Samsung Mobile has announced that it will stream the unveiling of its next batch of Galaxy devices — expected to be the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and the Note 5 — on its Youtube channel – www.youtube.com/SamsungMobile – on Thursday.
The live streaming of the event will kick off at 11 AM Eastern Daylight Time – which translates to about 8:30 PM in India and 3 PM GMT on Thursday.
The event will also be available on the events section of Samsung’s website – http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/events/unpacked
The Korean company did not specify which of the devices it was planning to release tomorrow, but merely said: “The time is near for #TheNextGalaxy. Tune in Tomorrow.”
However, going by the rumors, the following two models are expected.
First – a larger, updated Galaxy S6 Edge, possibly called S6 Edge Plus. It is also likely that Samsung would call the phone something much more ‘mouthable’.
Second – the successor to its Note line, which should be the Galaxy Note 5.
Thanks to a hundred leaks already — including the one below — the broad dimensions of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 are largely known.
The thrust, with the launch of these two devices, will be towards larger displays.
Samsung’s flagship S series has always had displays in the range of 5.1 inches. However, the Edge+ is expected to have a 5.5-inch screen, like the iPhone 6 Plus.
However, 5.5-inch displays are usually reserved for the Note series. So the Note 5 is expected to have an even bigger screen at 5.7 inches or more.
The decision to launch the S6 Edge+ is partly due to the soup that Samsung finds itself in.
The company has faced extreme competition over the last two years and has reported declining profits for almost the entire period – quarter after quarter.
However, the ‘Edge’ models — which feature curved displays — have turned out to be unexpectedly popular, especially on the S6.
While the curved screen was introduced in Galaxy Note 4, the model had a curve only on one of its sides. The Note, being targeted at utility-driven consumers, however could do with the asymmetry.
The real magic happened when the curved display was introduced in the S6 Edge — this time on both sides.
The phone has been so much in demand that its ‘flat’ sibling has been forced to take price cuts to remain in contention. Samsung reportedly could not meet the demand for S6 Edge.
Meanwhile, Apple too caught on to the large-screen craze, and outdid Samsung with its 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 Plus offered 16.3% more display area compared to the S6 and the S6 Edge.
However, with only 5 months having passed since the introduction of the 5.1-inch S6, Samsung was unprepared to launch the S7.
The Edge Plus is expected to remedy all these issues: It will help meet demand for the curved model with higher production, while also negating the size difference with the iPhone 6 Plus.
Meanwhile, the Note 5 will push the envelope by offering an even larger display.
In fact, this trend towards larger displays could be seen in how Samsung increased the size of its A-series phones.
While the A7 — the most expensive A series phone — came with a 5.5 inch display, the just-released A8 comes with a 5.7-inch display.
Other brands too have been pushing the envelope further. For example, Sony is expected to launch its 6-inch C5 Ultra at almost half the price at which the Edge Plus is rumored to be announced.
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