Image: Samsung
Here’s what you need to know about Samsung’s latest product reveals, including its S22 flagship smartphones and its biggest tablet yet.
Samsung unveiled a whole host of new electronic products at its Unpacked 2022 event yesterday (9 February) as it looks to reclaim some of the market share it lost during the pandemic to rival Apple.
This includes the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S22 series, a successor to its popular but reportedly discontinued Note series of large-screened phones, as well as a new and improved tablet and smartwatch updates.
Here’s everything you need to know about the biggest consumer electronics event since Apple Unleashed last October.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is finally here
Pitched as the “new epic standard” in smartphone technology, the latest in Samsung’s S series is all about the camera. The two new phones, S22 and S22+, come with significant improvements on the S21 and S21+ night modes with a 23pc larger sensor and ‘adaptive pixel’ technology that helps capture images and make them pop even in the dark.
Both come with a 50MP main camera, a 10MP tele-lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, along with a new auto framing technology that can detect and track up to 10 people to ensure everyone is in frame and in focus.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series. Image: Samsung
The S22 also boasts the first 4nm processor on a Galaxy smartphone, designed to power a device built for 5G. The S22 model is powered by a battery said to last all day with a 25W fast charging feature, while the S22+ takes battery performance a notch higher with a battery that can last more than a day and with 45W fast charging.
Both phones are optimised for gaming and entertainment with Dynamic AMOLED displays on the 6.1-inch S22 and the 6.6-inch S22+. In case a game gets out of hand and the phone drops, both devices are made of Samsung’s strongest aluminium frame and protected by a new range of Corning Gorilla Glass to prevent damage.
Available in black, white, green and pink gold, the two phones are now available for pre-order in Ireland and are priced at up to €929 for the S22 and up to €1,139 for the S22+.
The Note is now Ultra
A third phone in the Samsung S22 series, the Ultra is said to merge “the best Galaxy features of the Note and S series”, potentially marking an end to the popular Note series that competed in the large-screen smartphone category.
Pitched as the most powerful Ultra smartphone Samsung has created, the S22 Ultra comes with all the features of the S22+, including the advanced camera and a battery that lasts longer than a day, and adds more to its offering. It has a 6.8-inch screen and comes with a built-in S Pen that is meant to offer 70pc less latency than previous models.
The S22 Ultra with a built-in S Pen. Image: Samsung
The camera is even better than the other two S22 phones, with Samsung’s largest ever pixel sensor allowing for better night mode shots and videos. It also comes with a 100x zoom feature.
While the other S22 phones have rounded edges, the Ultra sets itself apart with sharper edges and a sleek metal frame that creates a mirrored effect, giving it a more premium feel. It comes in most of the same colour options as the S22 and S22+, as well as a special burgundy.
The S22 Ultra is also available for pre-order in Ireland, starting at €1,299 for the 128GB model and going up to €1,699 for the 1TB model.
Galaxy Tab S8 and Watch4 update
Samsung also unveiled its latest Galaxy tablets, the new S8 and S8+, and what it described as the “biggest, boldest, most versatile Galaxy tablet ever”.
Engineered with the many demands of working from home in mind, the Galaxy Tab S8 comes with improved video conferencing features including an ultra-wide front camera, a three-microphone set-up and the same auto framing technology as in the S22 series.
Unsurprisingly, the Tab S8 also comes with a premium counterpart – the Tab S8 Ultra, sporting a 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display. It also has the thinnest bezels of any Galaxy Tab at 6.3mm in a graphite-coloured aluminium frame.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. Image: Samsung
The Galaxy Tab S8 starts at €779 while the S8+ starts at €979. Meanwhile, the S8 Ultra is priced between €1,179 and €1,629.
Two days before the Unpacked event, Samsung also announced an update to its Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic that will help users monitor their health goals. New features such as advanced interval training designed for cyclists and runners, a new sleep coaching programme and new body composition insights will help it compete with Apple’s line of smartwatches.
The body composition insights feature is powered by Centr, a digital fitness programme curated by actor Chris Hemsworth. The update also lends the Watch4 series newer looks for the watch face and greater integration with the Android ecosystem in partnership with Google.
Another update in the pipeline promises Watch4 users the ability to stream music on their watches.
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