As a way of introduction, let me just say that Apple is facing some head-on competition from its biggest rival.
The annual Samsung Unpacked Event took place yesterday February 20 at 7pm UK time, and was live-streamed around the world from San Francisco. Nigeria was no exception as the live-stream took place at Hard Rock Cafe, Lagos.
Here are some highlights from the event:
Samsung S10
As the most highly anticipated device and a rival to Apple’s iPhone Xs, this was the spotlight of the event. The device was introduced as one that promises to be the future of smartphone connectivity.
The first stunning thing about the device is its renewed design. Samsung has been on the bezel-less trail for sometime now but with the S10, it’s something even better brought to the table. With a punch-hole in the screen for the 10MP front-facing camera and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner built into the display, its bezels are kept to a minimum.
Other interesting specs of the S10 include:
- 6.1-inch Quad HQ+ screen;
- 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 512GB of storage
- 3,400mAh battery with wireless charging and reverse wireless power-sharing i.e. you can charge other devices with the S10.
- Triple camera setup: two wide-angle, one telephoto
Price of 10S 8GB/128GB: N310,000
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
This is more expensive than the S10, with a larger 6.4-inch display. It comes with two variants of 8GB and 12GB RAM as opposed the regular S10 that comes with just 8GB of RAM.
As for storage, the S10 Plus comes with 128GB, 512GB and 1TB. Battery size is also bigger with 4,100mAh.
Price of S10 Plus 8GB/128GB: N345,000
Price of S10 Plus 8GB/128GB: N415,000
Samsung Galaxy S10e
This is the youngest sister of the trio; making it the least expensive of them all – the economy version. Instead of the Quad HQ+ display the S10 and S10 Plus boast of, the S10e comes with a 5.8 inch Full HD display. RAM sizes are 6GB and 8GB with storage variants of 128GB and 256GB.
Price of S10e 6GB/128GB: N257,000
You can pre-order the 10S, S10 Plus or S10e here from the 22nd of February 2019.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics said, “Today, Samsung is writing the next chapter in mobile innovation history by changing what’s possible in a smartphone. Galaxy Fold introduces a completely new category that unlocks new capabilities never seen before with our Infinity Flex Display.”
“We created Galaxy Fold for those that want to experience what a premium foldable device can do, beyond the limitations of a traditional smartphone.” he added. Samsung said it worked with Google to make sure that Android and apps support the folding mechanism.
The two most distinctive things about the Galaxy Fold are:
- Multi-Active Window: This allows you open up to three active apps simultaneously on the main display.
- App Continuity: As the Galaxy Fold opens and closes, apps will automatically show up where you leave off.
Asides those features, it has a 4.6-inch screen when folded and can open out to a 7.3-inch display.
Here’s a quick look:
Samsung said they worked with Google and the Android developer community to ensure that apps and services were available for the Galaxy Fold’s unique experience.
Samsung Galaxy Buds: Samsung also announced the Samsung Galaxy Buds. These are wireless earbuds that are in direct competition with the likes of Apple AirPods.
Coming with a case which can charge them, the Buds supposedly last for 6 hours of music or 5 hours of calls between charges. You can also access Samsung’s AI Assistant Bixby through them.
Samsung Galaxy Fit/ Fit E: Also at the event, Samsung brought out a pair of fitness bands: Samsung Galaxy Fit and Fit E. The Galaxy Fit is a basic fitness tracker that can track your heart rate, steps, sleep and stress level. It comes with a rectangular Super AMOLED screen and has a battery that is supposedly built to last for about a week.
The Samsung Galaxy Fit E is a smaller version with many of the same features as the Galaxy Fit, including a heart rate monitor and 50-meter water resistance.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active: The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is the first Samsung wearable to include support for blood pressure monitoring. The Galaxy Watch Active owners will be able to download the MY BP Lab app, which Samsung has developed in partnership with University of California, San Francisco, to track their blood pressure.
DJ Koh had this to say, “Consumers are increasingly putting their overall wellbeing at the center of their lifestyle decisions, and they’re looking for wearables that make it easier to get active and stay balanced every day,”
This blood pressure monitoring will be limited to US, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and Germany markets.
