Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 looms on the horizon, as Samsung has confirmed that its next product launch will start in July. Moreover, Galaxy Unpacked will take place in an unusual location, as Samsung plans to hold the event in Seoul, South Korea.
This may come as a surprise, but the products shown on Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in July are not. With updates to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 on the horizon, we’re sure to see new foldable phones. But other potential products could join those foldable devices on the stage, too — everything from tablets to smartwatches to add-on smartphones.
With rumblings about Samsung’s next product launch that will make volume, here’s what we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 — including when we think the show might take place and what we might see when it does.
Latest Samsung Unpacked 2023 news (Updated June 6)
What is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?
Galaxy Unpacked is Samsung’s name for launching products that include the Galaxy lineup of phones, tablets, smartwatches, and audio equipment. While there can be many unpressed events in a given year, two events in particular stand out — one in early spring to usher in the new Galaxy S flagship phones and a second in late summer. Previously, the latter Unpacked centered around the since-discontinued Galaxy Note phablet, but in recent years Samsung has used it to show off new foldable phones.
The first Galaxy Unpacked phone of the year was launched in February, when Samsung introduced the Galaxy S23 range of phones along with new Galaxy Book 3 laptops highlighted by the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra and Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360. Samsung has released other products since then — the mid-range Galaxy A54 among them — but nothing that was the subject of the Unpacked event.
What is the history of Galaxy Unpacked?
In recent years, Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event was held during the second half of the year in August. In 2022, Samsung hosted the Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10 to show off the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and Galaxy Watch 5. The 2021 launch that also brought new foldable phones took place on August 11, while the 2020 release occurred on August 5.
Given this track record, you would expect the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked 2023 to launch in August. But this did not happen this year.
Instead, Samsung has confirmed that there will be a Galaxy Unpacked event in late July, though no specific date has been set yet. Even more surprisingly, the event will be held in Seoul, South Korea – the first time this will happen.
“Hosting Unpacked in Seoul is of great importance because it is a city that has become an emerging hub for innovation and culture as well as being foldable. [phone] category,” Samsung’s TM Roh said in an announcement that removes any ambiguity about the products on Unpacked 2023’s agenda in July.
We may not have an official date for the event, but we do have a possible date, thanks to reports from Korean site Chosun Ilbo and Germany’s WinFuture. Both claim that this year’s Unpacked will take place on July 26, with Chosun Illbo also reporting that the phones introduced at the event will go on sale on August 11.
Why is Galaxy Unpacked moving from its usual August slot? The Chosun Ilbo report claims it’s part of Samsung’s strategy to get more phone revenue in the September quarter, since the accelerated launch date will give the company a full month of smartphone sales. But the arrival of devices like the Google Pixel Fold means there’s more competition for the title of best foldable phone. As a result, Samsung may be more eager to get its new devices out in order to take on fledgling competitors.
Can I watch the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event online?
Samsung has a history of livestreaming the Galaxy Unpacked from its online newsroom and YouTube channel. While the placeholder feed for the late July launch won’t be posted until right before the event, we plan to include it here so anyone can follow along.
What will be announced in Galaxy Unacked 2023?
There are two near certainties for the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 coming this summer — 1) Samsung will show off the updated foldables, according to Roh’s comments about the event’s Korean setup; and 2) Samsung will likely show something else.
There are enough rumors surrounding the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to make us fairly confident that Samsung has an update in the works for its more expensive foldable phone. And with an increasing number of competing phones — the OnePlus V Fold could also hit the market in the second half of the year, joining the Pixel Fold — Samsung has every reason to show us its new Fold feature.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is in line to get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy chipset, and if the Galaxy S23’s silicon performance is anything to go by, Samsung’s foldable phone should get performance and power efficiency boosts. (This last improvement would be most welcome, given the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s disappointing battery life.) It’s unclear if camera improvements are planned, though the Galaxy Z Fold 4 did get a pretty serious upgrade to its external cameras.
The biggest change may be in the design of the phone. While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to retain the basic design as the phone opens like a book to reveal a larger tablet-sized screen, rumor has it that the new version will be thinner and lighter than before. Samsung is also said to be developing a new hinge that is more durable than previous versions.
Like its larger and more expensive siblings, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is expected to be upgraded to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the Galaxy chipset. It could also benefit from the improved hinge being developed for the Z Fold 5, which could result in a less noticeable crease across the Flip’s inner display.
However, the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s external display might get the most attention. The current version of the Flip has a 1.9-inch cover display, but rumor has it that that will go up to 3.5 inches in the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The end result could be a screen that lets you get more done without having to flip the phone over. Opens.
Samsung may use the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event to introduce us to some new tablets. This is according to a WinFuture report on the alleged date of the big event on July 26th.
We expect that there will be several models of the Tab S9 – a basic version, a Plus version, and an Ultra version. All three will likely run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. All three models could end up with OLED panels as well, which would be an upgrade over the base Tab S9 model over the Galaxy Tab S8.
The Galaxy Tab S9 tablets will likely look a lot like their predecessors, though the Plus model models hint at camera upgrades inspired by the Galaxy S23 phones. This means a 50MP main camera for the tablet.
With Samsung using its summer Galaxy Unpacked event to show off new smartwatches in recent years, it’s only natural to assume that the Galaxy Watch 6 could be ready for its upcoming launch event.
One reason you’re less confident about the Galaxy Watch’s place in the Galaxy Unpacked agenda, though, is that neither report predicting the July 26th event mentions the possibility of a new Galaxy Watch. The rumors about the Galaxy Watch 6 have been very sparse compared to Samsung’s foldable phones and tablets.
The few rumors we’ve heard point to a possible move to a curved glass display for the Galaxy Watch 6. Other disciples claim that larger batteries will find their way into the new Watch models. And with long-running rumors that the Galaxy Watch will one day add support for blood glucose monitoring, this is probably the year it will.
Samsung mixed reality headset
Here’s a long shot of this summer’s Galaxy Unpacked event, but we thought we’d mention it. At Galaxy Unpacked in February, executives from Qualcomm and Google joined Samsung onstage to talk about a joint effort to build a new platform for mixed reality. We doubt any product resulting from this partnership will be ready for prime time, but there’s always the possibility of an update after six months to let us know Samsung’s progress in this area.
Another reason Samsung might be eager to talk about mixed reality at its July event: Apple is widely expected to show off its VR/AR headset a month early at WWDC 2023. Talking about its own efforts with Qualcomm and Google guarantees Samsung’s win’ is left outside the metaverse conversation.
Look, we don’t think Samsung has the Galaxy S23 FE in the running, not with the Galaxy A54 fitting nicely among Samsung’s best phones and enjoying all those great reviews on how they balance price with premium features. But we cannot deny that some rumors indicate that the FE model will join the Galaxy S23 lineup this year, as most of the release date claims indicate that it will be launched in the latter half of 2023.
This schedule could mean Samsung is using the Galaxy Unpacked platform to preview the Galaxy S23 FE, though the company could easily launch its miniature flagship phone a bit later. Or he could forget about it entirely and not release another FE model. Since there is a rumor claiming that the Galaxy S23 FE will not have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, this is probably for the best.
Galaxy Unpacked 2023 predictions
We’re still over a month away from the tentative date for the Unpacked event, so things could definitely change between now and when Samsung officially sends out the invites. So stay tuned to Tom’s guide for more rumors about what Samsung has in store, be it phones, smartwatches, tablets, or some other products.
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