Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung’s annual hardware announcement keynote, took place on August 11, 2021, and there are a lot of new devices to talk about. Two new folding devices, a new watch and improved earbuds were all announced; here’s your first look at all of them.
The new Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with a number of improvements, like an Armor Aluminum body that Samsung said is its “strongest aluminum frame yet,” three new colors (phantom black, phantom green and phantom silver), and it’s IPX8 certified, meaning it’s the first water resistant foldable phone. That X preceding the 8, unfortunately, means it isn’t dust or dirt proof at all.
The Z Fold 3 supports two S Pens: the S Pen Fold Edition, a smaller model that is only available for the Z Fold 3, and the S Pen Pro, which supports other S Pen-compatible devices.
12MP ultra wide, 12MP wide-angle, and 12MP telephoto lenses are included on the rear of the device. The telephoto lens has a 45 degree FOV, 0.5x out and 2x in optical zoom, and 10x digital zoom.
It’s the same size as the Z Fold 2’s screen, but with an improved AMOLED 2x display and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, twice that of the previous model. The outer screen also has a 10MP selfie camera.
The folding screen has always been the weak point of Samsung’s folding devices, and it remains to be seen in real world situations if the latest one will hold up. At the very least, there’s an improved 120Hz refresh rate on this display, too. There’s also a 4MP under-screen selfie camera.
Like the Fold 3, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 comes in all new colors: Cream, green, lavender, phantom black, and three colors exclusive to the Samsung.com store: Gray, white and pink.
In addition to new colors, the Z Flip 3 joins the Fold 3 to be one of the first folding devices to offer water resistance. Like the Fold 3, the Flip 3 is rated IPX8.
The screen on the outside of the Z Flip 3 is a smidge larger than the Z Flip 2: It’s 1.9″ (260 x 512) to the 2-series’ 1.1″ (112 x 300) screen. With a display that small 0.8″ can be a big difference.
The dual cameras are ultra-wide and wide-angle lenses, and both are 12MP.
The inner screen on the Z Flip 3 is the same new technology in the Z Fold 2: 120Hz refresh rate, AMOLED 2x. There’s also a 10MP selfie camera above the screen.
The new Galaxy Watch 4.
The sensor cluster on the back of the Galaxy Watch 4.
Those looking for a more classic watch design will find it in the new Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Galaxy buds are now available in four colors: White, black, lavender and green.
A look under the lid of the Galaxy Buds 2.
Brandon is a Staff Writer for TechRepublic. He's an award-winning feature and how-to writer who previously worked as an IT professional and served as an MP in the US Army.
