Samsung Electronics to Hold 'Galaxy Unpacked 2021' on 11th at 11 PM
[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Samsung Electronics will hold its second half new product launch event, ‘Galaxy Unpacked,’ to unveil its next-generation foldable smartphones for the first time. With enhanced features such as a camera hidden under the display and the S Pen, along with competitive pricing, the company aims to firmly secure its leading position in the global smartphone market.
According to Samsung Electronics on the 11th, the company will hold the ‘Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021: Get ready to unfold’ event online starting at 11 p.m. Korean time on the same day, unveiling the next-generation foldable smartphones ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’ and ‘Galaxy Z Flip3.’
Galaxy Unpacked is a highly anticipated event as it reveals Samsung Electronics’ new strategic smartphones, maintaining its position as the global number one smartphone maker. The official trailer video released by Samsung at the end of last month confirmed high interest, surpassing 100 million views in just over a week.
Based on the information released so far, both the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 feature Corning’s ‘Gorilla Glass Victus,’ significantly improving durability, which has been a drawback of foldable phones. These products have reportedly undergone testing to withstand 200,000 folds, which equates to folding and unfolding 100 times daily for five years.
They also come with an ‘IPX8’ water resistance rating, capable of withstanding a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Previously, Tae-moon Roh, President of Samsung Electronics’ Wireless Business Division, stated in an article, “The foldable products announced this time focus on providing essential functions for today’s life more faithfully,” adding, “We are confident that the third-generation foldable phones will offer enhanced durability to more people,” emphasizing the focus on durability enhancement.
For the Z Fold3, usability is improved by supporting the S Pen. The S Pen has been a representative feature of the ‘Galaxy Note’ series and a consistent consumer demand since Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold in 2019. Notably, foreign media have speculated that the ‘S Pen Pro’ might be introduced at this Unpacked event. The S Pen Pro (model number EJ-P5450), approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), was announced in January alongside the S Pen for the Galaxy S21 Ultra but has not yet been released.
The S Pen Pro is slightly larger than the existing S Pen, supports low-energy Bluetooth (BLE) to enable specialized features like Air Actions, and supports USB-C charging. According to images released by foreign media, the S Pen Pro comes in a single black color and features a button with an LED on the handle.
Additionally, the foldable phones will be the first to apply ‘Under Display Camera (UDC)’ technology, which is also a notable feature. UDC is considered a technology that replaces the ‘notch’ or ‘punch hole’ by hiding the camera hole on the smartphone screen. With UDC applied, the device can have a cleaner appearance and offer a larger screen for enjoying videos and other content, enhancing immersion.
The Unpacked event will also unveil the smartwatch ‘Galaxy Watch4’ series and wireless earbuds ‘Galaxy Buds2.’ The most significant feature of the Watch4 is its new operating system (OS). Instead of Samsung’s proprietary OS Tizen, it will apply the new ‘Wear OS 3,’ jointly developed with Google. This expands compatibility and app interoperability with Android-based smartphones, allowing apps downloaded from the Google Play Store to also be installed on the Watch4. The app launch speed is reportedly increased by up to 30%, and battery performance has been significantly enhanced.
The Buds2 is expected to emphasize ‘cost-effectiveness’ compared to the premium ‘Galaxy Buds Pro.’ Following the premium Buds Pro and ‘Galaxy Buds Live,’ the Buds2 will be Samsung’s third wireless earbuds equipped with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). Notably, a new feature reportedly allows ANC to activate even when only one earbud is worn. The Buds2 can be used for 20 hours with ANC activated on a single charge and up to 29 hours when ANC is off. Samsung is expected to price the Buds2 between 160,000 and 190,000 KRW.
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