Everything we know ahead of Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020
16 Jan 2020
With 5G compatibility and a massive 108-megapixel camera on the cards, Samsung's 2020 phone lineup is shaping up to be a gamechanger
In early January, Samsung confirmed its annual mobile launch event will take place on February 12 (6AM Australian time) at the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco.
After a busy and impressive 2019 which saw the tech giant roll out a trio of major devices releases (Galaxy S10, Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Note 10, the eyes of the mobile world are now firmly fixated on California to see what they’ll conjure with their 2020 mobile phone range.
Samsung introduced fairly significant changes across the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 in 2019, and it was expected the Samsung Galaxy S11 (which may be in line for a name change) would feature mainly incremental changes, however the closer we get to the event, it’s looking more and more likely that there will be some fairly significant changes.
In addition to Samsung’s flagship device being in line a revved up feature set, it’s expected we’ll see a new iteration of the Galaxy Fold announced at Galaxy Unpacked, with year’s release hoping for a smoother roll out in comparison to last year’s Galaxy Fold fiasco which saw the device having some serious teething issues at launch.
With multiple 5G devices and a potential 108-megapixel camera on the cards, here’s everything we know ahead of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event.
Samsung Galaxy S20 or S11?
The Galaxy S11 will be unveiled to the world during Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on February 12.
This is assuming Samsung continues with its existing naming convention for the Galaxy series, as rumours point to this years’ device taking on a fresh name to celebrate the dawn of a new decade, with Samsung Galaxy S20 being one such name that’s gained traction amongst insiders over the past few weeks.
It’s expected the Korean tech giant will unveil a trio of Galaxy S11 devices in three sizes. In 2019 Samsung opted for a 5.8-inch display for the S10e, a 6.1-inch display for the S10, and a 6.4-inch screen for the S10+.
Based on leaks that have surfaced, this years’ lineup may follow that kind of template, and if anything, the display sizes may get even bigger.
With Apple, Google and Huawei releasing incredibly high-quality smartphone cameras in 2019, it’s likely Samsung will continue to focus on the development of their device cameras
This years camera setup is set to include a massive 5 different camera senses. One of which will be a 48-megapixel telephoto lens, capable of 5x optical zoom. This will sit alongside a 48-megapixel wide-angle lens and a massive 108-megapixel primary which leverages pixel binning technology which should lead to a dramatic improvement in the Galaxy’s ability to take photos in low light settings.
Other rumoured features include 5G, a hefty 5,000-mAh battery, 8K video support and a more powerful Snapdragon 865 processor.
Storage options should come in the form of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB, alongside either 12GB or 16GB of RAM to help power you through all that scrolling.
One additional feature that may be included on the S11 camera is a spectrometer. A spectrometer is a type of sensor that’s able to detect the physical makeup of an object based on its reaction to a light beam, allowing you to potentially analyse a huge range of objects through your camera, such as how many calories are in the piece of fruit you’re snacking on, or it’s sugar makeup – yes this is very wild!.
While it’s only been confirmed as a patent, the potential for this technology within a handset could prove to be a huge selling point for the Samsung Galaxy S11.
Update: Well know phone leaker Max Weinbach of XDA Developers has just released a short video through twitter (seen above), giving us our best look yet at one of the new Galaxy devices. Presumably the Samsung Galaxy S11/S20 Plus.
The short video confirms what previous leaks anticipated, which sees the phone bearing a domino-style back camera, which houses its five camera lenses.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 (or Galaxy Z Flip)
The Galaxy S11 (or S20) may not be the only phone Samsung debuts on February 12, with all signs pointing to a sequel to last years’ Galaxy Fold device set to be unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked Event.
Samsung is looking to roll out a smaller version of the Galaxy Fold, with the 2020 iteration set to include a 6.7-inch screen that folds horizontally like a clamshell, which should see the device rival the reboot of the Motorola Razr.
Outside of the expected design, we’ve heard the camera of the Fold 2 may include a 10-megapixel main lens that features 5x optical zoom.
On the inside, the device may look to leverage the same processor used in last years device, utilising a punchy Snapdragon 855 chipset, which should hopefully serve its purpose.
Some really positive news for consumers is the price of the Galaxy Fold 2 set to be much less expensive in comparison to last years’ device, with reports pointing to the phone being priced at about $1230 (AUD) at release.
For context, the original Galaxy Fold from 2019 cost AU$2,999 (AUD) at launch meaning the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 could end up costing half the price of its predecessor. If you're looking for an affordable plan to go with your new Galaxy Fold, then look no further than amaysim mobile plans.
