Samsung Next-Gen Product Launch

Overview

• Launch of new products: new folding phones, earphones, watches, and the Galaxy Ring.
• Hands-on impressions and detailed reviews of the features and improvements.

New Folding Phones

Z Flip 6

• Design improvements
  • Smarter and cleaner look with a matte finish.
  • Matching camera rings with body color.
  • Less protruding hinge and less noticeable display crease.
  • New impact-resistant screen layer and scratch/fingerprint-resistant coating.
• Internal improvements
  • Latest Snapdragon HM3 chip with vapor chamber for heat management.
  • Improved speakers, 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB), 4,000 mAh battery.
  • Inner screen brightness improved to 2,600 nits (from 1,750).
• Camera upgrades
  • Ultrawide camera with a bigger sensor.
  • Main camera majorly upgraded to 50MP (from 12MP).
  • Better zoom capability (up to 10x).
• New features
  • Camcorder mode for thumb-friendly controls (not very practical).
  • Auto-zooming front screen camera (slow execution).
• AI features
  • Smart suggested replies based on conversation context.
  • Portrait studio photo editing with stylized depictions.
  • Improved live translation with better microphones and noise suppression.
  • Interpreter mode for same-room translation using both screens.
  • Maintained price (£1499 in UK).

Z Fold 6

• Design enhancements
  • Lighter (239g) with titanium frame; close to S24 Ultra weight.
  • Thinner and shorter/wider for better usability.
  • Compact hinge design for a normal phone look.
• Internal upgrades
  • Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with larger vapor chamber.
  • Super bright screens (up to 2,600 nits inside and out).
  • Minor camera upgrades similar to Z Flip 6.
• AI improvements
  • Smart select for clipping specific content.
  • Improved Circle-to-Search functionality.
  • Sketch-to-image feature to create realistic, stylized graphics.
• Pricing updates: £50 increase from last year's model.

New Watches

Galaxy Watch 7

• Minor updates
  • New chip (W100) for better responsiveness and battery life.
  • AI suggested replies and sleep apnea detection feature.

Galaxy Watch Ultra

• Significant upgrades
  • Water-resistant up to 100m, made of Grade 4 titanium.
  • 3,000 nits screen brightness with red night mode.
  • Advanced sport tracking features (e.g., racing against past times).
  • Dual GPS and large battery (up to 48 hours of exercise tracking).
  • Lag issues (possibly pre-production software).
  • Cheaper than Apple Watch Ultra (£599 vs. £799).

New Earbuds

Galaxy Buds 3 & Buds 3 Pro

• Design and functionality
  • Normal-looking with transparent lid cases.
  • Blade-like projections for controls (less intuitive).
  • High sound quality, detailed with good highs and lows.
• Noise cancellation
  • Basic Buds 3: minimal effective noise isolation.
  • Pro version: better adaptive noise cancellation (not top-tier).
• Battery life: up to 30 hours with noise cancelling off, 25 hours with it on.

Galaxy Ring

• First-ever smart ring by a major smartphone maker.
• Hardware
  • Available in black, silver, and gold.
  • IP68 water resistance, up to 7 days battery life.
  • Concave exterior, 3g weight, LED ring case for charging.
• Features
  • Activity tracking with auto-detection for runs.
  • Heart rate monitoring with exertion tracking.
  • Sleep tracking with animal representation and Vitality score.
  • No screen, voice assistant, haptic feedback, NFC, or microphone.
  • Can be used alongside a Galaxy Watch for enhanced readings.