Samsung Unpacked in July 2024 brought lots of the news you'd expect: new gadgets. And because it's a tech event in 2024, a focus on AI.
But it was a particularly noteworthy event for Samsung, considering it launched an entirely new product category during Unpacked. We've got info on all the big news revealed during the livestream, so let's get into it.
The tech giant launched its highly anticipated Galaxy Ring at Unpacked on Wednesday.
As you might expect, it's a wearable focused on health. Notably, it has a strong focus on sleep, using an AI algorithm to help users better understand their sleep patterns. The idea is to have a wearable that you can actually wearall the time. Samsung promised a lightweight design and a battery life of up to seven days.
The Galaxy Ring, of course, is seemingly in direct competition with the already popular Oura Ring, which just launched an AI-powered advisor component to its product.
Galaxy Ring pre-orders start on Wednesday. It'll be widely available on July 24. Pricing starts at $399.99.
Samsung Galaxy Rings, on display. Credit: Mashable / Kimberly Gedeon Samsung dropped its new, premium watch aimed at competing with the Apple Watch Ultra. Some of the promised upgrades include an increased battery life, extreme durability, and very detailed tracking of your workouts. Basically, if you're really into triathlons, or hiking/camping, or some other such activity, then it might just be the watch for you.
But the most striking new feature added to the Galaxy Watch Ultra is its new sleep apnea sensor, which detects whether you have mild-to-severe breathing issues while you sleep. It's FDA-authorized, too.
Credit: Mashable / Kimberly Gedeon Pre-orders start on Wednesday. It'll be widely available on July 24. The Galaxy Watch Ultra will cost a hefty $649.99.
OK, so if the Ultra is too much, maybe the Watch 7 would be just right for you. For one, pricing starts at $299.99. It promises lots of what we've come to expect from smart watches. It's added a few bells and whistles, including the aforementioned AI-powered sleep tool that comes with the Galaxy Ring. You can also use the Watch 7 to take a body composition snapshot, which feels odd to me but might be appealing to some folks out there. Samsung also promised the Watch 7 will run faster and have an even more accurate GPS feature.
The more affordable Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. Credit: Mashable / Kimberly Gedeon What would a tech event be without phones? Chief among them is the Z Fold 6. Samsung promised that the phone would be fast and, yep, you guessed it, optimized for AI. The Google Gemini app is integrated into the phone, meaning it has a built-in AI assistant. The company noted that AI could help folks do things like plan travel or take detailed, transcribed notes of a meeting.
The phone itself, of course, folds as the name would suggest. Samsung announced that its latest offerings represent the slimmest and lightest Galaxy Z series yet. Despite this, the company has worked to create a more durable product. Additionally, Samsung highlighted the Galaxy Z Assurance program, which offers screen repair services for broken devices.
The Z Fold 6 is available for pre-order starting Wednesday, will be widely available July 24, and will start at $1,899.99. Not cheap!
Look at Mashable dot com on that big, foldable screen. Credit: Mashable / Kimberly Gedeon The tech giant also debuted its Galaxy Z Flip 6, which is the relatively cheaper option when compared to the Fold 6. The smaller Z Flip 6 still promises to provide the customizability afforded the folding screen of the Z Fold 6. It, too, integrates AI features and promises a super-high-end camera experience. So, for instance, you could auto-respond to a text quickly while doing other things, courtesy of AI and a multi-functional display.
The Z Flip 6 partially opened. Credit: Mashable / Kimberly Gedeon The Z Flip 6 will still run you at least $1,099.99.
While perhaps not the most exciting news of the day, Samsung also released new versions of its Galaxy Buds and Buds Pro. And guess what? They'll have AI features.
The Buds 3 Pro, in all their AI-powered glory. Credit: Mashable / Kimberly Gedeon One neat feature, however, was Interpreter. It allows users to put a Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Flip 6 into listening mode and have what someone is saying directly interpreted into their Buds. Samsung also promised improved voice command control of via your Buds — that way you can do things like pause your music with just a couple of words.
Buds 3 will start at $179.99 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at $249.99.
