Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2019 event was jam-packed. Even if you don’t look at all the announcements and only concern yourself with phones, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10 5G, and Galaxy Fold. Samsung has proven once again that it is the smartphone king.
I don’t mean that in terms of market share, or smartphones sold to date, or because Samsung unveiled five phones in one breath. I’m talking about the fact that Samsung continues to give its fans what they want.
Samsung is listening
New category-defining foldable phone that only early adopters will buy? Check. 5G phone that also happens to have the biggest screen in a Galaxy phone yet? Check. A cheap version that makes it easy for existing Galaxy customers to get this year’s model? Check. And finally, a refresh of it’s main two phones that doesn’t remove the headphone jack, opts for a punch-hole in the screen instead of a notch, increases battery capacity, adds an in-display fingerprint reader, includes reverse wireless charging, and improves the cameras across the board? Check, check, and check.
Samsung thought this through. It made sure the reverse wireless charging can be used on the Galaxy Buds. It’s finally allowing users to remap the Bixby button, arguably the biggest complaint Galaxy owners have. And last but certainly not least, its software is finally getting good.
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
Join us next week in NYC to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secure your attendance for this exclusive invite-only event.
On the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy phone, Samsung is listening harder than ever. It made sure there’s something for everyone. There better be — debuting five “flagship” phones all at once is no easy feat.
Think about it. What other smartphone company ignored the stupid notch hack, increased the battery size, and still kept the headphone jack? Samsung is releasing phones in 2019 that completely buck the smartphone trends of the past few years. That alone is a great move, and on top of that, the company debuted a couple of forward-thinking phones.
Kings are vulnerable
A few things to remember:
- Most of these phones will not sell well.
- Samsung went out of its way to ensure all five are feature-packed.
- I’m reacting solely to what was announced — stay tuned for the reviews.
Samsung’s breathless presentation does also make me wonder if the “flashier” 5G and foldable devices overshadowed the three main Galaxy phones. They are launching later, but their existence could give people pause — whether to upgrade now or wait.
Samsung put on a great show. Now we get to see if going all out was the right move. Apple, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi, and all the rest will try to make sure it isn’t.
After all, Game of Thrones returns later this year.
ProBeat is a column in which Emil rants about whatever crosses him that week.
