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Samsung sets Unpacked event for August 13 in NYC

Mark your calendars. Samsung's next product debut hits New York, not Berlin, and comes earlier than in past years. There likely will be a new Galaxy Note 5, as well as other possible devices.

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Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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Jessica Dolcourt
Shara Tibken
2 min read

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Samsung will show off its newest devices in an event in August. Samsung

Excited about Samsung's annual Galaxy Note debut at the IFA conference in September? Don't be. Samsung is moving the whole production up two weeks and changing venues from Berlin to New York.

Invitations to Samsung Unpacked, set for August 13 at Lincoln Center, arrived in our inboxes on Monday. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. Eastern, and doors open at 10 a.m. (As always, CNET will cover the event live.)

Although Samsung isn't saying so for sure, we'd bet the bank it'll introduce the next in its line of large-screen phones: the stylus-toting, multitasking Galaxy Note 5 "phablet." Samsung also could show off a new Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, which whispers and leaks point to as a handset with a 5.7-inch screen that curves over on both sides.

Keep an eye out, too, for a new smartwatch (its seventh!) or fitness band. We'd also anticipate an upgrade to Samsung's Gear VR headset for virtual reality, whose technology is feeling pressure from HTC's Vive kit and Microsoft's impressive HoloLens .

New York, New York

New York is an unexpected location for this launch; for the past four years, Samsung has made the Note series synonymous with the IFA trade show in Berlin. The event typically takes place at the beginning of September and is followed closely by Apple's fall iPhone launch. Introducing its newest phones earlier gives Samsung a jump on Apple and allows its devices to dominate the news instead of being pushed aside by the latest iPhone.

However, Samsung unveilings and New York do share some history. In 2013, the electronics giant staged a notoriously controversial Broadway-style kickoff for the Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship, temporarily skipping Samsung's typical Mobile World Congress event. It also introduced its Galaxy Tab S tablet in New York last year and has introduced various televisions, home appliances and other products in the city.

Samsung also has centered its US business in the New York City area, with operations in both Manhattan and New Jersey. The company in June officially opened its Global Marketing Center of Excellence, or COE, in New York's Meatpacking District. The COE occupies three floors of office space at a new building that will feature an executive briefing center, "experiential product showcase" and event space when it's completed later this year.

Samsung needs a home run now more than ever. After facing its seventh straight profit decline and slackening industry sales across the board, the Korean conglomerate must hope that its premium-priced Note series continues to sell well in mature Asian and US markets, while also making headway abroad.