Unpacked: From Invitation to Reality

For several years, Samsung Electronic has introduced its newest flagship mobile devices with its Galaxy Unpacked events. And about a month before the event itself, anticipation is built with a carefully designed invitation, fashioned to evoke the new device that’s about to be unveiled. But what’s the connection between that invitation and the innovative product Samsung launches? It turns out there are always clues, once you know what to look for.

2012 Unpacked Invitation and Galaxy S3

In 2012, people were asked to “come and meet the next Galaxy” with an invitation that featured shiny splashes of color in organic, natural shapes. When the Galaxy S3 made its debut in London, it too featured rich colors and a natural design form.

2013 Unpacked Invitation Episode 2 and Galaxy Note 3

For Unpacked Episode 2 in 2013, the big clue was the white stitching around the invitation. That event launched the Galaxy Note 3, notable for its textured back cover, which featured delicate stitching around the outside.

2014 Unpacked Invitation and Galaxy S5

The invitation for the Unpacked in February 2014 showed nine colorful icons and plenty of number 5s. Those icons matched the style of the new UX and the redesigned icons used for the new Galaxy S5.

2014 Unpacked Episode 2 Invitation and Galaxy Note 4

Later that year came Unpacked Episode 2, and this time the invitation showed a sketch of a semi-circle, with several icons laid out around the arc. That drawing turned out to be a reference to Air Command, a useful new interface that debuted with the Galaxy Note 4. With Air Command, ejecting the S Pen from its holder automatically brought up such S Pen related apps as Action Memo, Screen Write, Image Clip and Smart Select.

2015 Unpacked Invitation and Galaxy S6 edge

Last year, the Unpacked invitation in Barcelona simply asked “What’s Next”—but with an elegant and suggestive curve cutting across the page. That turned out to be the introduction of the Galaxy S6 edge, which featured a dual curved screen.

2015 Unpacked venue and Gear S2

Then in September 2015 came the debut of the Gear S2, Samsung’s stylish new smartwatch. The big surprise this time was the Gear S2’s unique UX, centered around a rotating bezel. To reflect that major change in design, the shape of the entire showcase was made circular.

2016 Unpacked Invitation

Now, Samsung is promising an Unpacked event that can “rethink what a phone can do.” In addition to the invitation, Samsung introduced a new video, “Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 – #TheNextGalaxy”, featuring someone wearing a Gear VR, using virtual reality to open a mysterious black box. All we know is the tagline from the short video: “#TheNextGalaxy.” Are you ready to enjoy the next Galaxy and Unpacked event on February 21?