Samsung Launches 4th-Gen Fold With Lighter, Redesigned Hinge

Samsung launched new flexible phones, earbuds and watches at its virtual Samsung Unpacked event Wednesday, led by the fourth-generation Fold smartphone. TM Roh, head of the company’s mobile experience business, cited the foldable smartphone’s “paradox of size, functionality and innovation," saying it took eight years to get from a prototype screen to the first Galaxy Fold.

In addition to the 7.6-inch Galaxy Z Fold4, starting at $1,799, Samsung unveiled the 6.7-inch Galaxy Z Flip4 (starting at $999) for delivery Aug. 26. Customers who preorder the Z Flip4 through Aug. 25 will get a free memory upgrade to double the storage, plus $900 off with an eligible trade-in, and a free case, Samsung said. Preorders of the Fold4 will get a memory upgrade, up to $1,000 off a trade-in, a standing cover with Pen case, plus a $100 Samsung credit. Preorders for both include a year of Samsung Care+ coverage for drops and damage, the company said.

The Fold4 is the first device to ship with Android 12L, a Wear OS version created by Google for large-screen experiences, Samsung said. Presenters showed the upsized device being used for Teams and Google Meet video calls with multiple participants; users can multitask with swipe gestures and play games and co-watch videos with friends. A new taskbar was designed with a layout similar to that of a PC, offering quick access to apps.

To reduce the Fold's weight and depth, Samsung redesigned the hinge in the latest model, replacing gears with a new mechanism that has a “rotational effect,” it said. The new design allowed engineers to reduce the hinge size without affecting durability, it said.

Samsung also redesigned the Fold’s display to make it thinner and lighter. It eliminated the heavy metal layer that supports the display and protects the digitizer, strengthening the digitizer with a type of lightweight fiber-reinforced plastic used in cars and aircraft, it said. It also used a stiffer material in the panel layer that powers the light inside the display, and it improved the damping structure with sponges to increase shock absorption, it said.

The Flip4, meanwhile, retains the clamshell design of previous models. Users can take selfies from the cover screen with the main camera using the Quick Shot feature. Samsung pushed “hands-free” features of the Flip4; users can make calls, reply to texts, unlock their car or control SmartThings lights from the cover screen, it said.

Samsung updated its earbuds, launching the Galaxy Buds2 Pro ($229) flagship pair. The Buds2 Pro have 24-bit audio using the Samsung Scalable Codec that’s only compatible with Samsung devices. The Buds2 have coaxial two-way speakers, a more secure fit and an auto switch feature that automatically goes to phone mode if a call comes in while the user is listening to music or a Samsung TV. Customers who preorder Buds2 Pro get a free wireless charger, up to $75 with eligible trade-in and a $30 Samsung credit.

Samsung took the wraps off its latest smartwatch series, the Galaxy Watch5 ($279 for Bluetooth; $329 for the LTE version; $449 and $499 for the Pro versions). The watches have Samsung's BioActive Sensor that combines three health sensors -- optical heart rate, electrical heart signal and bioelectrical impedance analysis -- to deliver readings for heart rate, blood oxygen level and stress level, it said.

Bjorn Kilburn, Google senior director-Wear OS, gave an update during the event on the operating system that users will have access to this year, including new experiences from SoundCloud and Deezer. Users will be able to leave their phones behind during a workout, Kilburn said, while keeping content close by. Google also introduced a new Google Assistant for Galaxy watches. He demonstrated the feature, asking Google to play a workout playlist from Spotify. Later this year, users will be able to use Google Maps from a Galaxy watch without their phone, he said.