Paris a Day Before Unpacked, Event Ads Everywhere
'Z Series' Spec Improvements and AI Features Applied
"Samsung Electronics Expects 30% Sales Increase"
Samsung Electronics will hold 'Galaxy Unpacked 2024' on the night of the 10th Korea time, unveiling the foldable phone 'Galaxy Z Series' along with the new Galaxy Ring. In Paris, France, where the Unpacked event will take place, large billboards appeared ahead of the event to help set the atmosphere. Attention is focused on whether the newly launched foldable phone 'Galaxy Z Series,' featuring an improved design and equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), can reclaim the top spot in the foldable market, which was lost to China.
On the morning of the 9th (local time), a large outdoor advertisement for Samsung Electronics' 'Z Flip' was displayed at the Op?ra Garnier in Paris, France. A tourist is crossing the crosswalk while looking at the billboard. Photo by Seoyul Hwang chestnut@
On the morning of the 9th (local time), a large outdoor advertisement for Samsung Electronics' foldable phone ‘Z Flip,’ which will be unveiled on the 10th, was displayed on the outer wall of the Op?ra Garnier in Paris, France. Emphasizing the characteristics of the foldable phone, the external screen of the Z Flip features a photo of a ballerina, with a background showing a breakdancer. Samsung Electronics, which has been an official Olympic partner for nearly 40 years, is holding this Unpacked event in Paris to coincide with the Paris Olympics. This is interpreted as an effort to attract the attention of tourists worldwide through the Olympics.
The Unpacked event, held on the afternoon of the 10th local time, will unveil the foldable phones ‘Galaxy Z Fold6’ and ‘Galaxy Z Flip6.’ According to industry insiders and IT tipsters, both products are expected to incorporate AI optimized for foldable devices. Choi Won-jun, Head of Development at Samsung Electronics MX Division, stated ahead of the Unpacked event, "We will introduce Galaxy AI optimized for foldables."
The specifications of individual products are also expected to improve. In the case of the Z Fold6, thickness and weight, which were considered drawbacks of foldable phones, have been improved. The folded thickness of the Z Fold6 is expected to be 12.1mm, 1.3mm thinner than its predecessor, the Z Fold5. The weight has also been reduced by 14g to 239g. The battery capacity and camera remain the same as the previous model, with a 4400mAh battery, a 50MP wide-angle rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
The Z Flip6 is also expected to have improved thickness, reduced by 1.9mm to 13.2mm compared to its predecessor. However, the weight remains the same at 187g. The most notable change expected in the Z Flip6 is the camera quality. While the previous model had a somewhat disappointing 12MP rear camera, this time the camera function is expected to be upgraded to 50MP. The battery capacity is also expected to increase by 300mAh to 4000mAh compared to the previous model.
As Samsung Electronics unveils the ‘AI foldable phone,’ attention is focused on whether it can block the pursuit of Chinese companies emerging as strong players in the foldable phone market. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Huawei overtook Samsung Electronics for the first time in the first quarter of this year to become the number one in the foldable phone market. Huawei's market share was 35% in the global foldable phone market, while Samsung Electronics accounted for 23%. However, Counterpoint Research expects that with the launch of this new product, Samsung's sales will increase by 30% compared to the previous model, allowing it to regain the global foldable market number one position in the second half of the year.
The Unpacked event will also unveil a large number of new wearable devices. Samsung Electronics' first ring-shaped wearable device, the ‘Galaxy Ring,’ can measure biometric information such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and sleep patterns. The Galaxy Watch7 and Watch Ultra will be the first to include features that measure blood sugar levels and sleep apnea. The Galaxy Watch Ultra model will be the first in the Watch series to feature a square-shaped bezel.
The Galaxy Buds3 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro are expected to adopt a different ‘bean sprout’ shape from before, which is anticipated to improve call quality.
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