The future is foldable. That was the key takeaway from Samsung’s annual Unpacked event that typically takes place every August.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note series is usually the showstopper at these August events; but not yesterday. Samsung is betting big on foldable devices with the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3, devices that have both established themselves as front runners in the foldable category. The new Galaxy Watch was also unveiled with a slew of wellness features:
Tabs beware: the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 makes big improvements over its predecessors, making the strongest case for a foldable yet. The 6.2-inch cover screen (in this case the secondary display) gets equal attention with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1500 nits. It’s the 7.6-inch QXGA+ primary display that’s the highlight and in tab territory. The coolest touch is the under display camera that conceals the front facing cam once you flip the device open, allowing you to enjoy videos and gaming without the annoying punch hole. Samsung has added an S Pen – a feature previously reserved for its Note series, and also managed to reduce the heft to 271 gm. It’s also IPX8 resistant making it the first water resistant foldable.
Flips both ways: The Z Flip is quickly emerging as a lifestyle device in its own right with a unique form factor and functionality. The third gen Galaxy Z Flip 3 also gets IPX 8 water resistance and a much larger cover screen – 1.9 inches. Samsung ups the lifestyle pitch with a choice of four trendy colours —Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black—plus new stylish ring grips and strap cases that make it even easier to hold and fold the phone. It features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x Infinity Flex display with a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor.
Wellness on your wrist: Samsung launched two smartwatches as part of its Galaxy Watch4 series. The Galaxy Watch4 is the more modern, minimalist option (in 40mm and 44mm variants) while the Galaxy Watch4 Classic features Samsung’s popular rotating bezel and comes in a larger 42mm and 46mm sizes. The big upgrade is Samsung’s new BioActive Sensor. This 3-in-1 sensor uses a single chip to precisely run three powerful health sensors — Optical Heart Rate, Electrical Heart and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. You can monitor your blood pressure, detect an AFib irregular heartbeat, measure blood oxygen level, and, for the first time, calculate your body composition. This all-new Body Composition measurement tool gives you a deeper understanding of your general health and fitness, with key measurements like skeletal muscle, basal metabolic rate, body water and body fat percentage.
Stay plugged in: Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 2 are the smallest and lightest buds the company has ever launched. They feature a new low protrusion design that minimises wind disruptions. With 3 mics, a VPU (voice pick up unit) and a new machine learning learning based solution that filters out external sounds, Samsung is betting big on call quality. There’s a two-way speaker system (tweeter plus woofer) and 20 hours of battery life.
Samsung hasn’t yet revealed its India pricing yet. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 starts at $1799 (about Rs 1,34,000) while the Galaxy Z Flip starts at $999 (About Rs 74,500). The Galaxy Buds 2 are priced at $149.99 (Rs 11,200) and the Samsung Watch4 Series starts at $249.99 (Rs 18,600)
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 features a starting price of $249.99 (Roughly Rs 18,560), while the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic starts from $349.99 (Roughly Rs 26,990). The LTE version of the Galaxy Watch 4 starts from $299.99 (Roughly Rs 22,300), while the Galaxy Watch 4 Class LTE version starts from $399.99 (Roughly Rs 29,700).
