Samsung to hold its next Galaxy Unpacked launch event in Paris earlier than usual: report

Unofficial renders of Samsung’s upcoming foldable Galaxy Z series have started appearing online, indicating that we may be getting closer to the launch. However, Samsung has not officially released any hints about the launch yet. Still, there’s more news from the rumor mill, this time coming from a publication that claims that Samsung will not only launch its Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 earlier in July, but also release them in a new location. Paris.

According to per Korean publication TheBell, Samsung will release or announce its 6th generation foldable Galaxy Z in mid-July. This is slightly different from a more recent leak from SamMobile which claims the foldables will instead be announced in early July. According to the Korean publication, the new release schedule is about 3-4 weeks earlier than the usual launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Z series. The South Korean giant is reportedly doing this to target the European market and the launch also happens to coincide with the 2024 Summer Olympics being held in Paris (France) on July 26.

As for the location, it is also a little unusual, but the reasons given above seem to support it well. Samsung traditionally holds its Galaxy Z series Unpacked events in the US. Last year was an exception, with Samsung holding the launch event in its home market, Seoul (South Korea).

There is also new information on the rumored cheaper variant of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. According to a recent report, Samsung is expected to announce a new ‘Ultra’ model of the Galaxy Z Fold, adding another level to its foldable lineup this year. While this new model is said to have a new design with better camera capabilities, the more reasonably priced foldable will drop a few features.

As for the new and more affordable model, Samsung is expected to reduce the price of this upcoming foldable by removing the digitizers that recognize the movement of the S Pen. However, the benefits of this in reducing production costs are yet to be proven as the existing Galaxy Z Flip series also does not offer the same but is still quite expensive to produce. Samsung is also reportedly exploring options to automate its foldable range to reduce assembly costs.

Finally, the report also hints that the new affordable foldable phone may not be announced or released alongside the usual foldable models in July this year. There is a chance that Samsung will launch the product separately in the fourth quarter of the year. The new expected models are said to focus on improved hinge durability with reduced thickness. Samsung will reportedly stick with Qualcomm for processors to power the new existing models, such as in the Galaxy S24 series.

According to the same source, Samsung is reportedly requiring suppliers to complete quality testing of its new foldable Galaxy Z lineup by April itself. He also claims that vendors should have no problem rolling out the new products in 2-3 months. The original deadline was reportedly set for June. Also, Samsung is not expected to show off any new foldable designs this year.