The Galaxy Unpacked event is less than 24 hours away and I expect to see Samsung's next generation of foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, as well as new Galaxy Watches. But the big surprise might be the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, a more affordable version of Samsung's popular clamshell.
CNET will be on the ground covering the event live from New York. In fact, Samsung confirmed the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip's new thinner design in an exclusive with CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti.
Samsung was one of the first companies to launch a foldable phone, but over the past few years, competitors including Motorola and Google (as well as Chinese brands such as Honor, Oppo and Xiaomi) have released their own flips and folds that improve or solve many of the shortcomings found on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 like price, size, battery life and camera quality. A great example of this is the Oppo Find N5, which is one of the world's slimmest foldable book-style phones and closer in size and weight when closed to a regular smartphone.
"Whether I'm using the cover display or the internal one, I'm not constantly reminded of how gimmicky the concept of a foldable phone can be, because everything feels sleek and comfortable," wrote CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti in her Oppo Find N5 review. "Yes, the Find N5 is remarkably thin and lightweight, but it's also exceptionally practical and enjoyable to use."
So how will Samsung respond? The July 9 Galaxy Unpacked event will be a pivotal moment for the South Korean company. In terms of the Galaxy Fold line, many critics want to see Samsung come to parity with Chinese foldable phones or top what they're doing. But there is also growing curiosity about what the company is doing with AI and health and wellness monitoring, specifically in terms of its Galaxy smartwatches.
Rumors, leaks and even some teases straight from Samsung show that the company is ready to meet the moment with an exciting array of foldables phones, including a brand-new budget version of its clamshell flip phone as well as updates to its smartwatch line.
You can watch the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, July 9, at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. Samsung is also offering deals for up to $1,200 off when you reserve the new foldable phones on its website.
Watch this: Here's Everything We Expect Samsung to Announce at Its Galaxy Unpacked Event 07:09
Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra
A frame from one of Samsung's press releases that teased the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Samsung
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