What to expect from Samsung's August 10th Unpacked event - Engadget

Samsung is holding its next Unpacked livestream on August 10th, and expectations are running high. The company has used previous summer events to introduce new foldable phones, smartwatches and earbuds, and the company has effectively confirmed a repeat in 2022. Just what will appear this time around, though? Don’t worry — we’ll let you know what you’re likely to see when Samsung takes to the virtual stage.

How to watch Unpacked

Samsung

It will be easy to follow Samsung’s announcements. The company is streaming Unpacked live on August 10th at 9AM Eastern. You can watch on Samsung’s website, and you’ll usually find a broadcast on the brand’s YouTube channel. Naturally, you can expect event coverage from Engadget.

Galaxy Z Fold 4

Evan Blass/91Mobiles

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is nearly a year old, so it’s arguably due for an update — and Samsung’s own Unpacked teasers hint that one is coming. With that said, we wouldn’t expect a Z Fold 4 to represent a major overhaul. If leaks are correct, the new model will represent a refinement of the marquee foldable.

Rendered images shared by OnLeaks and Smartprix, as well as Evan Blass and 91Mobiles, suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will mate the series’ phone-slash-tablet formula with design elements from the S22 Ultra. You’d get Ultra-like rear camera bumps and slightly tweaked dimensions, but it would otherwise be very familiar. Not that we’d rule out functional changes. Leaker Ice Universe claims the Z Fold 4 would have less prominent display creases, for example.

Performance upgrades could be more substantial, if predictable. Noted leaker Yogesh Brar says the Z Fold 4 would use the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM. You’d see an upgraded 50-megapixel main rear camera as well as a much sharper 16-megapixel under-display inside cam. You could expect familiar 12MP ultra-wide and 3X zoom sensors on the back, and a 10MP outer selfie shooter. There is a dispute over the storage, though. While Brar maintains that the Z Fold 4 would start with 256GB of space, Evan Blass has discovered references to a 128GB edition.

That storage question may affect the price. While YouTuber Jon Prosser and others believe the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will reach stores August 26th, it’s not clear how much the device will cost. A 128GB variant could lead to a lower starting price than the $1,800 of its predecessor. Just don’t expect higher capacities than last year when there hasn’t been a mention of storage options beyond 512GB.

Galaxy Z Flip 4

Evan Blass/91Mobiles

There’s even less mystery to the next Galaxy Z Flip. Samsung’s teaser video for the Unpacked event very clearly shows a new version of the clamshell phone, so it’s really just a question of what the Z Flip 4 will offer versus its predecessor.

Don’t expect a major redesign. If the OnLeaks and Evan Blass images (plus a removed TechTalkTV video) are accurate, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is virtually a carbon copy of the Flip 3 with similar rear cameras, a slightly larger external display and different colors. That isn’t necessarily a problem, but it might prove disappointing if you were looking for a brand new look. The less pronounced screen creasing of the Fold 4 might carry over, too.

The under-the-hood upgrades would be subtler than those of the Fold 4, according to rumors. Yogesh Brar claims the Z Flip 4 would make the leap to a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, but would still include 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of non-expandable storage and a 6.7-inch 120Hz display. You’d get a larger 3,700mAh battery (versus 3,300mAh in the Flip 3) and 25W charging (versus 15W), though, so the Flip 4 might last longer. The previous phone’s dual 12MP rear cameras and 10MP selfie camera would carry over to the new model.

Samsung typically releases new Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold models at the same time, and Prosser has heard that the Flip 4 will reach stores on August 26th like its higher-end counterpart. If so, the cost might be the only mystery left. There’s no certainty the Flip 4 will stick to its ancestor’s $999 price. If there is a 128GB model, though, we wouldn’t expect the latest device to be much more expensive, if at all.

Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro

Evan Blass/91Mobiles

The Galaxy Watch 4 marked a revival of Samsung’s smartwatch strategy with its switch to Wear OS and a sleeker design. The company might be eager to preserve that momentum, as there are signs it’s readying a Galaxy Watch 5 family with a few notable twists.

If 91Mobiles’ shared renders are authentic, Samsung will drop its higher-end Classic model in favor of a more modern-looking (if still posh) Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. You might not get the knurled bezel of the previous smartwatch, but the Pro would upgrade from a steel case to light-but-strong titanium. Samsung inadvertently hinted at the Pro name in its Health app, although it didn’t provide further clues.

The regular Galaxy Watch 5 wouldn't be as big a departure. You could expect the same minimal, fitness-oriented design as before. SamMobile floated a rumor that the wristwear would have a 10 percent larger battery than its year-old counterpart, but it’s unknown if that will translate to a longer-lasting timepiece. It’s still unclear if Samsung will implement a new processor or body sensor that could affect battery life.

You may have to pay more than you might expect. WinFuture’s Roland Quandt heard in June that the regular Galaxy Watch 5 would start around €300 (about $306) for a 40mm Bluetooth mode and top out at €400 ($409) for a 44mm LTE unit. Titanium is a historically expensive watch case material, and that would bump the price of the 5 Pro to about €490 ($502) for a 45mm Bluetooth model and €540 ($552) for its LTE equivalent.

New Galaxy Buds Pro

Evan Blass/91Mobiles

The basic Galaxy Buds 2 premiered at last year’s Unpacked, and Samsung might follow that up with a higher-end option. Evan Blass and 91Mobiles recently posted renderings of what they say are the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

Cosmetically, the true wireless earbuds would look nearly the same as the existing Galaxy Buds Pro introduced in January 2021. 9to5Google sources claim you’d get questionably useful 24-bit audio support, and there have been murmurs of a larger battery. Otherwise, Samsung might play it safe with familiar active noise cancellation and multi-device pairing support.

Be ready to pay more. A 9to5 retail tipster maintains that the Buds 2 Pro will cost $230, or a significant $30 more. While that still makes them more affordable than rivals like the AirPods Pro (officially $249), you might not save much by springing for Samsung’s in-ears.

Wildcards

Billy Steele/Engadget

We wouldn’t rule out a surprise or two at the August Unpacked event, but don’t count on any either. There aren’t any signs of a replacement for the Galaxy Buds 2 or other earbuds. Similarly, Samsung updated the Galaxy A and S series earlier this year. The company’s next hardware updates are very predictable at this stage, and any unusual announcements will likely be reserved for follow-up presentations.

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