It’s year five for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series, which means all eyes are on Samsung to deliver a refined duo of foldables that justifies their premium price tags and gives customers worthy reasons to switch from traditional slab phones.

Based on leaked renders and my unwavering hope, the most significant change with the Z Flip 5 this year should come in the form of a larger external display. The current cover screen on the Z Flip 4, while larger than what it once was, is still not enough real estate for purposeful actions. 

Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 rumored to be 50% more durable than Flip 4

Glanceable widgets are great, but a bigger display enables quick replies to text messages, a better viewfinder for selfies, and playing mini-games without ever needing to flip open the device. Motorola’s latest Razr Plus nails this design, and Samsung could either follow suit or play second fiddle in the clamshell race.

Also expected with the new Z Flip 5 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, the same processor that powers Samsung’s S23 series released earlier this year.

Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 impressed with brighter outer and inner displays, a reliable camera system (though not as competent as the S22 Ultra), and an Android 12L software experience that was surprisingly optimized for the shape-shifting form factor.

This year, Samsung can either stick to its strengths (and resources) and retain the narrow, candy bar form factor, or get experimental and possibly match what we’ve seen from Google’s interpretation of the phone-to-tablet foldable.

In either case, expect to see improvements to the Z Fold’s durability and hinge system, both of which are becoming more of a focal point given the fragile nature of foldables. According to a recent press release, both the Z Fold and Z Flip will be thinner and lighter than last year’s models. By how much? We’ll find out next Wednesday. 

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Like the Z Flip 5, Samsung should also be giving the Z Fold 5 the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon processor treatment. And, hopefully, that will extend to overseas models, too, which have previously been equipped with a different in-house Exynos chipset.

The biggest question with the Z Fold, save for its premium asking price, is the camera system. Samsung has yet to feature its top-of-the-line cameras on its foldables, but if it manages to fit the recent Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP sensor (among other specs) into the larger Fold, that may be the biggest upgrade the model has had since its debut.

Samsung over the past couple of months has been teasing new watch features coming to One UI 5, the software that likely will power the new Galaxy Watch 6 series. That means we can already confirm that the latest wearables will feature improved sleep, fitness, and safety tools, including a built-in virtual safety coach, Personalized Heart Rate Zones, and an SOS feature for emergency services.

Also: Samsung announces a new heart health tracking feature for Galaxy Watch users

Design-wise, Samsung is expected to launch two to three variants of the Galaxy Watch 6, ranging from standard, Pro, and Classic. If the rumors are true, the Classic model will be the most interesting of the three, as it will mark the return of a fan-favorite Galaxy Watch feature: the physical rotating bezel. With it, users can navigate the wearable without needing to tap the screen — ideal when the environment is not fit for touch input.

Last year’s Galaxy Tab S8 series was a giant leap for Samsung, and I mean that literally. The trio of tablets was headlined by a 14.6-inch Ultra model that was well-specced, ginormous to use, and could fittingly replace a laptop. 

In ways, that left the smaller Tab S8 and Tab S8 Plus in the dust, with inferior speakers and an LCD panel on the former that made it less satisfying to use. 

With the new Tab S9 series, improvements to the processor, displays, and general software experience are expected. That means all three models should feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy and, potentially, higher quality panels. Whether that’s a higher 144Hz or 165Hz refresh rate, better touch sampling rate, or brightness remains up in the air.

Review: Google Pixel Tablet: What Android tablets should have been all along

More importantly, I have my fingers crossed that Samsung will present new and unique use cases with the tablets. Because if there’s anything that’s keeping tablets relevant right now, especially when stacked beside foldable phones that can practically achieve the same functions, it’s creative ways to use them.

During last year’s summer Unpacked, Samsung released the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which featured improved active noise canceling, a more comfortable fit, and well-tuned audio playback.

Also: Samsung hints at lighter foldables, new tablet and watch for Unpacked

Samsung has yet to tease a successor to those buds, and its latest press release suggests that foldable phones, tablets, and smartwatches are all that we’re really getting this time around, so the chances of a Galaxy Buds 3 Pro debut next week is slim.

Earlier this year, Samsung announced an ongoing partnership with Google and Qualcomm to develop a mixed reality headset, positioned to compete with the then-rumored Apple headset.

Since then, Apple has unveiled its $3,499 Vision Pro, Google has shut down its AR glasses project (with its head of AR/VR leaving the company), and Qualcomm has put greater focus on more timely product launches like Meta’s Quest 3 in October.

Another teaser or executive photo op is very much in the cards for next week’s Unpacked, but don’t expect anything more.