Tech launches are the new rock concerts. The Galaxy Unpacked event that Samsung organised in Paris today to unveil the new Galaxy Z series of phones, buds and wearables was nothing less in the hype and drama, as were the simultaneous launches in key cities around the world including in New Delhi. And the new devices live up to their promise. The phones are faster, slimmer, lighter and brighter, the new buds are the most finely tuned ever, and the new watch can do much more than the previous one – but some things stood out.

AI:  Samsung is putting a lot of their weight behind AI. And this isn’t an app you open up to make AI come live.  AI is integrated into the  functioning of the devices and their apps.  From composing emails to translating text to intuitive searching –  a lot of it is thanks to their close partnership with Google – AI goes  beyond simple tasks like creating an emoji-lookalike or such.

Privacy: A topic that most Android devices hardly seem to take seriously, Samsung stressed repeatedly how privacy was primary in these new devices especially now with AI integration.  Functions like translations and other assists will happen not on a cloud but on the device so that the data always remains securely with us and isn’t open to third-party tampering. There are many options to toggle the privacy level one desires, and this is a positive addition. 

Integration: Samsung is possibly the only brand to have a phone, a watch and now a ring, which puts them in a very unique position. The data and metrics available to them are unparalleled – they can know everything about your health and stress levels, your fitness regime and even your sleep cycles. No other company has this seamless a platform to harvest all this data and Samsung hasn’t wasted time in putting it to use, or at least, make it visually available to us. The ring may not be quite the gamechanger yet but it’s a start.

Repair: As a starter the INR14,999/-  package  is currently being offered  for INR999/- (which covers 2 screen or part repairs), which is a very strong reason to tilt many a buying decision. Knowing that the screen is safe will make many people opt for creased-screen devices  from Samsung. 

As for the devices, here’s our initial  take on them. 

Galaxy Fold 6

Pros: 

1. The slightly wider aspect ratio on the outside screen is the biggest win for the new Fold 6. It makes the outer screen actually usable and won’t require  to open the phone each time  even for  a simple task like writing a text.

2. It’s significantly lighter at a mere 239gms! I have used previous versions of the Fold extensively and this one felt as close to a regular slab style device as possible for something with double the screen real estate.

3. The inside screen quality is truly mesmerising – slimmer, wider, flatter and now also dust proof to an extent (IP48), which is quite the clincher.

Cons:

1. The 4400,mAh battery seems not big enough to support such a large screen (although the company claims the new processor will make it last longer).

2. The top  speed of 25W wired (fast-) charging feels very slow.

3. The outside screen could be wider still.

4. No slot for the S-pen stylus on the phone, requiring one to buy a special phone case.

5. The 4MP under-display camera on the inside is still quite  underwhelming. For meetings and multi-tasking, it will get used more than any other and could have been better.

Galaxy Flip 6

Pros

1. The new camera ups the main lens from 12mp to 50mp, bringing it closer to the bigger sibling’s setup.

2. Memory has been upped to 12GB

3. Battery is  upgraded to 4000mAh

Cons

1. Not enough to warrant an upgrade from the previous device for many users.

2. The 25W wired (fast-)charging really needs to be upped on these top-of-the-line devices.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Pros

1. The revisited design feels quite novel — industrial chic with metallic accents.

2. Enhanced 2-way speaker makes for resolutely crisp sound.

3. Adaptive ANC will kill noises that distract while still being sensitive to sounds like the siren of a passing ambulance!

4. Ample battery life, whether for music or calls (4.5-6hrs between charges and 24-26 hours with the case).

5. Bluetooth 5.4 with auto switch between frequently used devices is always a good feature when you want to work and play simultaneously.

6. IP57 water resistance means they are okay to take on a run or a ride (but maybe not a swim).

Cons

1. Look eerily similar to the, okay, I won’t say it…their biggest competitor. Go figure. 

2. Look metallic but feel a bit plastic-y in hand.

3. The look of the case.  

Galaxy Watch Ultra

Pros

1. Lovely new shape.

2. Now calculates BP, ECG and even sleep apnoea detection with US FDA approval for their results.

3. An AGE index which is a measure of your daily energy and stress levels.

4. Can measure complex metrics like cycling FTP. Best bit – it claims to do it in 4 minutes. Even the best of devices out there need anything between 20-70 minutes to calculate that for a rider. At this point, I am making no claim of the accuracy of the device and merely going by what they shared. As a cyclist, I can tell you that FTP is the base of all training and we calculate it every few months and the minimum time needed for a reliable calculation is upwards of an hour.

5. LTE option, titanium-finish, dual-GPS, and a 100-hour battery, Samsung has pulled out all stops with this device.

Cons

1. At 47mm this is a beast of a watch so not for the weak wrist Ed. 

2. At Rs 60,000 it’s a bit steep for a watch that will feel outdated, possibly in a matter of months by its own successor.

Galaxy Ring

Pros

1. Samsung has finally stepped into the ring! Sorry, been practising that line ever since rumours leaked many months ago.

2. All the usual metrics of any ring out there plus more as it integrates seamlessly with the phones to share all the data.

Cons

1. No haptic feedback and, to me, till this becomes a standard, rings will not be able to truly compete with the other smart-wear like watches.