Samsung Unpacked 2024: What to expect and how to watch Wednesday’s hardware event

Samsung Unpacked 2024 kicks off Wednesday at 6 a.m. PST/9 a.m. ET. Why so early for our West Coast pals? This year, the Galaxy showcase will take place in Paris, with a local start time of 1 p.m. CET. Paris, as is often the case, also kicks off the Summer Olympics about two weeks later — an event of which Samsung is a huge sponsor.

If past history is any indication — and it always is with these kinds of things — foldable devices will take center stage at Samsung’s event. The company has been following a six-month flagship release cycle for the past few years. Since Samsung retired the Note in 2022, that meant new Galaxy S devices in January and February, and the Galaxy Z Folds and Galaxy Z Flips in the summer. With the change of scenery, however, it looks like Samsung’s event will be packed.

Other expected headliners include a lot of time dedicated to the Galaxy AI, which already had a fair amount of face time at the Galaxy S24 event. That Unpacked also teased “one more thing” in the form of the Galaxy Ring, which made its media debut a little over a month later at MWC in Barcelona. Expect specific details about the new wearable, as well as other accessories like the Galaxy Buds.

You can watch Galaxy Unpacked live here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip 6 Updates

Of course, both new foldables have already leaked, as have most of the devices discussed below. Samsung’s core competencies are manufacturing components, making great hardware, and leaking all of the above information early.

The company’s all-out commitment to the foldable form factor has changed a lot of minds over the past few years. Many questions about reliability and consumer appeal surrounded the first few generations, but it’s safe to say that Samsung has proven that foldables are indeed a viable category.

Both new models will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which Qualcomm unveiled in Hawaii last fall (I really need to talk to someone about my travel budget). The Galaxy S24 series was one of the first devices to get the new system-on-a-chip, with OnePlus and Xiaomi also on the list, and Vivo introduced a foldable smartphone with the silicon back in March.

Fold 6 is supposedly it will receive some key design tweaks, making it thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with an adjusted 22:9 aspect ratio. That would put it more in line with the very good foldable offerings from Google and OnePlus. Other rumors point to a brighter screen and a new aluminum body, while the Galaxy Fold is expected to get an improved battery.

AI Galaxy

As you’ve probably heard, international law requires all phone makers to spend half of every event talking about how cool AI is. Samsung devoted a large chunk of its winter Unpacked to the topic, showing off a bunch of new camera features and its Circle to Search partnership with Google. Google picked up the baton at I/O in May, while at WWDC last month we learned that “AI” apparently now stands for “Apple Intelligence.”

Samsung’s biggest challenge is finding ways to differentiate Galaxy AI from the myriad of Gemini features that will make their way to Android. The details of those plans are a bit vague, beyond things like new translation feature for WhatsApp.

Galaxy Ring Release Date and Price

Samsung threw us a fun surprise at its recent Unpacked event by briefly announcing a new wearable gadget. With the Galaxy Ring, the company is entering a category that has so far been dominated by smaller brands like Oura. When the product was unveiled, all of these companies expressed to us how happy they were that Samsung had effectively asserted its space.

Oura CEO Tom Hale told TechCrunch at the time that “having new players enter the market validates the category and drives us to set higher goals to serve our members and community.”

As for what that validation will look like, Samsung is finally going to give us some concrete details. The Ring should get a release date and price; rumors suggest it’ll be around $300. That would put the device on par with the Oura, but the question remains how much of that cost Samsung could freeze in a subscription to premium health software (also like the Oura).

Other things we’ll be looking out for during Samsung Unpacked

Samsung’s philosophy with in-ear headphones has always been that smaller is better. For years, the company has relied on a small, spherical design that fits snugly in your ear. It does the job for the most part, but it limits control because there’s not much surface area to interact with. Of course, the company adds stems — and oblong charging cases.

If the leaks so far are any indication, many people will be asking you if they are AirPods the next time you wear them out. Given that the copyright holder he overthrew many images posted on Twitter/X, which is a good sign that the leakers are right.

The leakers in question also posted images of what is supposedly the Galaxy Watch 7. Samsung also confirmed that the new gadget is coming soon, announcing a new BioActive sensor ahead of the show. The company notes:

The all-new BioActive sensor is essential to providing you with a better preventive health experience in the next Galaxy Watch, with design improvements that enable even more accurate health information. Samsung engineers focused on three improvements to the new sensor: increasing the efficiency of the light-collecting photodiodes, adding additional light-emitting diode (LED) colors, and optimally positioning them on the sensor.

It’s safe to assume that between the improved Watch and the new Ring, the company will spend a lot of time touting its health and fitness platform. Given Apple’s recent patent woes, Samsung may as well strike while the iron is hot.

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