Samsung has just sent out invitations for an event it is holding online on Wednesday, October 20th at 7AM PT / 10AM ET. It’s called “Galaxy Unpacked Part 2,” which is possibly an indication that rather than all new Galaxy phones, we may be seeing iterations on existing ones.
With Samsung’s announcement, we’ll now have an Apple event on Monday (where we are expecting new MacBook Pros), Google’s Pixel 6 launch on Tuesday, and now Samsung’s apparently smaller event on Wednesday.
In addition to the invite’s image, Samsung’s newsroom post announcing the event hints at some kind of personalization for Galaxy devices: “Our users are multifaceted and live life in so many colorful, interesting, and unique ways. As such, the technology they use every day should reflect their individuality. Join Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 on October 20 to see how Samsung is opening up new experiences for self-expression through technology.”
That could mean anything, but it does seem to hint at new colors of the Galaxy phones or maybe even a full-on customization option. I could imagine building a Z Flip 3 with my choice of colors on each side of the fold, for example, and the teaser image may hint at just that. With the Z Fold 2, Samsung offered customers the option to choose their own accent color for the hinge, though that option went away on the Z Fold 3 (thus far, anyway).
Of course, no customization program has come close to the original Moto X, which let people chose any number of different color options and even materials for their phone — including bamboo. It seems unlikely that Samsung will be willing to go that far.
What seems even more unlikely is the Galaxy S21 FE, a lower-cost “fan edition” of the Galaxy S21 that’s been kicking around the rumor mill for a while now. It’s less likely mainly because the S21 FE is currently in a kind of limbo where it’s either been delayed or cancelled because of the chip shortage. Sammobile reports that Samsung is still considering a January launch for the S21 FE.
Regardless of what Samsung announces on Wednesday the 20th, it will have a hard time getting attention after all the Sturm (Apple) and Drang (Google) the previous two days. Though perhaps picking Wednesday is Samsung’s strategic attempt to wrest some interest away from the Pixel 6.
Speaking of it being a busy week, we also have The Verge’s 10 year event called On The Verge on Friday and Saturday. If you’re in New York City, tickets are available at a discount with code $99NOW right here. This leaves Thursday the 21st open for another tech company to announce something. Has anybody heard from OnePlus lately?
