ICYMI: Samsung's biggest announcements from Galaxy Unpacked
Samsung's big Galaxy Unpacked launch event happened earlier this week, and the company wasted no time announcing a handful of products. This year, we got much more than just foldables, with Samsung breaking into a new wearable category with its first smart ring and some new Galaxy AI tricks for its devices.
In case you somehow missed the big news this week, worry not. Here's everything Samsung announced at Galaxy Unpacked, from foldables to its new Apple AirPod-like earbuds.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6
Among the biggest device to launch during unpacked are the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. The changes to these devices are fairly iterative, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 received a welcome change to the design that should help make it more palatable for consumers.
As pointed out in our Galaxy Z Fold 6 hands-on, the phone is now wider with a much squarer design. This should make the larger external display easier to use while bringing the internal folding display more in line with other foldable phones. The phone is also thinner thanks to some internal improvements, which should appease some fans.
The camera system is largely unchanged except for the ultrawide, which uses the same 12MP resolution but apparently uses a new sensor for better low-light performance.
The new Flip has fewer design changes, but there are a few notable upgrades. As noted in our Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on, the device has a flatter frame and a dash of color around the cameras. The phone also has a new 50MP primary camera, which should provide better image output, especially in low light, and the 4,000mAh battery should help it last longer before reaching for a charger.
The cover screen hasn't changed much, but some new software additions bring more widgets and Galaxy AI to the external display.
Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and come with One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14, which brings more Galaxy AI features to the phones, like an improved Interpreter mode, Drawing Assist, new wallpaper features, and more.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are available now for preorder and start at $1899 and $1099, respectively.
Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra
The new Galaxy Watch 7 may look familiar, but it's the inside that counts, and Samsung has upgraded the watch with its latest 3nm chip for improved performance, plus a revamped BioActive sensor that should make it more accurate. The watch runs Wear OS 5, has double the storage of the Galaxy Watch 6, comes with Galaxy AI features like suggested replies, and is capable of detecting sleep apnea, a disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep.
However, the real news is the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which takes things to another level. The watch has a large, rugged design and battery life that lasts up to 100 hours in power-saving mode or 48 hours in exercise power-saving mode. There's also a new Quick Button on the side that you can program to open and begin various functions like workouts or a stopwatch. This is in addition to the improved sensors, sleep apnea detection, new chipset, and more.
If it seems a little familiar, it's because the Apple Watch Ultra also has an Action button that does more or less the same thing. In our Galaxy Watch Ultra hands-on, we point out the similarities between this and Apple's offering, although Samsung manages to undercut Apple by a bit and still offers a circular display.
The Watch 7 and Watch Ultra are available for preorder and retail for $299 and $649, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
After the Oura Ring Gen 3 took off and started a trend of emerging smart rings from a bevy of smaller companies, Samsung decided to jump into the ring (pun very much intended) with its own. The Galaxy Ring is capable of tracking one's sleep, vitals, and workouts while feeding all this information to the new Galaxy AI-powered Samsung Health, giving users insights into their wellness and offering ways to improve and reach their goals.
Beyond that, the ring also has some gesture controls for Galaxy smartphones. For example, users can take photos or silence alarms by pinching twice, something you won't find on other smart rings.
In our Galaxy Ring hands-on, we note that the ring feels quite thin and light compared to its competitors. It also has the backing of an entire ecosystem, which could give Oura a run for its money as the smart ring category heats up.
The Galaxy Ring comes in nine different sizes and three different finishes and lasts up to a week with a single charge. It is available for preorder and retails for $399 with no subscription.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy AirPods Buds 3 Pro are a complete redesign from previous iterations of Samsung earbuds. They offer a stem design similar to other wireless earbuds from Apple and others. Samsung differentiates the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro by designing them with a light on the stem with a few functional indicators (or just to show off).
The earbuds have an in-ear design with improved audio, Adaptive EQ & Adaptive ANC, and higher voice bandwidth for calls. There are also some intelligent features like live translation with Interpreter mode and quick access to Bixby.
The regular Galaxy Buds have similar improvements but feature single drivers, no lights, no ambient sound, and fewer Galaxy AI features. They also have an open design for those of you who don't like in-ear buds, and they're cheaper at just $179. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro retail for $249.
Updates from Google
In addition to announcements from Samsung, Google also took a moment to highlight some Android and Wear OS-related updates coming to Samsung's latest devices. This includes new Gemini features for both foldables, access to Circle to Search, and the ability to watch YouTube TV in multiview, allowing for multiple streams at the same time.
Google also highlighted Wear OS 5, which comes first to the Galaxy Watch series and brings improved performance and battery life, particularly when it comes to workouts.
