By Nikhil Chawla
This was the first time Samsung hosted its flagship event in Seoul, South Korea – unveiling its latest Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and watches. The devices included the Galaxy Z Flip5, Galaxy Z Fold5, Galaxy Watch6, Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and the Tab S9 series – including the Tab S9, Tab S9 Plus and Tab S9 Ultra. A total of 7 devices were unveiled at the event and for the first time, we also got a chance to visit the Samsung HQ and the Samsung Innovation Museum (SIM) in Korea, where all the innovation takes place.
As soon as we landed, Samsung had painted or lit up the whole of Seoul with teasers of the Galaxy Unpacked event on the 26th of July, right from the Incheon Airport in Seoul. There was not even a single billboard that was not showcasing the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Unpacked launch details. Which after the launch changed to the teasers of the newly launched products. So, after the pre-launch briefings, a visit to the HQ and Museum and the flagship Samsung Gangnam store it was time to be at the much-awaited Galaxy Unpacked Event.
The event started with Mr TM Roh taking CenterStage and announcing the new products along with Samsung Global leadership. There were guest appearances by Suga from BTS, the most popular K-Pop band in the world, Stray Kids, and IVE’s Wonyoung and Sydney Sweeney, the American actress.
All the devices announced received major hardware upgrades and design enhancements that help the devices be thinner when folded. At its first Unpacked Event in Seoul, the Korean tech giant showcased a thinner Galaxy Z Fold5, a Galaxy Z Flip5 with a larger Flex Window screen on the front, a new Galaxy Tab S9 series that can work even underwater and a Galaxy Watch6 series with better health features.
While its biggest contribution to the new foldable devices might seem small, it has a significant impact on their overall design and usability as well. Samsung’s revolutionary Flex Hinge design, which is built around a teardrop concept where the screen folds, helps make both the Samsung Flip and Fold devices thinner by at least 2mm when folded. Samsung is clearly taking advantage of its head start and learnings from the past five years by fine-tuning both its hardware and software. This is significant from a pocket ability perspective, along with updated specs and a lower price for all the devices.
In addition, the Flip5 comes with a larger 3.4-inch front screen, which gives users access to more content and apps without opening the phone. As a result of the lower price tag, Samsung anticipates the phone to become more popular. This will facilitate the adoption of foldable form factors.
The Fold5, in its design changes, however, is limited to its slim chassis and redesigned hinge. But Samsung has bumped up usability with an integrated PC-like taskbar at the bottom of the screen that will help users utilise the large screen size of the Fold5 better. Both the Galaxy Fold5 and Flip5 are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform.
The company believes its tablets have a greater chance to penetrate the enterprise market. As a result, the Tab S9 series is IP68-rated, meaning they can be used underwater. There will be a new demand for tablets outdoors from a variety of industries, such as construction and sports. These updated tablets feature Vision Booster technology, which adjusts the screen to the light for better viewing wherever you are. As well as switching on multi-control, the company is working on making the tablet an integral part of the home office and office ecosystem. This more integrated ecosystem also makes it easier to move content across various Samsung devices.
Lastly, with the Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic, users can now track sleep and health and receive personalised coaching. Although the watches pack more powerful processors, their design is sleeker with a slimmer bezel.
Pricing:
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is available in three variants and three colour options – Icy Blue, Cream, and Phantom Black. All three variants offer 12 GB of RAM and 256/512 GB or 1 TB of internal storage.
As a launch offer, users can get an upgrade bonus of Rs 5,000 by exchanging an old smartphone and an additional Rs 8,000 discount for HDFC bank card users, which will effectively bring down the price of the Z Fold5 to Rs 1,41,999.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 will be available in two variants in India and will be available for pre-order starting July 27 and will go on sale from August 18. The base model with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage costs Rs 99,999. Similarly, the high-end model with 8 GB RAM and 512 GB storage costs Rs 1,09,999.
With Rs 12,000 upgrade benefit and Rs 8,000 bank cashback, the base variant of the Galaxy Z Flip5 will effectively cost Rs 79,999 in India and will be available in Mint, Cream, Graphite, and Lavender colour options.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series will be priced between Rs 72,999 and Rs 133,999 depending on the size and connectivity options. Here too the offers will make the effective price between Rs 58,999 and Rs 113,999.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 40mm starts at Rs 29,999. But with a cashback of Rs 6,000, and an upgrade bonus of Rs 4,000, the entry-level Watch 6 with Bluetooth connectivity costs 19,999.
Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic starts at Rs 36,999, but with a bank cashback of Rs 6,000 and an exchange bonus of Rs 4,000, it can be bought at Rs 26,999.
- Nikhil Chawla is an independent tech expert, known for his columns, television shows, radio and podcasts. For more on the latest news from the world of technology, connect with him on Twitter and Instagram @nikhilchawla for some new age content.