Past, future, present: no-one can tell after a Samsung self-leak
• Leaking is the new press release, but it may not be working as well as a Trump tweet
Last night — technically tonight, since I’m writing this in the reader’s past — Samsung hosts, and streams, its Unpacked 2020 event.
A side note: time travel is tricky, so best not to scrutinise the past- and future-tense writing here too closely. But back to the topic at hand … at this event, physically in San Francisco and digitally on screens of all sizes across the world, Samsung fans, technology journalists and other early adopters will tune in for the latest releases and announcements from the world’s most prolific smartphone seller.
Oh, and the influencers will be out in force, tweeting up a storm as slick marketing reels dazzle us with tech and design, specs and capabilities.
I’ll be watching and tweeting too, but I must admit there is a different tang in the air about the event (compared to previous years). I mean, there are always leaks, but 2020’s line-up was leakier than the Trump White House — that is to say, more leaks than a Snowden colander.
So yes, we largely know what’s coming. We’re geared up for the (rumoured name) Galaxy S20 range — with the naming conventions skipping right past the teens and straight into the 20s, because the S20 in 2020 is a brand-name delight, right? — including the “ultra” model, which is expected to be specced to the max, with a price tag to match. New earphones are likely to be in the mix too, and a smart speaker. The S20 models are all expected to support 5G out of the box, at least in the US. Let’s check back in tomorrow (today, eish!) to see how the real line-up matched the imagined one.
“Leaks” is probably the wrong word. Or at least the implication that these are accidental and unauthorised is misleading. Leaking is a timehonoured marketing manoeuvre, after all. But the South Korean firm may have overplayed its hand this time round. The Verge has a round-up of all articles, leaks and updates relating to Unpacked 2020, and at the time of writing there were 31 items.
To top it all, Samsung chose to scoop itself too, running an ad during the Academy Awards for its highly anticipated foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip (name unconfirmed) — before strictly speaking launching said phone. This was not the standard, prelaunch tease of some tiny design details in macro-close up. This was the whole shebang, complete with quirky French music (by Serge Gainsbourg) and synchronised phone dancing.
My annoyance at the strategy aside, this phone was probably worth teasing. It’s glossy and gorgeous, with iridescent colours, and exciting in a way not unlike the first iPhone was, in the sense of design innovation. It’s not the first foldable, not even Samsung’s first. But after its earlier version tanked and got yanked in 2019, there is a lot riding on this release, and I have to say I’m rooting for it in a big way.
It will be interesting to see the effect of this strategy — if that’s what it is — on sales. According to UK analysts Gartner, global smartphone sales showed a decline in 2019, shrinking 2% year on year (making for the first contraction since 2008).
In a release on its website, Gartner research vice-president Annette Zimmermann said “2019 was a challenging year for smartphone vendors, primarily due to oversupply in the highend sector in mature markets and longer replacement cycles overall”.
Gartner expects the rollout of 5G coverage in more countries to boost 2020 sales, saying some consumers may have delayed their purchases hoping for coverage and price reductions to swing in their favour. Its latest figures — released in January — show an increase of 3% year on year, with worldwide sales of smartphones “on track to reach 1.57-billion units in 2020”, and 5G mobiles to account for 12% of overall sales.
The news here is that the “tech news” (the launch itself) is a marketing manoeuvre that may be on its way out. Leaking is the new press release, and the time between launch and shop floor has been shrinking. In many instances tech reviewers in secondary markets are getting the devices at virtually the same time as consumers, making our job harder but putting some power, and responsibility, in the hands of consumers.
1.57billion the number of smartphones expected to be sold in 2020, according to Gartner