Samsung's Next Foldable Phones Are Coming on July 26
The company usually announces new foldable phones and smartwatches during its summer Unpacked event.
Clearly the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip will have something to do with the Samsung's Unpacked event.
Fans of Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold devices will likely have something new to look forward to later this month. Samsung announced on Wednesday that its next Unpacked event will take place on July 26. While Samsung hasn't shared details on the specific products being announced, the company previously said it plans to introduce new foldable devices at its upcoming product launch event in Seoul.
Samsung has been a frontrunner in the growing but still nascent foldable phone market, releasing the first iteration of the Galaxy Z Fold back in 2019. But it now faces fresh competition from rivals like Google and Motorola, both of which have released new phones with screens that can bend in half. The next Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold, expected to be announced at the July 26 event, will be critical for Samsung in maintaining its leadership position in the foldable market as new competitors emerge.
Wednesday's announcement came after Samsung had already said it will host its next major product launch at the end of July in Seoul, marking the first time the event has been held in the tech giant's home country. In a press release, Samsung said it chose that location "because of its role in influencing global trends with its dynamic culture and innovation," adding that it "also reflects Samsung's strong confidence in the foldable category." In addition to the live event, Samsung will be hosting a livestream on YouTube and its other channels.
Samsung is also opening up reservations for its upcoming Galaxy devices and will be offering $50 in Samsung credit for those who reserve a device between July 5 and July 25. As is typically the case with Samsung's early reservation system, those who sign up will only need to provide a name and email address to reserve a device, with the $50 credit becoming redeemable at the preorder stage.
While Samsung hasn't revealed any details about its future products, several leaks have painted a picture of what the company may have in store. A new water-drop style hinge that could enable a thinner design is expected to be one of the biggest changes coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, according to reports from Korean news outlets The Elec and ET News, as well as the prolific leaker who goes by the alias Ice Universe.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5, meanwhile, is rumored to include a significantly larger cover screen, Ice Universe also reported. That should help bring it up to speed with the new Motorola Razr Plus, which CNET praised in its review for its spacious external display.
Samsung also typically announces new smartwatches around the August timeframe, meaning it's possible that the rumored Galaxy Watch 6 will arrive at this month's event. Leaks from Ice Universe and well-known gadget leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (via the blog My Smart Price) suggest the beloved rotating bezel could return on the next high-end version of the Galaxy Watch, likely to be called the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.
We'll know more on July 26 when Samsung holds its next event.