Here’s What Went Down at the Samsung Galaxy UNPACKED Event in Brooklyn

Last week, a group of journalists, tech enthusiasts and friends of Samsung gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for the brand’s biannual keynote. With each of the impressive new innovations across smartphones, tablets, wearables and mobile computing devices, Samsung caters to a new generation of worklife that values frictionless technology and at-your-tips creative tools. In addition to the previously announced Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Watch Active2, the new Galaxy Note10 and 10+ were a highlight of the presentation, offering a bevy of boundary-pushing innovations.

DJ Koh, the President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics, kicked off the event, setting the tone by emphasizing the importance of Experience Innovation within today’s technology. In other words, Samsung is speaking to an environment where innovation goes beyond just features — it encompasses the integration of devices, services and capabilities for flexibility and authenticity. More than ever, Samsung is doing this, most notably with the new Galaxy Note10 and 10+.

To introduce the new smartphone, Koh gave the floor to Drew Blackard, Head of US Product Management. “The line between work and play has disappeared and we need technology that can seamlessly flow between the two,” explained Blackard. The new smartphone undoubtedly speaks to that. The Galaxy Note10 is smaller, more compact and narrower than any of its predecessors for optimum portability, while the 10+ has the largest screen ever on a Note. Both offerings are impressively thin at less than 8mm and feature Dynamic AMOLED displays with minimal blue light emission. What’s most extraordinary is the virtually bezel-less design, making for a truly cinematic experience. Both iterations are available in “Aura Glow,” an iridescent, light refracting offering, “Aura Black” and “Aura White,” while the 10 also offers options in “Aura Pink” and “Aura Red” and the 10+ in “Aura Blue” (availability differs by country).

What’s more, the new Note offerings appeal to a true mobile computing experience. The phones both feature laptop level storage along with Intelligent Battery, which optimizes battery usage. The phone can also get a days-worth of charge in 30 minutes thanks to Super Fast Wired Charging. For gamers, intelligent Game Booster analyzes gaming partners to optimize the experience and a chamber cools down the phone as the game heats up. All around, the Galaxy Note is a front-runner as far as compact gaming devices go.

Accompanying the new Galaxy Note10 and 10+, as well as the recently announced Tab S6, is an updated S Pen. It’s been reimagined with six axis motion sensors that detect the direction and acceleration of whoever is controlling the device. That means the S Pen essentially acts as a remote control and can be used for zooming in and out, changing from the front to the back camera and swiping between camera modes. In other words, taking a photo is more hands-free than ever. Developers are also working on integrating such motion control technology into other apps, making the S Pen’s potential endless.

The camera itself sees a bevy of impressive updates that allow for an end to end photo and video experience, allowing users to both shoot and edit on the device. For instance, when zooming in, both images and sounds come into focus, creating a high quality audio experience. The Super Steady feature predicts camera movements for different speeds and detects and responds shakiness to create crisp videos in high speed environments. Rounding out the end to end user experience is an editing suite advanced enough to create professional level cuts, as demonstrated on site by content creator Casey McPerry, who showed off an impressive skate montage all done on the device.

Another fun innovation, AR Doodle, lets the user employ the S Pen to draw 3D doodles while shooting videos. The doodles then follow a subject’s face via the Spatial and Facial Drawing tracking system. There’s also a Depth Vision Camera to detect depth of field and 3D scan objects to bring them to life digitally.

The wild card moment of the presentation came with the introduction of Galaxy Book S, a 13-inch touch screen that “looks like a laptop, but has the essence of a smartphone.” The device marks the beginning of a partnership with Microsoft, evident in its Windows 10 capabilities, including Microsoft Office. It also employs a powerful chip from Qualcomm and touts 23 hours of battery life. The device serves as a next chapter to mobile computing. 

All around, it’s clear that Samsung kept a new generation of creators in mind with each new product and technological detail. With seamless application across all devices, the brand continues to grow an ecosystem of innovations designed not for work/life balance, but for work/life flow.

To learn more about the new offerings, head to Samsung’s website. And, in case you missed it, check out how artist Felipe Pantone uses the Galaxy Note10 to create.