News

Samsung Unpacked 2024: What To Expect From The July 10 Event

The Galaxy Watch Ultra could be revealed alongside new earbuds, foldables and the hotly-anticipated Galaxy Ring.

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

Nour Nasir

Samsung

The summer months are usually a quiet time for new tech releases. However, the next Samsung Unpacked event — taking place in Paris on July 10 — could shake things up a little.

Although we’re unlikely to hear any news about next year’s Galaxy S devices, there’s a good chance we’ll learn more about Samsung’s latest foldable smartphones, a new smartwatch, and the hotly-anticipated Galaxy Ring that’s been teased over the last year.

Samsung Galaxy Ring

samsung galaxy ring wearable will launch in eight sizes

The Galaxy Ring is rumored to arrive “in or around August” according to Samsung itself, so it would be more of a surprise if the wearable didn’t make an appearance at Unpacked. The Galaxy Ring will come in three colors — gold, platinum silver, and ceramic black — and will be available in multiple sizes.

The device will monitor heart rate, breathing, and even movement, helping you track sleep. The ring is also expected to support fertility monitoring. The Galaxy Ring will pair with a Galaxy Watch, which will enable more precise health data.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 And Galaxy Z Flip 6

samsung galaxy fold 6 ultra leak

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 are rumored to make an appearance at the Unpacked event in Paris, though updates will be relatively minor. The Z Flip 6 should get a battery capacity boost to 4,000 mAh, an optional 12GB RAM upgrade, and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Cameras may be upgraded, too, with the 50MP camera from the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 coming to the Z Flip 6.

There has also been talk of a more premium foldable known as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, alongside slim versions of both foldable devices. However, we think these models are more likely to appear alongside the Galaxy S25 lineup in early 2025 — though we might get a teaser at this summer event.

Galaxy Watch And Galaxy Watch Ultra

samsung galaxy watch 7 ultra leak

Galaxy Watch 7 listings have already begun appearing on some online stores, so it’s likely we’ll see the new wearable appear at Unpacked. The Watch 7 is expected to sport a 3nm chipset with improved power and efficiency. The health sensors are due for a performance upgrade too.

Being 2024, AI features are sure to feature on the new Watch 7, including AI-powered sleep, exercise and messaging tools.

Rumors have also been circulating for some time about a Galaxy Watch Ultra. Leaked pictures suggest it’ll be thicker than a standard Galaxy Watch with a rectangular design and round watch face. Intriguingly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra may sport a digital crown-style dial instead of a rotating bezel.

Galaxy Buds 3 And Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

samsung galaxy buds 3 pro

It’s been several years since the last Galaxy Buds arrived on the scene, so we should hear an announcement about the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro at the July 10 Unpacked event.

Both models will be available in silver and white and have an IP57 dust and water resistance rating, along with SmartThings Find support. As with the Buds 2 Pro, the Buds 3 Pro will feature a two-way speaker designed to deliver improved audio, while the regular Buds 3 will stick to a one-way speaker. The higher-end model should also come with adaptive noise control, ambient sound, and blade lights while offering improved battery life.

Finally, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds are rumored to be adopting a stem design, like Apple’s AirPods. Whether you’re a fan of that layout or not, it does have the advantage of placing the microphone slightly closer to your mouth for potentially improved call quality.

News

Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.