GoKawiilSamsung's summer Galaxy Unpacked keynote is set for July 22 in London. This midyear event is typically where the company unveils its latest generation of foldable devices -- like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 -- but this year things might take, let's say, a different shape. Last week, the company began running Instagram posts teasing a rectangular shape.
"Samsung will introduce its latest Galaxy innovations that build on its leadership in foldables, combining intelligent capabilities and new form factors to deliver more personal, adaptive experiences and set a new standard for the AI era," the company said in a statement announcing the event.
The event comes just months before Apple's annual fall event, giving Samsung time to flex its foldable phone prowess ahead of the rumored launch of the iPhone foldable in September. Though Apple's been rumored to have been working on an iPhone Fold for years, I'll believe it when I see it. It'll be interesting to watch what Samsung does with its latest generation of foldables in the meantime.
We'll be on the ground in London to see everything that Samsung has to offer, but for those of you impatient to wait, the rumor mill has been churning with predictions about which new devices might be revealed, like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (wide) and Z Fold Ultra. We could even see Galaxy smart glasses. Let's dive into what the rumors suggest we'll see.
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Galaxy 'wide' foldable
The Galaxy Z TriFold isn't the only odd-shaped foldable Samsung has been apparently working on. Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung is currently in its 7th generation of Galaxy Fold devices, and we expect that both the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 will be refreshed with new processors, a few other tweaks and the number eight on its packaging. But it seems that company's designers might be getting bored, as they've experimented with the folding form factor enough to bring new designs to market.
We've already had the wild Galaxy Z TriFold with its tablet-sized display released back in January, and now rumors suggest a wide version of the Fold that packs a 7.6-inch inner display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. That'd make it wider and narrower than the current almost square 1:1 aspect ratio of the Z Fold 7's internal screen, which would theoretically make the new foldable's inner display better for watching movies without wasted space for black bars at the top and bottom.
There's expected to be a more "regular" version of the Z Fold 8, which is said to follow the proportions of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. However, rumors suggest it will be rebranded with the "Ultra" moniker to differentiate it from its wider-format (and potentially less powerful) sibling.
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