As tech enthusiasts know, Samsung Unpacked is the biannual event where Samsung announces all of its new devices, from smartphones to wearables to tablets and more. This year, the star of the show was the new Galaxy S23 series, powered by Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy — the fastest Snapdragon ever. Qualcomm President & CEO Cristiano Amon joined Samsung execs on stage to share some of the most exciting features coming to the Galaxy S23 series, including AI-enhanced photos and videos, next-gen connectivity with Qualcomm® FastConnect™ 7800 Mobile Connectivity System, and unparalleled performance.
We know that our Snapdragon Insiders love being the first to see the latest and greatest tech, so we sent four of them to San Francisco to experience the event in person. After a whirlwind of announcements, hands-on demonstrations, and capturing their tour of the city on brand new Galaxy S23 devices, we caught up with Chad Torres (@chadptorres on Twitter), Benjamin Aboagye (@LoverOfTechBA on Twitter ), Ryan Cleary (@spintheweedawg on Twitter) and Sarae Karyn (@itssaraekaryn on Twitter) for a recap of their trip.
What three words would you use to describe your Samsung Unpacked experience?
Chad: Best experience ever!
Benjamin: Definitely momentous. The event was back in person, so it was energetic, and there was a great response from the crowd. And special, because we’re seeing a new generation of [Galaxy] S23 products.
Sarae: I would say that it was exciting, game-changing, and innovative.
Ryan: So the first one would be epic, because it really was epic. Then experience would be the next one, because this has been a massive new experience for me, coming all the way from the U.K. to San Francisco. And the last one would be memorable, because I’ll never forget coming here, getting to use the latest devices powered by Snapdragon, and shooting in some of the best locations for street photography that I’ve ever seen. I wish I could stay here for a few more months!
What Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy feature are you most excited about?
Chad: The AI camera they’ve added to the device.
Benjamin: The image signal processor (ISP). I'm a big camera person, especially in this day and age of extreme video capabilities. I cannot wait to test the video features because of the AI-based ISP.
Sarae: I'm most excited about the Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU because I'm a big gamer, and I usually use my phone to play Call of Duty mobile. So I'm super excited to see what the processor can do while I'm playing Call of Duty — and to see how smoothly the game will run.
Ryan: The main one for me is definitely ray tracing. It brings a whole new element to the environment and surroundings of the game you’re playing.
What are your initial thoughts on the Galaxy S23 series?
Chad: I think it looks great, especially the Ultra with the new expert 50 MP raw mode. I think it’s going to take great pictures.
Benjamin: The [Galaxy] S23 is minimalist. The S23+ is minimalist and premium. And the S23 Ultra is just beautiful and premium, I love it.
Sarae: I was really surprised about the 8K 30 frames per second camera. I haven’t seen a flagship phone have 8K capabilities yet, so that is just groundbreaking to me.
Ryan: My first impression is that it’s premium. The design language is really on point — it built on the design from last year’s series and really refined it. And this time it’s all Snapdragon worldwide, so that’s going to be the biggest feature everyone’s looking forward to.
Favorite colorway?
Chad: Black. Always black.
Benjamin: My favorite colorway is cream. It’s really minimalist.
Sarae: Green is my favorite color, so that phone just looks the best.
Ryan: Green by far. As a typical Irishman, I tend to gravitate towards green.
Can you share your favorite #ShotOnSnapdragon photo from the event and tell us a bit about it?
Chad: I like this picture because of the way it pulled all of the colors out of the photo and silhouetted the bridge.
Benjamin: A bit of backstory: This photo was taken with the 10 MP 10x zoom camera, but not just in any normal way. This was shot with the expert raw app. So I was able to take this in raw and then actually go straight into a Lightroom preset, adjust, edit, and make it my own picture. That is true power and flexibility right there.
Sarae: This photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. This was my first time seeing the bridge, and it just looked so beautiful. The lighting was perfect, and it was the perfect experience.
Ryan: We went down to where the fort was, and I got this shot of the Golden Gate Bridge and a surfer. To me, there's nothing more Californian than that. Like, surfing under the Golden Gate bridge? That’s epic! I didn’t even know people could surf there. So that’s my favorite shot by far.
Ryan: I also got a really nice shot of Ben walking down an alleyway in Chinatown. It was great shooting on this phone.
What’s the best part about being a Snapdragon Insider?
Chad: I like the tech we get to know about upfront, and it's nice to come to these events and meet all the new people from around the world that I've become so close to.
Benjamin: Being part of this experience, meeting people in person, and being able to create moments while experiencing these new products and features. For me, it's been an experience with like-minded people that have a unique take on tech. I think that's just a priceless feeling and experience.
Sarae: I have to say getting out and being with other Snapdragon Insiders and experiencing what Snapdragon has to offer.
Ryan: Snapdragon has enabled us to have really unique experiences that you wouldn't get anywhere else. Like, here I am today in San Francisco, all the way from Scotland. To be here and have a front seat for what’s happening in tech is the most exciting part.
Want to experience events like Samsung Unpacked for yourself? Become a Snapdragon Insider for your chance to join in on the action.
What do you think about the Galaxy S23 Series? Whose #ShotOnSnapdragon pic is your favorite? Share your thoughts on all things Samsung Unpacked on Discord.
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