We could wind up getting our hands on new Samsung foldables earlier than usual. A launch date for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 has surfaced, and if accurate, it means we would get our first glimpse of the foldable phones in July.
That would be a departure from Samsung's usual way of doing things with its foldable phone launch. Typically, that occurs in August — last year's Unpacked event took place on August 10, 2022 while the 2021 edition took place on August 11.
This time around, though, Samsung is apparently targeting July 26 as the date for its foldable phone launch event. That's according to Korean site Chosun Ilbo, which also reports that the Unpacked event will be held in Seoul, Samsung's home turf. Typically Unpacked events take place in New York or San Francisco, so that's another change in strategy from the phone maker.
Another site, WinFuture, also backs the July 26 date for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 debuts. The site, which has a good track record when it comes to leaked details about Samsung products, also expects the Galaxy Tab S9 to be revealed at that same event.
Chosun Ilbo also claims to know the release date for Samsung's foldable phones, claiming the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 global launch will happen on August 11 — essentially a year after the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 were both announced.
Previous leaks had suggested a late July announcement for the next round of Samsung foldable phones, with a SamMobile report claiming that the Unpacked event would take place between July 25 and July 27. So consider this rumor further proof that we're going to see new foldables during the final week of July.
Why the sped-up rollout for Samsung? Chosun Ilbo claims the company wants to see an increase in phone sales for the September quarter, and the earlier launch means a full month of sales for the latest foldables.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will also be arriving at a time of increased competition among the best foldable phones. Just last week, the Google Pixel Fold debuted ahead of its June launch. We're also expecting to see the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra at some point this summer, and OnePlus has announced plans to release a foldable of its own during the second half of the year.
What to expect at Galaxy Unpacked
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is looking to take on the competition with an improved chipset — it's set to feature the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy that gave the Galaxy S23 lineup boosts to both performance and power efficiency earlier this year. In addition, the Z Fold 5 is supposed to be slimmer and weigh less than its predecessor, with a more durable hinge design.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 also should get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy silicon. It could also feature a bigger cover display than the current 1.9-inch strip on the outside of the Flip.
As for the Galaxy Tab S9, we're expecting tablets that look a lot like the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup, but with upgraded cameras and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
There's still a few months to go before the rumored Galaxy Unpacked date in late July, so we're likely to hear a lot more about Samsung's plans in the coming weeks.
