Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is Aug. 11: What to expect | ZDNet

Samsung on Tuesday sent out official invites for its next Galaxy Unpacked keynote. The event will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 7am PT/10am ET. It’ll be another virtual event, as we’ve seen all tech companies do since the beginning of the pandemic. 

The event’s title is Get Ready to Unfold — which lines up with the current leaks and expectations of what we believe Samsung is going to announce. 

Previously, Evan Blass, or @evleaks on Twitter, leaked that the event would take place on Aug. 11. He also shared a series of animated images depicting the new devices Samsung will announce during the event. That said, here’s what we know so far. 

Don’t expect a new Galaxy Note

Sorry to disappoint Note fanatics, but all signs point to Samsung forgoing a new Galaxy Note phone this year. In fact, we may never see another Note again. Comments made by Samsung executives, combined with adding the Note’s iconic S Pen stylus to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, have made it clear that Samsung is ready to start focusing on ushering in new technology. 

The move makes sense to me. The Galaxy Note lineup and the Galaxy S-series share many of the same features and design traits over the last few years, save for the stylus. 

Instead, Samsung is going to focus on its foldable display technology. 

Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3 to get cheaper

So, what will we see at the next Unpacked? Right now, it looks like Samsung will announce a new Galaxy Z Flip 3 and a Galaxy Z Fold 3. Both smartphones feature foldable display tech with different approaches. 

The Z Flip 3 looks and works like a foldable phone from 10-years ago. But instead of a number pad for text input, there’s a full-size touchscreen on the bottom of the phone when it’s opened. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 looks like a standard smartphone when it’s closed and you’re using its front screen, but then you open it like a book, and it looks and works more like a tablet. 

There are various reports that contain rumored specifications for both devices, but the really important part of the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 announcement is that the devices should be more affordable than previous models. 

Not only is it important for Samsung to prove foldable displays can withstand normal wear and tear, which so far they have after the initial Galaxy Fold launch, but it’s also important for the technology to have a price that’s more affordable for the masses. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 launched at $1,999 before reaching its current price of $1,799 nearly a year later. 

Galaxy Watch 4 and maybe more?

The Galaxy Watch 4 will make its debut during the event, along with the new combination operating system
from Google and Samsung

. The two companies partnered to merge Google’s Wear OS and Samsung’s Tizen operating systems designed for wearables. 

The Watch 4 will run Wear, where we’ll presumably learn a lot more about how it works, what it looks like and what developers can expect to create apps for the new platform. 

It’s possible Samsung will also announce the fitness-focused Galaxy Watch Active 4 alongside the standard Galaxy Watch 4. 

More wireless earbuds from Samsung: Galaxy Buds 2

Samsung has a solid reputation with its completely wireless earbuds, be it the original Galaxy Buds or the more recent Galaxy Buds Pro. And now it appears Samsung is readying the Galaxy Buds 2, a follow up the the standard Buds first released in 2019. 

We expect to see the Galaxy Buds 2 at the next Unpacked event, but don’t know much more about the earbuds outside of leaked images. Expect these to be under $200, though, assuming Samsung sticks to pricing their earbuds below the AirPods. 

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a maybe

Animated images of the budget-friendly edition of the latest S-series were leaked earlier in the month, but it’s unclear if Samsung is going to announce it alongside its newest foldable phones, or if this is something that will quietly launch at a later date. 

The FE edition of Galaxy S phones usually cuts a few corners when it comes to materials and internal components to bring the price down, while still providing some of the higher-end features users have come to expect from Samsung’s flagship phones.