Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event is nearly here and it’s ready to put the spotlight back on foldables.
We don’t have to rely on leaks all that much to figure out what’s coming. A rather obvious media invitation and accompanying press releases have pretty much confirmed what’s on deck: Two foldable phones along with a Galaxy Watch.
But it does seem like Samsung may also have a few additional surprises up its sleeve.
You can tune into the festivities on August 11 at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET via livestream on Samsung’s site. But if you’re feeling antsy and impatient, you can read on about all the gadgets we think will be unveiled in the next few days.
Two new foldable phones
Samsung’s invite for this year’s event was pretty telling. As you can see below, the shapes clearly resemble the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (on the left) and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 (on the right).
This couldn’t be more obvious
Credit: samsung
Shortly after this invite was sent out, Samsung president and head of mobile communications business, Tae Moon Roh, published a blog post revealing that we’d see two foldables at Unpacked — “third-generation foldables” to be exact.
Of course, Samsung is saving specs, features, and names for the event. But as usual, we can glean plenty from rumors and leaks.
Galaxy Z Fold 3
Most recently, a tipster known as Snoopytech tweeted specs for both foldable phones.
Starting with the Z Fold 3, we could see a 7.6-inch AMOLED display on the inside and a 6.2-inch AMOLED cover screen — both of which boast 120Hz refresh rates.
Under the hood, the Z Fold 3 might feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, a 4,400mAh battery, and 12GB of RAM coupled with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage.
As for the cameras, Snoopytech claims the third-generation Z Fold will feature a 10-megapixel front-facing camera, and a triple-camera setup complete with a 12-megapixel main camera, ultra-wide angle sensor, and telephoto lens.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the cameras. Snoopytech’s leak corroborates an earlier tweet from well-known leaker Ice Universe, who claims both the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 will have the same camera specs as last year’s Z Fold 2.
Before we move on, it’s also important to point out that Ice Universe claims the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 will have the “strongest folding screen technology.” If you’ll remember, controversy erupted around the fragile first-generation Fold, and Samsung is clearly keen to not repeat its past missteps.
Samsung placed a lot of emphasis on a more durable screen with the Z Fold 2. So, if the Z Fold 3/Z Flip 3 have even stronger glass this time around, then resilience shouldn’t be an issue.
Additional leaked images of the Z Fold 3 were shared on Twitter by renowned leaker Evan Blass, and they match those released by Snoopytech above.
As you can see, it looks like the Z Fold 3 will be available in three different colors: black, silver (?), and green. It also gives us a closer look at the triple-camera sensor on the back.
It’s also already been confirmed the Z Fold 3 will receive S-Pen support. But Samsung remains tight-lipped on features and design.
A report from 91mobiles points to the S-Pen as an optional add-on. Leaked renders show a Galaxy Z Fold 3 folio case with a slot for the S-Pen.
A tweet from Blass above shows the S-Pen leaning against the Z Fold 3, which further proves it likely doesn’t have a dedicated storage slot.
Earlier this week, Blass also shared what might be official pricing for both the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, too. And if he’s correct, then they might be cheaper than last year’s models.
For those in the U.S., what appears to be the base Z Fold 3 (€1,899) equates to roughly $2,233. Meanwhile, the model with more storage (€1,999) will cost about $2,351, so it’s possible the Z Fold 3 will cost less than that in the U.S.
These euro prices are lower than the starting prices of the Z Fold 2. So, it makes sense to assume U.S. pricing will also be lower.
Snoopytech contradicts this somewhat by claiming the Z Fold 3 will be priced a bit higher than what Blass has revealed — €110 more for the 256GB model and €100 more for the 512GB version.
Even Snoopytech isn’t 100 percent sure on that pricing yet, either.
Galaxy Z Flip 3
According to Snoopytech, the Z Flip 3 — which has a clamshell form factor — will feature a Snapdragon 888 processor, a 3,300mAh battery, and a 6.7-inch AMOLED internal display (445 PPI) with a 120Hz refresh rate.
A report from 91mobiles claims the external display will be bigger this time around, coming in at 1.9-inches as opposed to 1.1-inches on the previous Z Flip models. The publication also says the Z Flip 3 will include 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, along with the Snapdragon 888 processor — which matches Snoopytech’s leaks above.
The camera specs appear to be unchanged from the original version. The first-generation Z Flip also featured a 12-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 10-megapixel front-facing lens.
As for colors, analyst (and credible leaker) Ross Young says the Z Flip will be available in: black, cream, green, and lavender.
This lines up with a tweet from Evan Blass, which includes photos of what appear to be the Z Flip 3 in purple, cream, green, and black. The black portion of the phone’s exterior could also be that larger external display mentioned before.
As for pricing, the Z Flip 3 will likely be cheaper than last year’s model, too. Referring back to Evan Blass’ tweet earlier, the starting price for the third-generation Flip appears to be €260 less this time around. So, that could mean it’ll also be cheaper in the U.S.
Galaxy Buds 2
Smartphones aside, we might also be seeing new earbuds from Samsung. As a follow-up to the original Galaxy Buds, which launched in 2019, it looks like the second-generation version is finally on its way.
According to a leak from XDA Developers, the upcoming buds will feature active noise cancelation (ANC). The publication also claims the buds will be available in colors like yellow, purple, white, dark green, and black.
Leaker Ice Universe claims the Buds 2 will have better sound quality than their predecessor. Unlike XDA Developers, however, this leak points to the Buds 2 having active noise reduction rather than cancelation. This corroborates a report from 91mobiles that also states Samsung is going with active noise reduction on the Buds 2.
Meanwhile, a leak from Snoopytech gives us a more in-depth look at the buds’ design and specs. It’s worth noting the tweet below does list ANC as a feature.
In what appear to be official Samsung press images, the Buds 2 are shown in the same colors previously claimed by XDA Developers: black, green, purple, white, and yellow.
Another well-known leaker, WalkingCat, gives us a better look in the leaked images below.
The charging case is white on the outside for all colors, while the inside of the case matches the buds. However, there’s no yellow option visible, which could mean the Buds 2 will only be available in the four colors shown above.
Another tweet from the leaker also points to an ANC feature. So, at this point, it’s a little unclear.
Additionally, the Galaxy Buds 2 appear to pack bigger batteries than the original version. It looks like Samsung has increased the battery per bud from 58mAh to 61mAh. The charging case battery is also bigger at 472mAh versus 252mAh.
As for battery life, the Buds 2 are said to offer eight hours (with ANC off), which is two hours more than the Galaxy Buds. Of course, you’ll get additional juice when you put them in the charging case.
In terms of pricing, 91mobiles says the Buds 2 will be priced between $149 and $169. That’s pricier than the $130 Galaxy Buds, but if they do come with any of those features listed above, the increase in price makes sense.
Galaxy Watch 4 series
Samsung already confirmed that a Galaxy Watch was on the way when it announced its One UI Watch interface last June. While we already know it’s going to be the first smartwatch to feature WearOS 3, what’s in store for the hardware is still largely unknown.
But thanks to leaks, we can make a fairly educated guess.
According to leaked specs from WalkingCat, Samsung is planning on launching not one but two smartwatches: Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. It lists four versions total: a 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 4, along with a 42mm and 46mm Classic.
While it appears both smartwatches will have the same processor and sensors, it looks like the Watch 4 Classic will be available in larger sizes with larger batteries.
Here’s a hands-on photo of the Classic edition from another well-known leaker, Max Weinbach.
On the left is what is likely the 46mm case size while to the right is the 42mm size. Below are images of both editions from Snoopytech.
Size differences aside, it seems like the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is more upscale while the Galaxy Watch 4 has a more casual look — similar to the Galaxy Watch Active.
Snoopytech also tweeted an entire spec sheet for the Classic edition.
The 46mm smartwatch might have a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display. And it looks like it’s set to include sensors like a heart rate monitor, ECG, and GPS. It’ll also include a host of fitness and health features like step count, calories burned, sleep-tracking (with snore detection), active heart-rate monitoring, period tracking, and more.
According to SlashGear, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will have a rotating bezel (which is very reminiscent of the original Galaxy Watch lineup). The publication also claims the 44mm version of the Classic will have a 1.19-inch display.
MySmartPrice says the standard 40mm Galaxy Watch 4 will cost between €350 to €370 ($415 to $437). Meanwhile the 44mm version will cost between €380 to €400 ($450 to $473).
The 42mm Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will cost €470 to €500 ($556 to $591) and the 46mm will cost €500 to €530 ($591 to $627). Keep in mind, it’s not always an exact conversion so it’s possible that U.S. pricing will be different for the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
It’s entirely possible that Samsung might not announce everything mentioned above. Thankfully, Unpacked is right around the corner so we don’t have to wait too long to find out.