Samsung Unpacked 2024: Galaxy Ring, new foldable phones and more

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Samsung has just announced a range of new AI-powered Galaxy products at its Unpacked 2024 summer event in Paris, including the launch of a brand new wearable – the Galaxy Ring.

The company also unveiled two new foldable phones – the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 – as well as a new Galaxy Watch Ultra smartwatch aimed at extreme sports that competes with the Apple Watch Ultra, plus the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3. Pro .

Here’s everything you need to know about all the latest products announced by Samsung at its Galaxy Unpacked event, including its latest AI innovations.

Samsung Galaxy Ring

The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Ring is a passive health tracker for your finger. First announced in January, the titanium bling will challenge the market-dominating Oura Ring when it launches later this month.

Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung Galaxy Ring (Samsung)

Boasting a headphone-like case with wireless charging, the Galaxy Ring can monitor the user’s heart rate, sleep quality, and has a skin temperature sensor to track menstrual cycles and fertility periods. It can also automatically track walks and runs.

Thanks to Galaxy AI technology, Samsung collects all the data the ring receives and gives you an overall energy score, a sleep score that tells you how well you slept, as well as personalized wellness tips based on your health goals.

Interestingly, you’ll be able to perform double-pinch gestures to remotely take photos and snooze or stop alarms, and like a smartwatch, you’ll receive inactivity alerts if you’ve been sitting for too long. It will work with any Android 11 phone, but works better with Samsung Galaxy devices.

It comes in nine different sizes (5 to 13) and costs £399 – more than the Oura Ring – but notably doesn’t require a monthly subscription to access your data and wellness tips. It starts on July 24.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Ring Hands-On Review: Is It Oura Ring Killer?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6

Samsung’s foldable phone line has entered its sixth year, and as with previous iterations, the hardware upgrades aren’t major. All the most interesting is in the software.

The latest Galaxy Fold 6 has just a few minor tweaks to keep it relevant for 2024. It runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and uses a 1.6x larger evaporator for better performance on more demanding tasks.

Samsung
Samsung (Samsung)

The screen is also slightly shorter and wider, addressing concerns that Samsung’s cover display would feel too narrow in the hand. It also has a brushed metal finish around the rings surrounding the camera. But the cameras themselves are unchanged, as are the batteries. It launches on July 24, priced from £1,799 and up, and is available in blue, silver and pink.

The smaller Galaxy Z Flip 6 received a more significant hardware upgrade compared to the Fold 6, getting a better camera and a bigger battery while maintaining a compact shape.

It now boasts a 50MP camera, the same as in Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S24 Plus, which should deliver better night photos. There is also a larger 4000mAh battery inside. Like the Fold 6, it runs on the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and for the first time has a vapor chamber to help keep performance at its peak.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 launches on July 24 and starts at £1,049. It comes in blue, silver, yellow and green.

Look beyond the hardware and you’ll find a suite of Galaxy AI features that give foldable phones a real boost. New to Galaxy AI, for example, is Sketch to Image, which lets you scribble on photos and make the drawing look like a photorealistic edit. Samsung demonstrated this by sketching the glasses on a dog.

Other features already on the S24, such as Live Translate, Note Assist (which transcribes and translates meetings), and smarter suggested responses will also be coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Fold 6: Our first impressions review

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 7

Samsung also announced two new smartwatches at the Galaxy Unpacked event – ​​the upgraded Galaxy Watch 7 and the all-new extreme sports-focused Galaxy Watch Ultra. Both smartwatches are the first wearables to run on Wear OS 5.

(Samsung)

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is the company’s answer to the Apple Watch Ultra with a more durable design with a bigger, brighter display and longer battery life. The case is made of titanium, it can withstand extreme temperatures in hot and cold environments and a depth of up to 100m.

Triathletes can connect a smartwatch to a power meter and it’s smart enough to know when runners are at the start of the course. It also features a brand new quick action button that can be programmed to do a number of things. You can long press, double tap and single tap to perform different actions.

Available in one size – 47mm (slightly smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra), it will launch on July 24 and cost £599. It comes in grey, white or silver and comes standard with LTE.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is a more iterative upgrade, but should be more powerful than before. It features the world’s first 3nm processor, making it three times faster than the Galaxy Watch 6, and features a bioactive sensor that improves the watch’s overall accuracy.

You also get new stitched sports bands to pair with the watch, and the watch will continue to track 90 different activities, suggested responses, and support for double pinch gestures.

It’s available in Bluetooth or LTE and launches on July 24, with prices starting from £299. You can get it in either 40mm or 44mm and either green and silver or green and cream.

Read more: Samsung has launched the all-new Galaxy Watch 7 range – we’ve had a first look

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Both Samsung Galaxy headphones underwent a radical redesign for 2024. They now look more like AirPods, ditching the clamshell charging case and featuring AirPods-like stems.

The Galaxy Buds 3 retain their open-ear design while boasting IP57 dust and water resistance. They will have active noise cancellation, but mostly it’s just a design change. Battery life also remains the same at 5 hours.

The biggest upgrades come to the premium Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Again with a design similar to AirPods, they sit inside the ear but have a completely new blade lighting system. This system allows the buds to blink when on, glow brightly when you’re trying to find them in the dark, and flash when in pairing mode.

(Steve Hogarty / The Independent)

The real game-changing feature is that Interpreter is coming to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. You’ll be able to set the headphones to listen to 40 different languages ​​and translate them into your ear in real time. They also feature Adaptive ANC powered by Galaxy AI, which adjusts the level of noise cancellation as well as changes the tone and EQ according to the wearing state.

Call quality has also improved, Samsung has trained its database on thousands of sounds so it knows how to tune them out and focus only on your voice.

The Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro come in silver and white, and will launch on July 24 and cost £159 and £219 respectively.

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