Unpacked 2021: Samsung Launches Five New Galaxy Devices

Samsung used its August product event to unveil two Galaxy Z foldable smartphones, new wireless earbuds and a pair of Galaxy Watch wearables.

Into A New Galaxy

During its Unpacked 2021 product announcement event Wednesday, Samsung unveiled five new products in its Galaxy devices line across foldables, earbuds and smartwatches. One thing the company did not announce was a new device in its Galaxy Note series, which for years has been unveiled during Samsung’s August event. Instead, the company turned its attention on the smartphone front to its Galaxy Z foldables. Samsung announced major updates for the new Galaxy Z Fold 3—which opens to have a tablet-size display like its predecessor the Fold 2—and the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which folds top to bottom in flip-phone fashion, like the original Galaxy Z Flip. The company has also reduced the prices for both the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 compared to the previous foldables in the lineup.

Additionally, Samsung announced a new pair of wireless earbuds with the Galaxy Buds 2, along with a pair of new-and-improved smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.

What follows are the key details to know on Samsung’s new five Galaxy devices unveiled at Unpacked 2021.

Galaxy Z Fold 3

While Samsung isn’t updating the Galaxy Note series this time, the company is bringing its S Pen stylus to its Galaxy Z Fold lineup for the first time—with options for two different styluses (sold separately) that will work with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. They are the S Pen Fold Edition and larger S Pen Pro, which will work with any Galaxy device that supports a stylus and includes gesture controls. (Neither pen can be stored inside the device.)

Another major area of focus is on durability, with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offering water resistance for the first time (with an IPX8 rating); a stronger type of aluminum on the frame and hinge (for a 10-percent improvement on durability); and a display featuring Gorilla Glass Victus and a new protective film. The result is an 80-percent improvement to screen durability for the Fold 3.

Also on the display, Samsung has doubled the refresh rate on the 6.2-inch cover screen, to 120Hz, matching the refresh rate of the 7.6-inch main screen. The Fold 3 is also slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor at 0.63 of an inch thick and 0.6 of a pound.

On performance, the Fold 3 will be powered by Qualcomm’s speedy, eight-core Snapdragon 888 processor and a sizeable amount of RAM at 12 GB. The foldable phone will also support both types of 5G connectivity—the more prevalent sub-6GHz as well as the higher-speed 5G variant, known as mmWave.

On price, Samsung is reducing the starting price of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to $1,799.99, from $1,999 on the Fold 2. The Fold 3 will be available to pre-order on Aug. 11 and will be shipping on Aug. 27. The S Pen Fold Edition will be priced at $49.99 and the S Pen Pro will cost $99.99.

Galaxy Z Flip 3

Like the Z Fold 2, the Galaxy Z Flip 3—which is the successor to the original Z Flip that debuted in early 2020—boasts a number of durability improvements. Those include the IPX8 water resistance, the stronger frame/hinge and the 80-percent screen durability improvement through use of the new protective film and Gorilla Glass Victus. And while the Z Flip 3 does not add pen support, the device does get a 4X larger cover screen—now measuring 1.9 inches—in addition to the 6.7-inch main display. Users can now shoot video from the cover screen while keeping the phone folded, as well.

Other design improvements include a thinner hinge that does not stick out as much as on the previous model, Samsung said.

On performance and connectivity, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will also support both types of 5G and be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888, with 8 GB of RAM included.

Samsung is also reducing the price on the Galaxy Z Flip 3, with the foldable phone now starting at $999.99—well below the original $1,380 price tag of the first-gen Z Flip. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 will begin pre-order son Aug. 11 and will start shipping on Aug. 27.

Galaxy Buds 2

Apple’s AirPods may be popular, but they’re not for everyone—and now there’s a new alternative in the form of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2. A follow-up to the original Galaxy Buds from 2019, the Galaxy Buds 2 feature Active Noise Cancellation and aim to offer top-notch audio quality with a two-way speaker system (including a woofer and tweeter). The Galaxy Buds 2 also come with three mics and offer three “ambient sound” levels, enabling users to stay aware of the environment as needed. In terms of design, the Buds 2 are the smallest and lightest earbuds from Samsung to date—with a design that is 15-percent smaller and 20-percent lighter than the Galaxy Buds Plus—with a curved design meant to enhance sound quality, the company said.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are priced at $149.99 and will be available Aug. 27.

Galaxy Watch 4

For Samsung’s newest smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 4, the company says it’s improved everything from the display and CPU to health sensors to the user interface. The Galaxy Watch 4 will include a thinner design, thanks in part to a reduction of the size of the health sensors in the wearable, and will include a brighter AMOLED display with durable Gorilla Glass DX+. In terms of health sensors, the smartwatch includes an optical heart rate sensor (PPG), electrical heart sensor (ECG) and bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor (BIA). The sensors enable monitoring of blood pressure, detection of irregular heartbeats, measurement of blood oxygen levels and, for the first time on a Galaxy Watch, analysis of body composition for an overall fitness snapshot, Samsung said.

The Galaxy Watch 4 “unlocks new opportunities for businesses with robust and holistic wellness features, said Hamsy Raveendran, head of mobile B2B product management and go to market at Samsung, in a recorded video provided to media. “More companies are looking to incentivize healthy living as a way to bring down insurance costs. With advanced health features, our latest Watch 4 series can help businesses enhance employees’ wellness, while also fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes wellbeing.”

In terms of performance, the Galaxy Watch 4 offers a 20-percent increase in CPU and 10-percent increase in GPU speeds, Samsung said. And for the user interface, the Galaxy Watch 4 will debut a new unified smartwatch platform, which was built jointly with Google and originally disclosed at Mobile World Congress in June. The platform offers a “more seamless” and connected user experience across Samsung’s Galaxy smartwatches and smartphones—for instance, by recognizing key settings on a Galaxy phone and then automatically syncing those settings to the Galaxy Watch 4. The smartwatch will also automatically install watch-capable apps that are already on a user’s Galaxy phone on their Galaxy Watch 4 as well.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 will be offered in 40 mm or 44 mm models, and will have a starting price of $249.99. It will be available to pre-order today with shipping on Aug. 27. A version of the Watch 4 that supports LTE connectivity will start at $299.99.

Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

For the second new Samsung smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, key differences include the use of premium materials such as stainless steel as well as a rotating bezel, instead of the digital bezel on the standard Galaxy Watch 4. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will be slightly larger, with choices between a 42 mm or 46 mm model. Otherwise, the capabilities of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic are the same as on the standard Watch 4—including the faster CPU and GPU, brighter display with Gorilla Glass DX, new user interface, inclusion of health sensors and the body composition analysis feature.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will also have a higher starting price, at $349.99. A version of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic that supports LTE connectivity will start at $399.99. The smartwatch will begin pre-orders today and start shipping on Aug. 27.