Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 is here, and with it, we got a look at all the newest tech from the massive mobile phone manufacturer. As tech’s silly season kicks off, and with the iPhone 15 release date just around the corner, it’s all hotting up in the world of smartphones.
So, we’ve got a round-up of all the big announcements from the event, as well as ways to pre-order the latest tech from Samsung. Head below to find it all, from the new flip phone and tablet-style foldable to wearables and tablets.
The event opened with a lovely look at Samsung’s history with smartphones, gliding through decades of different tech developments, from portable handsets bigger than your head to the retro stylings of the brand-new Z Flip5.
Every announcement from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023
Live from Seoul, Korea, Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 brought four big announcements, and you can find detailed breakdowns of them all below.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 costs $999 and launches on August 11, 2023. It started the show, with a trailer showcasing its new screen on the outside. It’s got a similar design as previously, except the two cameras are now next to each other rather than on top of each other, in order to make room for the new big screen.
The new expanded cover screen has various widgets that can show health data, music, and more. There are notifications, small activity widgets that appear in the bottom left corner (somewhat akin to Apple’s Dynamic Island), and a bunch of other features so you can use your phone without unfolding it. And it looks like Samsung has given it a unique name, too – the Flex Window.
They ended by, somewhat amusingly saying, “When you hold the Galaxy Z Flip5 in your hand, you’re saying to the world, ‘I am open to change.’ And that is what it means to join the flip side.” Then we got an advert featuring actor Sydney Sweeney singing the praises of the new screen on the outside before she appeared on stage in real life! Magic.
Then, the head of brand marketing took us through the selfie benefits, talking about the cameras on the back. They have photo and video capabilities, of course, plus auto-framing if new people join the shot. Using AI, Samsung reduces noise and adds bokeh effects to images, too. We also got a look at some new cases to match the different backgrounds on the Flex Window.
The Flex Window has adaptive brightness, and quick swipes let you view quick settings, widgets, and your wallet, similar to the Galaxy Watch. We then got our THIRD advert for the phone, which, as always, was very pretty.
In terms of tech, the Z Flip5 has the same chipset as the S23 series – that being the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Samsung has upped durability in this device with something called a ‘shock-dispersion layer’ in the screen, and a new hinge rail to keep it tough. The company calls it the toughest Z Flip yet. We then went straight into the new Fold5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
The Galaxy Z Fold5 costs $1,799 and launches on August 11, 2023. It has a near bezel-less corner-to-corner display on the inside, at least from the look we got during Unpacked. There’s a new hinge to reduce the Fold’s gap even more, called the Flex Hinge. It’s strong enough to hold itself upright at any angle, yet the phone still has an IPX8 rating.
On the inside, there’s also the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, meaning any $800+ Samsung phone now has the same chipset. We also got a look at the Z Fold5’s photo capabilities, before seeing that the inside screen gets improved brightness up to 1750 nits. We then moved onto a focus on the new ecosystem changes.
Galaxy Watch6
The new Galaxy Watch 6 is all focused on sleep tracking. A little trailer showed us footballer Son Heung-Min taking a doze and various animations depicting the technological capabilities of the watch. It gives you a sleep score, denoting the quality of your sleep, alongside little animal emojis that looked rather cute.
There are new heart rate variability tracking, sleep coaching tips to get you a better night’s sleep, and new watch faces to make sleep info even clearer. These animal emojis match your sleep and create a cute mascot that reflects what your sleep animal is.
The sensors on the back side of the watch can give you irregular heart rhythm notifications, track your cycle, and set a personalized heart rate zone for working out. Better yet, the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 gets a returning feature with the rotating bezel, making it easily the classiest smartwatch on the market.
Galaxy Tab S9
The S9 Ultra costs $1,199, the S9+ costs $999, and the base S9 costs $799. Pre-orders are available now. A new series of premium tablets, these three devices all get 120Hz AMOLED screens with dynamic brightness and tone changes. Both the Tab S9 and the S pen are also IPX68 resistance.
The Tab S9 series is also powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, meaning everything in today’s show – except the watch of course – has the same chip. The Tab S9 has heat dispersal, too, so will likely have better sustained performance.
How do I make a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 reservation?
You can pre-order the Z Flip5 here if you’re in the US (or here for the UK). Meanwhile, the Z Fold5 is now available at BestBuy for US customers, or EE for the UK.
For more beyond Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023, check out our guides to the best iPads, best gaming iPhone, and best rugged smartphones. You like tech? We got it.
