We know there are foldables on the way because Samsung actually showed us them in its promotional images and official trailer for its August 10 launch, and Samsung’s smartphone boss teased “new Samsung Galaxy foldables” in a blog post about the traffic. The sheer amount of Watch 5 leaks also makes us pretty sure they’re going to be revealed soon. Last year also saw the announcement of a new pair of true wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2, and this year we expect to see the launch of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. We previously ran some renders of these over the past month, and a big last-minute leak seems to confirm that they’re ready for the event itself. Samsung used to use its summer events to announce a new generation of Galaxy Note phones. But last year, it skipped out on fully releasing what would have been the Galaxy Note 21 and officially confirmed it was discontinuing the brand earlier this year. Instead, the Note series’ trademark features have been incorporated into the more premium Galaxy S series devices, with the Galaxy S22 Ultra featuring a Note-inspired design and a built-in S Pen stylus. In other words, don’t expect a Note 22 to be announced this week. Instead, see what Samsung could offer.
Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold devices are designed to combine the pocketability of a standard smartphone with the larger screen size of a tablet. That doesn’t appear to be changing for the fourth generation of the foldable, which just like last year, appears to combine a 7.6-inch internal foldable display with a 6.2-inch bezel display, according to a leaked specs list posted by a Twitter leaker Ice universe. The leaked photos of the Z Fold 4 show that it could also have a very similar design to last year’s handset. They show a trio of cameras on its back contained in an oval camera bump, as well as what appears to be a centrally oriented selfie notch with a hole in the cover’s screen. 100% accurate Galaxy Z Fold47.6″ QXGA+ AMOLED, 120Hz6.2″ HD+ AMOLED, 120HzSnapdragon 8+ Gen 1 12GB RAM256/512GB Storage Rear Camera: 50MP + 12MP (UMP:μC) + 12MP (UMP:μ4) External Camera : 10MPAndroid 12, OneUI 4.1.14400mAh battery, 25W — Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 30, 2022 But while the device as a whole looks similar, there are hints of some changes coming to this year’s phone. For starters, although the corner-to-corner size of the internal display appears to remain the same, Ice Universe reports that the display may have a slightly larger aspect ratio that’s closer to square than the 5:4 aspect ratio we saw last year . Reports suggest that there are also some more tangible upgrades on the way. Obviously, there’s likely to be a faster processor rumored to be the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 this time around, but it also looks like the Z Fold 4 could get a camera upgrade. The leaked specs suggest that it will now have a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens on the back, according to Ice Universe — the same as what we saw on this year’s Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus. Last year’s model had a trio of 12-megapixel shooters, which means we might get a higher-resolution main camera at the expense of a slightly lower-resolution telephoto lens. Unfortunately, Ice Universe’s leaks suggest that we might once again get an under-display selfie camera inside the Fold 4, which was responsible for some really mediocre shots on last year’s phone. It is also reported that it is still only 4 megapixels in resolution. Screenshots of the Z Fold 4 have apparently leaked. Image: Evan Blass / 91Mobiles But perhaps the most interesting upgrade we could see with this year’s foldable comes courtesy of Google, whose Android 12L update released earlier this year contains a number of optimizations specifically aimed at large-screen devices. It’s also updating its own apps to work better on tablet-sized screens and pushing third-party developers to do the same. These are all improvements that could lead to a better software experience on this year’s Z Fold 4.
Galaxy Z Flip 4
Leaks suggest we’re also in for a year of small upgrades with the Z Flip 4, the next entry in Samsung’s foldable clamshell lineup. Leaker Evan Blass also posted what appear to be official press renders of the Flip 4, which show a similar device to last year’s phone. There’s a two-tone design on the back with a pair of cameras next to a small external notification display, and internally it looks like we’ve got another punch-hole notch instead of an under-display camera (thank goodness). Apparently footage of the Z Flip 4 has been leaked. Image: Evan Blass / 91Mobiles That doesn’t mean there won’t be significant changes. A few different leaks suggest that the Z Flip 4 may have a less noticeable fold where the internal display folds in half. Leaker Ice Universe reports that it will be “shallower” than the notch on the Z Flip 3, which certainly seems to be the case based on some apparent leaked photos of the device. That’s not to say that cracking on the Z Flip 3 was particularly problematic. My colleague Dan Seifert said he basically forgot about it after a few days of use, but we’ll never say no to improved industrial design. If leaks are to be believed, it won’t just be the internal display that gets some upgrades. Ross Young, a reliable screen leak source, said he expects to see a larger notification screen on the Z Flip 4 by two inches or more than the 1.9-inch screen we saw on last year’s model. Other rumored improvements include a larger 3,700mAh battery and a faster Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor.
Galaxy Watch 5
Of all the devices on this list, we might have the best idea of what to expect from the Galaxy Watch 5. While last year’s Watch 4 lineup was split into the standard Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic (which was joined by a fan-favorite rotating bezel), this year it looks like we’re getting a Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro — and there’s no physical rotating bezel. Images of the two smartwatches were leaked in early July by Evan Blass (who else?). The Watch 5 Pro appears to only be available in a larger 45mm size (which will presumably allow it to pack in a larger battery), while the standard Watch 5 will be available in two smaller sizes, widely believed to be 44mm and 40 mm. according to last year’s Watch 4. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (left) and the Watch 5 (right). Image: Evan Blass / 91Mobiles Details are thin on what new functionality the watches could offer. An FCC filing from June suggested we might see fast charging on this year’s models, while another report claims we could see temperature sensing available (potentially useful for seeing if you have a fever). Apparently, the watches will include support for Google Assistant at launch, while Google’s voice assistant came to the Watch only 4 months after its launch. Given the huge fuss Samsung and Google made about Samsung smartwatches running Wear OS instead of Tizen last year, it seems very likely that the Galaxy Watch 5 will continue to run Wear OS 3.
Galaxy Buds Pro 2
We haven’t had many leaks about the Galaxy Buds Pro 2 until just this week, when WinFuture.de shared what it claimed were official photos and specs for the headphones. According to this report, we expect the big features of the Buds Pro 2 to be the revised design and improved active noise cancellation, where “even the loudest background noise” (to quote WinFuture apparently quoting Samsung) can delete algorithmically. Other specs include waterproofing up to IPX7, 10mm drivers, 360-degree audio, Bluetooth 5.3 and eight hours of run time on a single charge, extendable up to 29 hours with the case. We’re guessing the eight-hour battery life is without ANC, given that the Galaxy Buds 2 delivered 7.5 hours of battery life without ANC and five hours with ANC on. 9to5Google previously reported that the headphones could cost $230 (up from $200 for the original Buds Pro) and feature support for 24-bit audio, while WinFuture says they’ll cost €229 in Europe. Since last year’s more affordable non-Pro Galaxy Buds 2 were so good that they undercut Samsung’s Pro models, the company needs to up its game to make the Buds Pro 2 stand out. Images purportedly showing the Galaxy Buds Pro 2 have leaked. Image: WinFuture.de
Some surprises
While most of Samsung’s announcements are usually leaked before events like these, there’s always some hope that the South Korean company might have a surprise or two in store. Could we see the company announcing new laptops? Any new smart home functionality for SmartThings? Or maybe even the return of the Galaxy Home Bixby smart speaker? I’ll be honest, that last one is unlikely. But it’s fun to dream, huh?
