While tech events inherently tout “the next big thing,” Samsung took a refreshing stance in its January 2024 Galaxy Unpacked event by flipping the narrative. The next big thing, Samsung says, is you.
With that, Unpacked went on to unveil some of Samsung’s most exciting advancements yet, focusing on what the new Galaxy S24 Series and its features enable you to do. Watch the full replay of Galaxy Unpacked above, and read on for key takeaways and highlights from the event as they relate to business use cases, including the all-new Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra lineup.
Galaxy AI is here (3:30)
Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of MX Business, opened the event by ushering in a truly transformative era in Samsung’s mobile technology with the launch of Galaxy AI, which he said positions Galaxy as an open gateway for experiences and possibilities on a global scale. Alluding to the features that would soon be presented, Roh encouraged viewers to imagine what would now be possible. He also announced — to a large applause — that Samsung will now support seven years of security upgrades and seven generations of operating system upgrades starting with the Galaxy S24 Series — which includes the all-new Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra. “Galaxy S24 is truly the phone of the future,” Roh said, relating it to a “Eureka moment.”
Data security (6:35)
AI and mobile devices can raise concerns when it comes to data security and privacy, especially in business settings. Samsung is addressing those, too, as Drew Blackard, VP of Product Management, illustrated in the advanced intelligence settings available on the S24 Series. He also mentioned Samsung’s Privacy Dashboard, which allows you to see and choose which apps have certain access to your mobile data. For those who have multiple Galaxy devices, the newest addition to the Samsung Knox security platform, Knox Matrix, securely syncs and backs up your data settings across devices with end-to-end encryption. “We continue to strengthen our security so you can choose to access safe technology that works for you,” Blackard said.
If you’re a business leader, consider sharing this introductory Knox article with your IT team, so they can make the most of Samsung Knox to keep your business secure and your IT management streamlined.
Seamless communication and translation (9:40)
Blackard introduced the first game-changing feature in the Galaxy S24 Series: Live Translate for real-time voice translations during calls. “It’s like having your own personal interpreter on your calls,” he said, adding that Live Translate supports audio and text translations in up to 13 languages at launch. Heejin Chung, from Samsung’s Software R&D division, conducted a live demo of Chat Assist within the messaging app.
For those traveling and conducting business globally, the translation tools will surely come in handy. Blackard also briefly explained how Galaxy AI and the S24 Series can adapt to your communication style in your native language.
Transcript and Note Assist (8:25)
Chung returned to the stage to expand on the power of Galaxy AI for a daily task that most business users can relate to: note-taking. With the ability to distinguish between different voices, the native voice recorder app now not only transcribes speech to text but also creates concise summaries of discussions. In the Notes app (which works best with S Pen on Galaxy S24 Ultra), Galaxy AI’s Note Assist feature makes it easy to organize your thoughts afterward. Chung showed how Note Assist adds headers and bullets with just one tap, and how Quick Share can now summarize key points in notes to share with others.
Circle to Search with Google (21:50)
With a lead-in from Blackard, Dr. Roh introduced special guest, Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms & Ecosystems at Google, to explain how the long-standing partnership between Samsung and Google is creating new ways to do more on Galaxy devices. All-new on the Galaxy S24 Series, the Circle to Search with Google feature represents a major milestone in Samsung’s collaboration with Google. Cathy Edwards, VP of Engineering at Google, acknowledged how phones have become windows to the world’s information before demonstrating how users can now circle, highlight, scribble, or tap anywhere on the display on any S24 Series model to instantly launch a Google search without leaving the open app. “The power of Google AI is just a press away, only on Android,” Edwards said.
AI-enabled camera (37:35)
Consumers naturally go crazy for the latest and greatest camera on a mobile device, but a powerful camera can be great in a business device as well when it comes to creating social media content for your company. Your marketing team can do amazing things with the S24 Ultra, no other professional gear needed.
Dr. Hamid Sheikh, VP of Intelligent Imaging for Samsung Research, along with Tara Rael, Product Specialist, led a wonderfully visual walk-through of Samsung’s most impressive camera specs yet and Galaxy AI-powered photo and video editing tools in the S24 Ultra. From quick touch-ups to complete transformations, Nightography, 100x Zoom, video stabilization and more, it’s worth watching the camera segment of Unpacked to see all the ways the Ultra lets you unleash your creativity. It features a guest cameo and demo from popular YouTuber, MrBeast.
Durability and performance (54:10)
It’s safe to say a business device that you use all day every day needs to be both durable and reliable. David Thompson, Product Specialist, gave an inside look at the S24’s hardware and engineering, highlighted by the fastest NPU (neural processing unit) in the Galaxy. It’s what enables real-time translation, generative editing, and so many other productivity-enhancing capabilities in the S24 lineup.
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Blackard added that the S24 Ultra is the most durable Samsung smartphone yet, thanks to its titanium frame. John Bayne, SVP of Mobile Consumer Electronics at Corning Incorporated, made a virtual appearance to tout the latest development in Samsung’s 50-plus-year partnership with Corning: Gorilla Armor, featured in the S24 Ultra. It’s the toughest iteration of Gorilla Glass to date — performing three times better than other materials against concrete, with four times better scratch resistance and 75% better reflection reduction.
Sustainability (59:10)
Samsung remains deeply committed to sustainability, setting the stage for its business users to follow suit. Inhee Chung, VP of Corporate Sustainability at Samsung, talked about how Samsung is using recycled materials in its devices and plans to do so even more going forward, including recycled plastics, steel, cobalt, and packaging as well as rare earth elements. Samsung is making great headway on its goals for using recycled materials and therefore raising the bar as it strives to use at least one recycled material in every model of every mobile product by 2030.
Health and wellness (1:06:37)
Last but not least, Unpacked emphasized the importance of everyday wellness in an amusing skit between a “modern human” and his “prehistoric instincts.” The skit gave a glimpse into how Samsung Health enables small steps and simple choices that promote general health and wellness. Dr. Matthew Wiggins, Head of Digital Health Development at Samsung Research, then teased a brand-new wearable, the Galaxy Ring. The brevity of the teaser left many viewers and outlets extra-intrigued to learn more.
With Galaxy AI, the next big thing is you
When it was all said and done, Samsung delivered on the message with which Unpacked began. It’s not about technology, but rather, what technology enables people to do. Therefore, the next big thing is you.
“[Galaxy AI] is empowering us to stay connected, unleash our creativity, and build healthier habits, all in more meaningful ways,” Blackard said. “This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait for you to try it yourself.”
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