Galaxy Ring, new foldables set to steal the show at Samsung Unpacked Paris

Now it’s official. Samsung Electronics Co. is hosting its next Galaxy Unpacked summer event in Paris on July 10.

Samsung picked Paris as the venue for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked 2024 to maximize its product promotion ahead of the July 26 opening of the Summer Olympics in the French capital.

The event will be streamed live on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom and Samsung’s YouTube channel at 3 p.m. Central European Summer Time (CEST), 6 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Samsung’s artificial intelligence, dubbed Galaxy AI, will be the dominant theme across its new devices to be showcased at Unpacked in Paris.

“Prepare to discover the power of Galaxy AI, now infused into the latest Galaxy Z series and the entire Galaxy ecosystem. Get ready for a world of possibilities as we enter a new phase of mobile AI,” the South Korean tech giant said in its invitation on Wednesday.

Z FLIP6, Z FOLD6, WATCH 7, NEW BUDS

The animation accompanying the invitation hints at new foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Z Flip6, industry officials said.

The new foldable phones will be equipped with the latest AI functions, including the Circle-to-Search and real-time translation services, sources said.

Rumors indicate that the Galaxy Z Flip6 will have a slightly bigger battery, likely 4,000 mAh – a key upgrade from its predecessors.

The Z Fold6 will likely be 12.1 millimeters thick, 1.3 mm less than its predecessor, weighing 239 grams, 14 grams lighter, with a slightly larger 7.6-inch screen, sources said.

Among major improvements on its foldable line of smartphones this time will be the “wrinkle-free” screen, which addresses user complaints of weakening when folded and opened repeatedly over time, they said.

The new foldable smartphones will likely use Qualcomm’s ultra-intelligent Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor chipset, which Samsung used in the Galaxy S24 Ultra line of smartphones. The Galaxy S24’s non-Ultra models are fitted with Samsung’s Exynos 2400 application processor.

Samsung’s upcoming wireless earphones, the Galaxy Buds3, will have a new design – the first change since the launch of the Buds series in 2019.

Moving away from the kidney bean shape and adding pillars, the Galaxy Buds3 will look more like Apple's AirPods, sources said.

The Galaxy Watch7, its seventh iteration, will have longer battery life with features focused on outdoor activities.

The Watch7 will likely be powered by Samsung’s new Exynos W1000 chip made with its 3-nanometer processing technology.

There are also rumors of a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, a premium take on the Watch7, that could come with a micro-LED display, more power and a bigger battery.

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF GALAXY RING

Industry watchers said the most exciting product of Unpacked in Paris is expected to be the Galaxy Ring – Samsung's first smart ring that promises a whole host of fitness and wellness-tracking features.

Key features of the Galaxy Ring will likely be the ability to continuously track  heart rate during sleep, sleep latency, respiratory rate and night movement –
four metrics that the current Galaxy Watch 6 doesn't track.

The Galaxy Ring, first announced at Samsung’s previous Unpacked event earlier this year, can monitor the wearer’s heart rate and other health conditions for up to nine days on a single charge, according to Samsung.

While unveiling the Galaxy S24, which Samsung calls “the world’s first AI phone, earlier this year, the company’s mobile chief TM Roh said mobile devices will become the primary access point for AI and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone series has a leading role to play in broadening the horizon for new possibilities in consumer experiences.

The mobile chief said Samsung aims to have at least 100 million units of its flagship Galaxy line of smartphones equipped with a variety of AI features by the end of this year.

Write to Chae-Yeon Kim at why29@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.