Live from Samsung’s ‘Unpacked 5’ MWC event!
Slow your roll there, eager beaver. We know you’re excited to Meet the next Galaxy S5, but the big ‘Unpacked 5′ event hasn’t started yet. If you’re worried about missing any of the news as it’s unveiled, just be sure to check back here at 2PM EST/ 8PM CET when Samsung’s Mobile World Congress festivities kick off. We’ll be reporting on all the action (and potentially amusing stage presentation) as it happens live. Until then, be nice to your Galaxy S 4, and say hi to your mother for us.
February 24, 2014 2:00:00 PM EST
Hey everyone! We’re finally seated and ready to go. The usual Samsung orchestra is here, cranking out the tunes.
We’re supposed to get started any minute now, although we haven’t heard any voiceovers telling us to be prepared. Maybe it’ll be a sneak attack?
So what’s it going to be? Galaxy Beam 2 Tizen edition?
Orchestra is done with their hot Samsung tune, and I think the event is about to start.
In the meantime, we’re in a massive ballroom that’s probably seating around 2,000 people. There’s a huge stage front and center, with the orchestra sitting off to the left side.
You’d think that this is kinda sorta a big deal or something.
So… will we see the same guy with the silly glasses again, or are they going to do a complete 180 and totally surprise us?
We have Joseph Volpe on photos, and James Trew and Richard Lai are sitting with us to help get the news out.
Okay, I was wrong about that whole “getting started” thing. Just kidding!
So to recap: the Galaxy S5 is going to be announced tonight, as well as the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit. (SPOILER!)
Here are some links for details: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/24/samsung-galaxy-s5-preview/?ncid=rss_truncated
More orchestra. Maybe Samsung’s trying to get their money’s worth out of their performance before starting?
So will the GS5 come out in a box?
Maybe we’ll see Jeremy again, who couldn’t get enough after last year’s GS4 event and now craves the mysterious box once again. Poor kid.
Or maybe in a surprise twist, Jeremy’s grown up now and is actually performing in the orchestra.
Oh, now the orchestra is for sure done, because we’re seeing a countdown on screen.
Video – “I know i’m not much of a photographer, but my photos always turn out amazing. “
“I’m no fitness expert, but i know my own body more than anyone.” eh…
“Even at the speed of life, I can still live life at my own pace.”
David Park, from the marketing team at Samsung HQ, is now on stage.
“for those with us in Barcelona, and the rest of the world on stream, this Samsung Unpacked 2014.” Oh, so we’re at the right place then. Check.
Props to the orchestra. It was quite lovely, despite our jesting.
“more than ever, new exciting opportunities are within our grasp.”
He’s going to show us new innovative devices that allow us to live life to its fullest.
President and CEO JK Shin is coming on stage.
Arms outstretched. Big applause. He’s quite confident.
“Our industry continues to set the standard of what comes next.”
“This collective innovation has allowed us to enjoy continued growth over the last seven years.”
Shin: Galaxy S series has been a key driver in smartphone growth.
“I truly appreciate the 200 million customers around the world who have chosen our Galaxy devices.”
“We are very grateful.”
“We know we only succeed when customers choose us. We must continue to own that choice. How can we continue to own that in this ever changing dynamic industry?”
“People are easily excited about tech breakthroughs. As a tech company, we’re very keen on the newest tech developments.”
How do they know what is meaningful innovation? “We asked customers.”
They learned customers do not want eye-popping technology or the most complex technology. They want beautiful design and performance. Simple yet powerful camera. Faster and seamless connectivity. (As long as they have a good data plan.) They want to stay fit.
ANd here is the Samsung Galaxy S5!
We’re seeing a video showing off the outside of the phone. It definitely looks like a Galaxy S device, but has a leather-like back with plenty of dimples to go along with it.
Shin is showing off the S5 on stage.
It has Cat 4 LTE, WiFi MIMO 802.11ac, and a download booster.
The camera has fast autofocus (0.3 seconds), real-time rich tone HDR, and an improved user experience.
There’s a built-in heart rate sensor which is the first of its kind, Shin says.
“To make it even more useful and practical, it has IP67 protection.” Big applause! Yes, we concur.
It also has Samsung Knox mobile security.
You’ll also get longer operating time with power saving mode.
The design is “modern and refreshing.”
“The new features are great complements to our Gear devices.”
Video showing off the Gears. We must say, Samsung took a lot of our criticisms of the original Gear to heart — it’s definitely better-looking.
Shin is also introducing the Samsung Gear Fit now!
It has a curved AMOLED display, most notably.
“It conveys messages, SMS updates, missed calls and a lot more from your phone.”
“We will continue to focus on what matters most to consumers. Our innovation will never stop.”
Shin is waving, and is leaving the stage.
David is back, introducing VP Europe Jean-Daniel Ayme to dive deeper into the products.
“Improving human life is at the heart of Samsung, and the hands of customers every time they use Galaxy S devices.”
“We focused on understanding what’s essential to them, and enriching their lives with meaningful and relevant improvements. When it comes to the voice of our customers, we are listening.”
“We hear you want a device that fits with your busy glam lifestyle. You want a great camera that is powerful and easy to use. You want the fastest network. You want the device to be protected to make you feel secure. We hear you want to stay fit and to have your smartphone do it.”
Onto design. “A smartphone has never felt better. The back cover is perforated. The glam look is a result of the perforated back.” Blue, white, black and gold are going to be available.
(But don’t worry, they’ll probably introduce random new colors in about 10 months.)
He just showed off a new unlocking effect, and now showing off the user interface.
Lots of circular icons in certain menus, like the settings.
It does have more of that modern look than older versions of TouchWiz, that’s for sure.
The screen gets up to 500 nits. But what about in dark areas? It can go down as low as 2 nits.
Adaptive Display technology analyzes the light to optimize your screen so you can have the best viewing experience.
The battery capacity is up to 2800mAh (from 2,600mAh). 12 hours video playback and 10 hours web browsing.
Now onto the camera. It has fast autofocus tech, selective focus and HDR rich tone.
It features Phase Detection Auto Focus and put it on a 16MP sensor and a new companion chipset for image processing. This offers faster response time and a better experience.
“Whether you’re chasing pidgeons at La Sagrada Familia or when your kids win the gold, you’ll be able to capture it.”
Well said.
Real-time HDR. “What you see is what you get!”
This works for photos and videos.
Selective Focus lets you control what’s in focus and what isn’t.
This is a lot like the Refocus Lens on high-end Lumia devices.
“It’s not enough to be beautiful. You have to be fast.” Onto speed.
It has full LTE coverage (up to 8 bands in any region) and WiFi MIMO 802.11ac.
The download booster aggregates LTE and WiFI speeds to offer faster speeds.
And now for the Life category. “We all know water and electronics don’t mix.” Hear, hear.
“This is not a problem anymore because the S5 is water and dust resistant.”
“Don’t worry about the rain! You can listen to your playlists in the shower!”
Ultra Power Saving Mode is up next. It will turn the display to black and white and shut off all non-essential services.
It will also protect your data. The key is in your finger. It’s the new hotness, we hear.
The S5 has a “Finger Scanner.” This is great for online payments through PayPal. You can unlock private mode, which is basically a place where all your confidential docs are stored.
To use the scanner, just swipe your finger down across the home button.
There’s also Kids Mode, where parents can choose which apps kids use.
Now onto the Gears.
“Gear 2 represents progress. We kept what was successful with the first Gear, fixed customer pain points and added features that emphasized innovation.”
They moved the camera, speaker and mic onto the bezel, so you can swap out the strap. Definitely a good move.
There’s also a home button on the front now, instead of the side.
The built-in IrLED allows you to use the watch as a remote.
Samsung will release the open SDK for the Gears, which is something we were waiting for on the original Galaxy Gear. It’s got better battery life, despite having a smaller battery.
Now he’s showing off the Gear Fit, which weighs 27 grams. You can swap out the straps on this one too.
It looks like these straps are more proprietary though.
You can reject calls, control alarms and use quick message reply. “This is impossible with other fitness bands.” Gear is compatible with 20 Galaxy devices. (The Gear 2 is compatible with 17, by the way.)
Now he’s showing off the heart rate monitor, and the watch will tell you to slow down or pick up the pace. It also has a pedometer.
Your fitness and health data is tracked on the S5 using the new S-Health update.
There’s an app called Coach, which gives you recommendations and helps you with goals on stress, sleep, weight and other factors.
Now he’s showing off the heart rate monitor on the S5, which is built into the same console as the LED flash.
“We’ve worked out…. the workout.” Who let David Caruso in here?
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung
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