Samsung Galaxy Unpacked - 5 New Devices Released

[zeusthemoose]

Summary

 At 10AM EDT/7 AM PDT, Samsung will be holding their Galaxy Unpacked Event. I will be updating this live as new announcements are made.

 

Before the Show: 

 Samsung is expected to announce 5 devices. They are the: Note 20, Galaxy Fold 2, Galaxy Watch 3, Galaxy Buds, and Galaxy Tab S7. Over the past few days, the majority of it has been leaked. If you are interested in reading what has been leaked, The Verge compiled pretty everything in here. 

  It can be streamed here or on YouTube: 

 

During the Show:

  Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra:

Quote

• Note20 has a 6.7" 1080p 60hz screen
• Note20 Ultra has a 6.9" 1440p up to 120hz (60hz if in qhd and 120hz if fhd) screen
• Both have 5G
• Samsung claims they increased outside visibility by 25%
• There is a hole punch camera in the center
• 3 cameras in the back: ultra wide, wide, and telephoto (very large camera bump)
• Colors: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Black, and more
• Rumors are also showing the Note 20 will be available in South Korea in blue, red, or pink
• Note20 has a polycarbonate back
• Note20 Ultra has a glass back
• 4300mAh battery on Note20
• 4500mAh batter on Note20 Ultra
• S Pen updates:
  • Decreased latency to 9ms
  • Uses AI to predict where the next point is 
• Laser AF sensor
• Pro Video Mode
  • More control over zoom and microphone
• No Price Yet
• Use dex as a screen and do other things on the phone
• Has Nearby Share
• Can use UWP to find other devices
  • uses AR to give you directions
• Uses UWP to make phone a key
• Available August 21st (preorder starts tomorrow)
• Starts at $999 for Note20
• Starts at $1299 for Note20 Ultra

    

     Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+:

Quote

• S7 has 11" ltps lcd screen
• S7+ has 12.9" amoled screen
• Both have 120hz displays
• Colors: Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze, and Mystic White
• S Pen attaches to the back under the camera
  • 9ms latency only on S7+
• New keyboard Case(sold separately)
  • has stand
  • Actual keyboard part detaches
  • Bigger Touch pad
  • Now has shortcut buttons
• Allows up to 3 simultaneous apps for multi-tasking
• Free YouTube Premium
• comes preloaded with new 3 apps
  • clip studio
  • canva
  • note taking app
    • syncs between all galaxy devices
• Tab S7 starts at $650
• Tab S7+ starts at $850
• Can be used as a second display for windows 10 pc
• Released August 21st

TechRadar Review

 

   Partnership with Microsoft and Thom Browne:

Quote

• Syncing between devices
  • take calls on either
  • Notes sync to Microsoft apps
  • Reminders sync
  • Syncs Samsung photos with onedrive
• Access phone's apps on Windows 10 Your Phone App
  • Pin frequently used apps to taskbar
  • For a more in-depth look at this, take a look at this great tech news post by @Pascal...
• Xbox game pass
  • Play games from your phone and tablet
    • Mentioned games: Grounded and Minecraft: Dungeons
  • Game bundle available when you buy the phone
    • includes Bluetooth controller and 3 months of game pass
• Thom Browne
  • Thome Browne versions of the devices will be coming

 

 Galaxy Buds Live:

Quote

• Colors: Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze, and Mystic White
• Buds and case made of recycled materials
• Open type (i think they mean open design)
• Customizable controls
• 12mm speaker and a bass duct
• Certified by AKG
• Active Noise Cancellation
  • only removes low-band background noise
• Has 3 microphones and a voice pickup unit
• Music share allows 2 buds to connect to one device
• They are beans...
• Available August 6th
• They will cost $170

 

Galaxy Watch3:

Quote

• Rotating bezel
• 41mm or 45mm
• New Titanium (Mystic Black) model
• Weather available on watch face
• Customizable watch faces
  • 80,000 options
  • Watch face can pick colors from a picture and make a custom face for it
    • Advertised for matching outfits
• Can measure blood pressure
  • Should be calibrated monthly
• Has ECG
  • Has FDA regulation and approval
• Can measure blood oxygen
  • rumored to be coming to Apple Watch Series 6 as well
• Tracks exercise
  • Also control exercise videos/programs
• Available August 6th
• Pricing starts at $400

 

Galaxy Z Fold2:

Quote

• Three rear cameras
• hole punch front facing camera
• usb c charging
• BTS did celebrity unboxing
• Colors: Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze
• 6mm thick
• 6.2" front display
• 7.6" display when unfolded
• Reinforced display layers
• Has 5g
• Dual intelligent batteries
• New hinge design
  • uses cam mechanism
  • 60 components in the hinge alone
• UTG (ultra thing glass) screen
• Uses sweeper mechanism to stop dirt and debris from getting in
  • based on vacuum cleaners
• More details (and preorders) coming on September 1st
• No price yet

Other Announcements:

Quote

From @LAwLz in the comments:

Some great news that might deserve its own thread!

 

Samsung has promises "3 generations of updates"! The last couple of generations Samsung devices have only gotten 2 "generations of updates", and then 1 year of security updates. This essentially means that Samsung phones will essentially match Google's Pixel line in terms of support, which is really good (but a far cry from Apple's support). The reason for using "generations" rather than year is apparently because Android update release can change a few months in either direction, and they don't want to end up in a situation where a big Android update gets released like the month after the 3 year period is up.

 

Samsung have confirmed that this new "3 generation of updates" policy will apply to their S series, Note series and Z series, while their other lineups such as the A series will get support "until hardware allows" which probably means until Qualcomm drops support (don't expect more than 2 generations).

 

This change in policy applies to the Galaxy S10 series and later.

 

 

https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-3-years-android-os-updates-galaxy-note-20/

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/5/21355777/samsung-android-os-update-promise-galaxy-phones-3-generations

 

Thoughts:

 I am excited to see the reviews of the Fold2. Hopefully they fixed all their issues and have a good device this time around. Also, the Note20 Ultra seems overpriced to me. Even Apple starts the pricing of their highest end phone at $1099 not $1299. $300 increase for a slightly bigger phone and a few other small changes does not seem worth it at all to me. If you think I missed anything, please let me know and I will make the changes.

 

Sources:

  Galaxy Unpacked Livestream

  NDTV

Edited August 7, 2020 by zeusthemoose
Added new colors for note 20

[Guest]

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/5/21353196/samsung-galaxy-note-20-ultra-price-release-date-camera-stylus-specs

Already announced lmao

This has all the specs, I guess they released it a bit early

Also 

There are some videos detailing the specs released a full 10 hours ago.

 

[SeraphicWings]

ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR for a 1080p 60Hz screen and, wait for it, PLASTIC phone

 

plastic

 

P

L

A

S

T

I

C

 

Not even Apple can reach this level of dickhead at cost cutting

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, SeraphicWings said:

ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR for a 1080p 60Hz screen and, wait for it, PLASTIC phone

 

plastic

 

 

It's plastic?

[SeraphicWings]

1 minute ago, itswillum said:

It's plastic?

Marques says the Note 20's back is made from plastic, idk about the bezel though

[Guest]

Just now, SeraphicWings said:

Marques says the back is made from plastic, idk about the bezel though

The ultra supports 120 HZ I think

[captain_to_fire]

I wonder how the battery life, performance and cameras compare between the Snapdragon GN20 (US, Canada, South Korea) and the Exynos GN20 (the rest of the world). 

 

[zeusthemoose]

1 minute ago, itswillum said:

It's plastic?

Note20 has a polycarbonate back and the ultra has glass

[SeraphicWings]

3 minutes ago, itswillum said:

The ultra supports 120 HZ I think

It's 1080p 120Hz or 1440p 60Hz maximum

[LAwLz]

The Note 20 (non-Ultra) sure is a massive disappointment.

60Hz screen

Low resolution

No upgrade to the SoC in the Exynos version.

No expandable storage.

No new S-pen.

 

 

It feels more like a "Galaxy Note 20 lite". It's worse than the regular Galaxy S20 for crying out loud!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

The Note 20 (non-Ultra) sure is a massive disappointment.

60Hz screen

Low resolution

No upgrade to the SoC in the Exynos version.

No expandable storage.

No new S-pen.

 

 

It feels more like a "Galaxy Note 20 lite". It's worse than the regular Galaxy S20 for crying out loud!

I was thinking, in 2014 i was really keen on the Note 4, because it had a 4K screen, but now this upgrade doesn’t? I thought it was like a standard for the Note series. 

[Blademaster91]

I don't mind the back cover being polycarbonite, glass is more prone to breaking, can be slippery without a case, and looks like crap unless you constantly wipe it off. Also the back cover being plastic would mean easier DIY battery replacement.

Although no expandable storage and no headphone jack really ruins it for me.

[Touch My Hamm]

6 hours ago, zeusthemoose said:

Note20 has a 6.7" 1080p 60hz screen

thats the real oof... 

 

[zeusthemoose]

5 minutes ago, GodSeph said:

thats the real oof... 

 

Even worse is during the show they made it seem like both had 120hz displays (which I put on here originally). It wasn’t until someone commented here and I saw some reviews that I realized and changed it.

[Commodus]

28 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

The last 2 are why I'm keeping my s9 for a few more years.  When this notch and the lies about why no jack are over I'll upgrade.  The reality is they're trying to profit off the everso craptastic BT.

So you're never upgrading again, basically?

 

I doubt you're going to get a confession (although I'd note that space saving is a concern, too), let alone get Samsung to have a change of heart about removing the jack.

 

This reminds me of the people who've crossed their arms and harumphed while waiting for the return of the removable battery, physical keyboards, truly small smartphones... sorry, but it's a battle you'll never win. Unless there's a large-scale revolt over a design, which very rarely happens, sales rarely dip sharply enough to prompt a return to a feature once it's gone. The only reason phones like the Pixel 4a still have a headphone jack is that they're aimed at markets where Bluetooth isn't realistic (at least, not yet).

[captain_to_fire]

Imo, Samsung should just abandon Android for their tablets and just use Chrome OS just for the fact that 2020 Chrome OS devices will received eight years of guaranteed software updates.

[dizmo]

I thought about getting the Note20 Ultra, but then I saw the price and, in Canada at least, carriers have gotten into the habit of gouging. Their MSRP for the Note20 Ultra is $2,200...$400 higher than it costs to buy it directly from Samsung, and Samsung throws in a pair of Galaxy Buds+. Worst part is the carriers throw up a "save $400!" sign on their phones trying to make it seem like a good deal, when really, they're giving it to you at the regular price. It's pathetic. If it was $1,200, I might have considered it.

 

I wish Samsung would do a lot more towards battery optimization. Their efforts seem to be to make it "good enough", and then we have companies like OnePlus coming in and absolutely crushing them at it. That's the one thing that truly bothers me about Samsung devices. Instead of putting in effort, they add a newer, better panel...but come on. Imagine how much better it could be Samsung. Try harder.

 

Instead, I think I'll probably go for the S20 Plus in the Fall if it goes on sale, or perhaps the large Pixel that's rumored will catch my eye.

 

13 hours ago, captain_to_fire said:

I wonder how the battery life, performance and cameras compare between the Snapdragon GN20 (US, Canada, South Korea) and the Exynos GN20 (the rest of the world). 

 

The Note20s both get the SD865+...and IIRC the Exynos is still the carried over version from the S20 line up. So, it'll be significantly be hind performance wise, and one could assume battery wise as well.

8 hours ago, RorzNZ said:

I was thinking, in 2014 i was really keen on the Note 4, because it had a 4K screen, but now this upgrade doesn’t? I thought it was like a standard for the Note series. 

"2k" screen? Samsung has never had a 4k screen.

7 hours ago, valdyrgramr said:

The last 2 are why I'm keeping my s9 for a few more years.  When this notch and the lies about why no jack are over I'll upgrade.  The reality is they're trying to profit off the everso craptastic BT.

The jack is never coming back. There simply aren't enough people that really care.

[captain_to_fire]

6 minutes ago, dizmo said:

The Note20s both get the SD865+...and IIRC the Exynos is still the carried over version from the S20 line up. So, it'll be significantly be hind performance wise, and one could assume battery wise as well.

Well that sucks

[linkboy]

When Samsung released the Note 10 last year with the downgraded specs (1080p, no SD card slot, etc), I thought it was a good idea to sell a cheaper model with less specs for people who aren't hardcore, but want the S-Pen. I picked up a Note 10 on a 50% off promotion through T-Mobile back in November and I'm honestly happy with it. It's not a bad phone.

 

The Note 20, on the other, at $999 is not worth it. 

 

I just can't believe they're dropping back to 128GB as the base storage after putting 256GB in the Note 10/10+.

 

The Note 20 isn't a bad phone, it's just not worth $999.

 

I was looking at the Note 20, but I just can't justify paying that much for a phone that that has half the storage of what I have now, and the Ultra is to expensive for me.

 

I'm thinking about selling my Note 10 and just making a sideways jump to the 10+ now that Samsung is extending OS support to three years.

[dizmo]

4 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

It isn't even dead and still on several phones.

I didn't say it was dead. I said it's not coming back to devices it leaves, and it isn't. The number of people that care about the headphone jack just isn't that high.

[dizmo]

5 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

Do you have stats to back that, or is this just another monkey see monkey do?

I can name several that it's left and hasn't returned. Can you name a single one that got rid of it, and brought it back?

[Blademaster91]

11 hours ago, valdyrgramr said:

The last 2 are why I'm keeping my s9 for a few more years.  When this notch and the lies about why no jack are over I'll upgrade.  The reality is they're trying to profit off the everso craptastic BT.

The headphone jack is a feature I want, bluetooth headphones might be convenient but it's another thing to charge,and I dislike dongle adapters. I like having the 3.5mm jack enough to consider not getting a flagship phone since they all want to sell a pair of BT headphones, the A series Samsung phones have a headphone jack, the LG velvet has a jack, so do phones from Motorola, Nokia, and the Pixel 4a kept the headphone jack so people are still definitely buying phones with headphone jacks.

IMO this non-ultra is also just too expensive for a 1080p screen and no glass back. I put my S9+ in a case but I get people like the feel of a glass phone.

 

[D13H4RD]

1 hour ago, dizmo said:

I can name several that it's left and hasn't returned. Can you name a single one that got rid of it, and brought it back?

The XPERIA 1 Mark II

 

That's more of an exception than the norm though because that's not how things go with phones usually. I think many people just shrug and continue their wireless buds on the high end.

[D13H4RD]

Samsung is slowly making my decision to get a new Note easier...that is to say I'm probably not going to get a new Note. 

 

The Ultra, while nice, is also priced much higher than what I'd reasonably like to pay for a phone. I love the S Pen but I am increasingly doubtful that I have used it enough to warrant a huge premium. And the regular Note20 is really just such a gigantic piece of memery on its own, due to its also-very-expensive price tag and a slew of puzzling downgrades like the display, construction and even the key hardware. 

 

Looking at phones like the Pixel 4A and OnePlus Nord alongside Samsung's own A71 is really reinforcing my potential decision to "downgrade" from my Note8 to one of those midrangers in the future, because they do everything I need it to do at a far more sensible price point, and because they have gotten bloody excellent over the past few years in terms of performance, I will notice absolutely nothing in terms of real world performance differences moving from a flagship. 

 

The Z Fold2 looks good though. Very typical of a second generation product. Makes the original Fold look way more dated than it already is. 

[LAwLz]

Some great news that might deserve its own thread!

 

Samsung has promises "3 generations of updates"! The last couple of generations Samsung devices have only gotten 2 "generations of updates", and then 1 year of security updates. This essentially means that Samsung phones will essentially match Google's Pixel line in terms of support, which is really good (but a far cry from Apple's support). The reason for using "generations" rather than year is apparently because Android update release can change a few months in either direction, and they don't want to end up in a situation where a big Android update gets released like the month after the 3 year period is up.

 

Samsung have confirmed that this new "3 generation of updates" policy will apply to their S series, Note series and Z series, while their other lineups such as the A series will get support "until hardware allows" which probably means until Qualcomm drops support (don't expect more than 2 generations).

 

This change in policy applies to the Galaxy S10 series and later.

 

 

https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-3-years-android-os-updates-galaxy-note-20/

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/5/21355777/samsung-android-os-update-promise-galaxy-phones-3-generations