The much-awaited Samsung Unpacked 2017 event is now part of history but only time will tell if the devices unveiled by the Korean tech giant will soon become legendary. Like mythology's Pandora's box, Samsung unpacked its own hypothetical treasure chest or large jar. Instead of all the evils of the world, however, the company unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S8 which is meant to make up for the company's previous missteps. The flagship smartphone is not the only star in the event, however, as Samsung also debuted a few new and impressive products.
Probably the most interesting innovation that Samsung unboxed yesterday was Bixby, its own digital assistant. The AI will be available on the Samsung Galaxy S8 though it will only work with selected apps for now such as Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Netflix.
The Samsung Gear VR with a controller was first introduced at the 2017 MWC. The VR headset is quite similar to the original one but is a tad larger and weighs a bit more. The main difference is the controller. The new Samsung Gear VR now comes with an Oculus-powered controller. At the Unpacked event, it was revealed that the headset plus the controller will retail for $130 while the controller alone will cost $39. Samsung also announced that they will be available starting April 21. According to CNET, pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy S8 will come bundled with a Gear VR headset and the new controller.
Samsung also has a new and vastly improved Gear 360 capture camera. The 2017 version is slimmer than its predecessor though it has better features including 4K video recording capabilities. The Samsung Gear 360 is now capable of live streaming iOS and YouTube.
Simply put, the Samsung DeX Dock transforms the Galaxy S8 into a desktop computer. The sleek-looking device works like the Microsoft display dock as Venture Beat noted.
The Samsung Connect Home is a new product that allows users to connect to their smart home or more particularly, the SmartThings platform. The device will come in a Pro variant and is said to be available on its own or in a pack of three.
Samsung Health is basically the same as S Health but with a new name and new features. Users can now contact a health expert via the telehealth. The app also has a new interface, social capabilities and personalized insights.
