Samsung Electronics has stepped into the new decade with a new smartphone flagship range, the Galaxy S20-series, which is planned to be available in stores at the beginning of March.
Instead of a sequential Galaxy S11, Samsung officially launched the Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra at an event in San Francisco on Tuesday night, live-streamed to venues across the world.
Explaining the switch to S20 instead of S11, Sung Yoon, Samsung Electronics Africa president and CEO, said this is because the new premium devices are a “game-changer” in the smartphone market.
“2020 is a big year; it is the dawn of a new decade for Galaxy. [This is] an era that is beyond expectation and creative with useful benefits for consumers. South Africa is one of the first global launch countries.”
The South Korean electronics manufacturer says the S20 rangeintroduces an entirely new camera system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and Samsung’s biggest image sensor yet, to bring out the best in every image and every moment.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra features a 108MP camera, while the S20 and S20+ have 64MP. In addition, the S20 Ultra takes things a step further by combining nine pixels into one at the sensor level for higher quality images in low light.
Using space zoom technology, the camera will have up to 30x zoom on the S20 and 20+, with 100x space zoom on the S20 Ultra.
The S20 range also features single take, which captures a number of photo and videos, such as live focus, cropped, ultra-wide and more, and uses AI to recommend the best shots.
It also offers 8K video shooting, so that users can capture their world in true-to-life colour and quality.
“As we enter this new decade, how we communicate and how we experience the world around us has evolved. Samsung is therefore providing a next-generation device for transforming people’s lives. With an incredible AI-powered camera, you can capture the moments as they happen and connect more seamlessly with the people you love,” noted Justin Hume, director for integrated mobility at Samsung South Africa.
The 6.2-inch Galaxy S20 is the cheapest of the new smartphones at a recommended retail price of R18 999, with 128GB internal storage. The Galaxy S20+, which is a 6.7-inch, will cost R20 999. The price for the 6.9-inch S20 Ultra will set you back R26 999.
Samsung has also prioritised fifth-generation technology, saying each of the S20-series flagship devices will have 5G capabilities.
According to Yoon, the Internet of things, AI and 5G continue to evolve as part of Samsung’s ecosystem. “For example, some of you think of 5G as still far away to be implemented in South Africa, but expect to see mobile 5G services in a few months.
“As Samsung, we launched 5G globally last year, and we are already a leader in 5G networks and devices, having sold over 6.7 million 5G smartphones.”
“As we enter this new decade, 5G will completely change how we communicate and how we experience the world around us,” Dr TM Roh, president and head of mobile communications business at Samsung Electronics, said via video conference.
“As all three Galaxy S20 variants come with 5G connectivity, Samsung is providing a next-generation device for transforming people’s lives.”
Samsung also unveiled theGalaxy Buds+, which feature two-way speakers, three mics for sound and voice quality, and long battery life of up to 11 hours. The buds will retail for R2 999.
The three models of the Galaxy S20-series will be available from retail and network partners from 6 March, with the S20 and S20+ each available in three different colours, and only two for the S20 Ultra.
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