Samsung has confirmed the year’s first Unpacked event, which is happening in the heart of Silicon Valley. Coming close on the heels of CES in Las Vegas, the event is scheduled for January 17 and it will be hosted at the SAP Centre.
The teaser doesn’t focus on the expected Galaxy S24, S24+ or S24 Ultra smartphones, though the company has confirmed that new phones are coming. Instead, the focus is on Galaxy AI as the “latest premium Galaxy innovations” provide “an all-new mobile experience powered by AI”.
Teaser invitation for Samsung's first Unpacked event of 2024 The Telegraph
So what can we expect from the phones? AI, of course. Rumours have pointed to the S24 Ultra getting a new titanium build, which is something the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max also have. That should enable increased durability and a lighter weight. If we go by the 3D metallic graphic in the event invitation, it appears that titanium is the material of choice.
This year, most companies will launch smartphones and other devices with built-in generative AI. Samsung has previously announced Samsung Gauss, an AI platform with three key modules: Gauss Language for understanding human language and crafting natural responses, Gauss Code assists software development for code descriptions and creating test cases, and Gauss Image allows the creation of and the modification of images.
The AI efforts are currently used on employee productivity but “will be expanded to a variety of Samsung product applications to provide new user experience in the near future”.
The integration could become a key feature in the company’s next series of phones. Samsung is already bringing generative AI to its Bixby virtual assistant for home appliances. “When we think of generative AI, we often think of ChatGPT, but we are not aiming for such a heavy service. Even if the user hasn’t used a set command, Bixby will understand the context of the conversation and enable more natural communication,” said Miyoung Yoo, vice-president of Samsung Electronics’ home appliances division, in September.
Samsung usually doesn’t restrict its Unpacked events to just smartphones. Besides Galaxy S24 smartphones, Samsung may look at new laptop iterations. If that’s the case, we may get the Galaxy Book4 or something similar.
Want to watch Samsung reveal its latest handsets at Galaxy Unpacked? Tune into Samsung’s YouTube or website for a live stream on January 17 at 1pm ET or 11.30pm IST.
Samsung is allowing customers to pre-reserve its next flagship Galaxy smartphone. To pre-reserve, one needs to pay a token amount of Rs 2,000 on Samsung.com, Samsung exclusive stores, Amazon.in and leading retail outlets across India. These customers will get benefit worth Rs 5,000.
