When is the next Samsung Unpacked event? It could be in January – CNET [CNET]

Samsung hosted five separate Unpacked events this year, but as we inch closer to the end of 2021, what’s next for the South Korean electronics giant? Although there hasn’t yet been any official word about Samsung’s next Unpacked event, rumors say the company could be gearing up to hold an event in early 2022. 

Samsung announced a bunch of products at its events earlier this year. In January (the same week as CES 2021), the company took the wraps off the Galaxy S21 lineup with a standard Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra model. The flagship line was unveiled alongside the Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds and SmartTag object tracker. Then in March, Samsung announced the cheaper Galaxy A smartphones, followed by new Galaxy Book laptops in April. 

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The latest product launch from the company happened in August, when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2. New options to customize Samsung’s foldable phones were later announced at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked part two on Oct. 20. 

When could the next Samsung event be? Will next year bring the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra? What about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE? Read on for everything we know so far. We’ll update this story as new information becomes available. 

When is the next Samsung event? 

Samsung has yet to confirm the date and time for its next Unpacked event, but rumor has it the company could host a launch in January, around the same time as CES 2022. 

Samsung’s first Unpacked event of 2021 was held on Jan. 14, the last day of CES 2021. Assuming Samsung has similar plans in store for 2022, this would put the next Unpacked event somewhere around the second week of January, when CES 2022 will take place. 

However, Jon Prosser, the founder of Front Page Tech and a well-known leaker (albeit with a mixed track record), speculates Samsung will hold an Unpacked event on Jan. 4, 2022 where it will unwrap the rumored Galaxy S21 Fan Edition, or FE. This would put the event just a day before the start of CES 2022, which will run from Jan. 5 to Jan. 8. 

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Another Unpacked event, focused on the Galaxy S22 lineup, is said to be scheduled for Feb. 8, according to Prosser. Samsung hosted a February event in 2020 and 2019 as well, but both were the company’s first event of the year. The launches showed off foldable phones, earbuds and the company’s S lineup with the S20 and S10, respectively. Both events were followed up by another launch in August focused on the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Watch.

Will the next Galaxy Unpacked be livestreamed? 

Many other recent Samsung Galaxy Unpacked events have been livestreamed, so it’s likely the next launch will follow suit. 

This past January, Samsung’s event was available to watch live on its YouTube page or website homepage. CNET also hosted a live show that started 30 mins before the launch event. We’ll update this story with details about how to watch the next Unpacked event as information becomes available. 

When could we see the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22? 

Samsung may have unveiled a slew of hardware this year, but we’re still waiting on a few new devices from the electronics company. We anticipate the release of the Galaxy S22 lineup and Galaxy S21 FE in early 2022. But we’ll have to wait and see if we get the phones (and maybe a few other devices, like the Galaxy Tab S8) at Samsung’s next event. 

In the meantime, check out CNET’s list of the most exciting phones to look forward to in 2022, our Galaxy S22 wish list and how the Galaxy S21 could compare to the S22 and S21 FE. For more about Android phones, check out CNET’s review of Google’s Pixel 6 and why you should give Pixel phones another chance. If you’re more of an Apple fan, take a look at all the rumors about the next Apple event, the iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 14.