Samsung Unpacked 2024: Aussie prices for Galaxy Fold6, Flip6, Watch Ultra and Bud3Pro
Samsung’s next generation of AI will power a host of biggest changes, including a ring to monitor your snoring. VIDEO, PHOTOS
Samsung’s next generation of AI will power the biggest changes we have seen in its flagship folding devices as well as a new high end watch, a ring to monitor your sleep, snoring and heart health and earbuds offering better sound and clearer calls.
The fun factor is a big feature of the Galaxy Z Flip6 with buzz cases that light up while the larger Galaxy Z Fold6 promises to take productivity, gaming and entertainment to the next level through a slimmer, lighter and squarer design.
At 239 grams, it’s only a few grams heavier than the S24Ultra despite its impressive 7.6-inch display offering 374 pixels per inch and an 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
Samsung Unpacked 2024, held in Paris, featured the release of a high end 3000 nit bright Galaxy Watch Ultra which promises to give triathletes, marathon runners and future Olympians everything they need to monitor their performance.
One of the biggest changes is in the design of the new Buds and Buds Pro which now feature a ‘blade’, similar to the look of Apple’s AirPods, to provide clearer calls and more advanced AI translation features.
Samsung says Australians are among the fastest adopters of AI in the world with 80 per cent of S24 phone users using new features introduced at the first Unpacked event in January this year.
The next generation of AI in Fold6 will allow everything from quick summaries of articles, continuous transcription in the palm of your hands, as well as being able to generate AI additions to your photos (like a coffee mug on a desk) by just drawing on them.
The benefits of a larger folding screen become obvious as you watch demonstrations of the original text in another language on one screen and the translation on another.
Portrait Studio is another AI-powered feature which will allow you to generate 3D cartoons or watercolours from your photos.
Live translation of phone calls, even in third party apps, will bring down communication barriers even further, something that will appeal to travellers or those doing business across the world.
One of the key upgrades to the more affordable Flip6 is a new 50MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide sensors on the cameras.
With the new Auto zoom, FlexCam automatically finds the best framing for your shot by detecting the subject and zooming in and out before making any necessary adjustments. It’s almost like having your own AI camera operator, something that will no doubt appeal to content creators, influencers and vloggers.
The camera offers 2x optical quality zoom and up to 10 times with AI.
AUSSIE ACCENT AND SLAG
Samsung is particularly proud of the thousands of hours that have been put in by its local staff to cater for the Australian accent and our use of slang.
While artificial intelligence is a big reason people are switching to Samsung phones, the tech giant acknowledges not everyone is at ease with the technology.
Many, but not all, of Samsung’s AI functionality is done on device but it says users will have the option to switch off AI where they want through a dashboard to protect their privacy. Samsung also has its own Knox security system to help protect personal information.
About 70 per cent of users are using AI on a monthly basis with circle to search and chat assist being among popular features in Australia.
Samsung says it will continue to develop AI technology with upgrades also being made to previous models.
AI functionality will even be available on its cheaper phone models though the offering will be limited due to the slower processors.
COULD AI END UP COSTING US?
While free until the end of 2025, Samsung acknowledges that some AI services in the future could require a subscription if partners like Microsoft and Google start charging.
Eric Chou, Head of Mobile eXperience, Samsung Electronics Australia, said the company would continue to invest heavily in AI to lead the way for its customers.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI-driven features in smartphones and wearables, offering our users enhanced functionality, improved durability, and cutting-edge design,’’ Mr Chou said.
Nathan Rigger, Head of Mobile Product, said the sixth generation Z foldables followed 13 years of hard work and innovation.
“With Galaxy AI on the Galaxy Z Flip6 and Fold6, we’re delivering incredible AI-driven features and performance, in the sleekest and strongest foldable designs we’ve ever produced.”
Kylie Mason, Head of Wearables and Accessories, described the watch and accessories line-up as the biggest improvement she had seen in her years at Samsung.
“Galaxy Watch Ultra represents an exciting leap forward for active Australians who push the boundaries of achievement,’’ Ms Mason said.
“With our most significant hardware and software advancements to date, it features drastically improved accuracy and performance to better meet Australians’ needs.
“Whether you are an elite athlete, an outdoor addict or simply someone who values health and wellness, the Watch Ultra is the ultimate companion for those who demand the best.”
GALAXY Z FOLD6
Key features include:
Note Assist on Samsung Notes offers translation, summaries, and auto formatting for easy meeting notes. A newly embedded transcript feature enables transcription, translation and summarising of voice recordings directly in Notes. Texts in PDF files can be translated and overlaid through the PDF overlay translation. It also supports text in images and graphs.
Composer generates text based on simple keywords for emails, social media posts and comments.
Sketch to Image, draw virtually anywhere and create AI-generated images.
With Circle to Search, you can long press the home button and circle on a video to search who the artist is.
Interpreter comes with a conversation mode that enables both parties to view translations on the main and cover screens for more natural interactions. It also offers one-way translation, so you can easily understand when listening during lectures or any other type of presentation.
Through Live Translate phone calls are directly translated on your device in real-time.
Advanced editing experience with Photo Assist on the large screen helps to create professional-grade content.
Portrait Studio creates a variety of different portrait styles such as 3D cartoon or watercolour.
Instant Slow-mo allows you to instantly slow a video by generating additional frames. You also have the option of saving and sharing your videos with friends and family
Galaxy Z Fold6 offers an upgraded gaming experience with a 1.6x larger vapour chamber for the ability to game for longer, while maintaining performance.
The lifelike graphics are supported by Ray Tracing and are brought to life on a 7.6-inch screen that offers a brighter display of up to 2,600 nit
GALAXY Z FLIP6
Definitely the fun, fashionable and more affordable of the fold range, its 3.4-inch Super AMOLED FlexWindow has been enhanced, enabling AI-assisted functions without even needing to open the device.
You can reply to texts with suggested replies which analyses your latest 7 messages (with a limit of 200 characters) to suggest a tailored response.
The FlexWindow provides access to Samsung Health updates and notifications and also allows you to select the next track you want to listen to on your music widget. You can check updates on multiple widgets, which are customisable.
Photo Ambient is a wallpaper that can change in real-time based on the time and weather. You can also easily create a unified look and feel with suggested screen layout options by analysing your wallpaper — such as moving the clock and changing the frame colour to ensure the background image stands.
As well as a new 50MP camera and hands-free automatic zooming, Nightography has been enhanced with video HDR to allow more brilliant videos in low light, including directly to more popular social media apps like Instagram.
One of the coolest additions to the Flip6 are cases that light up, powered by NFC wireless technology.
GALAXY BUDS3 AND BUDS3 PRO
If you’re attending a class in a foreign language, you can turn on Interpreter in Listening mode on Galaxy Z Fold6 or Flip6 with Galaxy Buds3 in your ears.
This will allow you to hear the lecture translated directly through your Galaxy Buds, helping to remove language barriers that may exist in your studies.
Simply saying two words through Voice Command allows you to control functions like playing or stopping music without manually touching the earbuds or a connected smartphone.
The microphones in the Buds3 series analyse both internal and external sound in real time to enhance sound and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) quality through
Adaptive EQ and Adaptive ANC.
If you are listening to music, your Galaxy Buds3 Pro will constantly collect and identify surrounding sound and automatically adjust the optimal level of noise and sound without manual adjustment through Adaptive Noise Control, Siren Detect, and Voice Detect.
The new design, which is said to be comfortable to wear all day, has lights on the blade to show they are powered on and connected, which you can switch off.
You can control the device by pinching or swiping up or down on the blade.
Galaxy Buds3 Pro is Canal Type for those looking for immersive sound, while Buds3 is Open Type for people who prefer to use the device in a variety of situations for an extended period of time.
Galaxy Buds3 Pro comes with enhanced 2-way speakers with planar tweeter for precise high range sound production, and Dual Amplifiers.
They support a doubled sampling rate with SSC codec to listen to a high-resolution audio source as it was intended
GALAXY RING
Weighing 2.3 to 3.0 grams, the Galaxy Ring is designed for extended wear with nine size options for comfort.
It will be particularly useful for analysis your sleep patterns, measuring everything from snoring to sleep movement to sleep latency and heart rate.
It will help generate a detailed energy score and make recommendations and personalised messages and health tips based on your current physical state to focus your daily efforts on making improvements.
With Heart Rate Alert, you can get instant notifications regarding unusually high or low heart rates in real-time via the Samsung Health app.
You can gain additional details about your heart rate including beats per minute, time start and time duration with Live Heart Rate Check.
Galaxy Ring has automatic walking and running tracking via Auto Workout Detection along with daily fitness reminders with Inactive Alert.
You can also use it take photos or dismiss your alarm on Galaxy smartphones with a double pinch via Gestures.
GALAXY WATCH 7: A COACH ON YOUR WRIST
Galaxy Watch7 will help you accurately track over 100 workouts and build routines by combining various exercises with Workout Routine to achieve your goals.
With Race, you can compare current and past performance in real-time to track progress and maintain motivation, just like having a coach on your wrist.
You can also receive a complete body and fitness snapshot with Body Composition.
You Watch7 will also provide real-time readings and alerts for abnormally high or low heart rates with Heart Rate
Monitoring and get a deeper understanding of your heart health with Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Blood Pressure (BP) monitoring.
Equipped for the first time a 3nm processor, Galaxy Watch7 now has a 3x faster CPU
It is also the first Galaxy smartwatch to feature a Dual-frequency GPS system, which can
more precisely track location even in dense urban environments like CBDs with high buildings.
You can also now answer messages with suggested
Replies. Galaxy Watch7 will be available in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm.
GALAXY WATCH ULTRA
The new and more powerful Galaxy Watch Ultra has a Titanium Grade 4 frame and a Dynamic Lug System to ensure it sits flat on your wrist for accurate measurements while remaining comfortable.
It offers 10ATM water resistance making it tough enough for swimming in the ocean or cycling in extreme conditions.
You can track multi-course workouts for a triathlon from swimming to cycling to running with the multi-sports tile.
A new Functional Threshold Power (FTP) for cycling measures maximum cycling power in 4 minutes with AI-powered metrics.
Galaxy Watch Ultra also provides an advanced Personalised HR Zone so you can workout at optimal intensity levels based on your physical capabilities.
With the Quick Button, you can instantly initiate and control workouts and map other functions. You can also activate an Emergency Siren for safety.
With a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, Galaxy Watch Ultra also ensures readability even in bright sunlight while it automatically switches to night mode.
Galaxy Watch Ultra40 will be available in a 47mm size in titanium grey, white and silver.
AUSTRALIAN PRICING
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 starts at $1799 and is available in blue, silver shadow, mint and yellow and crafted black, white and peach direct from Samsung.
The Galaxy Z Fold6 is priced from $2749 for the 256GB version to $3299 for the 1TB version and is available in silver shadow, pink and navy, as well as crafted black and white direct from Samsung online.
The Galaxy Watch7 40mm retails from $549 (Bluetooth) to $649 (LTE) and is available in green and cream. The 44mm version is $599 to $699 (LTE)
The Galaxy Watch Ultra which is LTE only retails for $1299 and is available in Titanium grey (orange band), white (white band) and silver (dark grey band).
Galaxy Buds3 retail for $299 and are available in grey or white. Buds3 Pro retails for $399.
Pre-orders for devices begin on July 11 with general availability starting July 31.
More Coverage
Pre order deals include an eVoucher of up to $400, $150 bonus trade-in and 1 Year bonus Samsung Care.
Telstra’s deal includes a bonus Tab S9 FE with the Fold6 or Flip6
Pricing and availability for the Galaxy Ring have not been released for Australia though Samsung says it will be coming here.
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