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Journalism of Courage
Samsung’s smartphone business came in under pressure from Chinese players, but the company ended the year with a bang. That’s because Samsung invested heavily in mid-range smartphones and that gamble seemed to have paid off in many international markets. In fact, Samsung had three mid-range smartphones in the list of best-selling smartphones in the third quarter of 2019, all of which were launched in its popular Galaxy A-series.
In 2019, Samsung released the Galaxy S10 lineup in February, the Note 10 series in August and the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71 in December. Samsung’s most expensive smartphone – and trouble Galaxy Fold also went on sale in 2019. And as expected, Samsung had launched several mid-range smartphones throughout the year, out of which the Galaxy M30s stood out the most.
Being the world’s smartphone maker, Samsung will certainly launch more smartphones and refresh existing smartphone series. With the new year approaching fast, here’s a look at every Samsung smartphone that is expected to launch in the first half of 2020.
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S11 lineup in February, as it has done in the past few years. There will be three models with three different screen sizes. A recent leak from Evan Blass points to 6.4-inches for the Galaxy S11e, 6.7-inches for the Galaxy S11 and 6.9-inches for the Galaxy S11+. This year’s trio of smartphones is expected to feature improved camera optics with the Galaxy S11+ most likely using a 108MP image sensor. The successors to the Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e are said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor in most countries, which signals a shift in strategy. The Galaxy S11 lineup is rumoured to launch in San Francisco on February 18.
Also read| Five most underrated gadgets of 2019
Despite the original Galaxy Fold met with a mixed response, Samsung has big plans in the foldable smartphone space. If Samsung continues with its current strategy, there could be a brand new foldable smartphone in February. Ice Universe, who has a good track in predicting Samsung devices in advance, claims the Galaxy Fold 2 could use a glass display. The leaker predicts that Samsung has created an “ultra-thin glass cover” for its next foldable phone. Does that mean the Galaxy Fold 2 will be more durable? We don’t know yet, but Ice Universe claims that the bendable glass looks flatter and has less wrinkles. We’ll find out soon.
Samsung just announced the Galaxy A51 and A71 in December, but the company could launch two more mid-range smartphones in the coming days. According to the Korea Herald, the two alleged devices could be called the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite. Both smartphones will be more streamlined versions of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10. The Korea Herald says both phones will initially go on sale in India, but outside of this market, it’s not clear where these phones will be available. The new phones are said to boast of superior build, improved cameras, and bigger batteries. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite, in fact, will be the most affordable smartphone with the S Pen. Pricing has not been clear, but there’s a chance we will more about the two smartphones at CES 2020.
Also read| Best mid-range budget phones of 2019: Redmi Note 7 Pro to Realme 3 Pro and more
Don’t be surprised if Samsung announced the Galaxy M31 at the beginning of next year. The successor to the Galaxy M30 will be a budget smartphone, a price segment where Samsung needs more devices. Details are limited, but we expect the phone to feature a slightly improved camera system, a better internal processor and Android 10 out of the box. When launched, the Galaxy M31 will compete against the likes of Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8, among others.
Reports have long suggested that Samsung is working on a new version of the Galaxy Buds, a pair of truly wireless earbuds. There’s no official confirmation yet, but the company could launch a new pair of truly wireless earbuds alongside the Galaxy S11 and Galaxy Fold 2 in February.
This time around, though, the Galaxy Buds 2 will compete against Apple’s popular AirPods Pro. It is said that the new wireless earbuds will support active noise cancellation (ANC), and they will cost more than the current-generation Galaxy Buds. Given the tough competition in the truly wireless earbuds market, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Samsung undercuts Apple by selling the Galaxy Buds at a cheaper price.
And then there is the Galaxy Tab S6. Samsung is rumoured to launch a new version of the Galaxy Tab S6, though it will support 5G. Samsung has already started promoting the tablet on the company’s Korean website, even though it hasn’t officially unveiled the Galaxy Tab S6 5G yet. We don’t know the price or internal specs other than5G support. the tablet has been rumoured for a while, and it looks like the launch of the Galaxy Tab S6 5G will be closer than ever.
