Foldable phones took center stage at Samsung’s recent Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea, where the company unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5 foldables. Also making their debut: the Galaxy Tab S9 family of tablets and Galaxy Watch6, the latter offering a Classic smartwatch model that revives the rotating bezel. Samsung’s foldables utilize the company’s proprietary Flex hinge, which enables the smartphones to close with no gap at the hinge. The company is also promoting the FlexCam and its “ability to capture photos and videos hands-free” from creative angles.

“Every day, more people choose our foldables because they offer an experience people want that they can’t get on any other device,” Samsung Electronics President and head of Mobile eXperience Business TM Roh said in a news announcement. The company has undeniably become a market leader in the space, which is getting more crowded.

“While Samsung’s entering its fifth consecutive year in the foldable phone market, the devices it’s launching at this year’s Unpacked arrive among a good deal more competition,” CNET writes, explaining “Google’s $1,800 Pixel Fold is the first Pixel device to adopt a similar style to the Galaxy Z Fold series, in which a traditionally scaled phone unfolds to reveal an inner tablet-size screen.”

OnePlus is another competitor rumored to have a foldable phone on the way, and “after taking a few years off from the U.S. market, Motorola’s new $1,000 Razr Plus is now eyeing Samsung’s Z Flip series, with the newest entry including a larger cover screen that can run most Android apps,” CNET reports, adding that Motorola also “has a more affordable Razr model on the way with a smaller cover screen.”

CNET calls the Galaxy Z Fold the “pinnacle of Samsung’s folding lineup.” In addition to the flat close afforded by the Flex hinge and updated camera, both new foldables are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (same as the Galaxy S23 series) and also features a brighter screen and a thinner S Pen stylus than its predecessor.

The screen on the Galaxy Z Flip5 opens from 1.9-inches to 3.4-inches. CNET says “the new front screen allows Samsung to better stack up to Motorola’s recently released Razr Plus and its 3.6-inch front display.”

“The Z Flip front screen is a bit more limited” because “Samsung only lets certain apps run on the display at launch.” The Z Flip5 base model is $999, while the Z Fold5 starts at $1,800. Both are available on August 11.

Samsung brought back the rotating bezel and stainless steel case for the Galaxy Watch6 Classic, which comes in 43mm and 47mm sizes. Samsung is also offering a standard Galaxy Watch6 (40mm and 44mm sizes) finished in aluminum. Both watches have sapphire crystal displays, and ship with Wear OS 4 and One UI 5 skin, “which offer updates to sleep tracking, personalized heart rate zones, emergency SOS calling, and more,” CNET reports. The Watch6 is $299.99 while the Classic costs $399.99.

Samsung also debuted a trio of new tablets: the Galaxy Tab S9, Tab S9 Plus, and Tab S9 Ultra. “For the first time, all three tablets are getting OLED screens, as well as IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance,” notes The Verge, adding that “aside from those updates and a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, not much is changing here in terms of key features.”

The S9 has an 11-inch display and starts at $800. The S9 Plus features a 12.4-inch screen and starts at $1,000. The Tab S9 Ultra, with its roomy 14.6-inch screen, begins at $1,200.

For more details, Samsung is offering a video rewind of Galaxy Unpacked.

Related:
Folding Phones Are Hot, but Really Only in Korea, The Wall Street Journal, 7/27/23
Samsung Electronics Announces Second Quarter 2023 Results, Samsung Newsroom, 7/27/23
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5, Samsung Newsroom, 7/26/23
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Sets New Standard, Samsung Newsroom, 7/26/23
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic, Samsung Newsroom, 7/26/23