In the first online edition of its Unpacked event, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today introduced a new foldable handset dubbed the Galaxy Z Fold 2, a top-end smartphone, two tablets and a pair of wearables to top it all off. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 (below) is a tablet-sized device with a hinge running down the middle that allows the user to fold it into a smartphone. There’s a second screen on the front that can be used when the device is in smartphone mode.

It’s the same form factor Samsung implemented in its original foldable handset last year, but the design has been refined. The main display now measures 7.6 inches when unfolded, up from 7.3 before, and the bezels are thinner. The hinge that allows the panel to fold has been reinforced to keep dust out more effectively. As for the second screen on the front, it’s twice as large at 6.2 inches.

The significantly expanded second screen may prove to be the device’s biggest upgrade from a usability standpoint. The external display of Samsung’s first foldable had limited screen real estate and could only be used for narrow tasks such as checking notifications. With its full-size 6.2-inch second screen, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has the potential to provide significantly more utility when in smartphone mode.

Samsung is set to provide full information about the device’s specifications and pricing at a later date. 

Samsung today also introduced the Galaxy Note 20, a high-end smartphone that comes with a stylus for writing on the display. The device is available in two editions. The first has a 6.9-inch display and starts at $1,299.99, while the other is a smaller 6.7-inch variant that drops some features and screen real-estate to provide a lower $999.99 price tag. 

The 6.9-inch version has similar specifications as Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G smartphone. Some of the differences include a built-in stylus holder and an increased selection of stylus gestures, motions that users can make with the digital pen to perform tasks such as launching an app. There’s also an ultra wideband radio for wirelessly sharing files with nearby Android devices. 

Samsung’s new foldable device and smartphone are accompanied by a pair of new tablets. The Tab S7 and S7 Plus carry $649.99 and $849.99 starting price tags, respectively, with the former packing a 11-inch display and the latter offering a larger 12.4-inch panel. Both displays have a high 120GHz refresh rate that makes rendering smoother when the user performs tasks such as scrolling a web page.

Under the hood, the tablets pack the same Snapdragon 865 Plus processor as Samsung’s two other new devices. They can be ordered with 6 or 8 gigabytes of memory and up to 256 gigabytes of storage space.

The product announcements at Unpacked were capped off by the introduction of two new wearables. The first, an upgraded version of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch smartwatch starting at $399.99, is 15% thinner and lighter than its predecessor. It also brings back the positively reviewed rotating bezel that shipped with the 2018 version of the device, which functions as a mechanical navigation system for interacting with apps. 

Also new is the Galaxy Buds Live. It’s a $170 pair of wireless earbuds priced below top-end products in the category with active noise cancellation technology and an eight-hour battery life.  

Images: Samsung