Welcome back to the fold.
Bad pun aside, that was the main theme of Samsung’s August 2022 Galaxy Unpacked livestream. The tech giant took some time out of everyone’s Wednesday to show off a minor cornucopia of new products — chiefly, foldables and wearables. However, this time's a little different, as this is the fourthround of foldables for Samsung with the introduction of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4. It's not about proof of concept anymore; instead, it's a year of incremental improvements on already proven products.
iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop—$329.99(List Price $599.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$178.99(List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$189.99(List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00)
Let’s not waste any more time. Here’s everything Samsung showed off at Galaxy Unpacked, all of which will launch on Aug. 26.
The book-like form factor from last year returns with the Z Fold 4.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableFirst up is the biggest and most expensive device in the Galaxy Unpacked lineup, the new Z Fold 4, which comes in at the same $1,800 price point as last year's model. As the follow-up to last year’s Z Fold 3, not much has changed on the surface here. It has a gargantuan 7.6-inch foldable display on the inside and an outer display that allows you to use it more like a regular smartphone with the shell closed.
Samsung says this year’s edition is lighter and slimmer than before, which should help keep it feeling more like a smartphone and less like a tablet. It comes in three colors: phantom black, gray-green, and beige.
SEE ALSO:The Galaxy S22 Ultra is proof every phone should have a 'pen'The most interesting changes for this year's Z Fold are on the software side of things. There’s a new Windows-like app taskbar on the bottom of the inner display, and you can drag up to three different apps up from the taskbar to the rest of the screen for multitasking purposes. Want to have Spotify take up part of your screen with your email inbox taking up the rest? You can still do that, though a new “app pair” feature lets you link apps so they always open together. That's pretty similar to a feature on Microsoft's Surface Duo 2, so there's already some light feature cribbing happening in this corner of the mobile market.
The taskbar on the bottom with multi-tasking apps in action.Credit: SamsungSome apps will also let you open two instances side-by-side, in case you need to work on two documents at once or something like that. Samsung said apps like Google Meet and Zoom have been specifically optimized for the Z Fold 4’s screen, too.
As for camera specs, there’s a triple-lens rear camera setup that includes a 10MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP wide lens. A 4,400mAh battery that supports wireless charging will do its best to keep the Z Fold 4 alive throughout the day and S-Pen support means you can doodle away with Samsung’s proprietary stylus (sold separately).
All four colors of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableRemember, I said “foldables” pluralearlier. That’s because Samsung is following up 2021’s influencer-centric Z Flip 3with the predictably named Z Flip 4. It starts at $1,000 and appears to be a mostly incremental upgrade, keeping the Game Boy Advance SP-likeclamshell form factor from a year ago. It comes in four colors: graphite, bora purple, pink gold, and blue.
This time around, Samsung slimmed down the Z Flip 4's hinges and bezels, and incorporated Gorilla Glass Victus+, which the company claims makes it 45 percent more durable than the last-generation model. The small cover screen next to the rear cameras returns, now with additional functionality that includes the abilities to make quick replies to calls and texts, as well as access your digital Samsung wallet.
Flex Mode is the key to the Z Flip 4's whole existence.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableWhen the phone is open and half-folded (“Flex Mode” as Samsung calls it), there will be app-specific controls on the bottom half of the screen. Google Meet is one of the apps Samsung said is “fully optimized” for the Z Flip 4. You’ll also have access to hands-free livestreaming through apps like Instagram or YouTube in Flex Mode.
Lastly, the Z Flip 4's dual-camera setup includes two 12MP lenses — one ultra-wide and one wide. Samsung is promising better nighttime shots and even nighttime Portrait Mode support. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor keeps it on par with recent powerhouses like the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and a 3,700mAh battery will power the phone. And yes, it has wireless charging.
As always, expect plenty of fun band colors for the new Galaxy Watch.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableIf you're tired of foldables, there were also a couple of wearables at the Unpacked 2022 showcase. Samsung is going full steam ahead with its Galaxy Watchline with two new watches this year: the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The former starts at $280 and the latter at $450, with a $50 bump in price for each if you want LTE coverage instead of being restricted to Bluetooth and WiFi.
As is the case with the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, most of the Galaxy Watch 5 upgrades are more functional than flashy. The new smartwatches are supposed to be 60 percent stronger against scratches thanks to new surface glass, and the sensor on the underside of the watch face that touches your skin can measure skin temperature now. Samsung didn’t go deep on what the potential uses of that would be, but of course app developers are free to come up with their own reasons to use it.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro looks a little sturdier.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableThere will, of course, be a good deal of synchronicity between your Samsung phone and your Galaxy Watch 5. Install an app on the phone and its equivalent will automatically install to the Watch, for example. The Galaxy Watch 5 also has a bigger battery than Watch 4, rated to last 50 hours on a full charge. That's about 10 more hours than the last-gen version.
As for what you get if you spend the extra scratch for a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, that seems to be centered on durability. Samsung says the Watch 5 Pro’s 45mm watch face is more durable and it comes with titanium casing for extra protection. The battery can also last a whopping 80 hours on a full charge, so the Watch 5 Pro seems to be a useful companion for seriously outdoors-y types.
Bora purple is the big new color this year.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableAnd, finally, the most exciting Unpacked 2022 announcement for music and podcast lovers will undoubtedly be the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. These earbuds seem to be a more substantial upgrade to last year’s Galaxy Buds 2. At least, the price jump from $150 to $230 would suggest as much. They come in three colors: white, graphite, and bora purple.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro look very similar to the Galaxy Buds 2, retaining an egg-shaped body for the earbuds with a silicone tip that goes straight into the ear canal like before. Samsung says they are 15 percent smaller than last year’s model and should be more ergonomic for long sessions.
They come in black, too.Credit: Molly Flores / MashableAside from that, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro upgrades seem largely focused on sound quality. The active noise cancelation (ANC) will apparently block out three additional decibels of noise, including a focus on higher-pitched sounds that could break through the ANC in the Galaxy Buds 2. Support for Dolby Atmos spatial audio is in, meaning you’ll be able to experience music three dimensionally, similar to what Apple has been doingrecently.
And perhaps most interestingly, connecting the Buds 2 Pro to a Samsung phone will grant access to what Samsung calls “wireless 24-bit hi-fi” audio. It’s tough to tell how much of an improvement this will be without audiophiles getting their hands on the earbuds, but that’s something to look forward to at least.
SEE ALSO:Samsung's $150 Galaxy Buds 2 put AirPods to shameEvery tech company that refreshes its products on an annual basis has years where the upgrades are more evolutionary than revolutionary, and that seems to be the case with everything shown off at this edition of Galaxy Unpacked. Still, this is all good news for folks who believe in the foldable revolution. Samsung is apparently with you on that and will keep pouring resources into making phones with bendy screens.
TopicsSamsung
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