Still far from Apple: Samsung’s new mobile was presented tonight

The main innovation that the company chose to dwell on is a built-in privacy layer in the screen, especially in the ultra model. This is a technology that limits the viewing angles so that those looking from the side will see a darkened or blurred screen. The idea is not new, screen protectors with angle filtering have been sold for years, but here Samsung integrates the mechanism inside the panel itself.

In the demos, the pixels appeared to be proactively darkening at a sharp angle. Whether this is a feature that will change the life of the average user, or mainly a nice gimmick for a presentation, we will only find out in daily use. Some users claim that such screens do block those next to you from viewing your screen, but the screen is darker and requires a precise direction towards the center of the eye.

At the center of the event was also the announcement of cooperation with the artificial intelligence agent Paraplexity. Samsung integrates it as part of the Galaxy AI lineup, with voice activation using the Hi Flex command or a long press on the side button. Scenarios were demonstrated on stage in which the user asks a complex question, requests to change a setting or edit a photo, and the system performs the action immediately.

We have already heard such promises in recent years from almost every manufacturer. Here, too, it is mainly about deepening the integration between a smart assistant and system applications such as a calendar, gallery and clock. The initial version will arrive as part of the beta of the One UI 8.5 interface. The big question is not whether it works on stage, but how stable, accurate and above all useful it is over time.

In the field of photography, Samsung continues to bet on text-based editing. You can change day to night, fill in missing areas of an image, merge several shots or add imaginary objects using a verbal command. In one demonstration a spaceship was added to the picture, in another a cake that was bitten was recreated. The capabilities are technologically impressive, but also raise questions about authenticity and the border between photography and fully processed reality.

Other upgrades concern video stabilization with improved horizon locking and improvements in night photography. Here too, it is a continuation of an existing trend and not a dramatic breakthrough.

Next to the phones, Galaxy Buds 4 headphones and a Pro model were presented. The headphones include active noise cancellation and detection of emergency vehicle sirens, with the music being turned down automatically. This is a proper safety supplement, although it is hard to ignore the fact that the field of headphones has become very saturated. The comparisons to the products of Apple and Google have risen openly, but at least at this stage it is not clear whether there is a distinct advantage here or mainly a patching of gaps.

A new magnetic wireless charger was also introduced, in the QA2 standard and with a power of up to 25 watts. The design, including magnetic attachment, is reminiscent of older solutions from the competitor from Cupertino. Samsung emphasizes an improvement in efficiency and energy management, although the batteries themselves have not grown.

The entire event tried to convey a leap towards a future where artificial intelligence manages the device for us, understands contexts and performs complex operations in natural language. In practice, the feeling is of a gradual upgrade. Samsung continues to be a major player, but it’s hard to say that tonight we saw a move that shakes the market.

And while Samsung is talking about a revolution, it should be remembered that the bar in the mobile market has been set for years by Apple, which still manages to create a feeling of a more complete and polished product, even when the innovations themselves are not radical. Samsung presents an impressive list of features, but it is not certain that it is the same overall level of performance that made Apple the undisputed queen of the field.