WATCH: BTS' Suga, Stray Kids, Twice's Jeongyeon attend Seoul's Samsung Unpacked

SEOUL, South Korea — It was truly an unpacking that was loaded with star power and immersive features for the launch of the highly anticipated new devices of Samsung at the Unpacked event held for the first time in Seoul, South Korea. 

The giant multinational electronics corporation introduced a slew of new products in its flip and folded phones as well as its Galaxy Tab series and wearables. 

Star power

Among those who attended the launch were Suga of BTS, Jeongyeon of Twice and Stray Kids, to the delight of the K-pop fans who waited for their idols' arrivals. 

WATCH: BTS' Suga at Samsung Unpacked 

"Samsung Galaxy has changed so much all our wildest ideas into must-have experiences for customers," said Dr.TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics to the over a thousand attendees present at Hall B of Coex in Gangnam. 

"Mobile technology enables us to be truly interconnected," he added. 

WATCH: Twice's Jeongyeon, Stray Kids at Samsung Unpacked 

The fifth generation Galaxy foldables were introduced: Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5. 

They feature the new Flex Hinge that makes the foldable experience possible. These devices are also perfect for the selfie- and photo-loving users with the FlexCam feature that enables users to take photos from creative angles. 

Both the Flip5 and Fold5 have main screens that are equipped with a shock dispersion layer and a redesigned back for a more solid display. 

Notably, the Galaxy Z Flip5 allows users to capture photos hands-free with its FlexCam feature. It is also quick and simple to view and edit shots in Flex Mode. 

For those who are big on productivity, the Galaxy Fold 5 can be a handy tool. 

Its features include a 7.6-inch Main Screen, Taskbar, drag and drop, and optimization of third-party apps. The S Pen Fold Edition introduced in the third generation Fold in 2021 has also been fine-tuned on the Galaxy Z Fold5. 

The improved Taskbar allows users to quickly switch between frequently used apps, for up to four recent apps. The two-handed drag and drop is another enhanced productivity feature where users can simply touch and hold an image in Samsung Gallery with one finger and use another finger to open the Samsung Notes app to drag-and-drop the image. The new slimmer and more compact S Pen Fold Edition makes real-time annotating and ideation easy while being able to fit more comfortably in the pocket. 

"Galaxy Z Fold is almost like a portable PC in your pocket with a screen big enough for immersive experiences wherever you are," said Roh. 

Doing their part in saving the planet

Both the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5 feature a wider variety of recycled materials than their previous generations, including pre-consumer recycled glass and aluminum and post-consumer recycled plastics, sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. Even the paper used for their packaging box is made using 100% recycled material. 

Each device comes with five years of security updates and four generations of OS upgrades. 

The Galaxy Z Flip5 comes in colors that include Mint, Graphite, Cream, and Lavender, as well as a range of accessories including a Clear Gadget Case, Flap Eco-Leather Case, Flipsuit Case and easy-to-carry Silicone Case with Ring to create a more personalized look. It retails for P64,990 for the 256GB variant, and P71,990 for the 512GB variant. 

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold5 is available in Icy Blue, Phantom Black and Cream, as well as a Slim S Pen Case, Clear Gadget Case, Eco-Leather Case, and a Standing Case with Strap.The Galaxy Z Fold5 is available at P98,990 for the 256GB variant, P105,990 for the 512GB variant and P119,990 for the 1TB variant. 

For those who would want to avail of the Galaxy Flip 5 and Galaxy Fold 5, they can pre-order these from July 26 until August 17, 2023 and get discounts through samsung.com. They can get discounts of up to P43,000, including a free double-up storage worth P7,000, free Original Samsung case, 30% off on the new Galaxy Watch6, P10,000 off on the new Galaxy Tab S9 Series and 50% off on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro and a one year Samsung Care+ for free during pre-order period. 

A new set of exclusive online colors are available, including Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Gray and Blue for the Galaxy Z Fold5.  

The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are also available for pre-order through Samsung Experience Stores, Authorized Samsung Stores, Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, Abenson.com and MXMemoXpress.com. Customers who pre-order through these channels from July 26 to August 17, 2023 will enjoy as much as P42,000 worth of discounts. This also includes the FREE double-up storage upgrade, up to 50% off on select Galaxy Wearables, along with additional savings for traded-in devices.

Both phones will be generally available starting August 18. 

IP68 rated

Samsung also introduced its new Galaxy Tab S9 series. It launched three models, namely, Galaxy Tab S9, S9+ and S9 Ultra. 

They feature Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with the power of Qualcomm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. 

The Galaxy Tab S series is the first to earn an IP68 rating. This means that they are water resistant in up to 5 feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. It is, however, not recommended to use them while on the beach or pool. 

Apart from its previous use, the S Pen can also write in search bars, browsers and app stores. 

The Tab S9 series is a good choice for those who want heavy productivity with its Multi Window feature that can display up to three apps. Users can do research in a browser, reference an image from Samsung Gallery and sketch out ideas in Samsung Notes, all simultaneously in one view. 

Galaxy Tab S9 series is available for pre-order in select markets from July 26, with general availability starting August 17. 

It also introduced the new Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic that feature holistic health offerings presented in a slimmer bezel, a larger and more vibrant display, and more interactive user interface. 

Its features include Sleep Score Factors, which checks on the total sleep time, sleep cycle, awake time, plus physical and mental recovery and individualized Sleep Messages5, which is co-developed with the National Sleep Foundation. It provies users with detailed feedback about their sleep health each morning. 

Fitness buffs can get motivated with its Body Composition feature that gives them information on their key physical measurements like skeletal muscle, basal metabolic rate, body water and body fat percentage, provides a complete snapshot of the user’s body and fitness.

These Samsung wearables are available for pre-order in select markets from July 26, with general availability starting August 18. — Videos by Philstar.com/Kathleen Llemit

---

Editor's note: The tour to South Korea was hosted by Samsung to promote tourism in the area. At no stage does the host organization have a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.