After teasing clues about the date of its next big hardware reveal on social media on Tuesday, Samsung confirmed that its next Unpacked event is set for August 10.
The event invite shown above shows a Z Flip foldable phone, which seems to back up what previous whistleblower Evan Blass had hinted at: the Unpacked event will focus on Samsung‘s foldable phone. Specifically, it may reveal the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and clamshell-style Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, which will be launched in August 2021.
Don’t expect much progress from Samsung‘s next foldable. Rumors have suggested that the tablet-sized Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 could have a new hinge and slimmer construction, but a jury of leakers has yet to determine whether it will include an S Pen slot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Other rumors predict a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset powering the foldable device, as well as an under-display camera appearing on the outer display to complement the one on the inner screen.
According to other rumors, the compact-looking Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 could get a larger cover display, which could make it more useful for reading notifications and previewing selfie photos.
Even if the new foldable has only incremental spec upgrades, the biggest improvement might be the price. The Galaxy Fold 3 starts at $1,800 (£1,599, AU$2,499) cheaper than its predecessor, still around double the price of most high-end smartphones. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 sells for a staggering $1,000 (£949, AU$1,499), or close to the price of the iPhone 13 Pro, making it the most affordable foldable to date and a viable alternative to standard phablet smartphones.
But analyst Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, predicts that the upcoming Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 could be cheaper, tweeting that Samsung has ramped up production and the number of new foldables made That’s double what it was last year, which points to a possible price cut.
Regardless, we expect the new foldables to sell well, as the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 sold more in their launch month than in all of 2020. With more than 7 million foldables sold in 2021, Samsung is in a strong position to continue to dominate the niche foldable market, which is expected to grow to over 27 million by 2025.
Samsung may have other products to go with the foldable, most likely the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. Rumors suggest that the next-gen line of premium smartwatches could feature a body temperature sensor and longer battery life, as well as an updated design. Hopefully it also fixes a glaring flaw in the Galaxy Watch 4 — no iPhone support — and better integration with Wear OS 3, as we felt last year’s watch was pulled between Google and Samsung’s ecosystems.
There are other things Samsung could show off, like Galaxy Buds 2 earbuds, a tablet or a laptop successor, but we haven’t heard a lot of rumors suggesting that either of those could be coming. Still, it’s easy to be surprised by the long-awaited foldable.
>>>>>>>>>>Samsung battery