In the run-up to the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung released a blog post from its President TM Roh that basically tells us what it plans to announce in the next month. In addition to a new Galaxy Watch with Wear OS, the company will launch the third generation of its Galaxy Z series and “the first S Pen specifically designed for foldable phones”.
A stylus designed for the bendable screens of foldable devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Flip was a frequently requested feature and would make the larger, open displays more useful. Of course, Samsung has revealed little about this S Pen other than the fact that it is coming, so there are many unknowns at the moment. How do I avoid damaging the softer, flexible screen? How accurate will the pen be? How big is its nib, how sensitive is it to pressure and will the foldable compartments have built-in slots to accommodate them? Will it have bluetooth support for remote control actions? These are clearly things that we will have to wait until Unpacked on August 11th to find out more.
Roh also confirmed that Samsung will not be unveiling a new Note phone at the event, saying, “Rather than unveiling a new Galaxy Note this time around, we’ll be rolling out the popular Note features to other Samsung Galaxy devices.”
Chris Velazco / Engadget
As for the third generation of Galaxy Z phones we’ll see at the event, Roh said the company has “put together even more partner apps that make the most of the versatile folding format.” We can expect “optimized hands-free video calls with Google Duo and watching videos in Flex mode on YouTube” and “multitasking in Microsoft Teams”.
Specifically, the next Galaxy Z Flip will have “an even more refined style” and “more durable, stronger materials”, while the upcoming Z Fold will “combine the best that smartphones and tablets have to offer and” [deliver] completely new ways of working, connecting and creating. “
The language is unsurprisingly vague as Samsung cannot reveal all the details before Unpacked. But it obviously also wants people to be excited – excited enough that they might be tempted to reserve one of the new Z-Series devices already. When you choose the company’s Reserve Now program, you can trade in up to two devices, including phones, tablets, and wearables, for a new Galaxy product. I would recommend until we hear more of what’s coming on August 11th before you do, and you can visit us on Engadget’s YouTube channel to see Unpacked live. We’ll start things with a pre-show at 9:40 a.m. ET and answer your questions on a post-show after Samsung finishes.
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