Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event held today in Brooklyn drew widespread media attention as the company unveiled a refreshed lineup of foldables and smartwatches.
The Galaxy Z Fold7 was widely praised for finally addressing long-standing criticisms about bulk and thickness. Reviewers from The Verge and HotHardware noted that the device is now significantly slimmer and lighter, calling it a breakthrough that puts Samsung back in strong competition with Chinese foldable brands.
The Galaxy Z Flip7 also received positive reviews, with many outlets highlighting its larger 4.1-inch FlexWindow cover screen. T3 described it as a standout in the flip category, elevating its status as more than a fashionable accessory.
However, the Galaxy Z Flip7 Fan Edition received a more lukewarm response. Critics from TechRadar and others said the FE variant seemed like a minor refresh of last year’s Flip6, lacking any notable innovation to justify its launch.
In contrast, the Galaxy Watch8 series, particularly the Classic variant with the reintroduced rotating bezel, impressed many journalists. The watches were described as merging comfort, durability, and intelligent health tracking. New features such as Running Coach, Vascular Load monitoring, and deep integration with Galaxy AI and Google’s Gemini LLM were highlighted as meaningful upgrades for fitness and wellness tracking.
Commentators also observed that Samsung is continuing its push into AI, embedding it across its new devices. While these enhancements were acknowledged as useful, there was also some fatigue expressed by journalists who felt the constant emphasis on AI features had become repetitive.
Analysts highlighted improvements in design and AI integration of Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, but questioned mainstream appeal due to high prices and limited practical use cases. Samsung was praised for addressing prior user pain points, such as bulkiness, by making the Z Fold7 thinner (26 percent reduction) and lighter (10 percent reduction).
The addition of powerful chips — Snapdragon 8 Elite in Fold7 and Exynos in Flip7 — and AI capabilities like Google Gemini on smartwatches signal the company’s push to lead in AI-driven mobile experiences, Hyunjoo Jin and Heekyong Yang at Reuters noted.
Finally, there was buzz around a teaser for Samsung’s upcoming tri-fold device, possibly the Galaxy G Fold, though no official announcement or product reveal followed. Overall, media sentiment leaned positive, especially around the Fold7 and Watch8 lines, but the excitement was tempered by skepticism about AI marketing and underwhelming mid-tier releases.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
