Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024: Samsung’s next foldable phone will have built-in Google AI

After Samsung first announced onboard AI in January, the company expanded the Galaxy AI ecosystem at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris on July 10. The company announced its next two foldable phones, as well as new earbuds and wearables. All of the products shown at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked are available for preorder now and will be available internationally on July 24.

Samsung offers seven generations of operating system updates and seven years of security updates, which is similar to Apple’s security and operating system lifetime.

Samsung introduces new Galaxy Z Fold and Flip phones

Samsung’s two newest phones are the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6, both of which use Google’s Gemini AI for translations, creative features, and cosmetic changes.

Galaxy Z Fold6

The 7.6-inch Galaxy Z Fold6 is “our thinnest and lightest foldable,” said Annika Bizon, director of brand and channel marketing at Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, at Galaxy Unpacked.

The Galaxy Z Fold6’s larger, two-column display opens from side to side, with thinner edges and more durability than the previous generation. Galaxy AI shows up here in the form of Google’s Circle to Search, which lets you circle objects to make a purchase or identify natural features like constellations. Google Circle to Search on Samsung phones will be able to translate menus and signs with full-screen translation, and solve math problems by showing your work. Galaxy AI is multimodal, which means you can speak, write or gesture to focus the AI’s attention.

“On Galaxy phones, you can simply say ‘Hey Google’ to bring Gemini to your screen for quick assistance,” said Jenny Blackburn, vice president of Gemini user experience at Google, at the Galaxy Unpacked presentation.

“The large, immersive screen is perfect for multitasking, so you can watch videos in full screen, and soon you’ll be able to move the Gemini overlay to a side panel so it can help you with your work,” Blackburn said.

What’s particularly interesting for business is that Samsung Notes has the ability to record, transcribe, and export audio with AI, which can save a lot of time during meetings or interviews.

For creative work and marketing, Galaxy AI enables Sketch to Image, a way to inspire Gemini to create images based on a drawing you make. You can also draw sketches on photos, and then make photorealistic changes to them with AI. Galaxy AI will suggest how to reimagine the images.

The Galaxy Z Fold6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform. The Galaxy Z Fold6 has anywhere from 256GB to 1TB of internal storage, depending on the model.

Galaxy Z Flip6

Samsung’s new vertical foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip6, comes with a suite of AI tools powered by Google Gemini and the ProVisual photo editing engine. The 3.4-inch front window allows you to access a number of features including Samsung Health and Wallet on the front for quick interactions without opening the phone. The main screen measures 6.7 inches. Inside, you’ll find the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. The Galaxy Z Flip6 comes with 256GB or 512GB of internal storage.

Samsung highlighted photo editing tools, which can automatically zoom based on the number of people in the scene, or generate extra frames to create slow-motion videos.

The larger vapor chamber, used on a phone for the first time in the Flip line, improves battery life through more efficient cooling. Addressing concerns about the strength of the hinge, Chosson says the Galaxy Z Flip6 has improved durability.

How Google’s AI is integrated into Samsung’s sixth generation phones

Samsung’s mobile division president TM Roh said Galaxy AI will be on 200 million Galaxy devices this year. Galaxy AI can support 16 languages ​​on the device even without an internet connection.

Roh said the goal is “safe and inclusive AI so no one is left out,” with “a hybrid approach that combines security and privacy on the device with cloud-based creative power.” Like Apple Intelligence, Google AI on Samsung devices will connect to the cloud for certain needs and resources.

For safety, AI-powered live translation and interpreter features are available on the device.

See: Google’s energy-savvy AI efforts undermine the tech giant’s sustainability claims.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 7 are in trend

The introduction of the Galaxy Watch Ultra brings a high-end wearable for ‘adventure’, with water resistance and a durable frame for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. It boasts up to 100 hours of battery life in power saving mode, a titanium frame, water resistance, and three times faster performance than the previous watch’s CPU. The highlights of the Ultra are battery life, an accurate GPS system, and in-depth health monitoring that connects to the Samsung Health app.

The Samsung Watch Ultra is powered by WearOS 5 in partnership with Google. It retails for $649.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is the more popular watch, which includes some of the Samsung Health app features and has a range of models starting at $299. The Health widget includes sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection.

Galaxy Ring Revealed

Speaking of health, the Galaxy Ring is designed to provide as much guidance as possible about leading a healthy lifestyle. The ring syncs with the Samsung Health app and is designed to be worn day and night to track sleep and energy.

Galaxy AI also provides insights based on health tracking. Sleep tracking generates an “energy score” calculated from your sleep, heart rate, and heart rate variability. Using that score, your devices can make suggestions based on your condition such as when you are fully rested or when you should “rest” or “take a break.”

The ring’s battery lasts up to 7 days on a single charge. The Galaxy Ring costs $399.99 and doesn’t require a subscription.

The Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro bring a familiar shape and ‘smart’ noise cancellation

Samsung’s next high-end earbuds are the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, announced today alongside the next-generation Galaxy Buds3. The bladed lights on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro add a futuristic flair, while the elongated shape is reminiscent of Apple’s rival AirPods.

“Dynamically adjust the sound curve and active noise cancellation for an ‘intelligent’ sound experience,” said Malika Crabby, project manager for wearables at Samsung Electronics France. For example, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro could provide effective, smart noise cancellation for crowded offices, especially if that ‘intelligent’ part works as advertised. Crabby said the buds could filter out loud road construction sounds but would let in the sound of an ambulance siren, for example.

The basic Buds 3 have some of the same noise cancellation features as the Pro version, but without the cap on top, some of the ‘smart’ features won’t work.

The Galaxy Buds 3 cost $179, while the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro sell for $249.

On the eve of the Paris Olympics, Samsung focuses on health and exercise features

Parisian style met the Summer Games at the Galaxy Unpacked summer event, and Samsung emphasized how its devices can track health and wellness. If you’re interested, the interconnection between wearables and phones could provide an easy way to check your health and energy while traveling to work conferences, long work days, or meeting clients.

Watch: Paris Olympics 2024: Cyber ​​attackers targeting companies linked to Games, report finds

With AI, health data from your Samsung devices can be combined into a ‘data graph’ that makes recommendations and alerts you to potential problems. If your energy score is low on your data graph, your phone might suggest skipping “your 7 o’clock spin class,” said Bizon.

Samsung’s efforts here are very similar to those of its main competitor in this area, the Apple Watch and the Apple health data ecosystem.

TechRepublic is covering Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 from afar.