Samsung held what has become its traditional early August event. While the event used to focus on the Galaxy Note series, in recent years the event has focused on foldable phones and watches, and that’s what we got this year. All of these products release on August 26, and pre-orders are live now. Let’s dive in.
Galaxy Z Fold4 5G
The big boy is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G. why the product name has no space between Fold and the number is beyond me, so that’s the only time I’ll use it. The Fold 4 is a very iterative update from last year’s Fold 3. The phone looks identical to the Fold 3, though the dimensions are ever so slightly different, with the Fold 4 being just a little shorter and wider, a difference you won’t see unless the two phones are side by side.
Samsung says the redesigned hinge on the Fold 4 is smaller, and in images it does appear to stick out from the side of the phone less. Samsung removed the gears from the mechanism, and it now uses a linear sliding mechanism. The company says that it is stronger and thinner, time will tell.
The screen is also apparently 46% stronger while also being thinner and lighter. This is achieved by a stronger ultra thin glass layer, a reinforced digitizer layer, and the removal of the metal backing layer.
While Samsung says the displays are very reliable and durable, that seems to be extremely variable. These folding displays aren’t perfect, my own Fold 3 had to go in to have the screen replaced a little over a month ago as it was developing cracks along the seam. I intended to write more about a year with the Z Fold 3…. But it is in for repair a second time as the outer screen died on me after the first repair. I’ll have more to say once I get it back.
Back to the Fold 4 now, the biggest update looks to be in the cameras. The Fold 3 cameras are good, not great, especially in low light situations, and the Fold 4 seems to have gotten a significant, while still not class leading update. The camera system now matches what is found n the Galaxy S22 and S22+, with a 50 megapixel main camera, a 12 megapixel ultrawide, and a 10 megapixel zoom lens that is a 3x lens instead of 2x on the Fold 3. If these are the same cameras found in the S22 they should be a good step up from the triple 12 megapixel cameras on the Fold 3, while still being not quite as good as the best in class Galaxy S22 Ultra. The cameras on the Fold 3 are one of the most disappointing things for me, so improvement here is welcome.
The under display camera in the Fold 4 has also received an upgrade. The initial impressions of the photo quality are that they are still not good photos, but at the camera is supposed to be more hidden and less apparent behind the screen.
Software wise it looks like the phone is running on the Android 12L update which is designed for larger screens. With the display open the phone shows a dock not dissimilar from what is seen in Windows or MacOS, and that should help with multitasking.
Otherwise the phone is very similar to last year’s model. It does feature the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM 256GB, 512GB, or an eye watering 1TB of storage. The battery is the exast same 4400mAh size at the Fold 3, which is a small size for a a big display, but without some big advancements that seems to be the biggest Samsung can squeeze in.
The Fold 4 starts at $2270 in Canada. Those who pre-order get a free upgrade from 256 to 512GB of storage, a free year of Samsung Care+, which is their accidental damage program, and buyers can get up to $961 in trade in credit on old phones. That potentially brings the price down to just over $1300 for those who have a 512GB Fold 3 to trade in.
I won’t be upgrading to the Fold 4, but it does look like a solid upgrade for those with an older phone who want a folding phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G
The Flip 4 also got a minor update, but probably a slightly more meaningful one. While most of the phone remains the same the smaller hinge that is also present in the Flip 4 did allow for a the battery to grow from 3300mAh in the Flip 3 to 3700 in the Flip 4. Considering battery life is one of the weakest points of folding phones, this is a welcome increase and should help the Flip 4 have more endurance. The external display also gains more functionality, allowing users to do certain quick actions that should keep from needing to open the phone as much, which should also save battery.
Otherwise this is also a small update. The cameras remain the same, with dual 12 megapixel cameras, the same 128GB or 256GB storage options, and the same 8GB of ram. There is a 512GB model this year, however. The same pre-order deal applies with buyers getting a free upgrade from 128GB to 256GB of storage and a free year of Samsung Care+. The Flip 3 starts at $1260.
The Flip 4 is not for me, but it is arguably the more mainstream phone, and the more interesting one to the most people. The Flip 3 apparently sold very well, especially when discounts started, hopefully the Flip 4 can continue that.
Galaxy Watch5
Next up is the watches. Last year’s Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic brought WearOS to Samsung Watches, and the 44mm Watch 4 that is currently on my wrist has been a solid product. The Watch 5 offers another small update, with some quality of life improvements. The battery life estimate has gone from 40 hours to 50 hours, which doesn’t seem significant but breaking the two day mark is a big deal. The Watch 5 also charges faster, with the new USB-C based charging puck allowing the watch to go from 0 to 45% in just 30 minutes, which should be good for about a day of use. It can also get about 8 hours of charge in 8 minutes. Faster charging speeds are welcome on a device that’s meant to be worn all the time.
The Watch 5 also features sapphire crystal instead of Gorilla glass on the display. The sapphire is what is found on traditional watches and should be much more scratch resistant that the glass display on the Watch 4.
Other changes are even more minor. The case has been slightly redesigned so more of the bottom of the watch makes contact with the wearer’s wrist, good for the health sensors, and there is a new body temperature sensor. But overall, this is a very similar device, featuring the same aluminum case,Samsung W920 processor, 16GB of storage, and 1.5GB of memory.
The Watch 5 is $350 for the 40mm sise and $390 for the 44mm size. Those who order via the Samsung website get many more customization options than I the past. Previously the watches came with a sport band of a color that matches the case, and a corresponding size band to the watch. The larger band that came with my 44mm Watch 4 did not fit my wrist well, and I had to buy other bands. Now with the Watch 5 not only can I get it with the smaller band, I can pick the band colour, or pick other styles of band as well. These customization options are very welcome.
Galaxy Watch5 Pro
The Watch 5 Pro is the big watch this year, both metaphorically and physically. The Watch 5 Pro looks big. At 45mm the case is a bit smaller than the biggest watch Samsung has ever produced (a title that goes to the 46mm Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch 3). It is significantly thicker than the Watch 5. The watch features a battery rated for up to 80 hours inside a stronger titanium case. That titanium case features a slightly recessed screen, which protects it even more.
Samsung is marketing the Watch 5 Pro as a more rugged phone, designed for those who want to take it outdoors and track more workouts. In a way it is being marketed towards someone looking at a garmin smartwatch, which is meant as a more focused fitness watch.
The Watch 5 pro is not for me, it is likely going to be way too big for what I would want. But for those who want the biggest and best watch, it will start at $550.
Galaxy Buds2 Pro
The last product announced today are the Buds2 Pro. The successor to the Buds Pro that were launche din January 2021, the Buds 2 Pro offer a 15% smaller size and a slightly redesigned shape that Samsung say should be more comfortable for users. I documented my struggles with the Buds Pro, eventually having to put them away since I could never find a good, comfortable fit with them. Hopefully the Buds 2 Pro solves that.
Aside from the smaller size, they feature better air vents for improved comfort and transparency mode. Functionally they are about the same, with the same 5 hours of battery life with noise cancellng on, 8 off, and 18 hours with the charging case. That noise cancelling is supposed to be better, but that remains to be seen.
A solid update, and something I might be interested in if not for their $290 price tag. I’m not ready to spend that much money after my experience with the Buds Pro. But I hope these are a good product.