Although little was left to the imagination, the 11 August the Unpacked event officially revealed a pair of new foldables in the Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3 – as well as the next-generation Samsung smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 4, and the Galaxy Buds 2, which are TWS earbuds.
Samsung fans weren’t likely to be shocked by the Unpacked announcements. However, it was great to see the entire product line and learn more about Samsung’s latest foldables.
Overall, the takeaway is refinement and better interaction among devices in the ecosystem. However, each product has clearly improved the price/performance ratio.
This is everything that Samsung revealed at its August Unpacked event.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The Z Fold 3 is, without doubt, the most innovative product in this new lineup.
The Fold 3 has the same size internal folding displays as the Z Fold2 but is smaller and lighter than the Z Fold 2. This is due to the new aluminium alloy frame Samsung calls “Armor Aluminium”. The latest Gorilla Glass Victus is also included, and it’s now IPX8 waterproof.
The internal 7.6in Infinity Flex Display keeps the same resolution and high refresh rate as its predecessor, but it now supports S Pen input. (Samsung has even launched a Fold Edition S Pen that allows quick device switching alongside the Fold 3) This is our first glimpse at the company’s approach to an under-display camera.
The Cover Display, measuring 6.2in, also boosts to 120Hz to match the internal panel. Meanwhile, the Fold 3 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chipset and 12GB RAM. The device also features a triple 12-megapixel rear camera and a dual 4400mAh lithium battery. It is split into two halves.
The Fold 3’s price is one of the best improvements from last year’s Fold. It starts at PS1,399 in the UK, down from PS1,799 when it comes with 2020’s Galaxy foldable. Although it is still more expensive than top-spec flagship phones, this price tag signifies that things are about to change. This is also evident in Z Flip 3’s pricing.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
The original Z Flip was undoubtedly the most loved foldable of last year. Samsung’s 2021 revision seems like a significant improvement in design, performance, and price.
The Flip 3’s new exterior is more squared up than the Flip 5. It houses a Google Pixel 2-like design for a visor that can accommodate a larger external display of 1.9in (up from 1.1-inch in the Flip 5G ).
Galaxy Watch 4 owners can also synchronise their watch faces with the Flip 3’s clock. On the Flip 3’s outside screen, a 120Hz 6.7in flexible LCD display is located.
The Flip 3 is smaller and more compact than the Fold 3. However, the display size remains the same.
The Snapdragon 888-powered foldable is available in various colours: green, purple, Phantom Black and cream are the launch colours. However, unlike the S21 range, the phone can also be purchased in grey, white, and pink exclusively at Samsung.com.
The Z Flip 5G was launched at the same price this year as the Fold 3. However, the Z Flip 3 is now priced below the PS1,000 barrier. It starts at PS949. This makes the idea of owning the latest foldable more tangible for a larger subset of buyers.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Wearables are what you want to be more interested in? This year’s Samsung smartwatches have more options, colours, and sizes.
The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic or the modern Galaxy Watch 4 Classic should be your first choice. Although the internals of both versions are nearly identical, the Classic has a rotating bezel that can be used to interact and interact with the user experience. The standard Watch 4, however uses a touch-based digital alternative with tactile feedback. This is more in line with the Galaxy Watch Active range.
Once you are satisfied with the Watch 4’s flavour, you can choose from two sizes: 40mm or44mm on the standard 4 or 42mm or 46mm versions of 4 Classic. Each has a 1.19-inch and 1.36-inch circular AMOLED displays.
The Watch 4 Series features both new hardware and new software. It includes Samsung’s 5nm Wearables Chipset running the show, backed up by 1.5GB RAM and 16GB ROM. We also get our first glimpse at the new Wear OS experience that will replace Tizen – called ‘Wear OS powered By Samsung’.
Samsung wanted to emphasise that the Wear OS experience is different from the other Wear OS watches in the pipeline. The company has designed its Wear OS experience to look and feel more like the Tizen-based UI found with its older timepieces.
Wear OS gives the Galaxy Watch 4 line access, in addition to previous experiences, to the Google Play Store and Google Maps.
Galaxy Watch apps and features are also available.
The most important addition to health is body composition analysis. This can be done by pressing the buttons on the Watch 4’s right and assessing attributes such as body water percentage, skeletal muscles percentage and BMI.
The Watch 4 Series is priced at PS249 in the UK, while the Galaxy Watch 3 was priced at PS399. All four versions are available in both Bluetooth-only or 4G cellular variants (cellular costs an additional PS40).
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung’s new TWS buds are the Galaxy Buds 2, which are the company’s lightest and smallest earbuds.
The Buds 2 have ANC (active noise cancelling), which claims it can drown out external noise up to 98% and has adjustable levels of passthrough.
Three microphones are working simultaneously to provide clear call quality. Auto-Switch ensures that you hear sound from the correct Galaxy device connected automatically, even if you move between them.
The Buds 2 are available in four colours: Graphite (white), Olive, and Lavender. They all come with white cases and colour-matched interiors and cost PS139 in the UK.
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