Samsung Offers Olympic Sneak Preview of New Galaxy Watch

Samsung has cunningly product-placed its forthcoming Galaxy Watch 4 on the wrist of volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung heading to the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Samsung has finally ditched its proprietary operating system and adopted Android for the watch, which will be officially launched next month.

Kim is part of “Team Galaxy,” a group of high-profile athletes from around the world sponsored by Samsung.

Orchestrated “leaks” of forthcoming products are all the rage in the electronics industry, where competition is tightening as the differences between gadgets are getting negligible and nothing very new is on the horizon.

Due to the pandemic, lavish launch events are also a thing of the past, making it even more vital for companies to clutch at every chance for publicity.

Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung wears a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday as she leaves for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. /Yonhap

Samsung’s next product-release event takes place online again this year on Aug. 11, featuring the Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. But there is already plenty of information about them on the web.

The foldable Z Fold 3, which is expected to take the center stage of the event, will be compatible with the S Pen stylus and has a larger screen than its predecessor by hiding the camera under the screen.

It will cost an eye-watering W1.9 million to W1.99 million, while the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced between W1.20 million and W1.28 million (US$1=W1,150).

Apple’s iPhone 13 to be unveiled in September has also been comprehensively pre-leaked.

But the strategy is not without risks as it could dilute the impact of the actual launches, which have already lost their luster compared to the days when Steve Jobs made front-page headlines worldwide by bestriding the stage in his trademark turtleneck sweater. 

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