What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked next week
A lot of it may be business as usual, but the company has hinted that some possibly exciting new additions are in the works. Engadget will be liveblogging the event that day, so make sure to come back here for our coverage. We'll also continue to update this roundup of what we expect to see next week with the latest reports and rumors. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Based on the usual annual cadence, this summer Unpacked 2025 will most likely introduce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. One recent leak claimed that Gemini Live will be a core part of the foldables' presentation, and considering AI is the buzzword for every tech presentation these days, it would be strange if Unpacked didn't follow suit. AI features got a positive reception from both our Fold 6 and Flip 6 reviewers, although they fell more under the umbrella of parlor tricks than valuable assets.
Android Headlines is back with renders of what it claims show the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The foldable sports a slimmer profile than the prior model and the navy blue chassis is certainly pretty. It also indicates that both the cover display and inner display are reportedly bigger in this design, up to 6.5 inches and 8.2 inches, respectively. The publication also showed purported images of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 that also pointed to increased screen real estate.
There may be a third player in the foldables lineup for this Unpacked. A teaser from Samsung last month pointed toward a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra that will come with Galaxy AI. There are no specs in the blog post, but the company insists that this will have "industry-leading hardware, cutting-edge performance and seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format." This doesn't appear to be the tri-fold design we've heard rumblings about, but that would be a fun reveal if Samsung does pull that off as a surprise announcement. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
On the wearables front, the only thing we're really anticipating is news about the Galaxy Watch 8. But the anticipation is pretty mild.
This smartwatch collection from Samsung hasn't really pushed the envelope for several years; the Galaxy Watch 7 was the third iteration where our reviewers felt the new model offered only incremental improvements over the previous generation. So either this Unpacked will be yet another round of small gains on the specs or Samsung will surprise us with some substantial upgrades. Improved battery life would be a big plus.
For the past few weeks, Samsung fans have been speculating that a new smartphone announcement could be on the way soon. Although the company's standard mobile hardware is usually unveiled at the start of the year, we've seen some credible rumors that a new Galaxy S25 FE is in the works. If Samsung is looking to release a new version to that line in the fall, it would make sense to announce and open pre-orders at the summer Unpacked.
The Galaxy S24 FE had some solid specs but was a little pricey to be a true budget model, especially with an underwhelming set of AI features. So far, the leaks about the S25 FE also point toward continued underwhelm, with claims that its cameras won't be seeing much in the way of upgrades, although it may be getting a boost to performance and battery if rumors that it will use the Exynos 2400 processor turn out to be true.
Update, July 3 2025, 8:00AM ET: This story has been updated to include confirmed dates for the Unpacked event.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
17 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
I'm a Nothing Phone fan — but here's why the Phone 3 is a non-starter for me
One of my favorite things about using one of the best Android phones over an iPhone is that you can still root for an underdog. Sure, a Samsung or Pixel phone will always come with better specs but with a lesser-known brand you're more likely to get a unique feature that reminds you why you didn't just give in and get one of the best iPhones like everyone else. After Google ditched its more collaborative Nexus phones for the in-house-designed Pixel, I, like many other Android users, was left twisting in the wind for a bit. I eventually moved to OnePlus phones, which promise flagship-level specs for less. Things were good for a while there, until the company integrated Oppo's ColorOS with its own OxygenOS, at which point it felt like the magic was gone. I did consider just getting a Pixel for a brief moment since, for me, nothing (no pun intended) tops stock Android. Then I came across a new startup founded by OnePlus' co-founder, Carl Pei. This seemed like a return to the Nexus days, but with a twist. While Nothing's devices feel like they're running near-stock Android, Nothing OS takes things to a new level. It's fast, responsive and well thought out, so I've never felt the need to install a third-party launcher. I've now had my Nothing Phone 2 for almost two years, and while it has certainly served me well, I've been eagerly waiting to see what the company does next. Well, this week, I found out that the rumors and leaked renders of the Nothing Phone 3 were real. Though I was more than ready to hand over my hard-earned cash for Nothing's latest device, one big omission with its new design is holding me back. What immediately set the original Nothing phone and then its follow-up apart from the crowd was the distinct Glyph Interface on the back. Along with the company's trademark transparent designs, these strips of LED light serve as a constant reminder that in a sea of all too similar looking smartphones, Nothing is actually thinking differently. As the company has evolved, so too has the Glyph Interface on the back of its phones. Phone 1 debuted these one-of-a-kind lights and Phone 2 improved upon them by adding more lighting zones and giving you greater control over them. Even when Nothing decided to court the budget phone market with the Phone (2a) and then later with the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro, the Glyph Interface came along for the ride, albeit in a smaller and simpler way. While many people thought the next logical step would be to add RGB lighting to the Glyph Interface, Nothing clearly likes subverting expectations. I thought we might see more lighting zones, more customization options or something else entirely with the Phone 3. As it turns out, I was right. Just not in the way that I had hoped for. Instead of improving upon the company's now iconic Glyph Interface, it decided to ditch it entirely with the Nothing Phone 3. The only regular light that remains is actually a new one: a small red square underneath the phone's cameras which lets others know that you're currently recording a video. Instead, the Glyph Interface has been replaced with the new Glyph Matrix. The Phone 1 and Phone 2's light strips were featured prominently throughout the back of each device, but the Glyph Matrix is relegated to the top right corner. This tiny dot-matrix display does have a few tricks up its sleeve. It can show you the time, how much battery life you have left, and a number of other practical and entertaining widgets which Nothing is calling Glyph Toys. I have to admit, at first, I thought a dot-matrix style display on the back of my phone would be a cool feature to have. That was until I learned that this new addition would mean giving up what has become my favorite hardware feature of the Nothing Phone 2, one that I use every single day. I'm sure if you were out in public and someone caught a glimpse of the Phone 3's Glyph Matrix doing its thing, they'd be intrigued. From acting as a selfie mirror to flagging your notifications, there's already quite a lot it can do. Likewise, you can also play games on it with others or even with the phone itself. For instance, there's a Glyph Toy for Spin the Bottle that completely foregoes the potential for broken glass, along with a Magic 8 Ball one that can give you quick, albeit vague, answers to all your burning questions. Then there's Rock-Paper-Scissors where you and the Phone 3 go head to head in the zero-sum game. That's not all though, as Nothing has opened up its new Glyph Matrix to developers so that they can create their own custom Glyph Toys. While the Phone 2's Glyph Interface did have third-party support, it was only with the device's Glyph Progress feature which used one of the light bars to let you know when your Uber or food delivery from Zomato were arriving. I could easily see both seasoned and new developers alike creating some really cool Glyph Toys down the line. However, with what's available now, the Phone 3's Glyph Matrix feels more like a gimmick than a true replacement for Nothing's Glyph Interface. When I decided to buy the Phone 2, I thought that its Glyph Interface was a gimmick too. There's no party trick quite like turning on the lights on the back of your phone or even having them sync to the music you're playing using Nothing's Music Visualization feature. As I got acquainted with my Phone 2 though, its light strips quickly became more than a gimmick and turned into an essential feature I rely on daily. Besides seeing the progress of your rideshare or your food delivery, you can also use the Phone 2's Glyph Progress feature with Google Calendar, though this integration did come quite a few months after the phone's release. As someone who works remotely and is constantly jumping from one video call to the next, this light that gets smaller as my next meeting approaches has really come in handy. I still get regular notifications from Google 10 minutes before each of my meetings, but seeing the light slowly get smaller on the back of my phone is less obtrusive and definitely a bit more fun. Using your phone's camera flash as a flashlight is something we've all grown accustomed to over the years, but through its Glyph Interface, Nothing gives you another way to quickly light up a dark room. You can still use the phone's flash to light your way, but you also get the option to use its Glyphs as a torch too. And yes, I do mean torch: Nothing is based in the UK, so we have to use the correct terminology. What I like about the Glyph torch is that it's a softer, less glaring light that I can quickly enable without blinding myself or others. As I'm a night owl by nature, I often find myself working late or doing other things around my house well after everyone else is asleep. Even with the best smart lights installed throughout my home, turning them off and on at night can be disruptive. This is why I've grown accustomed to using my Phone 2's Glyph torch to light up the kitchen or even the garage in a pinch. Before there was Music Visualization on the Phone 2, there was Glyph Composer. If you're the type that still uses ringtones instead of leaving your phone on vibrate at all times like I do, then you can have the Phone 2's Glyph Interface light up along with your ringtone. There are pre-set animations for the pre-installed ringtones, but with Glyph Composer, you can also make your own custom ones. Even though I don't personally use ringtones, I absolutely love Glyph Composer. Not only is it a great way to kill time while making your own music using a number of different sound packs, it's also the perfect way to distract an upset toddler as I've learned from experience. I don't let my son use or play with my phone normally but every now and then, I either show him the lights on the back of my phone as I try my best to play something close to a song, or if he's being really good, I let him have a go at it. In fact, while waiting to buy a SIM card during my recent trip to Taiwan for Computex 2025, I got incredibly bored in line. There was a little one a few people ahead of me and when I saw her getting fussy, I took out Glyph Composer and played for a bit. In a minute or so, she was giggling and soon enough I was up next at the sales counter. Is the Phone 3's polarizing design enough to make me abandon Nothing entirely? Absolutely not. However, my next phone upgrade is now more up in the air than I thought it would be just a few weeks ago. I get that Carl Pei and Nothing are trying to do something new with the Phone 3, but I don't understand why they dropped the Glyph Interface entirely in favor of the new Glyph Matrix. The smaller Glyph lights on the company's cheaper a-series phones show that you can still do quite a lot with only a few strips of light. If you look at the back of the Phone 3, there's still plenty of empty space where a smaller but just as capable Glyph Interface could have fit nicely. Besides the touch capacitive button on the center-right that you use to control its Glyph Toys or swap between them, the middle and entire bottom half of the phone's back is completely empty. I understand why the Glyph Matrix is in the top right corner for practical reasons, but given the device's unconventional camera array, I think things could have been shifted around to incorporate both this new dot-matrix display and some familiar Glyph lights. In addition to the lack of Nothing's iconic Glyph Interface, there's another elephant in the room with the Phone 3: its price. I expected to spend more for a phone that's inching closer to flagship territory, but like with the Nintendo Switch 2, the Phone 3 is priced a bit too high in my opinion. With a starting price of $799, you're at entry-level flagship pricing alongside phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9. However, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset that Nothing picked for the Phone 3 is less capable than the top-grade silicon used in these other phones. Waiting for a sale will take some of the sting out of the Phone 3's price, but if I'm paying more than I did for my Phone 2, I shouldn't be swapping a very useful feature for one that has yet to appear as more than a gimmick. Who knows, maybe we'll see a Phone 3 Pro with the best of both worlds that has the new Glyph Matrix and Nothing's Glyph Interface on the back. If not though, I might just hold out even longer to see what the company has in store for the Phone 4a or maybe even the Phone 4a Pro. I haven't lost hope in Nothing yet but ditching the Glyph Interface for the new Glyph Matrix is a decision that hasn't won me over so far. Only time will tell, though and until then, I'll be proudly rocking my Nothing Phone 2 until its last Android update.
Forbes
24 minutes ago
- Forbes
Why Google's Unbeatable Pixel Upgrade Is Bad News For Android
All change for Android? Android has a problem — and this one is not easily fixed. There's a conflict at the center of the world's most popular operating system, and it's getting worse. What happens next is down to Samsung to decide. But it could change everything. I have warned about this before. Google supplies Android to other manufacturers, but it also competes with those OEMs through its own Pixel devices. And while Pixel has a small market share compared to those others, it's first to new features and upgrades. Security and privacy were central to Android 15 and it's the same now with Android 16. And that makes this more critical for users than regular feature updates. Samsung is the largest OEM, and yet it suffered the most during the rollout of Android 15, trailing Pixel by almost an entire upgrade cycle. Pixels were moving to Android 16 just as many Samsungs got their first taste of Android 15. And while Samsung's Android 16 rollout is expected to be faster, we're still waiting to see that actually goes. Now that warning has been echoed by Android Authority. with 'five reasons why Google's Pixel software is better than Samsung's One UI.' But one of those reasons matters more than all the others. 'No matter what Samsung does to One UI,' it says, 'the one advantage that Google will always have is faster updates.' Samsung Vs Pixel In short, 'as the creator of Android, it's easier for Google to optimize its Pixel lineup.' While this is an especially acute time to have this debate, given 'the mess that was One UI 7,' it goes beyond OS upgrades. Seamless and efficient security updates month after month and access to innovative new security features both come to mind. While 'Samsung has fixed its flawed One UI 7 update,' Android Authority says, 'it's done so just in time for everyone to turn their attention to One UI 8.' The reality is that Google has made Pixel unbeatable when it comes to the pace and efficiency of updates and upgrades, and as AI becomes ever more intrinsic to Android, this will become more critical to users and will remove some of Samsung's differentiation. We're seeing the same in the narrowing gap between Android and iPhone, and again with Google's suite of AI-driven apps available across different operating systems, the mobile space race changes and it's half-life significantly reduces. Whole Samsung will determine what happens next, the trigger may come from China rather than Korea. Huawei is now pushing a third mobile OS, bringing real competition to iOS and Android for the first time in decades. The pressure is on other Chinese OEMs to jump onboard, rebalancing away from U.S. tech. You can be certain that's what being pushed in quiet corridors in Beijing and Shenzhen as being in the national interest. While Pixel's unbeatable upgrades are certainly bad news for Samsung, it could well be that they're even worse news for Android.
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
5 burning questions about Galaxy Unpacked — what I want to know about the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Watch 8 and more
Samsung holds its third Unpacked event of the year this Wednesday (July 9), bringing a new set of phones to retail shelves — and a new batch of questions. After introducing the Galaxy S25 series in January and following that up with the Galaxy S25 Edge in the spring, Samsung now turns its attention to foldable phones. The second half of the year usually brings new Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models, and Samsung doesn't figure to depart from that script this time around. And yet, while we may have some idea about what's coming — and even some details of the products themselves — that doesn't mean the Galaxy Unpacked July 2025 event will lack surprises. Just ahead of Samsung taking the stage to show off its latest hardware, here's a look at the biggest questions I have about Galaxy Unpacked — along with what I think the answers could be. From the sound of things, the emphasis in Galaxy Unpacked should be on "packed" — as in, there's likely to be a lot to discuss after Wednesday's event. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — the latest versions of Samsung's two established foldable phones — are just about the safest bets to be included in Wednesday's launch event. Going by Samsung's past release schedule, new smartwatches in the form of the Galaxy Watch 8, seem likely to appear as well. But it's an open question as to how many watches Samsung will show off. Besides the standard Galaxy Watch 8, there's been rumors of a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to follow up on last year's Ultra watch. We've also heard rumors of Samsung reviving its Classic model of smartwatches, with a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic reportedly in the works. If that sounds like a lot of watches, we may have more phones to contend with, too. Besides the standard Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung is said to be working on a lower-cost version of its foldable flip phone. The Galaxy Z Flip FE could be shown off at Unpacked, or Samsung could treat this phone like other FE models and launch it a few months from now, so as not to affect flagship phone sales. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. We could also get a glimpse of a new design for foldable devices during Unpacked. Samsung reportedly has a phone that can fold in three places in development, and one report claims we'll get a preview of the so-called Galaxy G Fold device this week, even if it won't actually ship until later. Beyond phones and watches, the Project Moohan headset wouldn't be a new reveal, as Samsung first announced it late last year and has even started demoing the mixed reality headset that's based on Android XR software. But since Samsung has promised a 2025 launch date, Unpacked could reveal the price and shipping date that's been a closely guarded secret up until now. No matter what Samsung announces at Unpacked, you can get a $50 credit to apply to the purchase of those new products, but you'll need to act quickly. Register with Samsung ahead of the July 9 event — you just need to provide a name and email address – and you'll get that $50 credit to go with any other pre-order deals the device maker winds up offering. Samsung caused a bit of a stir last month with a teaser post touting its upcoming foldable phones in which it seemingly promised to deliver an Ultra version of the Galaxy Z Fold. As we've only seen renders for one model, it doesn't sound like this would be a new version released alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but rather a new name to emphasize the phone's premium status. The question is, what would make this new model in particular an Ultra phone? The previous Galaxy Z Fold models had already been pretty premium from their high-performing processors to their S Pen support. Based on rumors, surrounding the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung is apparently defining an Ultra phone in terms of its design and camera improvements. Not only is the new model set to get bigger displays — both the main screen and the cover display are tipped to grow to 8 inches and 6.5 inches, respectively — but Samsung is looking to offer a thinner, lighter model as well. One rumor has the Galaxy Z Fold 7 measuring 4.2mm when open, which would make it the most slender foldable phone in the world. As for the cameras, the main lens on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could feature the same 200MP sensor Samsung uses on a few of its other phones, most notably the Galaxy S25 Ultra. In a subsequent teaser post, Samsung has talked up AI camera features that figure to deliver better photo processing capabilities. Tantalizingly, Samsung has talked about "seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format" in its teaser posts. I've wondered if that means Galaxy AI tools developed specifically with foldables in mind because if it does, that would go a long way toward justifying the Fold's premium price. Compared to the changes being floated for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, rumored Galaxy Z Flip 7 features sound a lot more modest. The updated flip phone is supposed to get larger interior and cover displays with a potential boost in battery size. A new system-on-chip figures to power this year's model, though there's some dispute as to whether Samsung will use the high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon found in its other premium phones or turn to one of its own Exynos chips. These changes would certainly be welcome, but they'd also be pretty run-of-the-mill upgrades for any phone, let alone one facing stepped-up competition from foldables like the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025). It's possible that Samsung's focus this year could be on dropping the price of entry for its foldable phones, particularly if there really is a Galaxy Z Flip FE model on the horizon. But with all the Ultra talk surrounding the Fold, the latest Flip model runs the risk of being overshadowed unless there's some noteworthy addition planned. It may still trail the Apple Watch as the best smartwatch overall, but Samsung's Galaxy Watch has made tremendous strides in recent years by delivering health and fitness tracking features that make it an excellent alternative if you're loathe to buy into the Apple ecosystem. Take last year's Energy Score feature, which pulls from sleep, activity and heart rate data to produce a score to measure how your body feels — that's a nice instance of putting AI to work monitoring your health. You'd imagine that more is in store with this year's batch of watches, with Samsung filling in the details at Unpacked. My colleague Dan Bracaglia has been tracking Galaxy Watch 8 rumors, and he sees a couple of potential upgrades coming to Galaxy Watches on the health and fitness front. For starters, there's a Cardiovascular Load feature appearing in the One UI 8 beta that monitors how your daily activity is impacting your cardiovascular system. And a Antioxidant Index screening tool should be able to tap into sensors on Samsung's watches to detect antioxidant levels stored in your skin. It's features like those that should help the Galaxy Watch widen its appeal as a health-monitoring device. After Samsung hiked prices by $100 on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 last year, it's understandable there'd be interest in whether the company is going to repeat itself in 2025. The good news is it doesn't sound like price hikes are in the works, at least so far. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is rumored to be sticking with the $1,899 starting price as its predecessor. The news may be better for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, where European prices suggested a drop from what the Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs. Whether that impacts the $1,099 starting price of the foldable flip phone — or Samsung offers a sub-$1,000 model in the form of the Z Flip FE — is a question to be settled this Wednesday at Unpacked.
