- Kyle Chua
Samsung Debuts Galaxy Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5
Updated: Dec 18, 2023
Samsung hosted its second Unpacked launch event for 2023 on Wednesday, 26 July in Seoul, South Korea, where it unveiled its latest products, including new models of its premium foldable smartphones.
There's a lot to cover, so in case you missed the livestream of the event, here's a quick rundown of the top announcements:
Galaxy Z Flip 5
Among all the new reveals, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is perhaps the device that comes with the most worthwhile upgrades. Chief of which is the larger 3.4-inch cover display that makes it easier to view notifications and check various information from widgets, among other quick access functions. The new display even lets you send messages to your friends and family with a QWERTY keypad without having to flip the clamshell smartphone open.
What's more, the new hinge design allows the two internal panels to fold flush against each other, leaving almost no gap in between. The change not only makes the smartphone more compact but also makes it much more durable for everyday use.
Inside, the Z Flip 5 houses a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 8GB of RAM, which is expected to bring a speedier performance over last year's Z Flip 4. It also has a 3,700mAh battery that Samsung claims can deliver up to 57 hours of music playback and up to 20 hours of video playback.
The Z Flip 5 starts at S$1,498 for the model that comes with 256GB of internal storage, with a release set for 11 August. If you pre-order anytime between today to 10 August, you can get the 512GB model for the same price. After that period, however, the 512GB model costs S$1,678.
Galaxy Z Fold 5
Meanwhile, the Z Fold 5 is more of an annual, iterative upgrade when compared to its more affordable foldable sibling. The highlight of the new model is the new hinge design, which eliminates the visible gap between the displays when folded. The new design also makes the book-like foldable device thinner than the Z Fold 4.
Apart from that, the Z Fold 5 also features a brighter main display and new gestures to help you fully take advantage of the tablet-like display real estate.
Under the hood, the Z Fold 5 houses a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 12GB of RAM, which improves overall performance versus its predecessor. But other hardware components appear untouched, with it also packing essentially the same triple-rear camera setup and 4,400mAh battery from last year.
The Z Fold 5 costs S$2,398 for the 256GB option, S$2,578 for the 512GB option and S$2,938 for the 1TB option. Similar to the Z Flip 5, if you pre-order anytime between today to 10 August, you can get a higher storage variant for the price of the lower variant.
Galaxy Tab S9
The event wasn't limited to foldable smartphones, with Samsung also announcing the Galaxy Tab S9 series of tablets, consisting of the Tab S9, Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra. The refreshed lineup, for the most part, retains their predecessors' designs but now sport slimmer bezels that further highlight the bright AMOLED display.
For internals, all three models house a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is coupled with a new internal vapour chamber that supposedly boost performance for demanding tasks. Samsung further claims the three models are the most heat-efficient tablets it has put out so far.
Other notable upgrades include more powerful speakers and IP68 water and dust resistance for the S Pen.
The Tab S9 starts at S$1,328, while the Tab S9+ starts at S$1,388. The Tab S9 Ultra remains the most expensive of the trio, starting at S$1,688. All tablets are set to release on 11 August.
Galaxy Watch6
Alongside the foldable smartphones and the tablets, Samsung also announced new wearables in the form of the Galaxy Watch6 series. The new lineup, which consists of the base Watch6 and the Watch6 Classic, boasts a host of upgrades, including larger and brighter displays as well as more capable processors.
The Watch6 Classic brings back the physical rotating bezel that lets you scroll through apps and widgets. That rotating bezel is the primary difference between the Classic and standard model, in case you didn't know.
The new wearables also debut new sleep tracking features, which can help you get a better idea of the quality of sleep you receive each night. It'll give you an in-depth analysis on your sleeping habits, tracking different types of data, from your total sleep time to your physical and mental recovery.
Other cool new features of the Watch6 include longer-lasting batteries and a "one-click" strap swapping system.
The Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic start at S$448 and S$598, respectively. They're also releasing on 11 August.
Samsung hosted its second Unpacked launch event for 2023 on Wednesday, 26 July in Seoul, South Korea, where it unveiled its latest products, including new models of its premium foldable smartphones.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5, which features a larger 3.4-inch cover display, starts at S$2,398, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which features a new hinge design, starts at S$2,398.
Alongside the foldable smartphones, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Watch6 and Tab S9 series.