Samsung’s biggest Unpacked event for the year 2021 is happening tonight (11th August 2021). We say tonight because we are in Malaysia at +0800 GMT and the event will go live at 10.00 p.m. local time. It is also one of the most exciting Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event for a few reasons.
1. No Notes
Samsung has made a name for itself in the innovation industry. They introduced their Galaxy line-up 10 years ago with the first Samsung Galaxy S that went on the be one of the best-selling, if not the best-selling smartphone in its day. It showed what and Android smartphone is capable of in the hands of an experienced mobile phone manufacturer. It propelled Samsung into the limelight of modern smartphone world too.
A year later they introduced a smartphone that was heavily criticized by pundits around the world. It was a humungous device that comes with an accessory that was thought to be dead, or rather old fashioned. The first Samsung Galaxy Note was not received very well at all initially (I liked the idea though). But the Galaxy Note line-up was later known as one of the devices that really defined Samsung as a smartphone brand and sealed its hold of the Android smartphone market.
Sadly, we are not going to be getting any new Samsung Galaxy Note devices this year. As per Samsung’s reports from the end of 2020 and early 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Note series will be laid to rest and will be discontinued. There are still rumours surfacing around a final Samsung Galaxy Note device coming in 2022, but we are not entirely hopeful. This is the first time as well in 10 years that Samsung is not launching a Samsung Galaxy Note device for the year.
2. Folding and Flipping into the Future
While we may not be getting Samsung’s behemoth of the Galaxy Note, they are replacing the line-up with two larger than life devices though. They are replacing the Galaxy Note line-up with two foldable devices: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip series. As with any one of Samsung’s innovative devices, these two series have had their fair share of hardships and critics.
While most of the flaws of the first product was sort of corrected when Samsung launched their Galaxy Z Flip device in the same year, its price point is still higher than any flagship device that came before. It was not as stacked, in terms of specifications, as the other flagships around it too. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 last year fixed even more of the Galaxy Fold’s flaw, but it was still the most expensive mass-produced smartphone you can get in 2020.
Thing is Samsung is betting its future in foldable devices. Since Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019, other smartphone manufacturers have started taking notice. Since then, Motorola made the new Razr with a foldable display, HUAWEI also made their foldable line-up (2020) to mimic the form factor of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, OnePlus teased a foldable device just today, and even OPPO is jumping to the bandwagon of a shapeshifting smartphone with rollable displays.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the new behemoth flagship that is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Like we pointed out, Samsung is betting on foldable devices. The S Pen feature remains a Samsung special though, as we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
That same S Pen capability is touted to be coming to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line-up too. It makes sense, since the device opens to a large form factor device that would mimic a tablet. Although we are not entirely sure if the S Pen storage is integrated within the body of the Z Fold 3.
The Z Fold 3 is expected to pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G System on a Chip (SoC). Although we would also like to see Samsung’s own Exynos SoC powering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3; chances are, we are only going to be seeing a new Exynos chip in the coming year 2022 instead on the Samsung Galaxy S22, or whatever they decide to name the next device. The Snapdragon 888 5G SoC is considered the most powerful chip available for Android devices though, so it may not necessarily be a bad thing.
It will also come with up to 12GB of RAM, as we have seen on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Alongside the ample sized RAM is storage choices from 256GB onward to 512GB. It might make sense for Samsung to up the ante this time with 1TB storage though, since there will be no MicroSD support for the device.
Like the previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, there are two displays you can work with on the Z Fold 3, obviously. One is an external display that is supposed to measure at 6.2-inch covered by durable gorilla glass and producing a little more than 720p in terms of resolution. You get a 7.6-inch in display real estate that boasts a little more that QHD+ in resolution inside. Of course, each of the display gets their own punch hole cameras.
Like the older device too, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is supposed to come with a triple camera array that is reportedly packing three 12-megapixel sensors for different functions. This is not a device made for ultimate photography, so that is quite understandable.
In terms of battery, it seems like Samsung might have shrunk it a little bit. The previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 had a 4,500mAh battery. While it seems like it makes more sense to fit a similarly sized battery on the upcoming foldable, Samsung is looking to put a 4,400mAh battery to keep its weight down. It could also be an indication to an S Pen cargo hold.
There are also rumours pointing to multiple versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which also means there might be a more affordable option for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. That is good news if Samsung is planning to bet its future on the foldable devices.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
We are also expecting to see a certain clamshell device to make the event tonight. It is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip we saw in 2019 too. Instead of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2, they jumped straight into naming the upcoming device the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. As we have discussed in our podcast, it could be because Samsung treated the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G as its second-generation model. It could also to simplify Samsung’s product range and their naming scheme.
More recent leaks show that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 device will be more of lifestyle-centric device. It is supposed to come in more colours than before with a more industrial and minimalistic design language. Apparently also, the device is supposed to come with a larger and more functional external display compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip’s.
Of course, the Z Flip 3 will still command a reasonably premium pricing. You are still getting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G platform. You are also supposed to be getting up to 8GB in RAM and 256GB in storage.
You should get a similarly sized internal display at 6.7-inch that boasts Full HD+ resolutions with up to 120Hz in refresh rate. We do not expect the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 to come with S Pen capabilities though. Because the device is supposed to be more pocketable than the Z Fold 3, it will come with a rather small 3,300mAh battery and also two cameras on the outside rather than the three you get on the Z Fold 3.
3. New Wear OS in the form of One UI for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is supposed to be coming, and for the first time ever, it does not come with Samsung’s own Tizen OS for the Galaxy Watch. It is also the first smartwatch to come with Google’s brand-new Wear OS 3, albeit in a Samsung Galaxy flavour.
Samsung calls the new UI the One UI. They have also confirmed that One UI is based on Google’s latest Wear OS 3. It is also the culmination of Samsung and Google’s partnership to creating a unified Android smartwatch ecosystem. In some sense, it is Google’s attempt to not just improve Wear OS, it is Google finally taking wearable devices seriously.
Wear OS 3 is touted to come with a slew of improvements not just on its own functions. With Samsung’s input from the success of their Tizen OS for wearable series, there are new functions that are integrated into Wear OS as well. At the same time, Samsung and Google Both benefit from an expansion in terms of developer base.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 series is supposed to come with Samsung’s very own Exynos SoC with 5nm process. That also means that it should be Samsung’s most powerful smartwatch so far. At the same time, the new SoC is supposed to allow for a longer lasting battery alongside Wear OS 3.
Reportedly, there are supposed to be more sensors withing the watch for even more accurate health tracking with even more data that can be collected. One such sensor is supposed to be able to detect your blood sugar level.
In term of design though, we are expecting the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series, including its Active counterpart, to come in similar design languages as before. The rotating bezel that acts as a navigation tool should also make a comeback in the Watch 4 series. Of course, the two physical buttons will not be going away anytime soon.
There are supposed to be three sizes that users can choose from in the range. There will be a 42mm, a 44mm, and 46mm watch sizes that should fit a larger variety of users and preferences instead of the two 42mm and 46mm choices from before. All of them comes with 20mm lugs though, for standardisation purposes. They are also supposed to come in either aluminium or stainless-steel build material choices. Either builds will still be 5ATM water resistant and MIL-STC-810G certified though.
4. One UI 4.0 on Android 12
Android 12 has been on beta testing mode for a while now. Google is expecting the first Android 12 devices to be rolling out in September 2021 onward. They are even updating their Google Pixel devices in about the same time frame, which also means we can expect Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to come with Android 12 with their very own iconic One UI 4.0 flavour.
One UI, if you are not yet familiar with it, is Samsung’s custom skin on top on Android. While One UI started out its early life as TouchWiz UI, the new One UI design language has been dialed back from TouchWiz UX that technically existed since the first Samsung Galaxy S. One UI, while sort of retains some of the old charm from TouchWiz UX, is a completely different beast of an overlay though.
It cleans up the UX to the point that it is near barebones on top of Android. Of course, to ensure that Android on Samsung Galaxy devices takes full advantage of what Samsung’s devices are capable of, One UI still has to add some functionalities to Android as well.
The look and feel of One UI, in the Android world at least, is one that is quite unique to Samsung though, and one of the most intuitive out there. Thanks to Samsung’s own optimisation as well, you cannot possibly think using a Samsung device without the power of One UI. It is especially true when you start working with devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.
One UI 4.0 though will focus on bringing the best out Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip capabilities. It will optimise Android to the odd display aspect ratio on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 for example. One UI 4.0 will also expand on the multitasking capabilities of Android 12 on the foldable devices, obviously.
Of course, One UI 4.0 does not only highlight the benefits of Samsung’s foldable devices. It will also embrace Android’s Material You design language. In that sense it should be even more customisable for its users. The amount of customisation should reflect very well on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. No two devices you pick up will be the same.
5. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds started out life as the Samsung IconX. The IconX also kickstarted the whole True Wireless earphones (TWS) industry on its own. It also put Samsung on a path to becoming a one stop shop for all things mobile and seamless integration for Android devices. It spawned the Samsung Galaxy Buds in 2019.
Since then, there has been many iterations that comes from the humble Samsung Galaxy Buds. While capturing completely different markets, the Samsung Galaxy Buds was often compared to its Apple competition, the AirPods. Since then, the TWS earphones market has grown tremendously too, in terms of market size, demand, and even technology.
The new Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is supposed to feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology. It is also reportedly an improved ANC technology that came on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro. In that sense, there are also more ANC controls on Samsung’s Wearable app too. The ANC is supposed to be capable of blocking out 98% of noise.
In its IPX7 rated body (supposedly) is a powerful 11mm driver and 6.5mm tweeter. It also houses a battery that sllows the Galaxy Buds 2 to last up to 5 hours from a single charge. Its case is supposed come with three extra charges to give it 20 hours of total battery life. We are also expecting Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 to connect to smartphones via Bluetooth 5.2.
All Will be Revealed Tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021
Of course, everything we have written here is a collection of speculations and even hopes that Samsung addresses problems with their older devices. We are extremely excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 with Google Wear OS for the first time. It is also the first time we are looking at Google Wear OS 3 with Samsung’s input.
Everything will be revealed and announced tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 though. Of course, due to the current pandemic situation, Samsung will not be holding a LIVE physical event. Instead, they will be holding the global press conference online. You can watch Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event LIVE on YouTube. We are also including the stream link here, so that you can just watch the announcement here.
