Samsung Galaxy Note 9: How to Watch Samsung's UNPACKED and What to Expect

The Korean tech Goliath Samsung is expected to launch its new phone-tablet hybrid at its August 9 Galaxy UNPACKED event in Brooklyn, New York. In a gift to smartphone nerds, many of the specs and features for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9 appear to have already leaked online, but of course, that’s not all that Samsung has up its sleeve for its announcement.

The company teased the follow-up to the Galaxy Note 8 with videos showcasing its upgraded stylus, and an ensuing torrent of leaks have revealed everything from the color options to pretty much every key feature it’ll ship with.

But while the smartphone devotees likely already know what to expect, there are still some color choices and a rumored Fortnite-related feature that needs confirmation.

Samsung UNPACKED: How to Tune In From Home

These device drops and feature announcements will kick off Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern. Samsung will be streaming the entirety of the event on its website.

Samsung UNPACKED: The Galaxy Note 9 Will Have the Spotlight

If the leaked announcement video hasn’t made it clear, the event will center on the Galaxy Note 9. The stylus-sporting smartphone will come with some major specs upgrades and it could be the first Android phone that’s capable of running the vastly-popular video game Fortnite: Battle Royal.

• S Pen is leveling up: All of the event’s teaser videos have featured glimpses of the Galaxy Note 9’s upgraded stylus. Improvements to its precision and sensitivity are likely but it might also be retrofitted with Bluetooth capabilities, according to a Samsung filing to the FCC. This could enable the virtual pen to wirelessly control certain phone features.

• Massive storage space: The company accidentally leaked that the smartphone will have the ability to store just over 1-terabyte of photos, videos, and apps. The most souped-up version will come with 512GB-worth of space and will support an additional 512GB microSD card. It’ll be like having the storage space of a laptop in the palm of your hands.

• Potential bigger battery: Samsung Galaxy Note devices have a troubled history with batteries, but there has been chatter that the Note 9 will see some major improvements. A filing with ANATEL — a Brazilian telecommunications agency — suggests that the phone will come with a 4,000mAH battery. That’s a sizable step-up from the Note 8’s 3,300mAH battery.

• S9-like speeds: Samsung released its flagship Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus earlier this year, both of which came with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor. Seeing as this is the chipmaker’s most cutting-edge phone processor, it’ll likely be powering the Note 9 as well.

• Three potential colors: Smartphone leaker Evan Blass tweeted an image showing the phone will come in black, blue, and brown color variants. Samsung’s leaked announcement video confirmed the blue option, but it remains to be seen if the other two colors Blass shared will be hitting the shelves as well.

• Fortnite exclusive: A Fornite app has thus far been unavailable for Android users, but the Note 9 might be the first to offer it. A timed exclusive of the game might be coming to the Note 9 and other Samsung smartphones on August 9.

Samsung UNPACKED: Other Devices Might Make a Debut, Too

• New Smart Watch: Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch will now be called the Galaxy Watch, according to another accidental leak reported by CNET. The screenshot seems to show that the wearable will move away from the “Gear” family and it’ll come in rose gold.

• Wireless Charger: Yet another leak — this time courtesy of Amazon — showcased Samsung’s upcoming wireless charger that will have the capability of charging two devices at once.