In the tech world, the start of the year always means a ton of announcements and trade shows. And for mobile lovers, the weeks between CES and Mobile World Congress mean only one thing — the annual spectacle that is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung’s biannual show has become a February tradition, and there’s going to be plenty to unpack once the event’s curtains have been pulled shut.
But what is actually going to be shown off at Galaxy Unpacked 2020? The latest Samsung Galaxy S flagship is always going to be high up the list of possibilities, with a list of improvements as long as your arm — but what else? The Galaxy brand has grown and expanded outside of just smartphones, and this year’s Galaxy Unpacked is likely to reflect that.
The new Samsung Galaxy S20 is only the beginning. With smart speakers, wearables, and new earbuds expected, here’s what you can expect to see at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on February 11.
When is Galaxy Unpacked 2020?
Samsung has officially announced that Galaxy Unpacked will kick off at 11 a.m. PT/ 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 11. We expect the event to be anywhere from an hour to two hours long. It will be held at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, and will be livestreamed on Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked website and Samsung’s YouTube channel.
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra
Credit: @BenGeskin
Likelihood of a February reveal: Extremely high
This one’s easy. February is traditionally when we see the new Galaxy S-series phones, and based on the numerous leaks and rumors, this year will be no different. Like last year, we’re going to be looking at three main phones within the range, but Samsung is dropping the “e” version it debuted last year with the Samsung Galaxy S10e. Instead, the new Galaxy S range will be comprised of the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That’s right — it’ll be called the S20. Rumors are solid that Samsung is skipping forward by 10 this year, and it’s likely to be a good choice. After all, if your phone matches the year, consumers are always going to know which phone is the latest version.
Rumors aren’t clear on the exact sizes of the displays yet, but the Galaxy S20 is expected to pack either a 6.3- or 6.4-inch display, the Galaxy S20 Plus may have a 6.7-inch display, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra could sport a massive 6.9-inch display. Expect all three to utilize Samsung’s amazing Dynamic AMOLED technology, with a single front-facing selfie camera in a hole-punch cutout. A 120Hz refresh rate is also rumored, which would give the phones a silky smooth feel scrolling and swiping through screens. The rest of the specs are as you’d expect. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is likely to be present, as are upgrades to the storage and RAM. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is even rumored to have options for 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and a combined 1.5TB of storage on the top models.
Design-wise, expect the Galaxy S10‘s design ethos to carry over with thin bezels, curved edges, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. But the camera may see some major changes. According to rumors, we can expect four lenses on the S20 range, with at least one of the models to include a new 108-megapixel main lens that’s likely to incorporate pixel binning for greater low-light performance. That monstrous main lens should be joined by an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens that will offer a 10x optical zoom thanks to its periscope setup.
What about battery life? Each phone will have a different-sized battery, as expected, but they may all well be monsters. Rumors from November say the Galaxy S20 will sport a 4,000mAh battery, while a 5,000mAh cell is rumored for the S20 Plus. The battery size of the S20 Ultra is unknown, but betting on something around the capacity of the S20 Plus’ 5,000mAh-size would make sense. Samsung hasn’t forgotten about 5G either, and it’s rumored there will be a 5G version of the S20 Ultra available, continuing the Samsung tradition of only including 5G with massive phones for some reason.
We’ve just started hearing some potential prices. A recent rumor suggests that the S20 will be around $1,000 t0 $1,100, the S20 Plus may be about $1,200, and the S20 Ultra 5G could cost between $1,400 and $1,500. Pricing is often something played with up until the last minute, so while these sound like they’re in the proper ballpark, don’t be surprised to see some tweaks here.
A new Samsung foldable phone
Credit: LetsGoDigital
Likelihood: Extremely high
Whether it’s called the “Galaxy Fold 2,” “Galaxy Z Flip,” or the “Galaxy Bloom,” a new folding phone is the other hot smartphone expected at Galaxy Unpacked. The follow-up to the first-generation Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s next foldable phone looks to have little in common with its predecessor. Like the new Motorola Razr, the Galaxy Z Flip is said to emulate a clamshell phone, unfolding into a traditional phone shape — as opposed to unfolding into a tablet-sized display, like the Galaxy Fold.
But this next-generation smartphone may use last generation’s hardware. Rumors say the Z Flip will use the Snapdragon 855 rather than this year’s Snapdragon 865, which puts the phone a step behind this year’s flagships. While it’s still likely to be more than powerful enough for most people, it’s a bit odd for such a cutting-edge phone to use older hardware. Perhaps that will lead to the lower price that’s rumored, with some saying it’ll come close to the Motorola Razr’s $1,500 price instead of the Galaxy Fold’s $2,000.
You’ll still be getting plenty of phone for your money. Leaks say a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display has been crammed into the folding frame. It also uses the new “Hideaway Hinge,” which has been built to disappear when the phone is open — probably as a reaction against the issues that plagued the first-generation Galaxy Fold. The display is protected with a new material too, known as Ultra Thin Glass (UTG). It’s apparently just as flexible as the polyamide plastics used on the Galaxy Fold, but comes with improved scratch-resistance.
Are foldable phones the future? The jury seems divided at the moment — but we’re all for manufacturers trying new designs out, and we’re looking forward to seeing the next Samsung folding phone. This phone’s reveal at Galaxy Unpacked seems like another certainty, as the phone’s folded design appears to feature heavily in the invite logo.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus
Likelihood: Medium
The Galaxy Buds were a surprise hit last year, offering comfortable, true wireless earbuds with good sound and 6-hour battery life, so when rumors of “Galaxy Buds Plus” reached our ears, we were excited. Unfortunately, rumors say Samsung isn’t planning on adding anything too new to the Galaxy Buds Plus. Instead, any new buds will double down on what made the original Galaxy Buds so good. According to renowned leaker Ice Universe, that means a longer battery life, better sound quality, and faster charging.
Rumors of these earbuds have been much more sparse than other rumored devices, but with the original Galaxy Buds having been released at this time last year, an update seems likely — even if it is just a minor one.
Samsung Galaxy Home and Home Mini
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends
Likelihood: Medium
The Galaxy Home was a no-show throughout 2019, but 2020 is looking more hopeful for Samsung’s smart speaker. However, it might not be the witch’s cauldron-style Galaxy Home we’ll be seeing, but a Galaxy Home Mini instead. Such a device has been beta tested in Korea since August 2019, and rumors are now saying early 2020 will be when we see the Galaxy Home Mini launched. Galaxy Unpacked would be the obvious place to reveal a launch date and finalize a release date for Samsung’s first smart speaker.
The Galaxy Home Mini is, not surprisingly, expected to be smaller than the Galaxy Home, with a similar fabric covering. It’ll be powered by Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, tuned with AKG’s sound tech, and work with Samsung’s SmartThings smart home system.
A new Galaxy Watch
Likelihood: Low
It’s been some time since the release of the Galaxy Watch, and while Samsung has filled the interim with the excellent Galaxy Watch Active range, a new entry in the Galaxy Watch lineup would be welcome.
But we wouldn’t get our hopes up. The rumor mill has been exceptionally quiet about a new Samsung smartwatch since the reveal of the Galaxy Watch Active 2, so we wouldn’t expect to see a new Samsung wrist-based wearable at Galaxy Unpacked on February 11. While Samsung may be working on a new smartwatch, either it’s been very strict about leaks, or the process hasn’t progressed very far. Don’t expect to see a Galaxy Watch 2 on February 11.