Samsung’s Unpacked events are one of the staples of the tech year. Similar to Apple’s big launch events, they are the time when Samsung lets us in on what it’s been working on and shows off the devices that customers are going to excitedly buy on their next payday.
Today, August 11, sees Samsung's newest phones launch at Samsung Unpacked 2021. We know what we think is coming now, and the leaks have been pretty comprehensive, so let's hope Samsung has managed to hold something back to surprise us.
Like Apple, Samsung has a leaking problem, though, which means by the time the event actually rolls around we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s coming. And this year is no exception as there have been lots of renders already shown on Twitter that give some of the game away.
But leaks of this kind are to be expected, and ultimately just demonstrate how passionate people are about what Samsung is up to. So with the time and date set, let’s take a look at the details.
How to watch Samsung Unpacked
Because of the way the world is these days, Unpacked is more open to anyone. All you need to do is be tuned into the Samsung live feed on the company’s YouTube channel. That's at youtube.com/samsung where you’ll see the Unpacked stream listed when it starts. We've also embedded the video below so you can watch it without leaving this page. The show starts at 3pm in the UK, 10am ET and 7am PT.
What to expect from Samsung Unpacked 2021
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
The Flip 3 is one of Samsung’s most exciting devices. We didn’t get new folding phones back in January when the S21 launched, so it stands to reason that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is one of the things Samsung is launching at August’s Unpacked.
The keen-eyed amongst you might be saying “but, this is the second phone to bear the Flip name” and you are, of course, quite correct. It appears that Samsung might be trying to give this device naming parity with the Z Fold. The suggestion is that the 5G model was actually version 2, which feels like a bit of a cheat but honestly but matching numbers does make aesthetic sense.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
You can’t help but get a little bit excited about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. This phone started life as an expensive prototype that early adopters could buy. It has, however, become a more practical device in its second iteration and the third will obviously be the best yet. The big challenge for Samsung isn’t convincing people they want this device, because quite a few do. The issue is making it affordable enough to be a practical option for the average person.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Leaks suggest that the Galaxy Watch 4 might be two watches. One, the Galaxy Watch 4, which will replace the Galaxy Watch Active and a second, Called the Galaxy Watch Classic which will be the new version of the Galaxy Watch 3.
This will also be an interesting launch, because Google and Samsung have done a deal to bring Samsung’s Tizen platform for watches into the Google ecosystem. The new Wear OS will be a pairing of both, drawing features from Samsung’s range, and Google’s existing operating system. This could usher in a new era of smartwatches, and may finally offer some competition to the Apple juggernaut. Details are, however, still pretty sketchy about what devices will be supporting this and how Google will manage older devices without annoying owners.
We’ll soon see how all of this unfolds.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Although it looked like the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE would launch at today's Unpacked, this now seems unlikely. However it’s not all bad news, as rumours suggest that it could simply appear later in the summer. There are suggestions that this is related to the global chip shortage that is ruining literally everything at the moment.
We remain confident that this phone is on the way, as Evan Blass Tweeted images of the device that look super-official. We’ll keep you updated on any news as we get it.
