Samsung’s bi-annual Galaxy Unpacked events are among the most anticipated of the year, every six months alternately launching the latest in the S and Note ranges. Last night, the second Unpacked event of the year went several steps further.
It was not only that Samsung revealed seven new devices, but that it covered 5 distinct categories: smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, earbuds and its latest foldable. This tells us not only that the Organisation has been innovating at breakneck pace during the COVID-19 crisis, but that it is on a quest to push boundaries across all consumer technology categories.
It is no coincidence that the multi-pronged launch comes at a time when Huawei is struggling to convince the market outside China to embrace smartphones and related devices that don’t use Google services. A year ago, Huawei had overtaken Apple in the smartphone market rankings, and was challenging Samsung’s number one position.
Now, Samsung appears to be slamming the door on that particular challenge – while also fending off the Apple beast. Aside from the foldable, Apple plays in every one of the arenas Samsung has entered – and dominates several. Its 2020 iPhone launch, expected next month, is likely to introduce a lower cost handset that will also challenge Samsung in the mid-range of the smartphone market.
As a result, the launch should be seen as a war on two fronts of consumer attention. How do its weapons stack up?
Read more on the next page about the new Galaxy Note, the new Galaxy Fold, and other new Galaxy devices in the line.
Note 20 and Note20 Ultra
For the headline devices, the 6.7-inch Galaxy Note20 and 6.9-inch Galaxy Note20 Ultra, Samsung amusingly but unintentionally borrowed from the Apple marketing playbook, trumpeting the new handsets as “the most powerful Note series yet”. Apple tends to say that about the new iPhones every year, prompting the question: “would your new flagship be a LESS powerful device?”
So, before anything else, it needs mentioning that these are powerhouses of productivity. Integration with Windows PCs is tighter and more seamless than before. The S Pen – long a favourite of Note users for its versatile writing and drawing functionality – now offers five new Anywhere actions, like returning to the home screen or taking a screenshot with a flick of the wrist. Such touchless navigation resonates powerfully in the era of COVID-19.
The Samsung Notes app, best-known for turning scribbles into type, now features auto-save and syncing capabilities, to prevent work being lost because you switched between apps or devices and forgot to Save. It also allows recording audio as one writes notes, synchronising the two for searches.
As one would expect from a flagship device nowadays, it’s not all work and no play either. From mid-September, Xbox games will be playable on the Note20 series, with more than a 100 Xbox games, like Minecraft Dungeons and Gears, available from the cloud via an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account.
For many, the devices will come into their own through the display and camera: a new standard on the Note20 Ultra, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, offers 120Hz refresh rate, “delivering buttery smooth visuals on our best screen yet,” according to Samsung. 8K shooting, with a 21:9 aspect ratio, means ultra-high resolution and potentially professional-quality video. This capability is underlined with a Pro Video mode, which allows control of focus, audio, exposure, and zoom speed control, with up to 120 fps video. Audio sources can also be managed, with selection between onboard mics or external sources, and gain adjustment.
Read more on the next page about the new Galaxy Fold, and other new Galaxy devices in the line.
Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+
The new Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ will be the first tablets that support 5G connectivity, backing up their credentials for videoconferencing and streaming services. Both offer “PC-level productivity”, courtesy of a keyboard sold separately as the Book Cover Keyboard, along with an S Pen with similar capabilities as those for the Galaxy Note20. The S7 has an 11-inch screen, while the Tab S7+ features an eye-widening 12.4” Super AMOLED display. Did we mention productivity?
Read more on the next page about the new Galaxy Fold, and other new Galaxy devices in the line.
Galaxy Z Fold2
The Fold has barely had a chance to make its mark in South Africa, when the Fold2 is on our doorstep. In effect the third generation, after the initial version of the Fold was recalled for fixing and fine-tuning, this is the first Samsung foldable to address smartphone as well as productivity needs. Unlike what was practically a miniature cover screen on the previous version, the Fold2 goes large with a 6.2-inch front screen and a hefty 7.6-inch main screen when unfolded. This time round, we can expect numerous use cases to emerge, making it a far more persuasive buy.
Read more on the next page about the other new Galaxy devices in the line.
Galaxy Watch3
The gorgeous bronze Galaxy Watch3 features a slimmed-down version of the previous devices’ signature, a rotating bezel. It also brings a heavy focus to fitness goals and health management. An expanded Samsung health suite incorporates fitness tracking, running coaching, advanced sleep scoring, an exercise-from-home toolset, VO2 max and SpO2 readings, ECG and blood pressure monitoring where it is allowed, and Trip Detection to alert selected contacts with an SOS if one takes a hard fall outdoors. Messages can be sent from the watch, and transactions completed via Samsung Pay.
Galaxy Buds Live
The new Galaxy earbuds represent a powerful argument against the view that there is no innovation in shape and appearance of new smart devices. The bean shapes of the Galaxy Buds Live appear clunky at first sight, but in fact fit more comfortably and firmly in the ears than this writer has yet experienced with buds out-of-the-box. AKG sound expertise brings in Active Noise Cancellation, a 12mm speaker, bass duct, three microphones and a Voice Pickup Unit. It’s the smallest but possibly the most impressive of the new products launched last night.
Read about pricing on the next page.
The price of the Note range varies by size and connecitivty. The Note 20 (LTE) starts at R24,999, while the Note 20 (5G) starts at R27,999. The larger Note 20 Ultra only comes in a 5G variant, and starts at R36,999.
The price of the Galaxy Buds Live is R3,999.
The Galaxy Watch 3 comes in two size variants, 41mm and 45mm, and in two connectivity options, Bluetooth and LTE. The 41mm Bluetooth variant costs R8,999 and the larger 45mm Bluetooth variant costs R9,499. The 41mm LTE variant costs R9,999, while the larger 45mm LTE variant costs R10,499.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be available locally towards the end of September. Pricing has not yet been announced.
- Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on @art2gee