Samsung Unpacked 2023: What Went Down

Samsung’s Unpacked event revealed what's next in line for the company’s flagship smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets. If you weren’t able to watch the stream, here's a rundown of some of the event’s most notable developments. 

The Launch of Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 

Samsung started strong by unveiling two of its anticipated smartphones – the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5. 

The Galaxy Z Fold5 is the company’s thinnest and lightest foldable phone to date. It has a 7.6-inch display, uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Platform, and has a max brightness of 1,750 nits – that’s 30% brighter than the Galaxy Z Fold4.  

Additionally, the phone has an improved Taskbar that allows users to view up to four of their most recent apps. 

The S Pen Fold Edition also received an upgrade with a slimmer and more compact structure, fine-tuned in tandem with the foldable phone.  

When it comes to the Z Fold5, the company had a clear focus on improving its camera and screen functions.  

To start with, the flip phone has the largest cover screen on any Galaxy smartphone with a 3.4-inch display.  

The Z Fold5 also delivers superior selfie-taking prowess through its Flex Cam, allowing users to select their preferred aspect ratios straight from the cover screen.  

Additionally, a new Super Steady feature allows users to capture more stabilized videos, and the ability to switch between wide and ultra-wide frame settings. The company also emphasized a new AI-powered image signal processing algorithm that corrects the visual noise of photos captured in low light.  

When it comes to accessibility, the Flex Window feature allows users to view their widgets straight from the cover screen and switch between them with ease by activating the Multi Widget View.  

As icing on the cake, Samsung also equipped the two phones with a shock dispersion layer and Armor Aluminum Frames for extra protection.  

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 will retail for $1,799 and $999, respectively.  

The Reintroduction of the Bezel into the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 

While both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic received major upgrades, one feature that got people’s attention was the reintroduction of the rotating bezel into the Classic – a feature the company had dropped in last year’s Watch 5 Pro.  

According to the company, the feature was brought back due to popular demand, as consumers expressed interest in the feel of a physical rotating bezel as opposed to one in LED. 

When it comes to the other features, both watches now boast slimmer borders, thinner designs, and a 20% increase in screen space compared to their predecessors.  

Each watch is made with ultra-durable Sapphire crystal glass and will come with improved battery life, lower battery consumption, faster charging, and a new OS 4 platform that brings new health features such as Sleep Mode, Heart Zone, and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications. 

The Galaxy Watch 6 will retail at $300 for the standard version and $330 for the slightly wider and heavier version, while the Classic will retail for $400 and $430 for its two versions, respectively.  

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, S9 Plus, and S9 Ultra 

The tech giant also introduced its next line of tablets, clocking in at various sizes and price points.  

Starting with the cameras, each tablet received a 13MP f/2.0 primary lens with autofocus, and a front camera at 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide selfie camera.  

The only difference is that the S9 Plus and Ultra have an extra 8MP ultrawide shooter that makes for more versatile photo-taking.  

When it comes to processors, all three now use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, making them ideal for gaming and other graphics-heavy activities. 

Each tablet also has standard 12GB RAM and 256GB storage; however the Tab S9 has a variant that offers 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, while the Ultra has a version with 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage.  

The battery life for each device also varies, with the S9 having a slightly smaller battery at 8,400 mAh compared to the Plus’s 10,090 mAh and the Ultra’s 11,200 mAh battery. 

The Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and S9 Ultra start at $799, $999, and $1,199, respectively, confirming the leaks that surfaced early June.