Samsung To Unpack The Next Big Thing At MWC In Barcelona, Live Stream In New York
It feels as if Samsung's Galaxy S4 is still pretty fresh, and it's still dominating the sales charts. But could a replacement be just around the bend? Samsung has just issued press invites for an "Unpacked 5" event, slated to take place in Barcelona, Spain during Mobile World Congress. The planet's largest mobile-focused trade event gets going in just a few weeks, and while it has certainly been the launchpad for a number of hero devices over the years (and even Microsoft's own Windows Phone operating system), Samsung has shied away from these mega-events of late.
Instead, the company has followed Apple's lead by holding its own events in order to control the spotlight. For whatever reason, that doesn't seem to be happening this time around. It's also a strange time to launch a new flagship, if indeed the Galaxy S5 is the phone that'll be behind the curtain. Post-holiday quarters are generally slow shopping seasons, and back-to-school isn't for another half-year. That said, if the GS5 does make its debut in Spain, it'll no doubt have many months as the top dog before Apple reveals whatever's next in the iPhone line. So, from that standpoint, it's a wise positioning move.
This is all assuming that the event will be the coming out party for the GS5, but that may not be the case. Samsung is a massive company with many mobile products, and any one of those lines could be due for a refresh at MWC. Still, the "5" in the invite name is a pretty clear indicator that the GS5 is en route... or else we're all being massively misdirected.
The event kicks off on 2/24, and for those who can't attend in person, a live stream and hands-on area will be available in New York City. Whatever's to be unveiled, Samsung sure is making a big deal of it.
Instead, the company has followed Apple's lead by holding its own events in order to control the spotlight. For whatever reason, that doesn't seem to be happening this time around. It's also a strange time to launch a new flagship, if indeed the Galaxy S5 is the phone that'll be behind the curtain. Post-holiday quarters are generally slow shopping seasons, and back-to-school isn't for another half-year. That said, if the GS5 does make its debut in Spain, it'll no doubt have many months as the top dog before Apple reveals whatever's next in the iPhone line. So, from that standpoint, it's a wise positioning move.
This is all assuming that the event will be the coming out party for the GS5, but that may not be the case. Samsung is a massive company with many mobile products, and any one of those lines could be due for a refresh at MWC. Still, the "5" in the invite name is a pretty clear indicator that the GS5 is en route... or else we're all being massively misdirected.
The event kicks off on 2/24, and for those who can't attend in person, a live stream and hands-on area will be available in New York City. Whatever's to be unveiled, Samsung sure is making a big deal of it.
