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Samsung Galaxy S9: my first impression
by Dominik Bärlocher
Samsung Unpacked 2018: The spectacle apart from the smartphone
26.2.2018
Translation: machine translated
Video: Dominik Bärlocher, Stephanie Tresch
Sure, the Samsung Galaxy S9 steals the show. But the Samsung Unpacked event in Barcelona is a spectacle in itself. A look behind the scenes of an event that turns tech industry officials into rock stars for an hour.
There are no longer many secrets about the Samsung Galaxy S9, as I have already revealed a lot in my first hands-on. At the official launch, however, the South Korean giant not only talked about its latest flagship, but also gave us a look behind the scenes of the company.
We've already talked about what the phone can do differently and better and published an article that tells you where you can buy it and at what price. So what's still missing?
Since Sunday's press conference was one of the first press conferences that didn't bring anything new for me - I've already seen it without video producer Stephanie Tresch in London - the night shift in Barcelona decided to tell you about the hustle and bustle at the press conference. Because with the launch of a flagship always comes the spectacle.
A brand celebrates itself
Even before the Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona, it is clear that Samsung is not spilling the beans. In the run-up to the event, all invited journalists had to download an app and enter a code. The app is the entry ticket and has an AR gag built in, which is the badge you receive after scanning the QR code in the app.
The queue is long. Very long. But despite our expectations, we don't have to stand on the edge of our seats. Everything goes quickly. Even the interview for the Vietnamese TV channel zing.vn that Stephanie has to give. In the video below you can see her very briefly at 32:42, because her interview has been cut out. The reason: she says almost the same thing as the gentleman from the industry magazine AndroidPolice before her.
Drinks and canapés await us in the Fira courtyard. We don't go, as we're a little short on time. Another manufacturer's press conference ran a little long and we managed the ten kilometres from press conference A to press conference B in a taxi that reeked of scented trees.
In the purple-lit hall where the press conference takes place, we realise for the first time just how big the event is. There is a stage in the centre of the room, surrounded by thousands of chairs.
When DJ Koh, Director of Samsung's mobile division, takes to the stage, the audience cheers for the first time. Seasoned journalists suddenly sound like teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert, hooting and whistling.
We get our cameras ready - two Sony a7s ii, a Samsung Galaxy S8+ and an LG V30+. We want to tweet and make videos. Because you've already received all the relevant information.
There's plenty of space in the hall. So I can easily take the cameras for a short walk while Koh talks on stage about the unimagined possibilities and new technological features of the S9. Despite everything, I listen attentively, because he might say something I haven't heard yet in London.
As the official commercial for the S9 begins, the room goes dark and the smartphones go up. The spectacle is perfect. #Samsung, #GalaxyS9 and #Unpacked are trending globally on Twitter.
The race in the demo area
After each press conference, there is an opportunity to get hands-on with the new devices. A press conference always lasts about an hour. That has become the norm at some point. After 50 minutes of stage show with DJ Koh and other Samsung personalities, I tell Stephanie to mount her a7s ii on the monopod and pack up everything else. Because we want to be the first in the hands-on area.
"We're looking for the big S9 in purple."
The curtain is drawn back. We make our way quickly to the next table. Others run. A Chinese journalist stumbles a few metres in front of me and falls down. Even during our shoot, we're being filmed over our shoulders and our AR emojis are probably going out over the airwaves somewhere in South America or somewhere else.
Outside in the courtyard, the buffet and the second demo area open. There, men demonstrate things with crazy experiments - in the loosest sense of the word - that can be captured by the Super Slow Motion Cam and look good. Other features can be tested at other stands.
Spectacle.
But we've seen enough, we just want to call an S9 our own so we can finally start testing. Our own super slow motion clips, pictures in the dark and AR emojis. Because under laboratory conditions and in demo areas, that's always one of those things.
We go for dinner. Then the night shift begins.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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