Continuing the necessary trend of online events during the COVID-19 global pandemic, Samsung held their Fall Unpacked event today. In it, they introduced five new products, including the Galaxy Note20 series, The Galaxy Tab S7 series, the Galaxy Watch 3, Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Technology can empower you in these times of adversity so that you can live each moment to the fullest. – TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications at Samsung
Galaxy Note20 5G and Note20 Ultra 5G
The Note20 series will include the Note20 with a 6.7″ flat Infinity-O display (FHD+ Super AMOLED+ with a 60Hz refresh rate), while the Note20 Ultra will have a 6.9″ curved edge Infinity-O display (Display Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, with a 120Hz refresh rate). They will both feature Gorilla Glass Victus displays, which is the latest and greatest from Corning, billed as the “toughest Gorilla Glass on a smartphone.” The Note20 will have 8GB RAM with 128GB internal storage, and the Note 20 Ultra will have 12GB RAM with the option of either 128GB or 512GB internal storage; the Note20 Ultra will accept microSD memory cards, while the Note20 will not. The Note20 will have a 4,300mAh internal battery, while the Note20 Ultra will have a 4,500mAh internal battery, and both Note20 models will have the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor.
Both phones will also have the S Pen, which has been upgraded to only have 9ms latency while using AI to predict your next move to improve any latency delays even further. Adding to its usefulness, the S Pen will have a new Anywhere action feature that will make navigating easier in any app. One example given was that if you want to return to the home screen, you can simply press the upper button on your S Pen.
The Note20 and Note20 Ultra will be available in Mystic Black, Mystic White, and the new Mystic Bronze; the main difference in build quality will be that on the Note20, there will be a “special coating on the polycarbonate back.” Wait … it’s not even glass? Adding that insult to the standard 60Hz refresh rate injury makes the Note20 seem ridiculously expensive for what you are getting, sorry not sorry. The Note20 Ultra will have an etched satin glass back, which should help with fingerprints and smudges if you aren’t keeping it in a case.
There are also significant differences between the cameras on the two models, as well. Like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Note20 Ultra will have a 108-megapixel wide-angle lens camera, a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The Note20 will have a 10-megapixel front-facing camera, and on the back, there will be a 12-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and then a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with a non-periscope-enabled zoom going up to 3x.
If I didn’t have the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra already, I might be tempted by the Note 20 Ultra, but there is not enough offered with the Note20 to make me think it would be any better than the Galaxy S20 series — unless you just really have to have that S Pen.
Pricing for the Note20 will be $999, and pricing for the Note20 Ultra will be $1299.99 for the 128GB model and $1499.99 for the 512GB model. Preorders for the Note20 and Note20 Ultra will begin on August 6th, and they will be shipped on August 21st; they will also be available to purchase in carrier stores on August 21st.
Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+
The 11″ Galaxy Tab S7 and the 12.4″ Galaxy Tab S7+ are the latest and greatest of Samsung’s Android tablets; the 11″ version has a TFT LCD screen (120Hz), and the 12.4″ version has a Super AMOLED screen (also 120Hz); both have AKG-tuned quad-speakers and Dolby Atmos sound. They are each available in WiFi versions only, or you can get them with WiFi and 5G cellular service. The new Galaxy Tab S7 will have an 8,000 mAh battery capacity, while the Tab S7+ will have a 10,090 mAh capacity; both models will have 45W fast charging and will feature the latest Qualcomm SDM865+ processor.
Making them even more useful is the fact that they come with an S Pen which can be docked on the backside of the table; although to be fair, they look like they won’t be very secure unless you are also using the Samsung Book Cover Keyboard Case (sold separately) to keep the S Pen in place.
On the Galaxy Tab S7, you’ll be able to run up to three apps simultaneously for better multitasking.
Later this year, you’ll also be able to the Tab S7 as a second screen for your Windows PC. We don’t have full pricing or availability on the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ yet — just that the Galaxy Tab S7 will start at $649.99 and the Galaxy Tab S7+ will start at $849.99, but you can sign up for notifications from this page.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live have a new, bean-shaped form factor that they say is more comfortable and doesn’t make you feel like you are wearing earplugs. Most notably, they don’t have an awkward (and ugly) stem hanging down, and so many true wireless earbuds do. Made for all-day comfort, the Galaxy Buds Live fit into the curve of your ear, resting lightly and securely. The buds have active noise cancellation and battery life of up to 6 hours; you can get a total of 21 hours of use, when you recharge them in their carrying case.
The Galaxy Buds Live and their charging case are both made from recycled materials, which hopefully means that they will also be recyclable at the end of their life to some degree. They are available in Black, White, and Copper Brown, and they are selling for $169.99 right now.
Galaxy Watch3
Billed as a personal assistant for your health and your life, the Galaxy Watch3 will be available in 41mm and 45mm Bluetooth versions, as well as a 41mm LTE version. All versions will feature a lightweight (albeit chunky-thick) design, heart health monitoring, sleep and stress monitoring, auto workout-tracking, a multi-day battery (but it’s not clear exactly how many days), and they will be Android as well as iOS compatible.
The watches are also in the process of being approved for measuring blood pressure. While they are already FDA-approved for measuring ECG, Samsung is quick to say that while using them is not the same as getting regular checkups from your doctor, they can help you monitor and track your health to share with your physician.
Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Watch3 will be $399 for the 41mm Bluetooth version, $279.99 for the 45mm Bluetooth version, and $449.99 for the 41mm LTE version; they are available for order now.
If you are a fan of futuristic folding displays and don’t mind paying for the newest technology, the updated Galaxy Z Fold2 will pique your interest. It will feature a slightly larger 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display when opened (vs. the Galaxy Fold1’s 7.3″ display), 12GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, a 4,500mAh internal battery, and it has the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor (as shown in this Samsung device comparison chart). As with the Note 20 series, the front-facing camera is 10-megapixels (with a simple hole-punch style this time, nice!). Built into the back, the only camera Samsung is sharing info on so far is a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera. We’ll have to wait for further information on the other two, although one of the more popular leaks is that we can expect “12MP/16MP/64MP lenses,” which sounds reasonable. Max Weinbach has speculated that it would get the 108-megapixel camera found on the Note20 Ultra and the S20 Ultra, and while I would love for that to be true (and for the price, maybe it should be!), it seems less likely.
Samsung has learned from some of its users’ complaints regarding the past generation Z Fold. Improvements and upgrades made to the Galaxy Fold2 include a thinner, more pocketable body (it’s just 6mm thick), and a full-sized 6.2″ display on the front of the device. There is also a significantly improved hideaway hinge that minimizes the gap between the folding screens when the phone is shut, opens flat, and can stay open at multiple angles as the Galaxy Z Flip does. The hinge also has a “sweeper”built-in, which uses fibers to keep dust and debris out of the hinge and presumably from being able to get under the display.
The 7.6″ folding display has a refresh rate of 120Hz, and Samsung has optimized the display layers and reinforced the entire structure for a better touch experience. I’m not gonna lie; I want one.
The Galaxy Fold2 will be available in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze. We don’t have pricing information yet, but it would be safe to assume it will be in the $2,000 range. If you want to sign up for news as it becomes available (September 1st looks like the date for that), you can do so here.
