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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event: The four biggest announcements
Samsung's August 2021 Galaxy Unpacked event just started. We already have a good idea of what Samsung is going to announce (that's the new Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 in the picture above), but we'll keep a running list of everything Samsung announces below. Samsung kicked off the pre-recorded event by announcing the new Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3: How to pre-order and get the best deal
We're getting our first look at Google and Samsung's wearable partnership with the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic. Both smartwatches run Wear OS powered by Samsung, a combination of Samsung's Tizen operating system and Google's WearOS. Both watches use a new 5nm processor made by Samsung.
Both watches include a Bioactive Sensor that combines three different sensors into one. It includes an optical heart rate sensor, electrical heart sensor and a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis sensor. The combination of those three things can do things like measure body composition, detect an AFib heartbeat and measure your blood oxygen level.
During the event, Samsung really played up the new sensor and the benefit of measuring your body composition. To take a measurement, you'll need to place two fingers on the side of the watch, similar to how you take an ECG reading. It takes 15 seconds to take a reading and get the results.
Samsung is also adding new features to help motivate you to work out and stay competitive with friends and family members.
Both watches are available for preorder starting today and will be available in stores on August 27; the same day orders will begin to arrive:
It looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is up next. But first, TM Roh, head of mobile at Samsung, details how seriously Samsung takes user privacy and protects user data through partnerships and services like Samsung Knox.
Roh just introduced the Galaxy Z Series as the "future of the smartphone." And it's hard not to agree with that statement. Foldable displays feel like the future.
Arguably the star of the show, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The third-generation phone with a foldable display that opens like a book to convert into a tablet from a standard smartphone-like design now works with Samsung's S Pen stylus.
In order to make the S Pen work with the Fold 3, Samsung created two new S Pen models. Both feature a tip that moves as you apply pressure when writing or drawing on the screen, preventing any damage. The S Pen is an optional accessory for the Z Fold 3 and one that Samsung is hoping attracts business and enterprise users. To be clear, the S Pen only works on the main display, not the cover display.
For the first time, the Z Fold 3 has an IPX8 water resistance rating. That means you can submerge the phone in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, and it should still work. Samsung played a really neat video detailing how the company protected the Z Fold 3 from water.
The cover screen has a 6.2inch display, and it opens up to a 7.6inch display that folds. One of the more notable features that are worth pointing out is an under-display camera in the main display. You can't see it, according to Samsung, when you use the phone.
Samsung also updated its own apps for the main screen, giving them a two-column approach that puts more information on the screen. There's also a new taskbar that keeps your favorite apps at your fingertips.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available to preorder today and officially launches on August 27. It starts at $1799 for 256GB of storage and 12GB of memory -- Double the storage for $1899.
Now it's time for Samsung to detail the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Consider the Z Flip 3, the mainstream consumer foldable phone. It flips up just like flip phones from 15 years ago, unveiling a 6.7inch display. The cover screen is 1.9inches and makes it easy to glance at alerts quickly. It comes in several colors, four of which are available from every retailer, but with three additional color options (pink, white, gray) exclusive to orders through Samsung.
Next to the cover screen are two 12-megapixel cameras, one wide-angle and another ultra-wide-angle. Samsung made the cover screen more functional, allowing you to swipe and interact with apps -- like Samsung Pay or the camera app -- without opening the phone.
The Z Flip is available to preorder right now for $999 and comes with 128GB of storage. You can get 256GB of storage for $1049.
Samsung also spent a few minutes detailing OneUI 3 for the Z series. It's basically the same One UI that runs on the Galaxy S-series but optimizes Android and the OneUI skin for a foldable display. Features like the S Pen on the Z Fold 3's main screen or flex mode that lets you use the phone to take pictures or video chat while multitasking.
Not sure what the difference is between the Z Fold 3 or the Z Flip 3? I broke it all down here.
Samsung announced a new pair of wireless earbuds aimed directly at competing with Apple's AirPods. The $149 Buds 2 go on sale on August 27, come in four different colors, and work exclusively with Samsung's Galaxy devices. The Buds 2 have active-noise cancelation and an ambient mode so you can listen to music or a podcast while also hearing your surroundings.
Battery life is 5-hours while using ANC, or 7.5-hours with ANC off. The charging case adds another 20-hours of battery.