It was an interesting experience, watching Samsung's autumn product reveal two days ago.
They have these reveals twice a year. Back in January it was focused on the Galaxy 21 smartphone, especially the Galaxy 21 Ultra, which is now the top dog in their smartphone line-up, replacing the Note. Now, in August, it was the turn of the Z phones, their new smartwatches, and some advanced ear buds.
There was, as expected, plenty of slick on-stage and on-location presentation from Samsung's Big Cheese, and various development team leaders, who (despite in one or two cases some mangled Korean English) were enthusiastic and compelling communicators, well worth paying attention to. Full marks for keeping one glued to the screen. In my case, my laptop screen.
There I was, halfway through the afternoon, watching Samsung's consumer pitch in a curtained lounge (the sun outside being very bright), on my laptop. I was streaming the event to my laptop by tethering it to my phone.
This wasn't a new way of connecting to the Internet, although (caravan holidays apart) not much used by myself until last year, when I simultaneously gave up home broadband and had my landline disconnected. My prime motivation was to avoid wasting money on BT's expensive home broadband offering; but also to go entirely wireless. In that I was anticipating the eventual arrival of 5G here in Mid Sussex - although 4G was fine for the time being, at least for my own modest purposes. I've found tethering easy, the connection reliably available and sufficient for my needs. I've had no regrets.
In a sense, I have placed myself in the vanguard of wireless delivery. Even so, I felt (as I watched Samsung's future-orientated presentation) that they'd be condescending about tethering, dismissing it as a roundabout, indirect, non-cool way to access the Internet.
In any case, their business was to invent electronic products that ordinary people would find indispensable, personal products that delivered useful facilities and experiences, things that an ordinary person would not only find novel and attractive, but could base their lifestyle on. And further: could come to utterly depend on, so that deprivation was unthinkable.
The smartwatch reveal came first: the much-leaked Galaxy Watch 4. It was interesting to see that this sleek-looking device got all the attention, and little was said about its larger and more 'masculine' variant, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Aha! Smartwatches had remained too big for slender female wrists. Therefore by making the watch look smaller, and lighter, and apparently daintier, there would be many more female buyers. Obvious.
But that wasn't the only aspect. Much was made of the enhanced fitness features of this new smartwatch. It seemed that it could record a huge amount of fitness data for analysis, amounting to a comprehensive and continuous personal check-up on demand. I suppose that if you were really into fitness, this alone would make you buy the watch. Having lately invested in my FitBit Versa 3 smartwatch, I wasn't moved to change horses so soon. But it's good to see that Samsung's smartwatches are becoming very attractive devices for women. Look carefully at some of the shots below: all the girls are sporting a Galaxy Watch 4.
But the major business was launching the two new Z phones. The Head Honcho, after an impressive build up using huge image projections on an imposing, multi-surfaced stage set, unveiled the new-generation devices that we will be wanting.
The orange tint on the left edge of my initial shots was from my lounge curtains - I soon moved the laptop to stop such unwanted reflections. I was taking pictures of the laptop screen with the little Leica.
I can't help feeling that the big tech companies love to vie with each other to present stunning and seductive images, beautifully displayed - much in the same way as the big food and consumer goods giants in the UK compete with the best TV ad at Christmastime.
'Life opens up with Galaxy' because these phones fold, and can be opened up like a book to show a much larger screen. That's their compelling Big Feature. They are developments of earlier attempts at folding devices that didn't take off because of various design and usage problems.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the size and shape of a conventional phone, but opens up to give you an almost square screen - in essence a tablet that you can fold up. The smaller, cuter, device is the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which is half the size of a conventional phone - meaning it's a small square - but opens up to give you a screen as large as an ordinary phone has. These two models - evidently identical twins - are each holding one of the new Z phones:
Note that both have a Watch 4 on their wrists!
This is a Fold 3, half-opened:
And this is how it looks to the user when fully-opened.
And yes, you can buy an S-Pen to make handwritten notes on the screen, or draw, or do various shortcut things.
That big screen can show multiple apps at the same time, with plenty of space to work with. And afterwards, you can fold it all up. It's easy to see how useful and convenient this could be, for certain kinds of busy people, in certain on-the-move situations.
The smaller Flip 3, which reminds me of a square face-powder compact, has definite feminine vibe.
And you will be able to buy stylish cases for it.
Like its big brother, the Flip 3 has a screen on the 'outside' which displays short or summary information, such as calls and alerts. It can handle low-res selfies.
In a nutshell, I'd say that the Fold 3 is for business, the Flip 3 for fun. With plenty of overlap.
One attribute of both phones - but perhaps especially the Flip 3 - is that they stand up on a flat surface, which is perfect for hands-free operation - and for group selfies (are these in fact called 'groupies'?)
I was very struck with the kind of people in the images. They were obviously tech-savvy and living an exciting and active urban life - no surprise there. But they weren't oldies, nor even especially mature. They were young people, in college or not long post-grad. As in these shots.
I love the last photo, of the girl holding her folded Flip 3 in her hand, symbolising a world of possibilities.
That emphasis on being so young, on the very threshold of a successful and fulfilling adult life, and on a collective, supportive, group lifestyle that depends on constant peer-to-peer messaging and sharing (and not on self-sufficient individuality), suggests to me that these two Z phones are intended for Millennials and (in particular) Generation Z. And not for Baby Boomers like me. (Mind you, people like me are more likely to afford the high price of these devices!)
Would I buy one? Not yet. I still harbour doubts about the durability of any folding screen. I feel that sooner or later it will kink, and then crack. Time will tell. But I do see how useful a folding device might be to me, being a great spreadsheet user. It would save a lot of scrolling. And it would display maps and photos better. So a definite 'maybe'.
