Samsung has announced the dates for its 2023 Unpacked event to introduce its next-gen flagship smartphones and laptops. The first Unpacked of the year is reserved for the camera-centric Galaxy S phones, while the second one, which usually happens in the fall, is scheduled for its snazzy foldable devices. A ton of leaked promotional material has already made its way online, in typical Samsung fashion, and recent rumors have also been predicting an early February launch event.
Putting a lid on all speculations, Samsung has finally things official for its next Unpacked. The event is scheduled for Feb. 1, and starts at 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. ET / 8 p.m CEST. It also marks Samsung’s return to in-person events after a gap of three years. The next Unpacked will unfold in San Francisco, and will also be live-streamed at Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom, and Samsung’s YouTube channel. The company says the event will introduce the world to its next-gen Galaxy S smartphones. “We’re raising the bar and setting new standards for what’s epic,” says the official press release.
What's On The Phone Deck?
Ahead of the launch event, Samsung’s U.S. website has already started a reservation drive for the upcoming Galaxy S23 smartphones and the Galaxy Book laptop. For folks that reserve a phone or laptop, they will get $50 in the form of Samsung Store credit, which can be used towards the purchase of other items from the store. For those feeling an extra dash of excitement, they can go ahead and reserve themselves a phone and a laptop to get store credit worth $100 in one go. Samsung hasn’t dropped any meaty device teasers for its next Unpacked event yet, but leaks have spoiled pretty much everything months in advance.
The star of the show will be the Galaxy S23 series phones, which leaks suggest will include a vanilla model, a Plus trim, and an all-out Ultra model. The Ultra version is said to offer a 200-megapixel camera and faster charging, but the design will reportedly remain identical to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 and its Plus sibling are said to be in line for a design makeover. Leaks suggest that these phones will ditch the half-wraparound camera island design in favor of the floating lens aesthetic seen on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will offer a trio of cameras in a 50MP (primary) + 12MP (ultra-wide) + 12MP setup, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra also throws an extra 10x periscope camera into the mix.
If alleged renders floating online are to be believed, new colors are also in the pipeline. Phantom Black, Cotton Flower, Misty Lilac, and Botanic Green will be the official color options available from all outlets this year, while a few others will be exclusive to Samsung’s own store. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC will provide the processing juice, but rumors predict minimal to no upgrades for battery capacity and the pace of charging. As for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Book series laptops, expect to see them in two designs — a regular and a 360-degree convertible model — both packing Intel’s 13th gen mobile processors inside.