That’s all she wrote, folks. Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event was short but sweet. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 took up most of the show, we also saw some great new reveals including the Galaxy Book S and a cool new special edition of the Galaxy Watch Active 2.
But don’t despair if you missed out on it while it was all happening, as we’ve recapped all the major events here and linked to articles where you can find out more about your favorite new devices. Here’s everything we saw at Galaxy Unpacked.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 range
We all knew this was coming, but many of us might not have foreseen Samsung’s big twist. Samsung has split the Galaxy Note 10 into two phones: the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
The two phones share many elements in common, with the main difference between them being size. While they both share an incredibly bezel-less design akin to the Galaxy S10 range, there’s a big difference in the screen real estate between the two. The Note 10 is the smaller of the two with a 6.3-inch display, while the Note 10 Plus has an enormous 6.8-inch display. But bigger isn’t always better since both of them use the same Dynamic AMOLED screen tech we first saw in the Galaxy S10. Expect both to have screens you’ll find it hard to tear your eyes away from.
As many of the leaks predicted, the Note 10 range is following in the S10’s footsteps by moving the front-facing selfie camera into a punch-hole in the display. But this time, the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus’s selfie cameras are set centrally at the top of the display. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is inside the display, and although the Bixby key has been nixed, it’s taken the headphone jack with it.
Both the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are equipped with the Snapdragon 855. Samsung is using that power well, and is taking gaming extremely seriously. Like the Galaxy Tab S6, the Note 10 will have integrated Discord support, and the Game Booster app will intelligently manage your phone’s resources to ensure you’re always getting the best possible performance. Both phones sport larger batteries than before, and both support much faster charging speeds.
The camera suite is another area where the two phones converge. You’ll find three lenses on both phones — a variable aperture 12-megapixel lens, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. The larger Note 10 Plus takes it a step further with a time-of-flight sensor that captures depth data to boost portrait mode accuracy. That’s not all it can do either: Samsung also showed off its abilities as a 3D scanner.
The company has also put a lot of emphasis on the Note 10’s video capabilities, adding the ability to add Live Focus blur — Samsung’s version of portrait mode — to video. There’s also the ability to zoom in on sound when you zoom, and there’s even a built-in video stabilizer thanks to the gyroscope.
There’s a new plaything for AR fans too — AR Doodle. This feature uses the S Pen to draw in 3D space. These drawings will be viewable on the Note 10’s screen, but the special feature is that those drawings and annotations stay fixed in space — so if you draw a hat on someone’s head, the Note 10 will remember where it is if you move around. Even better, if your subject moves, they’ll take the hat with them.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus will be available for pre-order from August 8, with phones shipping on August 23. The Galaxy Note 10 starts from $949, while the Note 10 Plus starts at a lofty $1,100.
S Pen improvements
The S Pen is the Note’s most iconic feature, and it stands to reason it would get an upgrade too. It’s now equipped with an accelerometer and other sensors, so you can swish in the air above the phone to control certain apps with Air Gestures. You can also save your handwritten notes across devices, where they can be converted into a variety of documents and programs, including PDF format and directly into Microsoft Word.
Read more about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Samsung DeX and Windows integration
Samsung’s DeX desktop mode has been through many iterations, but the latest one seems to be the most useful yet. With the Note 10, you’ll be able to launch DeX by plugging your phone into a PC or Mac’s USB port. Rather than requiring its own monitor, DeX will instead launch in its own dedicated window within your desktop’s own space. While this may seem odd to begin with, it makes transferring files and documents a cinch, which is vital for anyone who commonly travels with data.
But that’s not all. Samsung has also teamed up with Microsoft to offer a less direct method of connectivity between your machines. By using Link to Windows, you’ll be able to link your Note 10 to your Windows 10 PC. This means you’ll be able to see your phone’s notifications on your PC’s screen, and you’ll even be able to access photos and reply to messages. Later this year, you’ll also be able to make and receive calls through your computer.
Read more about Samsung’s integration with Windows
Galaxy Watch Active 2 Under Armor Edition
We thought we might see more of the Galaxy Watch Active 2, and we did. A special Galaxy Watch Active 2 Under Armor Edition is coming, and it has built-in support for MapMyRun and Under Armor’s products.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 Under Armor Edition will be available from September 13, with prices starting at $309.
Read more about the Galaxy Watch Active 2
Galaxy Book S
It was a latecomer to our rumor roundup, but it’s here now and the Galaxy Book S is a stunner. Samsung’s new laptop is thin and light, with a bezel-less 13-inch touchscreen display. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s 8cx mobile processor, so it should have plenty of power. Samsung claims the battery will last for 23 hours — which is a serious boast — and since it recharges via USB-C, it’s fine to just have your Note 10 charger on you when you take it out. We’ll have to see how it fares in our tests.
The Galaxy Book S will be available in September, with prices starting from $999.
Read more about the Galaxy Book S
