Since 2010, Galaxy Unpacked has been a twice-per-year event that Samsung utilizes to announce new tech devices, notably smartphones, tablets and wearables. First held at CTIA in Las Vegas, the event is usually held in Barcelona (around the MWC timeframe) or New York. However, beginning in 2021, the event has been held virtually, and such was the case this morning for the 2022 event.
In many respects, the event is as influential as Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) and September events that the company uses to announce new versions of the iPhone (among other things) are announced. The Unpacked events typically have a strong device hardware element characteristic. However, Samsung will also use the occasion to promote new software innovations, especially from a partnership perspective, that the company believes will add value to the Samsung ecosystem.
Let’s take a glimpse at the top announcements that Samsung unveiled at the event.
New Samsung smartphones and tablets
Samsung took the wraps off its new Galaxy S22 phone lineup, with significant enhancements over prior models. Thematically, many feature updates focus on content creation, such as better video, photography, and social media capture and sharing.
The line includes the S22, the bigger Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and the premium Galaxy S22 Ultra. This latter model takes the place of the Samsung Note, with an S-Pen that can be housed inside the phone.
At the same time, Samsung also announced its new Galaxy Tab S8 family, featuring the Tab S8 Ultra, a monster-sized 14.6” tablet, which is obviously positioned to compete with the 12.9” iPad Pro. Starting with a base price of $1,100, the Tab S8 Ultra also includes an enhanced S-Pen. The screen of the Tab S8 Ultra has significantly reduced latency and 4K front and rear cameras, a 120Hz refresh-rate AMOLED screen and smaller (though not invisible) bezels.
Focus on computational photography
Like Apple, Samsung has bought into “computational photography” as a compelling strategy vehicle to replace traditional cameras. The updated phone models include an interesting new night photography mode, videography enhancements, and improved cooling and heating dissipation via a new gel solution inside the phone to deal with hotter-running components. Samsung’s new Vision Booster technology, which integrates dynamic tone mapping with elevated 1,750-nit brightness for substantially better image quality, plays a crucial role in the displays of these new phones.
On the tablet front, Samsung is taking more steps to position the high-end Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with a more distinctive laptop feel. Samsung accomplishes this via its new BookCover removable keyboard that seamlessly enters a DeX mode, the company’s way to describe how a tablet can function as a laptop for Galaxy products when the keyboard accessory is connected. Unlike Apple iPads, storage can be updated from 16GB to 512GB via a microSD slot.
Complementary models of Samsung’s new tablets include the Tab S8 Plus, which consists of a 12.4” 2,800 X 1,752-pixel sAMOLED display, while the mainstream Tab S8 has a 2,560 X 1,600-pixel LED panel. The displays on both models support a 120Hz refresh rate.
Some closing thoughts
Outside of the new hardware, Samsung spent a considerable amount of time discussing its efforts to improve the environment at the beginning of the event. The event even included a representative from the United Nations conversing about Samsung’s Global Goals in the sustainability and inclusion areas.
During the event, the company spent time on enhancements it was making to Samsung Wallet, its digital payment app. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the ears of the folks behind Apple Wallets must be ringing.
Interestingly, Samsung also announced that preorders of any Galaxy S22 model would include a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds, one of the better alternatives to Apple AirPods. You’ll need to place a preorder between February 9th and February and February 24th to take advantage of the offer, but with a $199 MSRP, it’s a very nice incentive.
Of course, this is the first salvo of 2022 in the ongoing smartphone war that always focuses on how each tech giant tries to out-spec the other. We may get a hint of what Apple might unveil later this year when WWDC occurs in the June timeframe, and the company discusses its Mac and mobile device OS update plans. Until then, it’s your move, Apple.
Mark Vena is the CEO and Principal Analyst at SmartTech Research based in Silicon Valley. As a technology industry veteran for over 25 years, Mark covers many consumer tech topics, including PCs, smartphones, smart home, connected health, security, PC and console gaming, and streaming entertainment solutions. Mark has held senior marketing and business leadership positions at Compaq, Dell, Alienware, Synaptics, Sling Media and Neato Robotics. Mark has appeared on CNBC, NBC News, ABC News, Business Today, The Discovery Channel and other media outlets. Mark’s analysis and commentary have appeared on Forbes.com and other well-known business news and research sites. His comments about the consumer tech space have repeatedly appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, TechNewsWorld and other news publications. Mark has also provided contributions to venerable Parks Associates, the leading research firm in the consumer technology space.
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