Samsung Unpacked 2018, Analyst Recap

Samsung held their annual #SamsungUnpacked event today in Brooklyn, New York in front of three-thousand media, analysts, partners, and Galaxy Note users. In this blog, I will share the highlights and my take or opinion on the impact to consumers and businesses. DJ Koh took to the stage with a focus around doing more, providing creators with more power, discussing the building blocks of AR, AI, and IoT, and mentioned a focus on disrupting customer experiences. The theme centered around seamless experiences with Koh stating Samsung is committed to meaningful innovation putting the consumer first, amplifying creativity and creating seamless experiences that span across devices, locations, platforms, and brands. 

5 Announcements Made at Samsung Unpacked

1. Samsung #GalaxyNote9 unveiled (emphasis on power, storage, S pen)
2. Samsung #GalaxyHome Unveiled (smart speaker with Bixby)
3. Samsung #GalaxyWatch Unveiled (rebranded, stand-alone LTE enabled)
4. Samsung Music Partnership Announced with #Spotify
5. Samsung the first Android to get #Fortnite​

Below I highlight Number 1-3 just a bit further...

1. Samsung #GalaxyNote9 unveiled (emphasis on power, storage, S pen)

With the emphasis on intelligent experiences, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 9 available for pre-order Aug 10th, and available August 24th in stores and online. Carrier deals include...AT&T (buy one get one free with new line), T-Mobile (50% off with approved trade-in), Sprint (50% off with lease)Here are the key notes of importance:

• STORAGE: Available in 128GB (doubles that of the Note 8) or 512 GB, with expandable storage available up to 1TB (This is massive, might be great for the photographer, insurance adjuster, law enforcement officer, etc.)
• BATTERY: all day battery life, 4,000mAh battery (3300mAH in the Note 8), based on typical use
• DISPLAY AND SIZE: 6.4 inches, large infinity screen 
• PRICE: Price ranges from $999 to $1300 retail, carriers are offering BOGO free and 50% offers now, pre-orders are also available, and of course you can lease or trade-in
• BLUETOOTH S PEN: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) S Pen enhanced features, comes in yellow, acts as a remote control (bluetooth ...think selfies and managing presentations, and at the Samsung Developer Conference they are encouraging newly developed applications using the S pen
• NEW COLORS: Available in blue (with yellow S Pen), lavender, copper and black.
• COMPUTING: Samsung DeX available through a HDMI Adapter, sold separately and works with Tab S4, think expanding smartphone to your PC
• AI: Intelligent Camera, has capabilities to notice closed eyes and recommend retakes, super slow mo function, optimizes color tones
  

Analyst Remarks: The device is large and powerful, and great for the creative and gamer. The storage size is double the Note 8 and can get up to 1TB with added storage...so this might be great for professions (home designers, photographers, insurance adjusters, detectives, etc.) that stream and store videos, store massive amounts of photos, and heavy gamers. The 128Gb is equivalent to 670 hours of movies and TV shows! For consumers tired of deleting apps and treasured photos, this is an option that will leave you with keeping everything.

2. Samsung #GalaxyHome Unveiled (smart speaker with Bixby)

A little late in the game, but very relevant to consumers today, Samsung also unveiled its smart speaker called the Galaxy Home. It has a stemless wine-shaped top with a tripod looking stand. This smart speaker incorporates Bixby voice-recognition and intelligence features all in an AKG (Harman) branded speaker. The form factor is a bit off, but the noted features are pretty cool:

• 6 meter high range (like surround sound), subwoofer with deep base
  
• Optimizes sound based on where you are in the room
  
• Natural sound processing
  
• Works seamless from Samsung smartphone to Samsung TV, to Galaxy Home speaker 

Analyst Remarks: The Galaxy Home is a bit late to the market, and I think will struggle in sales unless it is provided as part of a promotion or given away to consumers. Bixby is also not as favored in the voice-recognition market. I personally have tried both Google Voice (Okay Google) and Bixby on my Samsung smartphones, and Bixby tends to be a bit quirky on picking up words and its voice to text needs a bit of work. The form factor of the Galaxy Home is a tad bit unconventional and may not fit in all locations in the home especially tables that have netted or iron tops, as the base will require a sold and flat table for it to sit evenly. It is also much larger than the HomePod and Amazon Echo Dot.

3. Samsung #GalaxyWatch Unveiled (rebranded, stand-along LTE enabled)

It looks like the "Galaxy Gear" brand is now "Galaxy Watch." Samsung unveiled its latest smartwatch called the Galaxy Watch and they look like traditional watches (nice). There are 3 primary focus areas for the new watch including: 1-stress mgmt-monitor heart rate, 2-Stay fit-39 exercises, detects six exercises automatically, 3-getting good rest-tracks sleep patterns - syncs with calendar. 

• BATTERY: Up to 2 days of use when fully charged
• CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth (768MB RAM/4GB storage) and 3G/LTE (1.15GB RAM/4GB storage)
• SIZE/COLORS: 46mm silver version ($349 retail), 42mm black and rose gold options ($349 retail), expect pricing for LTE version to be around $400
• ​MONITORS: heart rate monitor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and barometer (water resistant)

Analyst Remarks: This watch (especially the rose gold with pink band) is as close to looking like a traditional watch as I have seen (one of the reasons I have stayed away from smartwatches). The bezel and band options provide for the ultimate personalization, and the option to have the stand-alone LTE version allows consumers to not be tied to the smartphone, which is needed when you are out and about. The Samsung Pay integration is also nice, as you can pay without your wallet, purse, or phone. 

Written by: Stephanie Atkinson
​@stephatkins