Preview of Samsung Unpacked... Vertical Foldable, Galaxy S20, Wireless Earbuds Launch

Cheaper than Galaxy Fold but more expensive than Galaxy S20...? Galaxy Z Flip
Eye-catching 'Ultra' with monster camera... Galaxy S20 series
Galaxy Buds+... Improved mic and battery, no noise canceling

Galaxy S20 Ultra Rendering Image (Source @BenGeskin)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] About three weeks ahead of Samsung Electronics' new product launch event 'Galaxy Unpacked 2020,' information about the follow-up foldable phones 'Galaxy Z Flip' and the 'Galaxy S20' series is being revealed one after another.

Samsung Electronics will hold an Unpacked event in San Francisco on the 11th of next month and unveil a large number of new products. The Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Buds+, and others are expected to be revealed.

Samsung Electronics holds two Unpacked events a year: in February for the Galaxy S series and in August for the Galaxy Note series. Since August last year, the foldable phone lineup has been added. It is known that Samsung plans to release different foldable phones in the first and second halves of this year.

Galaxy Z Flip Rendering Image (Source=Let’s Go Digital)

◆ This time, the vertically folding 'Galaxy Z Flip' = The 'Galaxy Z Flip' is a foldable phone that opens and closes vertically. It is Samsung Electronics' second product launched to demonstrate its technological prowess worldwide with a new form factor while targeting early adopters. The screen size is 6.7 inches, and when folded, it is about the size of a palm, making it easy to carry. When the display is unfolded, the front camera is positioned at the top center with the rest of the screen filled by the display in a 'hole display' design, and a dual camera is applied on the back.

Following the durability controversy faced by the Galaxy Fold, there is interest in what material will be used for the Galaxy Z Flip's display. It is expected that the foldable phone will adopt Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) with an additional plastic layer. This can reduce the drawback of screen creases.

The Galaxy Z Flip's battery capacity is 3300mAh, smaller than the Galaxy Fold's 4380mAh but similar to the Galaxy S10's 3400mAh. The AP is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855, expected to deliver power supply and battery life performance similar to the S10. A feature allowing the phone to be fixed at 90 or 180 degrees is also added, enabling users to take photos or videos with the front or rear camera or make video calls as if the phone were mounted on a tripod.

The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to be cheaper than the Galaxy Fold, which was priced around 2.3 million KRW, but more expensive than the Galaxy S20. Until last month, there were speculations about a price range of $800 to $900, but it is now expected to be in the mid-to-high 1 million KRW range. Max Weinbach of XDA Developers predicted the European launch price of the Galaxy Z Flip to be 1400 euros (approximately 1.81 million KRW), noting that "the price of the Galaxy Z Flip may change before launch."

Galaxy S20+ Rendering Image (Source @onleaks, @91mobiles)

◆ Differentiating with the camera, 'Galaxy S20' = Following the Galaxy S10, the 'Galaxy S20,' released in 2020 under a new name, differentiates itself mainly through its camera. The project codename was 'Hubble,' after NASA's satellite-type space telescope. The Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy S20+ are equipped with four cameras, while the Galaxy S20 has three cameras.

Among them, the main camera of the 'Galaxy S20 Ultra' is likely to be 108 megapixels, the zoom camera 48 megapixels, and the ultra-wide camera 44 megapixels. A ToF lens, which measures the time light takes to return to increase depth, will also be applied. The zoom camera is known to support 5x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. The Galaxy S20+ and S20 are equipped with a 12-megapixel main camera, a 64-megapixel zoom camera, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The ToF lens is applied only to the S20+. All three models have a 10-megapixel front camera, the same module as the Galaxy S10.

Galaxy S20 Specifications (Source: mysmartprice, @IshanAgarwal24)

All Galaxy S20 series models are expected to come with 12GB of RAM. Recently, the specifications of the 'Galaxy S20 5G' model were revealed on the smartphone benchmark website Geekbench. The Galaxy S20 is the smallest display model with a 6.2-inch screen, 12GB RAM, and a 4000mAh battery. The chipset is known to be Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 9830 depending on the country. The Galaxy S20 Ultra model is also expected to feature 16GB of RAM, which is more powerful than typical laptops.

Regarding pricing, for the 5G models, the Galaxy S20 is expected to be priced between 900 and 1000 euros (approximately 1.16 million to 1.29 million KRW), the S20+ between 1050 and 1100 euros (approximately 1.36 million to 1.42 million KRW), and the S20 Ultra around 1300 euros (approximately 1.68 million KRW). The expected launch prices in the U.S. are $799 (about 928,000 KRW) for the Galaxy S20, $999 (about 1.16 million KRW) for the S20 5G model, and $1099 (about 1.28 million KRW) for the S20 Ultra, but prices may change until just before launch.

Samsung Electronics will release the Galaxy Z Flip first immediately after the upcoming Unpacked event. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S20 are expected to start about a month later in March. The release date is likely to be March 6 or 13.

Galaxy Buds+ Sky Blue Rendering Image (Source=mysmartprice, @IshanAgarwal24)

◆ 'Galaxy Buds+' noise canceling postponed to next time = The Galaxy Buds+ maintain a design similar to the previous model but significantly improve battery and microphone functions. The 'Active Noise Cancelling' feature found in AirPods Pro is reportedly not included. The focus is on improving minor inconveniences users have experienced without major changes to the wireless earphones' design or basic functions.

Samsung Electronics is expected to increase the Galaxy Buds+' battery capacity from 58mAh to 85mAh. The music playback time per charge will increase significantly from 6 hours to 12 hours. To improve call quality, the number of microphones will be doubled, adding two microphones per earbud, increasing from 4 to a total of 8. Additionally, a convenience feature will be added allowing users to check the battery charging status via LED light colors inside the wireless earphone case, whereas previously it could only be checked through an app.

Based on rumors so far, the Galaxy Buds+ price is expected to be around $150 (approximately 170,000 KRW). Although there are predictions of up to a 50% price increase compared to the Galaxy Buds, which launched at 159,500 KRW, the absence of noise canceling functionality suggests it will likely be released at a similar price.