the fold without compromising strength. Both smartphones feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to make them more durable, too.
The devices are powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. In terms of cooling, the Z Fold 6 has a larger vapor chamber than its predecessor. The Z Flip 6 is the first Z Flip to feature a vapor chamber, which should improve cooling.
This being 2024, the phones come with a bunch of AI features (some of which already arrived in the Galaxy Ultra S24), including a fully integrated Google Gemini app. They can generate a more detailed image from a sketch and compose emails based on a prompt, while there are a bunch of AI-powered camera upgrades.
One admittedly cool feature for the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 is that the Interpreter app takes full advantage of the dual-screen format, so both the main and cover screens feature translations with the aim of encouraging more natural conversations. The translations are processed on-device, rather than in the cloud.
Speaking of the displays, they’re a bit bigger this year. The 7.6-inch main screen is 2.7mm wider, while the cover screen is 1mm wider. At 2,600 nits, the displays are also the brightest we’ve seen on a Galaxy Fold, matching the Galaxy S24.
When it comes to the Z Flip 6, one of the biggest upgrades is a new camera system. The foldable phone packs 50MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide sensors (the same as the base Galaxy S24). The former has 2x optical zoom, with artificial intelligence powering up to 10x zoom. Samsung has also bumped the base storage from 8GB to 12GB.
Both smartphones are available to pre-order starting today, with general availability starting on July 24. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,900, while the Z Flip 6 starts at $1,100. Those who pre-order a Z Fold 6 will get a storage bump from 256GB to 512GB or from 512GB to 1TB, while you can get a free storage bump from 256GB to 512GB with a Galaxy Z Flip 6 pre-order.
If you’re interested in learning more about the devices before taking the plunge, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve already had some hands-on time with them. You can read our first impressions of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 now or watch the video above.
Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra
Of all the possible words Samsung could have chosen for its new premium smartwatch, it had to go with “Ultra.” It’s not like any of Samsung’s major competitors have a smartwatch with that name or anything.
Anyway, there’s a new high-end Samsung smartwatch in town and it’s called the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The Wear OS 5-powered device uses a new cushion design to boost protection and what Samsung calls “visual integrity.” The Watch Ultra is designed for durability, perhaps with extreme athletes in mind.
For one, it’s said to work at a wider range of altitudes, from 500 meters below sea level to 9,000 meters above. It’s water resistant to depths of 100 meters and has a titanium bezel. Adventurers won’t have to worry about the device running out of juice any time soon, as Samsung says it can last up to 100 hours in power saving mode and 48 hours with power saving mode turned on. Either way, it’s supposed to have the longest battery life of any Galaxy Watch.
Other features include multi-course workout tracking (for things like triathlons), advanced personalized heart rate zones, and an emergency siren to increase safety. The display has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, so it should be visible in very sunny conditions, and there’s also a night mode. Samsung says the Galaxy Watch Ultra can even scan for signs of sleep apnea. Plus, there’s a new programmable Quick Button.
For those who just want the latest Samsung smartwatch without too many bells and whistles, there’s the Galaxy Watch 7. This model is the first to feature a 3nm processor, which Samsung says can deliver three times faster CPU performance and 30 percent better power efficiency. It has a dual-frequency GPS system for improved location accuracy, health tracking upgrades, and the ability to control the device with double-squeeze gestures. Hmm, where have we heard that before?
The Galaxy Watch Ultra only comes in a 47mm size and costs $650. As for the Galaxy Watch 7, that comes in both 40mm and 44mm sizes and starts at $300. It’s the same deal as everything else new: pre-orders are open now, with shipping and general availability beginning on July 24.
We also had a chance to try out the Galaxy Watch Ultra ourselves, so read on for our first impressions of Samsung’s attempt at a high-end smartwatch.
Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro
We have a bunch of new Galaxy Buds to go with the ring, watches, and foldables. When the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro are paired with a Z Flip 6 or Z Fold 6, the Interpreter app can translate audio live to your ears. That could be handy for anyone studying abroad or taking a foreign language course.
Both models use their microphones to analyze internal and external sound to optimize audio quality and active noise cancellation. The Buds 3 Pro can automatically adjust for noise via its adaptive noise control, siren detection, and voice detection features.
The in-ear Buds 3 Pro have a new blade (i.e. stem) design with built-in lights. You can control the audio by pinching or swiping up or down. They also have dual amplifiers, planar tweeters and a super wideband call function.
The earbuds are available for pre-order again today, with general availability starting on July 24. The Galaxy Buds 3 will start at $180, while a pair of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will set you back $250.
Stay up to date with all the news from Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2024 is here!
Update, July 11, 1:00 p.m. ET: This story was updated after publication to include links to the Samsung Store and more links and references to Engadget’s stories from the Galaxy Unpacked event.