What to Expect at Samsung's Unpacked event in February

On February 1st, Samsung will hold its first Unpacked event of 2023, and many anticipate that the Galaxy S23 family will be the main attraction. The business has even teased a few details, such as improvements to the camera and performance. But will this phone lineup undergo a significant overhaul or merely a yearly refresh? Let's take a look at what to expect from Samsung when it takes the stage in San Francisco.

Galaxy S23 Ultra:

The S23 Ultra's camera system may be its main selling point if the Galaxy S22 Ultra's Note-like pen was its main selling point. The highest-end S23 model has long been rumored to have a main camera with 200 megapixels, according to leaker Ice Universe and other sources. Now, Samsung has unveiled a sensor that might fit the bill.  While maintaining solid low-light capabilities, the ISOCELL HP2 promises extremely detailed photos and 8K video at 30 frames per second. In situations with lots of light, it might also capture colors that are more accurate. Additionally, the front camera may see a slight increase to 12 MP. You shouldn't be surprised to learn that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will give Samsung's S23 family a speed boost. In addition to offering hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic lighting in games, it is said to be over 25% faster than Generation 1. AI processing could also see a fourfold improvement. In addition to offering WiFi 7 networking and emergency satellite communication, Qualcomm claims that Gen 2 is up to 40% more energy efficient. However, the location of that chip might surprise you the most. Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst, says that Samsung will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to power the Galaxy S23 in every country instead of its own Exynos chips in Asia and Europe.  The battery life and performance of Exynos-based Galaxy phones have frequently been criticized by critics, but that may not be the case this time around. [caption id="attachment_77767" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Samsung Galaxy S23 FE[/caption] Even though you won't see any other major changes, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a problem. The Galaxy S23 Ultra will have a slightly flatter design than its predecessor, addressing complaints about the 6.8-inch screen's curved edges, according to leaked images from Nieuwe Mobiel.  An S-Pen, dual 10MP telephoto lenses, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and up to 12GB of RAM would still be present. However, you might get a storage option with 1 TB, so you might not have to worry as much about that 8K video taking up all of your available space.

Galaxy S23 and S23+:

Although a significant update is not anticipated for Samsung's more common smartphones, there may still be significant enhancements. An ever-so-slightly larger battery may accompany the rumored 12MP front camera and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The phones might also come with 256GB of storage as standard, which is important if you don't want to spend more money just to store a lot of media. [caption id="attachment_82359" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] (Image source: Samsung via @SnoopyTech - edited)[/caption] Otherwise, the Galaxy S22 line's 6.1- and 6.6-inch displays, a 50MP main rear camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a single 10MP telephoto are likely. According to leaked images from Nieuwe Mobiel, Samsung may remove the S21 and S22's noticeable camera hump by redesigning the array of cameras to more closely resemble that of the Ultra family.

Galaxy Book 3 Ultra:

At Unpacked events, Samsung rarely introduces phones, but there are indications that a high-end laptop might be the other star. Samsung's reservation page gives away hints about a new Galaxy Book line, and the company's president of mobile experience, TM Roh, says in a blog post that Ultra products will be available in "more device categories" than just phones. Therefore, expect an Ultra laptop. The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra would be the new model, provided that The Tech Outlook leak is true. Samsung Display stated that the high-end Galaxy Book line will feature OLED screens with built-in touch, similar to smartphones.  However, the specifications of that laptop are not entirely clear. Additionally, a more conventional Galaxy Book 3 Pro and a Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 convertible with pen support are anticipated to arrive with the Ultra. Since this is Samsung, we would anticipate enhanced performance as well as possibly additional features like pen input and advanced display technology. [caption id="attachment_59082" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] image credit: notebookcheck[/caption]

New Galaxy Tabs and Galaxy Buds:

At Unpacked, there hasn't been much talk about any other product launches, and there are even rumors that say they won't happen. According to sources cited by Elec, Samsung may have postponed the release of a Galaxy Tab S9 family due to economic uncertainty and weak sales of the Tab S8 series. The company typically waits longer between tablet revisions than between phone revisions; the Tab S8 was released in early 2022, whereas the S7 was released in summer 2020. Also, brand-new earphones are out of the question. In summer 2021, Samsung introduced the standard Galaxy Buds 2, followed by the Buds 2 Pro a year later. There is no pressure placed on the company to update its line of in-ear headphones unless the subpar Galaxy Buds Live are completely redesigned. Other products probably won't be shown off until later Samsung events. This early in the year, don't expect new Galaxy Z foldables, Galaxy A budget phones, or Galaxy Watch timepieces.