Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 takes place at 17:00 today

January 14, 2021

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Besides the release of their new flagship device, this is what else you can expect.

At 17:00 today, the long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event takes place. The virtual event can be streamed live on YouTube. The event will mark the release of Samsung’s first flagship device for 2021. Samsung fans already have a lot of information about this device, the Galaxy S21, but most are hoping to get more information on finer details about the smartphone.

There are also other products rumoured to drop at the event. This includes the official release of the Galaxy Buds Pro and groundbreaking Galaxy SmartTags – small Bluetooth tracking tiles.

 

The Galaxy S21 series

The biggest no-brainer of the event is the official release of the S21 smartphone line-up. Over the past few months, there have been several leaks and reports on the new range. Each year, Samsung refreshes its S-range with new devices. 

It is expected that three S21 devices will be announced – a vanilla S21, an S21 Plus, and then an S21 Ultra 5G. Naturally, it is safe to say that there will be some hardware upgrades on these new devices. What fans are really hoping to learn from the launch event are the finer details, like exactly what each camera is capable of, especially those models with a staggering 5 sensors on its back. Other details of interest will be the price of the smartphones and when South Africa can expect to start receiving stock.

Galaxy Buds Pro

Last year, Samsung rolled out their Galaxy Buds range for the first time as a reaction to Apple’s AirPods. The Buds received a lot of backlash. Reviews cited the bean-shaped design, sound quality and noise cancellation as really disappointing in terms of quality and functionality. 

A retail store (Staples) accidentally listed the Galaxy Pro Buds last year, which means it is safe to say  that Samsung will officially launch these new (and hopefully improved) Buds at the event later today. 

From the accidental listing, we already know that the new Buds Pro will ditch the bean-shaped look for a more traditional earphone design. It will likely cost in the same price range as the Apple AirPod Pro’s. 

Galaxy SmartTag

It has been rumoured that Samsung will also drop a new device called SmartTag. These tile-shaped blocks will operate in the same way that “Tiles” smart blocks do. The basic idea is that they are Bluetooth trackers that one can attach to things like keys. Through an app on a Samsung phone or tablet, users can then easily track things they usually tend to misplace.

The tags will probably also work the other way around. If one has misplaced a Samsung device, a simple press of the SmartTag will trigger a sound on the lost device so that it can be located. 

Where to watch the event

You can watch the live stream of the event below.

Click here to watch the live stream.