Samsung consistently releases new Galaxy S phones along with the Galaxy Note phablet series each year. The company's annual Unpacked event is a glitzy affair is where the most significant announcements happen, and the invitation, sent out months ahead, usually offers a hint. Once Samsung introduces a new smartphone, rumors quickly started piling up about what’s next. Here are some notable ones that have come to fruition.
Samsung Galaxy S Phones: What You Need to KnowGalaxy Fold: Release Date and Details
Rumors are already circulating about Samsung's third foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Galaxy Z-Fold 3 Leaks Promise Under-Display CameraIn 2020, Samsung introduced the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 5G smartphones which fold vertically and have an Infinity Flex Display, a hybrid glass coating. It also released the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in 2020, a direct update to the original Fold, which has a larger screen and better cameras.
Before the 2019 Unpacked event, online sleuths discovered that one of Samsung's patents showed a screen that folds over the phone's back, like a wallet. The Galaxy Fold turned out a bit differently, folding out into a 7.3-inch tablet, then back in half again into a 4.6-inch smartphone. When you unfold the smartphone, an app continuity system ensures that the apps resize to the larger screen, and you can also multitask with up to three apps on the screen at a time. In the U.S., the Fold launches on AT&T and T-Mobile, bundled with a pair of wireless Samsung Buds.
Other confirmed Galaxy Fold (aka Galaxy Z Fold) features include:
- Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI
- 512 GB of onboard storage and a whopping 12 GB of RAM
- A system of six cameras
- Two batteries (4380 mAh) that can communicate with each other
Release Date: April 26
Price: $1980 (U.S.)
Galaxy S Smartphones: Release Date and Details
Samsung continues to release new Galaxy S smartphones regularly, including the Galaxy S20 in 2020 and the Galaxy S21 in 2021.
After Samsung revealed the Galaxy Fold in 2019, it brought out the Galaxy S10, which comes in three versions: S10, S10+, and S10e. All three, like the Fold, run Android 9.0 Pie with Samsung One UI. Other features vary slightly across the three devices.
The S10 has a 6.1-inch screen and comes with:
- An on-screen fingerprint sensor
- 128 GB or 512 GB storage with 8 GB RAM
- A tri-lens rear camera: 16, 12, and 12 MP
- A 10 MP front camera
The S10+ has a 6.4-inch screen and comes with an on-screen fingerprint sensor and the same cameras as the S10. It has three configurations:
- 128 GB of storage with 8 GB RAM
- 512 GB of storage with 8 GB RAM
- 1 TB of storage with 12 GB RAM
The S10e has a 5.8-inch screen and comes with the same memory and RAM configurations as the S10. It has only two rear cameras, not three, and lacks an on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Finally, the S10 5G, a Verizon exclusive, has slightly different features from the rest and will be available in June 2019.
Release Date: March 8
Price: $899 and up (U.S.)
Samsung Galaxy Note: Release Dates and Details
The Galaxy Note 10 and Note 20 were released in August 2019 and 2020. Rumors are pointing to a 2022 release for the Galaxy Note 21.
Samsung Galaxy Note 21: News, Price, Release Date, Specs, and RumorsGalaxy Note 9: Updated S Pen
The short video teaser for the Samsung Unpacked event in August 2018 didn't offer any detail but put the S Pen in the spotlight. Same with the invitation.
Additionally, a well-known tipster called Ice Universe, who has broken the news about a handful of previous Galaxy devices, obtained a copy of a full-page ad for the Note 9, which showed the S Pen front and center.
Many believed the stylus would have enhanced functionality beyond writing and drawing, with all that focus on the S Pen. They were right.
The Note 9's S Pen is:
- Bluetooth compatible
- Battery-powered
- Charges in about one minute and lasts a half hour
- A control for the camera and camera timer
- A remote to playback music on the Note 9
Other confirmed features include:
- A 6.4-inch display
- A 4,000mAh battery (the largest yet on a Note)
- Repositioned fingerprint scanner underneath the camera
- One model with 512 GB of storage and 8 GB RAM
- A second model with 128 GB of storage and 6 GB RAM
- Dual 12 MP primary camera with AI features
- Android 8.1 Oreo
Release Date: August 24, 2018
Price: US$ 1,000 for 128 GB; $1,250 for 512 GB direct from Samsung