After I reviewed the Motorola Razr+ earlier this year, I grew besotted with its external screen. Not only was its 3.6-inch outer panel larger than the 1.9-inch version on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, it was also more useful. Since then, I’d been hoping that Samsung would adopt a bigger outer display on its next-gen Flip foldable, and today, my wish has been granted. The Galaxy Z Flip 5, which the company launched today, sports a 3.4-inch window on the outside that’s 3.78 times larger than before.

It also has a new “Flex Hinge” that allows the device to fold shut without leaving a gap between the two halves of the internal screen. Throw in the typical processor upgrades, double the base storage and some software enhancements, and the Z Flip 5 appears to be a small, but meaningful step up for the same $999 starting price as last year.

A larger external screen with lots of potential

The highlight of the Z Flip 5 is clearly its larger external display, which Samsung has infuriatingly decided to rename the Flex Window. I don’t know why, since this panel doesn’t fold and the old name of “Cover” screen still makes sense. Confusing name aside, it’s easy to see why the bigger panel is more useful. Widgets like Calendar or Weather can show data for multiple events and days. Buttons are larger, so you can more easily skip songs in the media player, start or stop timers and more.

With more room, Samsung was able to squeeze two additional shortcut buttons in the Quick Settings drawer that appears when you swipe down from the home screen. Dragging up opens Samsung Wallet, so you can quickly pay for your morning coffee.

To be clear, the Flip 5’s 3.4-inch panel doesn’t stretch across the entire back half of the phone. It’s shaped like a file folder, sort of like a rectangle that’s been awkwardly cut to avoid the pair of cameras at the bottom right. This makes for a very strange aspect ratio that many apps might struggle with, but for the most part, the software sees the screen as a rectangle. The little tab at the bottom left is largely ignored and is devoted to a Samsung Pay shortcut or a space for any ongoing activities to show their progress. If you have a timer running or a song playing, for example, a small progress bar appears there.

Because Samsung now supports more widgets on the cover, getting through all of them can become a slog. I saw about a dozen of them on the demo unit, and having to swipe 10 times to get to the one I want would suck. Thankfully, the company introduced a new gesture that lets you pinch out to access Multi Widgets view, and from there you can quickly jump to the tile you want. Don’t confuse this with the All Apps page on Android — it may look similar, but it only shows you the widgets that Samsung has made available on One UI 5 for the Flip 5.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

Another thing that may have you thinking the Flex Window can give you the full Android experience is that it supports a handful of apps like Message, YouTube, Google Maps, WhatsApp and Netflix. In countries like Korea, you’ll also find popular options like Kakao Talk. These aren’t widgets — they run like the full-fledged versions of themselves on the outside screen. I watched some YouTube videos, drafted messages and looked up restaurants in the area on the smaller panel and found them to be pretty much identical to the larger versions.

Though the practicality of using full Android on the external display is debatable, I still find it questionable that Samsung limits what apps can run natively on the Flex Window. That’s not to say you can’t find a workaround. The company itself offers an app called Good Lock that will let you run any Android app on the tiny panel. Still, it’s different from the Moto Razr+, which basically runs Google’s whole operating system up front.

Samsung’s approach is meant to ensure that only users who are invested enough to install a separate app to mimic the full Android experience on the Flex Window can. This way, if things break or look weird, you only have yourself to blame.

Another area where Moto and Samsung differ on the cover screen is the QWERTY keyboard. Both companies let you respond to messages and notifications with a full-sized keyboard, and Moto takes up the entire canvas to give you bigger buttons. Meanwhile, Samsung only uses about the bottom two thirds of the space, while retaining the message or input field at the top so you can see what you’re entering or responding to.

I like having larger keys, but Moto’s layout adds a step where, after typing your reply, you have to back out of the keyboard to the app and hit the submit button. On the Flip 5, the Send button is right above the keyboard and you can tap it when you’re done. I’ll have to spend more time with a review unit to better evaluate the two approaches and see which I prefer.

Cameras and Flex Mode

One of the best things about having a larger cover screen is how much more useful it is as a viewfinder. Most foldable phones let you use the secondary display to preview shots you take with the rear cameras, which are almost always superior to the interior sensors. On the Z Flip 4’s tiny sliver of a panel, it was hard to see what I was recording. This year, you’ll actually be able to view your entire shot before taking it. Like before, you can also swipe to change modes and lenses, as well as pinch to zoom in on your subjects.

The camera hardware hasn’t really changed. Samsung applied a different coating to the primary lens and tweaked some of the software to enable greater digital zoom. But on paper the Flip 5 has the same pair of 12-megapixel main and ultra-wide cameras as its predecessor. Inside, the 10-megapixel selfie camera has a slightly larger aperture of f/2.2 (compared to last year’s f/2.4), which should make for brighter, clearer shots. Without a side by side comparison, though, it’s tough to tell how noticeable of a difference it will make.

It’s not like you’ll want to use the internal camera much, since you can easily frame up shots with the outside sensors now. But it could come in handy for video calls or livestreams, in which case you might find it handy to prop the phone up by folding it at a 90-degree angle and sitting it up on a table.

When you fold the Flip 5 but don’t completely shut it, Flex Mode kicks in (on compatible apps). We’ve seen this on older models — apps like YouTube, Camera and Gallery will adapt their layouts by presenting content on the top half and controls on the bottom. This year, though, Samsung added more shortcuts to the Flex panel that appears on the lower half (if you enable the feature). When the Flip 5 is flexed, a small icon shows up on the bottom left that will bring up the navigational panel and move the rest of the app to the top portion of the screen.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

Here, you can have settings that make one-handed use slightly easier. You can press a button to bring down the notifications shade instead of having to reach your thumb all the way to the top. You can also take a screenshot using a shortcut or bring up a touchpad for exploring the top half of the screen with a cursor. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the updated Flex Mode at the hands-on session, but I know I was less than impressed when I reviewed the Flip 4 last year, after initially being excited about the feature. This time around, I won’t be so easily fooled (I hope).

New hinge, old crease

One of the more significant changes to the Z Flip line is Samsung’s new “Flex Hinge.” I’m still a little miffed about the obsession with calling everything “Flex” this and “Flex” that and honestly “Flex Hinge” sounds like a dating app exclusively for people showing off their biceps. But it’s just a marketing name for Samsung’s redesigned hinge with a dual-rail structure that is supposed to help diffuse impact.

Putting aside my distaste for the name (once more), I have to admit the new mechanism seems solid. The phone closes, without a noticeable gap like the Flip 4. It still felt as sturdy as older models, holding itself up at various angles from about 20 degrees to 160 degrees or so. Those of you who found the gap irritating should be relieved.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

People who hated the crease in the middle of the internal screen, though, will be disappointed. When I held up the Flip 5 next to a Flip 4 that I brought, the degree to which their flexible displays wrinkled was pretty much identical. But in my years of testing foldable phones, creases have never been anything more troublesome than an aesthetic quirk. It won’t get in the way of actually using the device.

Processor, storage and other specs

In fact, you’ll probably enjoy the Flip 5’s internal screen, which is a 6.7-inch Full HD AMOLED panel that refreshes at 120Hz. The 22:9 aspect ratio is slightly taller than your average smartphone, but most apps run fine. Powering everything this year is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset that’s also in the Galaxy S23 series. Samsung doubled the storage for the Flip 5, so the base model gets 256GB (instead of last year’s 128GB) while costing the same. That’s a nice touch, and might even make me forgive the company’s overuse of the word Flex.

Also in Samsung’s favor is this year’s selection of colors. You can choose from the standard black (graphite), cream, lavender or this generation’s signature color — mint. It’s a similar shade of green to the one Apple used for the iPhone 12, which is still one of my favorite colors ever used on a handset. Plus, I was beginning to find the Flip 4’s Bora Purple a little dated.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

Pretty much everything else about the Flip 5 is the same as its predecessor. The battery size is the same at 3,700mAh, and it recharges at the same rate as well. That’s a little disappointing, considering the Flip 4 already struggled to last an entire day. But, perhaps the new larger cover screen is useful enough that you can conserve battery life by using the internal display less.

The Flip 5 also retains the same IPX8 water-resistance rating as the Flip 4, though it uses the newer Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covering on the outside. The handsets didn’t feel very different to me, so any changes here are pretty subtle.

Frankly, the biggest difference to the Flip 5 is its Flex Window, followed by its Flex Hinge. Some tweaks to Flex Mode round up the set of upgrades Samsung is bringing to its smaller foldable this year. Though I’m a fan of roomier screens on the outside of flip-style foldables, I can’t help but wonder: is Samsung limiting the Flip 5’s potential with its reluctance to run full Android on the small display?

That’s a question I can only answer after spending more time with a review unit and evaluating things like camera quality, battery life and real-world performance. For now, Samsung has brought us hardware that holds a lot of promise.

While Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watches might not be the highlight of its second Unpacked event this year, they’re arguably the most anticipated Android smartwatch launch every year. One of the most conspicuous absences from the last model was the fan-favorite spinning bezel that’s long been a hallmark of Samsung’s wearable. With the announcement of the Galaxy Watch 6 series today though, the bezel is back. Specifically, Samsung has unveiled two new models — the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, and the latter sports a smaller rotating bezel than the last generation that did. That, along with some physical refinements, are the most obvious changes on the hardware front, while health-tracking continues to be a focal point for the Galaxy Watch series.

Physical and hardware changes

Samsung reps had a Galaxy Watch 5 at the event and when I held it next to a Watch 6, I could see how much cleaner the design was. While the company did shave some fractions of an inch off the case, that’s not as noticeable as the fact that the screen now lies flush with the lugs.

Adding to the sleeker appearance is the Watch 6’s display, which is now 20 percent larger than the previous model, thanks to a bezel that’s 30 percent slimmer. On the Classic, Samsung managed to make the physical spinner 15 percent smaller, too, so it also has a 20 percent bigger display.

Despite its smaller size, the mechanical bezel on the Watch 6 Classic seems just as easy to use as before. I could still feel individual grooves under the frame as I jumped through apps and widgets by rotating the wheel, using each notch as a tactile cue to figure out what page I was on. And credit to Samsung for bringing back this glorified fidget spinner without making the Classic too bulky, although it comes in larger sizes (43 and 47mm) than the standard model (40 and 44mm).

In addition to getting bigger, the Watch 6s’ panels are sharper and brighter than before too, going up 2,000 nits this year. You can also adjust the brightness of the Always On Display, which is nice on a sunny day or when you’re running low on juice.

As with each smartwatch launch, the company has also added faces and straps for the Watch 6 series that older generations can use too. But what’s intriguing this year is a new “one-click” mechanism for some bands that should make swapping them easier. It took a few tries to figure out, but once I did I found it simpler than the Pixel Watch’s version. All you need to do is push down on a button then lift the strap up out of the lug. Putting it back in is a matter of holding down the button and aligning the screws to the lug, then letting go.

Other physical changes to the Watch include an updated processor and larger battery. Samsung says you can get eight hours of juice on eight minutes of “fast charge,” so if you’re running low and still want to track your sleep, you should be able to plug in and quickly get enough power to last all night.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

Sleep tracking and insights

Speaking of, some of the biggest updates to the Galaxy Watch series are coming to its sleep-tracking and coaching features. For those who wear the watch to bed, more insights are coming. Samsung says the Watch 6 will give users “in-depth analysis of Sleep Score Factors” like total sleep time, cycles, awake time and new parameters the company is calling “physical and mental recovery.”

Samsung also worked with the National Sleep Foundation to co-develop “more individualized Sleep Messages” that give users feedback each morning about their night. The Watch 6 can also recognize patterns around your sleep and wake times to see how consistent you are, and assign a “Sleep Animal Symbol” to represent your style. This is very similar to what Fitbit and Google offer with the Pixel Watch, but Samsung is not locking this behind a paywall.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to test any of these new sleep-related features (I’ve been asked to stop napping on the job), and some of them take at least seven days of wear to kick in, so we’ll have to wait till we get in a sample for testing before I can evaluate these.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

Fitness, heart rate and other updates

Other updates I wasn’t able to truly gauge include the new Samsung Wallet app (instead of just the Pay widget), personalized Heart Rate Zone calibration for running workouts and irregular heart rhythm notifications. But I can tell you what they’re supposed to do.

The Samsung Pay feature on the watch has been replaced by the Wallet, which means you can use digital IDs (where compatible), boarding passes, event tickets and loyalty cards on the watch. There’s also a new Track Run workout type that logs the number of laps you complete, while the personalized Heart Rate Zone tool requires you to go through a ten-minute calibration session before it gives you five “optimal running intensity levels” so you can exercise to activate processes like fat-burning.

When the Galaxy Watch 6 detects heart rhythms that might suggest atrial fibrillation, it will prompt you to run an electrocardiogram test. It’ll monitor your pulse in the background for such patterns, including when you’re asleep. Overnight, the Watch 6 series’ onboard skin temperature sensor will also kick in to gather data that can help determine what stage of your menstrual or ovulation cycle you might be entering.

Photo by Sam Rutherford

Samsung also introduced a Skin Temperature API under its “Privileged Health” software development kit (SDK) that will allow third parties to create different applications for the Watch’s LED infrared sensor or the temperature data that it gathers. One example is a new Thermo Check app that lets you measure water temperature before you have to dip into a pool. (Of course, if you’ve stuck your whole hand in the water, you probably already know if it’s too cold.)

A number of third-party apps have also been brought over to or optimized for the Watch 6, as well as other watches running Wear OS 4. These include WhatsApp, Google Calendar, Gmail, Audible, along with updated versions of Peloton and MyFitnessPal. Samsung also tweaked its Camera Controller app to let you remotely snap pictures, switch modes and zoom from the latest foldable phones (in addition to boring ol’ regular handsets). Find My Phone on the Galaxy Watch will now show where your misplaced device is on a map, as well.

For obvious reasons, I wasn’t able to test most of these updates — given I couldn’t simply go running for ten minutes at a hands-on, and it probably would have been a bad idea to load my credit card on the demo units. But I don’t feel as if I missed out on much. The most significant changes appear to be cosmetic and many of the software updates might eventually trickle down to older models. I’m intrigued by the sleep insights Samsung looks set to deliver, but that will take at least seven days for me to start seeing results. Stay tuned for our full review to see how the Galaxy Watch 6 performed on that front, but also for the details on battery life and real-world experience. Until then, if you’re ready to get a new Android smartwatch, you can already pre-order the Galaxy Watch 6 from $300 and the Watch 6 Classic, which starts at $400. They’ll be available starting August 11th.

Samsung is also making some tweaks to last year's Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, adding access to hiking routes via the GPX (GPS Exchange Format) File Database as well as more options for Route Workout types. You can still buy that device for $450.

This year’s Galaxy Unpacked foldable showcase is more of a Samsung eco-system barrage. Two foldables, two wearables, and no fewer than three tablets are here to tempt you to stick with the Galaxy family (or jump ship from rivals like Apple and Google.) While the fourth-generation foldables are arguably the big reveals, Samsung’s latest flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, is making its case for a premium Android tablet.

The flagship Galaxy Tab S9 is only the company’s second “Ultra” tablet, and there are many similarities to last year’s Tab S8 Ultra, with its 16:10 screen, dual-camera array on the back and magnetized stylus holster. This time, you can attach the stylus in either direction on the holster, and it’ll still charge – an odd oversight on the previous model. 

Photo by Mat Smith / Engadget

Design-wise, it’s more of the same for Samsung’s tablet: More smooth aluminum frames but with slimmer bezels. They’re still thin and feel incredibly premium, especially the wide-screen Ultra. The Tab S9 Ultra feels a little unwieldy in my hands, partially due its taller screen ratio, which I’m not used to. Also because it’s almost 13 inches wide.

At least it’s gorgeous. Samsung has evolved the displays on its tablets even further, with the ninth-generation tablets all using Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays, like those found on its most powerful (and expensive) Galaxy S phones and Galaxy Book Ultra laptops. The Tab 9 Ultra has a 14.6-inch AMOLED display, capable of reaching 120Hz and supporting HDR 10+. While I’ll focus on the Ultra model, the Galaxy Tab S9+ with its 12.4-inch display and Tab S9 with its 11-inch screen also get the same beefed-up AMOLED tech.

Unsurprisingly, the screens are all vivid and high-contrast – it’s Samsung’s strength right here. I had to reduce the screen's brightness pretty substantially just to capture images of the Tab S9 Ultra. Once again, the Galaxy Tab Ultra model comes with a notch – gasp – which appears to be dual 12-megapixel cameras. (There are a few specs we’re double-checking with Samsung.) The tablets also pack four AKG-tuned speakers, and if you’re planning to watch a lot of movies, shows or games, there’s also support for Dolby Atmos.

Beyond the display, Samsung has made two other major upgrades to the Tab S9 series. First up is IP68 dust and water protection to all the new tablets. Samsung says this means it should survive depths up to 1.5 meters of water, while it’s also launching a ruggedized cover (pricing TBD) to make the most of the tab’s new hardy bona fides.

Photo by Mat Smith / Engadget

Samsung has also improved the processor for 2023 and its tablets all use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The company claims some major performance improvements compared to last year’s Tab S8, including up to 32 percent improved CPU and 41 percent better GPU performance. Both the Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra will be able to fast-charge at up to 45W, although only the Tab S9 Ultra will come with the compatible charging brick. That’s why it’s the Ultra, people. Both of the larger tablets have a dual-camera array on the rear, with 13- and 8-megapixel sensors, while the Tab S9 will have a single 13-megapixel camera.

You’ll be able to get up to 12 gigs of memory across all three models, although the base Tab S9 will also be available with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage. The Tab S9 Ultra tops out with a heady 1TB storage for power users. Make sure to factor in the cost of your keyboard dock, though. We’re waiting to confirm pricing with Samsung for the Tab S9 Ultra version, but last year’s premium keyboard folio, which includes a trackpad, cost $350.

At least Samsung is making sure some apps power-users might demand make use of the add-on, with the company teasing CAD design app ArcSite and video-editor LumaFusion (think an Android-flavored iMovie) on its top tablet.

Photo by Mat Smith / Engadget

Aside from the bidirectional charging feature, the S-Pen also gets IP68 support, which is more likely to get dropped into water hazard than an almost 15-inch tablet. Samsung announced that it will also launch a creator edition of its S-Pen, with a new textured finish, wider tilt angle and multiple stylus tips. However, I didn’t get to test that during my meeting with Samsung and there’s no word on pricing and launch date, yet.

The standard S-Pen feels, well, like a Samsung Stylus. It’s more substantial than the one included with the S23 Ultra and Note series, with a flattened side to aid grip, and it seems fluid and responsive on the Tab S9’s screen.

Samsung’s Multi Control attempts to sew together your disparate Galaxy devices. I tested out some simple tasks during my briefing, and (after logging into both devices with the same Samsung account) could interface between a Galaxy Flip 4 and the Tab S9 Ultra. While setting up Multi Control, you’ll even get to choose where your phone appears in relation to the Tab S9, just like setting up a second screen on a PC. Then, if using a trackpad or mouse, you can inch the cursor across to your Samsung phone, type into search bars and emails from your keyboard (not sure why you would do that), and drag and drop files and images.

Prices for Samsung’s flagship tablet, the Tab S9 Ultra start at $1,200, while the Tab S9+ will start at $1000 and the Tab S9 at $800. Preorders will open for all three on July 26th, with the tablets eventually going on sale August 11th.

Another Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is in the books, and another deluge of Galaxy products has arrived in its wake. Most notably, Samsung used the event to announce its latest pair of foldable phones: the book-style Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip 5, which start at $1,800 and $1,000, respectively. Those are joined by a trio of new tablets in the Galaxy Tab S9, Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra, as well as a pair of new smartwatches in the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Watch 6 Classic. We’ll have full reviews in the near future, but if you’re already looking to grab one of these new Galaxy devices, we’ve broken down what’s new and compiled all the appropriate pre-order links in one place.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is up for pre-order today at Samsung’s online store, with wider availability beginning on August 11. Like its predecessor, the device starts at $1,800 for a model with 256GB of storage. However, if you pre-order the device by August 10, Samsung says you can upgrade to the higher-capacity 512GB model for no extra cost. A 1TB variant is also available on Samsung.com, while all three SKUs come with 12GB of RAM.

You can read our hands-on preview for a full rundown, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s main upgrade centers on its “Flex Hinge,” which largely eliminates any gap between the phone’s halves when it’s folded. The device is slightly thinner in that mode as a result, though it’s still a bit thicker than Google’s Pixel Fold. The whole thing now runs on a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, and the main display has a higher peak brightness of 1,750 nits, up from 1,200 nits. (But it still has a visible crease.) There are some new gestures aimed at boosting the software’s multitasking chops, as well as a thinner S Pen stylus.

That said, the broad strokes of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 are similar to before. The camera hardware, displays and battery aren’t drastically different, and the price is still high. But if you’ve been looking to upgrade from an older Galaxy Z Fold, or if you’ve just been looking to hop on the foldable train, this looks to be a close follow-up to a premium device we recommend in our smartphone buying guide.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The new Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also available to pre-order today, with an official on-sale date of August 11. It starts at $1,000, just like last year's Z Flip 4, but the base model now comes with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB. As with the Z Fold 5, you can upgrade to a 512GB unit for no extra cost if you pre-order by August 10. Both variants have 8GB of RAM.

The big upgrade here is a significantly larger cover display. Whereas the Z Flip 4 had a 1.9-inch external panel, now you get a 3.4-inch screen. That brings the device more in line with the Moto Razr+ from earlier this year. Samsung is touting improved widget support thanks to that expanded screen space, though only a handful of full-on apps are designed to run on the outer display for now. Still, it should be easier to preview photos, control music, reply to texts, view the weather, check notifications and so on without having to physically unfold the device. 

Like Samsung’s larger foldable, there’s a redesigned hinge that flattens the gap between the phone's two halves and makes the device slightly thinner when folded. Samsung has bumped this device up to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset as well, and it claims that some new processing tricks will help with low-light photos in particular. The rest of hardware isn’t much different outside of that, but you can check out our hands-on for more info.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Beyond foldable smartphones, Samsung refreshed its Galaxy Tab lineup with a trio of new tablets: the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S9, the 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S9+ and the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Those start at $800, $1,000 and $1,200, respectively, with pre-orders available today and general availability starting on August 11. The base Tab S9 comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the larger two models include 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage by default. Pricier variants with 5G support are also available. 

Much like the foldables, those who pre-order the base Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra can upgrade to a variant with 512GB of storage for no extra cost. Samsung says anyone who pre-orders a Galaxy Tab S9 device can take $40 off a pair of the company's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro wireless earbuds as well.

While not radically different from last year’s Galaxy Tab S8 series, the new slates do bring a handful of meaningful changes. The entry-level Tab S9 now comes with a richer AMOLED display instead of a TFT LCD panel, while all three tablets now have an IP68 water resistance rating, so you can feasibly use them in the pool or shower with less worry. Each device now runs on a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset as well.

In general, these are still high-end Android tablets, with slim aluminum frames, vivid displays and strong speakers. The question, as always, is whether you’re willing to pay this much for an Android tablet, even with Samsung’s usual modifications for productivity and multitasking. If so, the Tab S8 is the top Android pick in our tablet buying guide, and the Tab S9 appears to deliver similar pros and cons. Our hands-on has more details.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Samsung also introduced two new smartwatches at Unpacked: the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Like everything else unveiled today, both wearables are up for pre-order today and will be more widely available beginning on August 11.

The Galaxy Watch 6 starts at $300 for a 40mm case, which is a $20 bump over the Galaxy Watch 5. A larger 44mm model starts at $330. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is broadly similar to the standard model but brings back the physical rotating bezel of older Galaxy Watches, a mechanism many users preferred for navigating the OS. That one comes in 43mm and 47mm sizes, which start at $400 and $430, respectively. Samsung says anyone who pre-orders one of the new models will receive a bonus fabric watch band for no extra cost. Bluetooth and LTE variants will be available, and the company is keeping last year’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro around for those who want a more rugged option.

The Galaxy Watch 6 comes with an extra 0.1 inches of display real estate compared to its predecessor, thanks primarily to bezels that Samsung says are 30 percent thinner. The smaller model of each device has a 1.3-inch, 432 x 432 resolution OLED panel, while the larger variants bump that up to a 1.5 inches and a 480 x 480 resolution. Both use sapphire crystal glass and are said to reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. On the Galaxy Watch 6, the screen sits flush with the lugs. 

Samsung has slightly increased the size of each watch’s battery: 300mAh for the smaller models, 425mAh for the larger ones. The company rates the overall battery life at up to 40 hours with the always-on display mode off, though, which is 10 hours less than the Galaxy Watch 5’s max estimate.

Beyond that, both devices come with faster Exynos W930 processors, 2GB of RAM (0.5GB more than before), 16GB of storage and an IP68 water resistance rating. They also run on Samsung’s One UI 5 Watch software, which, as previously noted, brings a heavier focus on sleep tracking, plus features like personalized heart rate zones and notifications for irregular heart rhythms. We currently recommend the Galaxy Watch 5 to Android users in our smartwatch buying guide, but we’ll give the new models a full workout soon to see how they stack up.

Today at its Unpacked event, Samsung announced its latest flagship foldable – the Galaxy Z Fold 5 – which features a new hinge, an even sleeker design and a brighter main display. Samsung has also included a handful of new gestures for improved multitasking along with an updated chip. However, after multiple generations without any major design changes and a still extremely high price of $1,800, one has to ask if Samsung’s latest changes are really enough.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is centered around what Samsung is calling a Flex Hinge, which is said to have a more streamlined design while still boasting IPX8 water resistance. And thanks to that new hinge, Samsung has managed to get rid of the gap between the screen halves while also decreasing its overall thickness to 13.5mm. That’s a nice move toward everyday usability, though it’s thicker than Pixel Fold, which is only 12.1mm.

On the inside, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy for increased performance along with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. However, the Z Fold’s battery is staying pat at 4,400 mAh, so Samsung is really relying on power efficiency gains to deliver longer runtimes. As for its cameras, we’re looking at essentially the same general setup as on the Z Fold 4 highlighted by a 50-MP main camera, a 12-MP ultra-wide and a 10-MP telephoto with a 3x optical zoom. Though, Samsung says it’s added some new processing tricks.

The screens are also essentially the same. You still get a skinny baton-like shape with a 6.2-inch OLED Cover screen along with that big 7.6-inch main display on the inside, both of which sport 120Hz refresh rates. That main screen’s peak brightness is now the same as what you get on an S23 Ultra at 1,750 nits, which is rather impressive for a flexible display. That said, it still has a crease, which may be an issue for some. Those who can ignore the divot though, will find a few new gestures to make multitasking on that expansive screen just a bit easier.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

When you want to quickly get into side-by-side app view, there’s a simple two-finger swipe in from the left or right. Alternatively, if you want to minimize an app into windowed mode, there’s a new diagonal swipe in from the corner of the display. You can also drag and drop files and photos from one app to another without being in multitasking mode by touching and holding on something, and then using a different finger to open a new app from the taskbar. Granted, this feels kind of clunky. Depending on where things are on the screen, sometimes it feels like you’re playing Twister with your fingers. But I like the direction Samsung is going, it reminds me of dragging a file down to the taskbar in Windows which gives you more of a taste of desktop-style productivity. And while the taskbar is largely the same as before, there are now four spots for recent apps (up from just two).

Finally, while there’s still no room for it inside the device itself, Samsung has created a new S Pen for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 that’s around 40 percent thinner than before that works with a revamped and more compact phone case so there’s somewhere to stash it when it’s not being used.

However, my issue with the Z Fold 5 is that while a lot of the changes are nice in a vacuum, for a company that has had such a head start in the foldable phone space, it seems like Samsung isn’t pushing that advantage as hard as it should. On the Pixel Fold, which is Google’s first foldable phone by the way, we got an interesting new design that’s even thinner than the Z Fold 5 while having a similarly sized screen plus a longer 5x optical zoom, not to mention Google’s superior photo processing. And other big foldables from China, like the Oppo Find N2, are doing a better job at eliminating the crease.

But perhaps more importantly, the Z Fold 5 still costs $1,800, which is ludicrously expensive. That’s kind of disappointing because after five generations, you like to see Samsung leverage its size to scale down the price of foldables. And for something like the Z Flip series, Samsung actually has done a decent job of that. The original Z Flip costs just shy of $1,500 dollars at launch, but Samsung has brought that price down to $1,000. Meanwhile, the first Z Fold started at just under $2,000, and has only come down by $200 over five generations.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Price is still by far the biggest barrier to entry when it comes to large flagship foldables. But if Samsung could bring the Z Fold line closer to $1,500 (even though that would still be very expensive), it would give Samsung a huge leg up on rivals like the Pixel Fold. So while I like the Z Fold 5’s sleeker design, brighter screen and improved multitasking, I still kind of feel like Samsung should be doing more.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be available in three main colors: Icy Blue, Phantom Black and cream along with gray and blue options which will be available exclusively from Samsung.com. The Z Fold 5 will start at $1,800 with pre-orders going live today ahead of an official on-sale date of August 11th.

Honda's E electric car went on sale in the summer of 2020 in Europe and Japan, offering those who want a cute and compact vehicle a zero-emission option. The retro-styled EV could be the only model in its line, though, because the automaker apparently has no plans to produce more cars of the same size. At the launch event of e:Ny1, Honda's new electric SUV, Honda UK executive Rebecca Adamson told Autocar: "There won’t be more cars the size of the Honda E. I can say that confidently."

Adamson also said that Honda chose to focus on electric SUVs, because that's where the market demand in the UK is. "It's a market-led product line-up. As long as that’s where the market is, we will continue to be SUV driven," the executive said. Indeed, the car has several SUVs in its current lineup, which will soon include the e:Ny1. At a business briefing in April, Honda also said that it's building a mid-to-large-size EV based on its e:Architecture platform that will go on sale in North America in 2025. As another clue that Honda was going to put its focus on electric SUVs, it said it was further developing its vehicle OS for use with mid-to-large-size EVs.

The Honda E was relatively well-received for its stylish looks, but it has a small battery and has a pretty short range at 137 miles. It was meant for city and suburban use only, not for long stretches of road with no charging stations in sight. As for the e:Ny1, it's a compact SUV with a range of 256 miles and a fast charging capability that enables it to go from 10 to 80 percent in 45 minutes. It's only the brand's second pure EV after Honda E meant for release in the European market. 

Samsung Unpacked 2023

While Samsung already revealed its flagship Galaxy S23 phones earlier this year, summer is reserved for its foldable devices. This year, that event is taking place in South Korea, with the company teasing not just the latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 devices, but smartwatches and tablets as well — for more, check out our preview and video on what to expect. You'll have a couple of ways to follow along, so keep reading to find out more. 

When is Samsung Unpacked 2023?

Unpacked 2023 takes place in Samsung's home country of South Korea for the first time, and will be streamed live on July 26th at 7AM ET. 

How to watch Samsung Unpacked 2023

If yu can get up that early, Samsung is streaming the event on its website and YouTube channel and we've embedded the livestream above. If you'd rather have some in-depth commentary (or both), Engadget will be liveblogging the event starting at 7AM ET / 4AM PT / 11AM BST, and we have a reporter on the ground in South Korea. Follow all the activities by bookmarking our liveblog here, which will go live tomorrow morning.

If you’re looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker that puts natural-sounding analog audio at the forefront, then you’ll enjoy the Orange Box. As long as you don’t have too many other requirements, that is. Orange has been making guitar amps since the 1960s and it’s apparently not changing the formula to compete against commonplace plastic Bluetooth speakers with all the mod cons. I’ve personally come to enjoy the bohemian design and bright orange exterior, which is a refreshing change from what you’d usually find. You do have to deal with losing some useful features and it’s less rugged than some other portables, but the audio quality is a standout.

Hardware

The hardware elements and iconography from the company’s long history of amps and speakers have been merged into this portable battery powered version. The orange Tolex (vinyl) exterior, logo badge, speaker mesh, wood framing, dials, toggle switches, indicator lights and other details are a perfect match with the brand’s existing stable of products. The mechanical ‘thunk’ of the on/off toggle is satisfying, while the domed orange power light seems pleasantly retro.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

There are manual volume and EQ dials on the top panel. The bass and treble start out flat in the 12-o’clock position, letting you boost or lower those levels as desired. The dial positions are a little hard to read, though, unless you’re standing directly above them since the position dot on the dial is near the bottom. The Bluetooth control has a blue light that flashes when it’s in pairing mode and does double-duty as a pause/play control. You’ll also find an orange overload indicator light, which could become a common sight if you like to play your music loudly, especially with heavy bass.

Aside from that, there’s a 3.5mm minijack on the top and an DC charging port on the back. You can charge the 2,600mAh battery for up to around 15-hours of playback or you can just run it while it’s plugged in. Next to the domed power indicator is a battery level light that’s red as it's charging, green when it’s full and flashes red if the battery is at 10 percent or lower, with nothing in between. Like any speaker, if you’re planning a long outing, you should keep the power cable handy. I tested the speaker at a relatively high volume for an hour, plus 10 hours at medium and two overnight stretches powered off. This got me to the 10-percent warning and seems par for the course in regards to battery life.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

If you plan to travel with your speaker, you may want to consider getting the $60 Gigbag carrying case since there’s no IP rating or waterproofing for the device. You’ll just have to trust Orange Amps’ build quality. Although we haven’t seen the bag in person, I expect it should at least help keep the speaker dry and clean when you’re not using it. There’s a shoulder strap option as well, and while the Orange Box is portable, it’s still over 6.5 pounds. You could always save some money though, since it does fit into a backpack easily enough.

Sound

The best part about the Orange Box is its warm and bright output. There’s both digital Class D and A/B analog amps that deliver crisp and punchy front-facing sound from the 4-inch sub and dual 2-inch high frequency drivers. There’s a relatively wide frequency range from 35Hz to 20kHz and aptX support is a huge plus, especially if you have access to hi-res streaming. Most styles of music sound good on the Orange Box, but the speaker really shines with songs that have live instrumentation or anything that can benefit from an analog touch. Some types of modern digital music didn't come across quite as well here, so it's worth testing your types of tunes before buying.

The 50-watt speaker puts out enough volume to work well as a personal boombox in the park or around the house. It’s fairly loud for its size and can handle small outdoor get togethers well if you just need background music. The output has decent bass that does reverberate through its case, especially if you’re near to it. Although when testing on a large windy rooftop area, it didn’t project as much if you’re 15-20 feet away.

I didn’t notice any distortion when pushing it to the max, but that overload light is a subtle hint to always check your levels. You’ll see the light flashing quite often if you enjoy loud music. It’s only when you have the overload light on constantly that you could get distortion and potentially damage the drivers. If that does happen, you do have the benefit of contacting an authorized repair center instead of having to cut your losses.

Features

Some features that many have grown used to using aren’t available on the Orange Box and if you just want something to play tunes, it’s not a big deal. However, there’s no app for the speaker and it doesn’t support multipoint or pairing with a second Orange Box for more sound. It won’t go to sleep even if you’ve disconnected Bluetooth, so the battery may slowly drain if you leave it on all night without charging. And if you’re used to watching the battery levels, it will be a bit of a mystery until you’re at 10 percent power. Plus, since there’s no USB charging, you'll want to keep track of the power cable that came with the device.

On the plus side, there’s obviously the analog amps on board and aptX support sweetens the deal. The Bluetooth 5.0 range is as good or better than some other speakers in this category. Also, if you need a tiny DJ monitor, there’s no processing delay when using the 3.5mm input jack, so you can mix by ear if needed. For eco-conscious consumers, the authorized service centers and replacement parts on offer until 2030 means you can actually repair the speaker if something happens to it. It’s a proper piece of equipment that you should be able to enjoy for a long time.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

Wrap-up

While I wouldn’t quite call it an audiophile speaker, it’s certainly for analog or Orange Amp enthusiasts. I know the design isn’t new since the Orange Amps style has hardly changed since the ‘60s, but for me it feels like a refreshing change of pace. I can imagine lots of people with those turntables in luggage cases hooking up the speaker (although make sure you have good needles people). Sure, it's a bit chunky, you shouldn’t leave it out on the porch in the rain and you’ll need to keep track of the specific charging cable, but that’s doable.

It’s hard to say if the sound or style will appeal to everyone, but it’s great to have another option out there, especially one that’s built and sold by a brand with a legacy. At $299 the Orange Box isn’t terribly expensive and it feels less disposable than many of the products out there. The Orange Box, its $60 Gigbag carrying case and the slightly larger non-portable sibling the Orange Box-L ($345) are all currently available from the Orange Amps website. Oh, and you can also get them in black if that’s your preference. I know Furry Vince Noir would.

Specs

• Style: Orange peel Tolex, acoustically transparent grille

• Drivers: 1 x 4-inch bass driver, 2 x 2-inch high frequency drivers

• Amplifiers: 1 x 30-watt sub, 2 x 10-watt full range

• Frequency Range: 35Hz - 20kHz

• Weight: 3 KG / 6.62 LBS

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm aux input

• Codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC

• Battery: 2,600mAh, 3 hours to full charge, 15-hour runtime

• Extras: Vegan-leather carry strap, 3.5mm aux cable, 19.5V power supply

Samsung's refreshed M8 Smart Monitor is currently on sale at $100 less than retail, and you can get one right now for $600 if you're looking for a multi-functional display. It's the new version of the monitor Samsung launched at CES in 2022, which comes with both smart TV and internet of things (IoT) features. Like its predecessor, you can use the new M8 to stream content like you would on any other smart TV from services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. 

But you can also use it to edit documents, browse the web and do other things you'd do on a computer without needing to plug it into a separate PC, since it comes with Microsoft 365 programs. The upgraded Workmode feature lets use the monitor to access other computers, as well, in case the documents or programs you need are on another PC. And if you have a Samsung phone or tablet, you can use Samsung DeX on the display to link to them as well. 

Unlike most of Samsung's other smart TVs, though, the M8 comes with an IoT hub that will let you control your smart home products with SmartThings. You can switch off the lights or set the thermostat temperature right from the display. The M8 monitor ships with a detachable SlimFit Cam, which captures images in full HD and can track and focus your face to follow you around during video calls. Finally, the product comes with built-in Alexa support, so you can issue voice commands from across the room. 

When Samsung launched the new M8 in May, Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, said: "We are raising the bar for Smart Monitors globally with our new lineup and especially our enhanced M8 model. Within a single monitor, users can enjoy the best of entertainment and gaming, productivity, design and personalized convenience and comfort."

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TikTok absolutely dominates the short-form video space, but now it’s looking into short-form text posts. The social media giant just announced a new text-composition feature to allow users to “share their stories, poems, lyrics and other written content, giving them another way to express themselves.”

The toolset seems simple enough. Just head to the app’s Camera page and select “text.” You’ll be able to type out whatever you want, add sounds, tag locations, enable comments and even integrate with Duets. The company says these text posts will be as interactive and dynamic as video and photo posts. To that end, you can also add background colors, hashtags and, of course, affix plenty of stickers.

Just like video and photo posts, you can save any text post as a draft for further edits or discard it entirely if you aren’t sure the whole Internet needs to see your poem about pizza.

If this sounds a bit like using Instagram Stories to create a text-only post, you’re certainly onto something. This wouldn’t be the first time that TikTok looked to Instagram for inspiration (or vice versa!) Just last year it added static images to its toolset, accompanying short-form videos. TikTok’s photo mode was met with near-universal scrutiny, but has gone on to become quite popular, and the company's certainly hoping this text mode will follow the same trajectory.