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Samsung
Excited about Samsung’s annual Galaxy Note debut at the IFA conference in September? Don’t be. Samsung is moving the whole production up two weeks and changing venues from Berlin to New York.
Invitations to Samsung Unpacked, set for August 13 at Lincoln Center, arrived in our inboxes on Monday. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. Eastern, and doors open at 10 a.m. (As always, CNET will cover the event live.)
Although Samsung isn’t saying so for sure, we’d bet the bank it’ll introduce the next in its line of large-screen phones: the stylus-toting, multitasking Galaxy Note 5 “phablet.” Samsung also could show off a new Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, which whispers and leaks point to as a handset with a 5.7-inch screen that curves over on both sides.
Keep an eye out, too, for a new smartwatch (its seventh!) or fitness band. We’d also anticipate an upgrade to Samsung’s Gear VR headset for virtual reality, whose technology is feeling pressure from HTC’s Vive kit and Microsoft’s impressive HoloLens .
New York, New York
See also
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+: Do we really need a bigger curved-screen phone?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The specs, release date, price we’re likely to see
- Samsung expects seventh straight quarterly profit decline
New York is an unexpected location for this launch; for the past four years, Samsung has made the Note series synonymous with the IFA trade show in Berlin. The event typically takes place at the beginning of September and is followed closely by Apple’s fall iPhone launch. Introducing its newest phones earlier gives Samsung a jump on Apple and allows its devices to dominate the news instead of being pushed aside by the latest iPhone.
However, Samsung unveilings and New York do share some history. In 2013, the electronics giant staged a notoriously controversial Broadway-style kickoff for the Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship, temporarily skipping Samsung’s typical Mobile World Congress event. It also introduced its Galaxy Tab S tablet in New York last year and has introduced various televisions, home appliances and other products in the city.
Samsung also has centered its US business in the New York City area, with operations in both Manhattan and New Jersey. The company in June officially opened its Global Marketing Center of Excellence, or COE, in New York’s Meatpacking District. The COE occupies three floors of office space at a new building that will feature an executive briefing center, “experiential product showcase” and event space when it’s completed later this year.
Samsung needs a home run now more than ever. After facing its seventh straight profit decline and slackening industry sales across the board, the Korean conglomerate must hope that its premium-priced Note series continues to sell well in mature Asian and US markets, while also making headway abroad.
