The second Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2024 has wrapped up and we have all the news, hands-on looks, and in-depth details about Samsung's wealth of new mobile products. We saw a number of firsts, though no huge surprises. Here is our play-by-play report of the Unpacked Live Stream as it happened.
The biggest new thing was probably the Galaxy Ring, Samsung's first finger-focused wearable. In fact, all of Samsung's wearables got an update today, including a brand new Galaxy Watch Ultra that sits atop the Galaxy Watch 7 line. We also saw new Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro earbuds, which look suspiciously like another set of earbuds we know...
Following is the Live Blog as it happened, unchanged from when it originally ran live during the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event in Paris. You can also read about everything we saw and learned from Samsung at Galaxy Unpacked.
Galaxy Unpacked cheat sheet
- The event kicked off at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEDT
- To watch the stream again, check out how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024
- Here's 9 things we saw and learned at Galaxy Unpacked
- News about the Samsung Galaxy Ring
- All the foldable phones: Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6
- A faster Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
- The Galaxy Watch Ultra is very Ultra
- These Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds Pro 3 look familiar
- Galaxy AI dominated Galaxy Unpacked, as expected
Good morning. Managing Editor of Mobile Computing Roland Moore-Colyer here to take you through the run up to what I'm calling the 'summer' Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Expect to hear about a good handful of products today.
And AI... always AI.
Right, let's get into it. First off, here's what I reckon you can expect:
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: going by the rumors so far, expect a small upgrade.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: expect a decent suite of changes, notably an improved camera system.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: an upgrade on the Galaxy Watch 6, so more wellness tracking features, better specs and maybe a refreshed design.
The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: basically Samsung's clap back at the Apple Watch Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 and Galaxy Buds 3: new wireless earbuds from Samsung to nip at the heels of the AirPods range.
Of course, all those devices currently exist in the fug of rumors, leaks and speculation. But I've been covering Samsung stuff for years, so am rather confident that we'll see pretty much most of those aforementioned devices.
I've not heard a great deal about the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but a recent big leak has sparked the rumors to more than just a little smoldering in the background.
As the 'boss' of the Mobile Computing division at TechRadar, which means smartphones and tablets, you'd think I'd be excited about the Galaxy Z Fold 6. After all, I have a Fold 4 and Fold 3 within my grasp and do rather like the literal flexibility of the phones.
But I'm not.
I'm expecting to see a chip upgrade to the next-generation Fold but not a lot more given the rumors. Samsung is sure to equip the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with all the AI chops it put into the Galaxy S24 series, but I've not heard much of any unique features to make the Fold 6's larger display sing with smart tools. And that's a pity, so far at least, as I've already written how I hope Samsung leans on AI to make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 special.
Just take a look at the below renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, seemingly based on insider information, and you'll see a phone that looks pretty much identical to its predecessor.
I'd normally say that's no bad thing as I like the design of the current Fold. But equally in the face of tighter competition from the likes of the Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open, I feel Samsung could do with mixing up the design of its flagship foldable phone... try saying that fast and after a few beers.
So keeping the focus on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 for now, I reckon it'll get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip seen in the Galaxy S24 phones, in addition to a mild battery boost: read our rundown of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 specs for a deeper analysis.
New Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 colors are also predicted. Expect to see navy, a light pink, silver, black, and white. All of which would be pretty run-of-the-mill; I'd love a lime green Fold!
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 price, expect the next-gene Fold to follow the pricing structure of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and start at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599. But I'd not be super surprised if Samsung upped the price of the Fold, given that's a trend for high-end smartphones that have been released over the past 18 months or so.
So moving on to the Galaxy Z Flip 6. I'm expecting to see a little more in the way of an upgrade in comparison to the Fold 6.
Naturally the Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs will surely include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, but there's likely to be a battery boost, a new main camera, potentially more base memory and RAM. Plus I suspect we'll see upgrades to make any Galaxy AI features snappy.
I'm also low-key excited about the Galaxy Z Flip 6 colors, as Samsung is good at giving the flipping foldable phone a decent suite if shades. So far we're predicting a mint, silver, yellow, black, peach, white, and lavender color options.
As for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 price, I'd suggest it'll follow that of its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and start at $999.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,649.
On to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. I'm a little lukewarm on this one. The rumors and leaks so far have been a bit 'meh', with what could be a small update on the Galaxy Watch 6.
We're talking a new chipset, sizes of 40mm and 44mm, and likely an improved battery life. On the software side, expect smart, AI-powered workouts and wellness routines. And I reckon the starting price for the next-gen Galaxy Watch will be around $299.99 / £289 / AU$549.
Still, I hope Samsung has a few surprises up its sleeve with its next smartwatch, as I'm keen to see the Apple Watch knocked of its throne, or at least give a damn good shove.
And on to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. The rumors are rather vague around this smartwatch, but it looks set to be a larger take on the Galaxy Watch line, likely sporting rugged features and a tough strap that'll deal with being deep underwater or up a mountain with ease.
But I'm also forecasting the Watch Ultra will have a mix of wellness and fitness tracking features, like blood glucose monitoring, along with AI-powered features driven by connected Galaxy phones. I do hope that the so-called Galaxy Watch Ultra isn't completely limited by needing to be used with the best Samsung phones, and can instead work with other Android phones.
But the big announcements that's surely happening today, will be a proper look at the Samsung Galaxy Ring. I'm rather excited about this, as it's Samsung's first smart ring and going by Fitness Editor Matt Evans' first impressions, it could be a rather feature-packed device.
We're expecting to see a suite of embedded sensors, and a host of AI-powered fitness and wellness tracking features. But what appeals to me is the simple design and the tracking of things like step counts without the need to wear a smartwatch or deal with the lack of accuracy I feel smartphone-based tracking has.
Now there are other smart rings, but I feel Samsung has the tech ecosystem to really make a smart, smart ring; say support for gesture control in tandem with Samsung phones.
Speaking of wellness tracking, we've just spotted some news that claims older Galaxy Watch models are getting a sleep apnea feature retroactively added to them via an update.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where people's breathing repeatedly starts and stops, which can manifest as loud snoring and not feeling rested after a night's sleep. Tracking it can be one step on the road to tackling the condition.
So the addition of such a feature to older Galaxy Watches is promising, and a sign that the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch ultra will surely have such a feature as well.
New sleep apnea feature from r/GalaxyWatch
Oh if you want to hear from me directly, because reading might not be your jam, take a look at my TechRadar TikTok video below for a quick rundown on what to expect from Unpacked today.
@techradar ♬ original sound - TechRadar
Now some fresh news: according to GSMarena, the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra has been put on hold indefinitely by Samsung.
There's no clear information as to why that would be the case, but I'd posit there's just not an appetite for a bigger and more powerful Fold, given the Fold line as it stands has a host of flagship features.
Right, lets talk Galaxy Buds. Going by a very recent leak, it looks like Samsung could be poised to reveal the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds Pro 3 today.
We're not sure whatto expect beyond improved audio, but the leaks so far suggest a new design is coming, one that's reminiscent of the AirPods.
Let me give you a little recap on what to expect from the Samsung showcase today: go read my roundup of 7 things to expect from today's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked.
So we could have a (sort of) surprise guest at Galaxy Unpacked and it looks like it could be Sydney Sweeney. She was at the last Fold/Flip launch event, so we can predict she'll be an ambassador for the new folding phones today.
But then again maybe she'll just be a huge Galaxy Ring fan... time will tell.
So AI... we can expect to hear a fair bit about it in around two hours time. Specifically, Samsung will surely tout AI features that have been baked into the new foldable phones.
I reckon we'll see a lot of the same Galaxy AI features we saw with the Galaxy S24 series. But I am crossing my fingers they'll be reworked to make use of the large folding display of the Fold 6 and the ability for the Flip 6 to present its displays in interesting positions.
But I also hope that with whatever wearables Samsung does indeed launch today that we'll see smart AI features used to get the most out of them. I feel AI will work well with the likes of the Galaxy Ring, intelligently serving up insights in tandem with a connected phone and smarty recognising hand movements.
Speaking of AI, I'm curious to see what Samsung could do to ensure it's making its AI efforts as consumer-friendly as possible. That's because with Apple Intelligence, the Cupertino company looks like its targeting a seamless integration of AI into consumer tech.
So I hope that Samsung introduces some new Galaxy AI features today that are genuinely useful for everyday life rather than nice to have tools that one plays around with briefly then forgets quickly.
Good morning everybody! I'm Phil Berne, your US Mobiles editor, taking the helm from our Mobiles Chief Roland MC. We have our large and in charge Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff and our Captain Video Viktoria Shilets on the scene in Paris, so be sure to check back for our hands-on impressions, and don't miss the TechRadar TikTok channel for videos of all the new gear.
Before we even get into all the Samsung news, let's pause to notice the Motorola Razr 2024. Moto says its cool flip phone is the best selling flip foldable on the market, but is the foldable market big enough to notice? Samsung's expected Galaxy Z Flip 6 will arrive today to take on Moto's new hotness, bringing performance and professionalism to match Moto's colorful cool.
I've been reviewing the Motorola Razr and Motorola Razr Plus (that's Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra for the rest of the world) for the past couple of weeks, but I decided it did not make sense to offer a review of these phones with Samsung's next Flip 6 waiting patiently to attack. Once I've had time to measure my impressions against Samsung's next compact, we'll have in-depth, lab-tested reviews of all the new phones.
The big question for me will be AI. Will Samsung push its AI ambitions even further with the Galaxy Z phones? Or will it shore up its AI defenses and let Google continue to take the lead on Android's AI evolution. We'll find out today.
Oh, also there will be watches, if you're, like, Ultra active. We'll get to those in a bit.
What are you hoping to see today? While the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 smartphones will be the big ticket items, there are a couple entirely new products on the slate for Galaxy Unpacked 2024 that are generating even more interest. The Galaxy Ring will be Samsung first entry into finger-focused wearables, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra will be Samsung's rugged take on the Apple Watch Ultra.
The Galaxy Ring has been rumored for quite some time, and of course a finger wearable just makes sense, once the sensors can be shrunk appropriately small. For folks who already own a nice watch, especially, a ring is a better option than a Galaxy Watch.
What's most surprising is how few smart ring products are on the market today. Oura is the biggest smart ring player, with new AI features that launched today to anticipate Samsung's coming attack. Oura isn't a brand name you hear in other categories. Where are Apple, Google, and even Motorola (Lenovo) when it comes to smart rings? Samsung will be the first big phone player with its own ring, but I doubt it will be the last.
What am I hoping to see from today's Galaxy Unpacked 2024? As a long-time Samsung watcher and owner, I'm looking for Samsung to reclaim its dominance across the board. Samsung's foldable phones are incredible, but there have been some design missteps that allowed competitors like Motorola's Razr and the OnePlus Open to take top spots on our list of the best foldable phones.
On the Galaxy Z Fold 6, I'm hoping the cover display looks like a normal phone, not like a tall, narrow slab of glass. That means an aspect ratio change. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has an aspect ratio of 23.1:9, which is very long and narrow. The OnePlus Open, on the other hand, has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The difference is obvious at first glance. The OnePlus Open looks like a normal phone, while the Z Fold 5 looks weird. I'd like to see a Galaxy Z Fold 6 that takes on a normal cover display aspect ratio, closer to the OnePlus Open.
On the Galaxy Z Flip 6, I'm hoping to do a lot more on the cover display. I'd like a huge cover screen, like you get on the Motorola Razr 2024 and Razr Plus 2024, but it's a bit late for major design changes. At the least, I want to use every app on my phone on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover. I want to use AllTrails and my Roku TV remote with the Flip closed.
For the Galaxy Ring, I'd like to see something new in health tracking and data accuracy. If we're going to accept a whole new form factor for wearables, if I'm going to have to put a computer on yet another new part of my body, I want a good reason why. I want better sleep tracking than I get with a Galaxy Watch, and maybe something to monitor metabolism levels in a more accurate way.
On the Galaxy Watch Ultra, just make it Ultra. I miss Samsung's old rotating bezel, like on the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. If I can't have that, then just go wild. Give it every stupid bit of technology you can cram inside. If Apple can sell a watch as a SCUBA depth monitor, Samsung must have something more obscure up its sleeve.
We're only minutes away from Galaxy Unpacked 2024. I've got my Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra open next to me, ready to watch the Live Stream at Samsung.com on the biggest, baddest tablet I've ever owned. I'm hoping for spectacle and surprises, though this is one of the biggest Samsung product launches I've ever seen, and I've seen them all.
Will there be any celebrity appearances? We know that actress Sydney Sweeney, who helped promote the Galaxy Z Flip 5, has already posted video content online showing she's on the way to Galaxy Unpacked 2024. Our editors will keep an eye out for anybody famous in the crowd. Besides our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff, of course.
Is there any chance for One More Thing from Samsung at the very end? Who knows, maybe all of the excitement over new products will snowball and we'll get a sneak peak at VR glasses, or some other future Galaxy star. If the new Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Watch Ultra, foldable phones, and accompanying accessories are all that we get, for that alone we'll have to be content.
Samsung is launching a slew of new devices today, but you wouldn't know it watching the preview for the Live Stream of Galaxy Unpacked 2024. The only text on screen is "Galaxy AI is here" over and over again, with the now-familiar stars that seem to represent AI everywhere.
So, it looks like Galaxy AI is here? Okay, the show is starting. Let's hope for more than just AI.
Samsung's July Galaxy Unpacked 2024 is under way! We're starting with an introductory video showing familiar AI features like circle-to-search, and live translation, while hip-hop plays.
Now Samsung President and Head of the Mobile Experience (MX) business TM Roh is on stage. He says Samsung is going to "open the next frontier of ... AI." He takes an early dig at Apple, saying Galaxy AI will be available on more than 200 million devices, while Apple Intelligence is only coming to the Apple iPhone 15 Pro models and whatever iPhone Apple launches next.
Samsung's Roh says Galaxy AI is now an ecosystem, built in a way only Samsung can manage. Does this mean your phone can finally control your washing machine? No, it looks like he just means Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Ring, and Galaxy Buds.
I'm rooting for Bixby here. Let's count how many times Samsung mentions Bixby in today's Galaxy AI presentation.
Without much fanfare, Roh has announced the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, but is only showing the phones in silhouette profile. We're still hearing platitudes about AI, which will be "safe and inclusive," blah blah blah. Nothing tangible yet.
Let's meet the new Galaxy stuff! We're starting with a Doctor, so clearly the Galaxy Ring and health features are coming first.
We're starting with Galaxy AI and health data, not the Galaxy Ring itself. Without offering any specific details, Samsung says Galaxy AI will interpret your data in a better way.
Samsung Health will be all about sleep and weight especially. Samsung talks about using various measurements, but isn't talking about what it's doing that is new or different from anybody else.
Now, finally we see the Galaxy Ring. Let's take a look.
The Galaxy Ring is "the pinnacle of unobtrusive health technology." It has three sensors that measure sleep, activity, heart rate and more. It continuously syncs with Samsung Health and you don't need a subscription. Okay, that's fantastic. Samsung could have absolutely followed Oura's lead and charged a fee, and I'm thrilled it isn't milking its customers for more.
The ring is made from titanium, and you'll get days of battery life with one charge. Samsung wants you to sleep with it.
Oh, and now we're rushing on to Galaxy Watch Ultra. Okay, let's digest the Ring and move on to the wrist.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra looks ... like an Apple Watch Ultra. It has titanium in the frame, and it can survive up to 10ATM of pressure, which is farther than most humans will ever dive.
Samsung says it lasts up to 100 hours in power saving mode. It uses a 3nm processor that is 3X faster than the past Galaxy Watch CPU. It uses dual-frequency GPS systems, more like a smartphone than previous Galaxy Watch devices.
While other smart watches have gone for the burgeoning running market, Samsung is going strong for the cycling crowd, which is smart considering the Tour de France is happening right now and Galaxy Unpacked 2024 is taking the stage in Paris.
There will be Blood Pressure monitoring, at least in the EU, and it can handle ECG testing in the US. The US FDA has also approved the Galaxy Watch Ultra for detecting sleep apnea.
Samsung says the watch will detect Advanced Glycation End-products. I have no idea what that means, so I'll leave that to the experts.
On the Galaxy Watch Ultra specs slide there is a mention of Double Pinch Gesture Controls, but nothing in the presentation. We'll see if Samsung has copied the Apple Watch's newest gesture feature from the Apple Watch 9.
The Galaxy Ring will be available from $399 in the US. We'll have more detailed pricing around the world in our full coverage of the new Galaxy Ring.
Now Samsung is moving quickly to the foldable phones, without discussing in detail how the Galaxy Ring or Galaxy Watch will use AI to help user health, or how these devices might work together as part of the ecosystem.
Oh well, on to the phones!
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is Samsung's thinnest and lightest tablet foldable phone. It looks like Samsung has changed the aspect ratio of the cover display, but only very slightly. The new display looks like it is 22.1:9, as opposed to the 23.1:9 display from the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That's not quite enough, but hopefully it will be a much better experience.
Durability is a huge concern on this phone, so Samsung is stressing the durability of the new display up front.
"Samsung engineers are masters" no humility here, huh?
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is all about gaming, according to Samsung. The company is boasting about its ray tracing capabilities and bright display. It says future displays will be slimmer, stronger, and brighter, but I'm not sure how that benefits anybody interested in a Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Samsung is talking up circle to search, which is not a Samsung feature but rather a Google AI tool. Samsung says circling will help with language translations, and it will also help with homework. When your student circles a problem, Samsung's Galaxy AI will help your learner work through the problem, it won't just answer for them (can you tell I was a teacher?).
Samsung says Galaxy AI is multi-modal, which means you can type, talk, draw, or use the camera to feed input to the AI tools. We haven't seen anything new or surprising yet, mostly just features from Google's AI and Google Gemini.
Google Gemini is coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6, and other Samsung phones, if you live in a region where Google Gemini is in the App Store.
Samsung is expanding its generative AI text features in the Samsung keyboard. In addition to changing writing styles, Samsung is now offering a Composer that will create an entire document based on a prompt you provide. You can say "Send a thank you note to Michael for the inviation" and it will do that for you, without a note from you to start with.
Samsung is also improving its Galaxy AI transcripts on the voice recorder app, which is fantastic. This is a great feature, but Samsung's version couldn't quite match Google's Pixel recorder app. Hopefully this will bring Samsung's phone in line with Google's capabilities.
Now for something new with AI...
Galaxy AI will have new generative image features that will create an image from your drawings. Using an S Pen (or your finger, presumably) you can give the phone a doodle to start, and it will interpret whatever you were drawing and create a more polished final image. Samsung showed off drawing a quick sketch of the Eiffel Tower and the phone created graphics with color and texture. Samsung calls this Sketch to Image.
This Sketch to Image looks like the most unique Galaxy AI feature we've seen so far, and it's in keeping with Samsung's commitment to the S Pen, with apps like PenUp also supporting the drawing community.
Oh, wait, Samsung is now calling out Sydney Sweeney, who is such a fantastic actress that she can even seem interested in being a part of Galaxy Unpacked 2024, in the front row, no less. I have asked our team on the ground to get more time with Ms. Sweeney, if possible.
Okay, enough fun, now we're getting serious about specs. After a few words about feeds and speeds, we're now hearing about the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
As the more affordable, and more portable, of these two foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 might be my early favorite of the two. We're now seeing how Galaxy AI features will change Samsung's flip phone.
The best thing about the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is that Samsung doesn't step down the specs for the smaller phone. It should have the same fast performance, and the same OneUI software and Galaxy AI features. We're getting a look at the phone in a preview video showing off all the new colors now.
Samsung is starting with the camera on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It will have a 50MP camera (how big is the sensor?), with help from Galaxy AI. Samsung's camera AI scene optimization is actually very good, so I have some hope for improvements on the camera front. Cameras are a weakness for all foldable phones, because of the thin design, not just for Samsung.
When you fold the camera slightly, Samsung calls this FlexCam mode, and it's now more intelligent. It will frame your photo for you, zooming in as needed. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 will also get the Instant Slow-Mo feature we saw on the Galaxy S24 family.
There's a bigger battery on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, now in line with the latest Motorola Razr Plus 2024. Not to give away my upcoming Razr Plus review, but that phone has amazing battery life compared to the previous Galaxy Z Flip 5, so I'll be very happy to see major battery improvements on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Samsung also says it has a vapor chamber for cooling, which is a first for Samsung's flip phone.
Now we're talking about the Flex window, Samsung's name for the cover display. Samsung keeps things much more limited than Motorola's Razr. Samsung wants you to personalize and show off the Flex Window, but maybe don't do so much on that smaller screen. Motorola, on the other hand, lets you run every app on the phone.
We'll see if Samsung has changed anything else on the Flex Window when we've had more hands-on time with the new Z Flip 6.
Live translate is coming to more apps. Samsung says its live translate spoken language translator will work with third party apps during calls and video chats. Samsung is also using both screens on its latest foldable phones to give each person in a conversation a display window with translation on screen. That's a feature Google offers on the Pixel Fold, but it should be even more useful on the smaller Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Translations are handled on the device by Galaxy AI, running locally without any cloud support. Samsung supports up to 20 languages in its live translation feature.
Now we're on to Galaxy Buds, which must have AI of some sort.
The Galaxy Buds3 Pro are Samsung's latest earbuds. Samsung is starting with the shape of your ear, not AI. Maybe it used AI to create the ear design? Ahh, yes it did, of course. AI is everywhere, let's never forget. Ear shape and fit should be improved.
Samsung says the newest buds monitor when you are wearing your buds more tightly, or when you are hanging loose, and it adjusts the sound accordingly. It will also improve call quality, blah blah blah, lots of improvements without much substance. I'm sure AI is responsible.
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have speakers and amplifiers. There are woofers and tweeters. Sounds can be optimized. To demonstrate the way its earbuds sound, Samsung is playing music over the theater speakers at the Louvre. Let's skip to the next things. Samsung has spent more time on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro than it did on the Galaxy Watch 7.
Samsung has two expensive sets of earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 3 will be US $179 and they don't have eartips. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will be US $249 and they have eartips. Samsung isn't announcing UK and Australia pricing on stage, but we'll have those prices in our hands-on reviews.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 will cost a whopping $1,099 in the US, a $100 increase over last year. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will cost $1,899 in the US, also a $100 increase. Both phones will be available on July 24. Samsung has committed to support these phones with seven years of Android and Security updates.
After talking pricing and availability for every single device, Samsung has finally gotten around to talking about how it is keeping your data safe as its Galaxy AI listens and analyzes everything you do.
Samsung says it will process as much information as possible on the device. Also, it will create an entire knowledge graph to understand you and make suggestions for your schedule and routines. Samsung says it will accomplish this through on-device analysis.
When you need more power, you'll be able to use AI features in the cloud, or you can choose to keep your processing on the device only. Samsung isn't being clear about the dangers of using the cloud, or explaining why you might want to process your data on the device only. Is the cloud unsafe?
Now Samsung is introducing Rick Osterloh, head of Platforms and Devices from Google, to talk more about AI.
Osterloh is here to talk about ... circle to search? Okay, we get it. You circle. It searches. It's not that great. You could just search with a screenshot before. It doesn't even really search a 'circle.' Whatever you have circled, it makes a square box, and searches within that. Enough with the circle to search.
Google Gemini is rolling out into new countries. Osterloh also says Gemini will be able to do more, but isn't being very specific about what features Gemini will get. He says Gemini will become more multimodal, like we saw at Google I/O with Google's Project Astra.
Rick Osterloh drops a hint about the upcoming XR glasses program that Google is working on with Samsung. There is no visual or specific info, but Osterloh drops the hint then calls Samsung chief TM Roh back on stage for a hand-shake and a quick goodbye.
Roh mentions the XR platform created with Google will be coming this year. We're in the back half of the year, so Samsung better hurry! This is usually the last big Unpacked event. I'd bet Samsung shows off more at its Samsung Developers Conference.
Roh is reviewing all the products offered. He calls Galaxy AI a 'Hybrid Intelligence' and ends by saying "life opens up with Galaxy." And that's the end of Unpacked!
Now we're sending our editors on the scene to get hands-on. Just kidding! We already got hands-on with all the new products. You can check out our hands-on review of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the brand new Galaxy Watch Ultra, and even Samsung's first ever Galaxy Ring. So I guess our editors will just have to hang out with Sydney Sweeney and her crew, like usual.
We're on the scene at Galaxy Unpacked 2024 in Paris, learning everything we can about the latest Galaxy Gear. We'll have full reviews of the new products as soon as they've cleared Future Labs testing, as well as in-depth impressions of the latest features.
Google was a huge presence today, with its phone features like circle to search as well as AI apps like Google Gemini. You can read about what's coming to Google Gemini, including a much more robust background AI that will get to know you better.
We are also tracking pre-order deals and sales for the Samsung gear. With Amazon Prime Day coming early next week, will we see some older Samsung kit on sale? Seems likely, so check back for the best sales on old and new Galaxy gear.
