Samsung Unpacked Reaction Part 1

 

Samsung unpacked all its latest Galaxy products this Wednesday and there is just so much to talk about. So Much. So, let us get into it.  

 

 
 

Let's start at the biggest, flashiest, most futuristic product announced at the event: Galaxy Beans. JK. No, I'm talking about the Galaxy Z Fold 2, a brand-new foldable phone that blows their first one out of the water. Samsung made a point of listening to the biggest complaints from reviewers and users to the point that they quoted reviewers such as MKBHD and The Verge. Those Improvements are pretty exiting so let's go through them one by one. Primarily, they brought a glass screen to the Fold 2 like that of the Galaxy Z Flip. The layer you touch is a protective layer meant to protect the glass so it still may be prone to scratches but the screen itself is stronger that the First-Gen Fold. Second is the hinge, the hinge has been strengthened with a CAM mechanism that allows the Z flip flex mode to appear. Flex mode is the mode in which the folding screen can stop at a certain point to create a stand for example. 

Image source: Android central

The hinge also has a new "sweeper" that helps protect the hinge from dust and dirt. The hinge still makes the phone thick but bearable for the foldable form factor. They also improved the Outer screen, erased the bezels, and gave it a holepunch camera; good on you Samsung. It keeps the triple cameras of the former, Samsung didn't talk about the cameras that much, but it only has the regular layout of main.telephoto,ultra-wide. The Z Fold 2 really seems like an improvement on its former in every single way, I hope it can pave a path for better folding phones for everyone. The name is terrible though, I wish it were just "Fold 2" but the "Z" line of phones is turning out to be the foldable line for Samsung, so they had a reason.  Overall Samsung made a big splash with the new Galaxy Z Fold 2, Specs and pricing are still mystery so the September event should explain more about the complexities and go deeper than unpacked. 
 

 
 

Note 20/20 Ultra 

Samsung also announced some brand-new Note Phones to sink our teeth into. I will start with specs and work down the ladder. Both phones will feature a Snapdragon 865+ chipset with choices of RAM and storage to come with it; the ultra-having higher options and with the regular Note 20 having lower options for both RAM and storage. The Following complete spec list is courtesy of Android Central, please check out their website; here's a link: https://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-20-ultra-vs-galaxy-note-20 

Galaxy Note 20	Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Operating System	Android 10 One UI 2.5	Android 10 One UI 2.5
Display	6.7-inch AMOLED 2400x1080 60Hz refresh rate	6.9-inch AMOLED 3088x1440 120Hz refresh rate
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
Memory	8GB LPDDR5	12GB LPDDR5
Storage	128GB	128GB 512GB
Expandable Storage	❌	✔️
Rear Camera 1	12MP primary f/1.8 OIS	108MP primary f/1.8 OIS
Rear Camera 2	64MP telephoto f/2.0 3x hybrid zoom	12MP telephoto f/3.0 5x optical zoom
Rear Camera 3	12MP ultra-wide f/2.2	12MP ultra-wide f/2.2
Front Camera	10MP f/2.2	10MP f/2.2
Security	In-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor	In-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
Audio	Stereo speakers USB-C	Stereo speakers USB-C
Battery	4,300 mAh	4,500 mAH
Water Resistance	IP68	IP68
Dimensions	75.2 x 161.6 x 8.3mm	77.2 x 164.8 x 8.1mm
Weight	192g (sub-6) 194g (mmWave)	208g
Colors	Mystic Bronze Mystic Gray Mystic Green	Mystic Bronze Mystic Black Mystic White

    So, let's talk some of the most significant differences between the two phones. The Note 20 has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel while the ultra has a 6.9-inch display.  They key difference is that the Ultra has a 120Hz refresh rate while the regular Note 20 is stuck at 60Hz.  The Note 20 is further compromised by a plastic back, while the plastic is of decent quality it's still a plastic back.  I actually like plastic backs especially if you still wireless charging(also it's unclear whether the Note 20 has wireless charging while the ultra has wireless charging) plastic backs allow for more durable and cheaper phones so I'm glad Samsung is pushing the plastic back it's just on the wrong phone. 

 
 

 The triple camera array on the back of the Note 20 is also wasted because the "Hybrid Zoom" really means you'll be digitally zooming in on most shots although it does retain the main sensor and wide-angle from its brother the Note 20 Ultra. The Galaxy Note 20 is 1,000$ and for all its compromises it's just not a good value, maybe at 800$ but definitely not at 1,000$.  The Note 20 Ultra is a completely different beast, it has all the bells and whistles of a regular flagship, glass back, wireless charging, and now there's a laser autofocus to help quell the woes of the 108 Megapixel autofocus of the main sensor.  All that flagship comes at a price that can soar to over 1,300$.  Samsung has really made prices soar for their flagships but as they steadily improve their lineup with subtle improvements such as 3 years of updates for all phones since the S10 series really helps ease the pain.   

 
 

Rock on Samsung