This morning in New York, Samsung (SSNLF) held another Samsung Unpacked 2015 event, and today was all about phablets.
You may recall the previous Unpacked press conference back in March was where the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were revealed. This time, however, Samsung is focused on its phablets, unveiling a new version of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy 6 Edge+, a new model that replaces last year’s Galaxy Note Edge.
With its smartphone profits still sliding, Galaxy S6 sales lower than expected, and Apple (AAPL) pushing its way into the premium phablet market (which Samsung practically created), this Samsung Unpacked event takes on a sense of urgency. If the new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy 6 Edge+ can’t reverse Samsung’s fortunes in selling high-margin, premium smartphones, its mobile division — and the entire company — are in for a bumpy ride.
Here are the details of the new phablets showed off at Samsung Unpacked 2015.
Galaxy Note 5
The Galaxy Note was the device that, more or less, kicked off the whole phablet craze, and this year’s version is a significant change.
Samsung is continuing its efforts to purge the cheap-looking plastic from its devices and, like the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy Note 5 is now clad in metal and glass for a more premium look. It’s also slightly smaller and thinner than last year’s model.
As with the Galaxy S6, the new design means features such as a removable battery and microSD card storage are gone, but the handy built-in stylus is still there.
While the 5.7-inch Quad HD display and 16MP primary camera remain unchanged from last year, there were several hardware upgrades for the Galaxy Note 5, including:
- Samsung’s latest Xynos quad-core CPU with 4GB of RAM
- 32GB base storage
- Front camera upgraded to 5MP
- 3,000mAh battery (this is actually slightly lower capacity than the Galaxy Note 4)
- Quick charge and wireless charging support
- Runs Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Samsung TouchWiz UI
Out of nowhere, Samsung also served notice to BlackBerry (BBRY), showing off a hardware keyboard cover accessory that works with its new phablets.
Both phablets also have several interesting new software features, such as the ability to stream live video directly to YouTube from the native camera app, and a Side Sync feature for wirelessly exchanging files with Windows and Mac computers.
Expect the Galaxy Note 5 to arrive August 21 (with U.S. pre-orders starting today), as Samsung moves to sell phablets before the new Apple iPhones are announced.
Galaxy S6 Edge+
Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Note Edge, a premium phablet with a unique display that curved over one edge (thus the name). I was sent one to try out, and I must admit it was pretty cool, helping set the stage for the Galaxy S6 Edge.
At the Samsung Unpacked event, the company essentially stole a page from Apple’s iPhone 6 playbook. The Galaxy Note Edge is gone and in its place is the Galaxy S6 Edge+ — basically the same naming convention Apple took with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Officially, Samsung is using the “+” symbol, but that’s not fooling anyone.
Visually, this phablet is a super-sized Galaxy S6 Edge, while internally it shares most of its specs with the Galaxy Note 5.
As with the Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ goes on pre-order today, with sales starting on August 21.
Samsung Unpacked: Samsung Pay
Remember Samsung Pay, the “coming soon” competitor for Apple Pay? It was confirmed that Samsung’s mobile payment solution will be launching this fall. You can start paying with your Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the U.S. on September 28.
Gear S2 Smartwatch
The Apple Watch was also in the Samsung Unpacked event sights, with the next-generation Gear S2 smartwatch. The new Gear S2’s face is completely round (in keeping with the curved theme of today’s event), and should hit store shelves on September 3.
Will the new phablets announced at Samsung Unpacked 2015 be enough to turn around Samsung’s mobile fortunes? They’re certainly competitive with the iPhone 6 Plus, but the problem there is Apple is expected to release a new and improved version of its phablet in September. Making things worse, a flood of big, inexpensive, premium-design Chinese smartphones (many at or near phablet size) such as Lenovo’s (LNVGY) Moto X Pure and the OnePlus 2 will be vying for consumer dollars this fall.
Even with the new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, Samsung faces an uphill battle to retain phablet market share, let alone claw some back, and the rushed release dates for the new super-sized smartphones reflect the urgency of the situation.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
