Galaxy Z Fold 5 And Other Samsung Gadgets To Look For In 2023
© CNET Galaxy Z Fold 4 Samsung by James Martin/CNETThe Galaxy S23 launch may be far behind us, but Samsung still has a lot to announce in 2023. Assuming history repeats itself. If Samsung sticks to its annual schedule, we can expect new foldables and mobile phones in August. Earlier this year, the company previewed new foldable phone and tablet models, suggesting that the company may expand beyond the Z Fold and Z Flip in the near future.
While Samsung regularly releases new products in various categories, including TVs, home appliances and monitors, I'm particularly interested in its mobile devices. Samsung is one of the largest smartphone makers in the world by market share, so it has more influence than most tech companies on the devices we carry in our pockets every day. Wearables have become an important part of Samsung's goal to differentiate its phones from other Android device manufacturers. It's a strategy to create a product line that appeals to people, like Apple's line of devices.
Based on rumors, rumors, and the company's usual product release schedule, here are the Samsung products I'm most excited about this year.
Galaxy Z Fold 5
© CNET The Galaxy Z Fold 4 Patrick Holland/CNETSamsung's next phone-tablet hybrid could support the S Pen, just like the current version. The question is whether the S Pen will be bundled with the device or whether Samsung will continue to sell it separately.
A report from The Electronics claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could be the first to feature an integrated S Pen. Not only does this mean that the stylus is included for free, but the phone has the same storage space as the Galaxy S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra . If you want to use the S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, you'll have to buy it separately, and there's no way to attach it or get it inside the phone without a case.
It's a seemingly small addition, but it could make the Galaxy Z Fold 5 even more useful as a productivity tool. It also gives the Galaxy Z Fold 5 a sharper focus and appeal to first-time users, artists and note-takers. Samsung could be targeting the same group of buyers who were interested in the Galaxy Ultra or earlier Galaxy Note devices.
However, a recent report from ET News has revealed that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will not include S Pen storage.
However, one of the biggest changes could be a new hinge that could lead to a slimmer design. Korea's The Elect and ET News have reported that Samsung is set to release a new teardrop band for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, complete with a giant Ice Universe.
Samsung often releases new foldable phones in August, so we expect to hear a lot more after that. In addition to rumors that include the S Pen, the Z Fold 5 could also receive standard processor and camera upgrades. What I'm really hoping for, though, is a new app that makes better use of the phone's massive display, as well as the foldable display with an invisible bezel. This is especially true now that Google has announced the Pixel Fold, bringing new competition to the Galaxy Z Fold.
Galaxy ZFlip 5
© CNET of a screen overlay similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Patrick Holland/CNETSamsung's pocket fold will also be updated in August with the much-anticipated Z Fold 5. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 already does a lot and is one of the most functional and affordable flip phones out there. However, Samsung can and should improve the Z Flip in many ways. A Samsung-style phone could have a larger display bezel, longer battery life, and an improved camera that would bring it closer to, say, the Galaxy S series.
But the main reason I'm excited to see what's next for the Z Flip is the price. The phone starts at $1,000 and is often available for lower prices with quality deals, making it the same price as a standard non-folding premium phone. Samsung has kept the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in its lineup, dropping the price by $100 after the release of the Z Flip 4 . This also suggests that the Z Flip will be Samsung's most affordable foldable phone.
With its new processor, better camera, and bigger screen, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 could be one of the most attractive foldable devices you can buy today for the same price (or maybe a little cheaper) than the Z Flip 4.
Galaxy Buds 3
© CNET Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 by Lexy Savvides/CNETIf Samsung's history is any indication, the Galaxy Buds 3 could launch in August. Samsung launched the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in August 2022, while the regular Galaxy Buds 2 launched in August 2021. That timeline suggests Samsung's non-standard Pro headphones may need an update.
We haven't seen many hints about the upcoming Galaxy Buds yet. However, since the regular Galaxy Buds are meant to be a cheaper alternative to the Pro model, we can assume that they will cost much less than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. These headphones retail for $229, compared to the $150 Galaxy Buds 2. While we don't know what to expect, the Buds 3 could benefit from better water resistance and noise cancellation.
Galaxy VR headset
© 2017 Photo by CNET of Samsung's Gear VR headset , which is what a smartphone is supposed to do. Sarah Tew/CNETIt's shaping up to be a big year for virtual and augmented reality headsets. Apple is expected to launch a VR headset, and the PlayStation VR 2 was just released in February. Samsung has been surprisingly absent from the VR space in recent years , but that could soon change.
In February, Samsung announced that it was working with Qualcomm and Google on a new mixed reality platform . The company didn't say if it was developing any specific products, nor did it give a timeline for future mixed reality hardware or services.
"It's more of an expression of how we're trying to build the XR ecosystem," said Samsung's president of mobile, T.M. Roh in an interview with CNA before the announcement.
The revelation comes as ETNews reports that Samsung will release an augmented reality headset for developers in 2023, according to an English translation of the story.
It's hard to know what to expect because there aren't many details. But Sameer Samath, Google's vice president of Android product management, said at Google I/O 2023 that the company will share more about the "immersive XR" partnership later this year.
A new type of folding galaxy
© Provided by CNET Samsung unveiled its display concepts at CES 2023. David Katzmeier/CNETSamsung hasn't announced any future plans for foldable devices beyond the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip series, but it certainly has plenty of ideas to choose from. At CES 2023, Samsung introduced its Flex line of displays, aptly named the Flex Hybrid. This device has a foldable, tablet-sized display that folds to provide more screen real estate.
However, the Flex Hybrid caught my attention because I could see the potential for foldable tablets. Tablets are inherently larger than phones, so the ability to fold them in half to make them portable seems even more important. Tablets are used as secondary devices for activities such as watching movies, reading or working. It seems nice to have a display that can adapt to different situations.
Samsung unveiled several concepts at SID Showcase Week in May, including the Rollable Flex, which will expand five times its length when on display.
It is not clear that any of these will be actual products. However, it's worth remembering that the Galaxy Z Fold started out as a concept.
Galaxy Watch 6:
© Provided by CNET The Galaxy Watch 5 Lexy Savvides/CNETSamsung hasn't said much about its future smartwatch plans, other than to say that the new One UI 5 Watch software will be rolling out to the new watches this year. There haven't been many leaks or rumors about the Galaxy Watch 6 either, but if the company continues on its usual schedule, we should see some new Galaxy Watches in August.
One of the few leaks so far comes via Twitter icon Ice Universe from a leak of the upcoming flagship, the famous rotating bezel will return to the high-end version of the Galaxy Watch 6. Otherwise, the upcoming watches could feature the same health sensors as the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, including ones that measure body composition, blood oxygen, and EKG. There's also a skin temperature sensor on the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro that hasn't been activated yet.
Samsung's Exynos W920 chip that powers the Galaxy Watch 5 has better performance for 3D graphics like emoji icons and renders apps faster. It's not clear if Samsung will make a new chip for the Galaxy Watch 6, but I'm still hoping for a longer battery life. With both Apple and Qualcomm looking to expand the functionality of smartwatches in battery-saving mode, it's no surprise that Samsung decided to go this route.
Samsung is already experimenting with ways to make its wearables and phones work together in new ways. For example, a software update was recently announced for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that allows the earbuds to record 360-degree audio while recording videos on a Galaxy phone. Additionally, the Camera Control app for Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 has been enhanced to include zoom support. We hope to see more of the Galaxy Watch 6.
We will know more about Samsung's future plans in August. But if Samsung's 2023 release cycle is anything like last year, we can expect new foldable devices and more.
