SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – Samsung Electronics revealed its latest foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6, in Paris on Wednesday, banking on the growing Olympic excitement in the French capital.
Choosing the iconic Louvre Museum for this major product launch, the Korean tech giant welcomed around 1,000 journalists and industry professionals from around the world.
“Since the debut of our first foldable phones in 2019, Samsung Electronics has been at the forefront of the foldable market through relentless innovation. The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 represent the pinnacle of performance and sophistication,” stated Roh Tae-moon, head of Samsung’s mobile division.
“With advanced Galaxy AI and an optimised foldable form factor, these devices will unlock new possibilities for users.”
Earlier this year, Samsung announced the dawn of “AI-powered smartphones,” integrating various AI features, dubbed Galaxy AI, into its flagship Galaxy S series. The new foldable phones benefit from further enhancements to this AI technology.
Notably, document translation and summary functions have been improved, and the new Live Translate feature now works with nine social media apps, including KakaoTalk and Instagram.
The camera features upgraded capturing and editing capabilities, branded as the ProVisual Engine.
Additionally, the Google Gemini app serves as an AI assistant, aiding with information searches, document creation, and schedule management via voice commands.
Powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips, the phones promise enhanced performance, including superior AI processing and graphics.
Despite their slimmed-down design, Samsung has reinforced the dual rail hinge to resist external impacts and minimise screen wrinkling. The Armor Aluminium frame and Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus further enhance durability.
The vertically folding Galaxy Z Flip6 boasts a new 3.4-inch cover screen, known as the Flex Window.
Its Suggested Replies feature analyses recent messages and offers response suggestions without needing to unfold the device. The Flex Window also supports various widgets, from health indicators via the Samsung Health app to a Media Player.
Users can combine multiple widgets on the cover screen to view diverse information simultaneously and personalise the background screen with the new Suggest a Style feature.
The horizontally folding Galaxy Z Fold6 features an updated 22:1:9 ratio on the cover screen and a maximum brightness of 2,600 nits, approximately 49 per cent brighter than its predecessor. The device also allows users to transform simple sketches into realistic images using AI and the S Pen.
The Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 will launch in Korea on 24th July, with pre-orders starting this Friday. The Z Flip6 is priced between KRW1.49 million (GBP875) and KRW1.64 million, depending on storage capacity, while the Z Fold6 ranges from KRW2.23 million to KRW2.7 million.
Colour options for the Z Flip6 include blue, silver shadow, yellow, and mint, while the Z Fold6 will be available in silver shadow, pink, and navy. Additional colours will be offered to customers purchasing through Samsung’s online store or its flagship location in Gangnam, Seoul.
At Wednesday’s event, Samsung also introduced new health wearables, including the much-anticipated Galaxy Ring.
Weighing 61.3 grams, the ring provides various health metrics without any subscription fees. Users can monitor sleep latency, heart rate, and respiratory rate during sleep, and track daily activities from workout detection to heart rates.
All health information and insights are accessible through the Samsung Health app.
The Galaxy Ring is priced at KRW499,400.
