At Samsung‘s virtual Galaxy Unpacked event held on August 5, the Apple rival launched a slew of upgraded products, including new powerhouses Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Z Fold2, and the Galaxy Tab S7.
The Galaxy Z Fold2 was an impressive release, no doubt. It is Samsung’s third foldable flipping from a 6.2″ screen in its folded “phone state” to a 7.6″ tablet when opened.
It was more of a tease than some of the other devices, and while it will have the same specs as the Note20s below, the Z Fold2’s secret sauce may well be its excellent hinge, which provides more configurations than just folded or flat, allowing it to function almost like a mini-laptop, easy to read hands-free while doing something else.
The Note20s were the stars of the show, as Samsung is dead serious about putting something like a supercomputer in customers’ pockets with huge screens and hardware abilities that put plenty of laptops to shame.
The Galaxy Note20 Ultra is the contender for Samsung’s Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max competitor, a device meant for real productivity. Features include:
- 6.9″ high-res AMOLED display
- 64-bit octa-core processor plus 12GB of RAM
- Storage options ranging from 128 up to 512GB
- Options for both 5G and LTE
- Triple camera system sporting 12MP and 108MP sensors and a 10MP front camera
The Note20 is a more consumer-friendly option, likely best for buyers who want a smartphone as suitable for work as it is for recreation. Check out some specs:
- Slightly smaller 6.7″ AMOLED display
- 8GB of RAM and a 64-bit octa-core processor
- Storage from 128 to 256GB
- Models with options for 5G and LTE
- Its own triple camera setup that includes 12MP and 64MP sensors in addition to a 10MP.
It is no exaggeration to say that Samsung is coming for the iPad as well, beefing up the Galaxy Tab line with the S7+ in an impressive way.
Its details definitely stack up well against the iPad Pro:
- A substantial 12.4″ Super AMOLED display
- 6GB of RAM and 128GB or consumers can kick storage up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB
- There’s also room for up to 1 terabyte of microSD storage
- Options for 5G and LTE connectivity
- 10,090mAh battery with fast charging support
Previous models of the Galaxy Watch were pretty well-matched to the Apple Watch for ability but kind of chunky. The Galaxy Watch3 is available as of August 6 and comes in either stainless steel or titanium, and Samsung has slimmed down the watch yet still managed to beef up the display.
It comes in 41mm or 45mm flavors and—perhaps in a nod to the Watch3 hitting the market during the Age of COVID-19—it can measure blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, and like Apple’s smartwatch do EKG readings.
Samsung’s most original offering at Galaxy Unpacked were its earbuds. The Galaxy Buds Live may be shaped a bit like kidney beans but the company claims they are designed with nothing but comfort in mind. They have been constructed to eliminate an issue peculiar to Apple’s Airpods and Airpods Pro, which can look vaguely like medical devices sticking out of your ears.
Samsung collaborated with AKG to create buds bearing three mics, a Voice Pickup unit, and the must-have feature in any earbuds now, Active Noise Cancellation. More impressive to anyone who has ever been irritated with other earbuds’ battery life is the Galaxy Buds Live’s six hours of usable charge—and you can tack on another 15 with the charging case.
Learn more about the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ here. They’ll be available August 21 and prices begin at $649 for the S7 and $849 for the S7+.
Consumers can reserve their own Galaxy Z Fold2 on Samsung’s website and it is expected to retail at nearly $2,000. Note20s are also available to reserve and begin at $999.99. Galaxy Buds Live are available now and cost $169.99. You can buy a Galaxy Watch3 now and prices begin at $249.99.