We now know when the Galaxy S23 will launch. Samsung just announced a Galaxy Unpacked event for February 1.
Galaxy Unpacked gets underway at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. GMT as a live event in San Francisco. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup is widely expected to debut there, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra with rumored 200MP camera.
The February 1 event date fits in with most rumored release schedules for the new editions of Samsung’s flagship phone. Samsung’s even starting to take pre-orders on whatever devices it shows off. (More on that below.)
Evidence is pretty convincing for this being the Galaxy S23 launch. For starters, Samsung typically shows off its new flagships in February each year, with the latest Galaxy S model appearing in February for four of the last five phone launches.
Then there’s the graphic accompanying Samsung’s invitation to its February 1 event. The invite includes the date, 10 a.m. PT start time and a note that Galaxy Unpacked will be live streamed on Samsung.com. That information is highlighted by a trio of spotlights appearing in descending order — a look that’s very reminiscent of the rear camera array on the latest Galaxy S models.
Galaxy S23: Big focus on cameras
That graphic is not a coincidence. Cameras figure to be a big part of the Galaxy S23 launch, with leaked promotional materials hinting at improvements to low-light photography. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, in particular, has been rumored to be adding a 200MP main camera, a big leap up from the 108MP sensor that the current Galaxy S22 Ultra features. It sounds like we’ll be finding out if that rumor’s accurate in a few weeks.
While the February 1 Galaxy Unpacked event will be Samsung’s first since the Galaxy S20 debuted at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, you’ll still be able to watch a live stream of the product launch. Samsung says it will stream Galaxy Unpacked from its website (opens in new tab), and the company’s also been known to also post event live streams on YouTube (opens in new tab). A URL for that video feed won’t appear until we get closer to the February 1 event date.
Galaxy Unpacked pre-order information
You won’t have to wait that long to snag a place in line for pre-ordering whatever Samsung announces on February 1. The company is already letting people reserve the right to pre-order whatever new device Samsung announces.
You’ll be rewarded for getting in on the pre-ordering early, too. Samsung says anyone reserving a pre-order spot on Samsung.com (opens in new tab) or in the Shop Samsung App prior to February 1 will be eligible for a $50 Samsung Credit when they order one device or a $100 credit for ordering two.
We don’t yet know the pricing Samsung will set for its unannounced phones, but most S23 pricing rumors suggest that the standard model, Plus version and Ultra option will cost the same as what Samsung has charged for recent models. In that scenario, the standard S23 would start at $799 followed by $999 for the Plus and $1,199 for the Ultra. In other words, that Samsung credit could come in handy.
Galaxy Unpacked: What’s getting announced
It’s unclear whether Samsung will only show off the Galaxy S23 family at the February 1 Unpacked or if other products re in the works. Last year, at the Unpacked event announcing the Galaxy S22’s arrival, Samsung announced Galaxy Tab S8 tablets. At a subsequent Unpacked in August, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip were shown of alongside two Galaxy Watch 5 models and Galaxy Buds Pro 2 wireless earbuds.
It’s possible more tablets could show up at this year’s Galaxy Unpacked event or even Galaxy Book laptops, though with three phones to show off, Samsung could just as easily choose to concentrate on its new handsets. We certainly haven’t heard many rumors about anything beyond the Galaxy S23 release in rumors leading up to this latest announcement.
Samsung’s preorder page, of all places, gives us the best clue of what to expect. When you go to reserve your pre-order, you have the option of designating whether you’re going to buy a future smartphone or a Galaxy Book for your $50 credit. You can also reserve both for $100. That would seem to suggest both a phone and a laptop are going to appear on February 1.
Stick with Tom’s Guide in the build-up to the Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1 as we learn more about what Samsung has planned.