Samsung is holding its annual summer Unpacked event in just a few short hours, and considering it's a Galaxy event, we're expecting to see some new phones and other portable devices.
The Korean tech conglomerate uses these live-streamed events to launch its new devices, and based on advertisements for the event and the current time frame, we're fairly confident as to what we can expect from tomorrow's stream. That being said, there are a few things we'd like to see announced that are possibly a bit more left-field.
What we're expecting: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5
Getting the obvious out of the way, Samsung's current crop of Unpacked marketing material is hinting heavily at the company's new foldable phones. From the promotional material, it looks like we might be getting a first look at the new Galaxy Z foldable devices, including the Fold 5 and Flip 5, presuming Samsung sticks with its current naming convention.
This checks out considering Samsung debuted the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 around the same time last year, meaning the yearly refresh of these devices is due. Samsung seems to have given us a pretty clear look at what we can assume to be the Flip 5 in the promotional material for the Unpacked event, with a half-folded Flip device and the tagline "join the flip side" underneath – very subtle.
The Fold 5 hasn't been spotted yet, but we assume that it too will be present in tomorrow's stream, as the two devices often launch together within Samsung's annual release cycle.
So what do we want to see from these devices? Well, it's a tricky one, as foldable phones haven't proved to be ideal portable AV devices as of yet, so any improvements to the picture and audio performance are top priorities for us. Also, any improvements to the build would be welcomed, as although the Fold 4 did prove that folding phones aren't as fragile as they used to be, any way to strengthen the folding mechanism would be an even bigger plus in our books.
What we'd like to see: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Tab S9
Samsung updated the Pro variant of its Galaxy Buds 2 just last year, so they're relatively up to date. Its regular Galaxy Buds 2, however, are coming up on two years old, meaning they could be due for an update. We've been speculating about a potential sequel, speculatively titled the Galaxy Buds 3, for some time now – maybe we'll see them surface with this Unpacked event?
Considering Samsung's Galaxy Buds haven't fared particularly well in our reviews, with both the Buds 2 and Buds 2 Pro scoring three stars, we'd like to see a revised version that delivers improved sound on the now ageing buds.
Speaking of Samsung products that are overdue for a refresh, it's been nearly a year and a half since we've seen a new Galaxy Tab. The Galaxy Tab S8, Tab S8+ and Tab S8 Ultra all launched back in February 2022 and Samsung has been quiet on the tablet front ever since. While the S8 series is still a very capable line of tablets, we've got our fingers crossed for a new tablet... or ideally tablets.
Android tablets have been undergoing somewhat of a resurgence with new options from Google and OnePlus, so now seems like a perfect time for Samsung to get in on the action. Samsung is known for its bright, punchy AMOLED displays on its portable devices, so a new tablet for 2023 could give the current crop of Apple iPads a run for their money. We can only hope.
So, will you be tuning into Unpacked 2023? You can watch it at 12pm BST on Samsung's official Unpacked site.
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