Samsung is about to take the wraps off its next smartphone, and you don't want to miss a second of the Galaxy Note 9's big reveal today (Aug. 9). Fortunately, Samsung's got you covered.
Samsung plans to stream its Galaxy Unpacked event on its website. The live stream begins at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT on Aug. 9, the same time the event itself will be kicking off in New York. Tom's Guide will be on hand at Unpacked to share our impressions on whatever Samsung announces.
So what are you likely to see when you tune in for the Aug. 9 event? The safest bet you'll ever make is that the Note 9 figures prominently on the agenda.
MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Rumors: Release Date, Specs and More
Leaks about the Galaxy Note 9 — many of them from Samsung itself — have told us a lot about what to expect with the new phone. The Note 9 should look a lot like the Note 8 with an Infinity Display that stretches from edge to edge. The AMOLED screen could squeeze in more space, though.
It's all but certain the Note 9 will run on a Snapdragon 845, the Qualcomm mobile processing platform found in most flagship Android devices these days. Samsung will reportedly offer up to 8GB of RAM and could even include up to 512GB of storage for its new phone. A video teaser about the new phone from Samsung suggests that the Note 9 will offer plenty of on-board storage, at any rate.
Several rumors anticipate a bigger battery than the 3,300 mAh power pack in the Galaxy Note 8, and longer battery life appears to be one of the promised features in Samsung's next phone, again courtesy of one of those teaser videos.
Samsung announced earlier this year that Bixby 2, an update to its digital assistant, would debut on the Note 9. Other rumors suggest that Samsung will tinker with the S Pen that ships alongside its Note smartphone, adding Bluetooth compatibility to the new version of the stylus.
Really, the biggest question mark surrounding the Note 9 is whether it will come in at the same $930 to $960 price range that the Note 8 debuted at, or if Samsung will up the price on its latest phone. Samsung has tipped its hand on when we can expect the phone to hit stores. A page that lets you reserve a space for preordering the phone says you'll get the Note 9 by Aug. 24.
Another big question: will the Note 9 will be the only product to take the stage at Samsung's events? Samsung reportedly has other devices close to shipping, though it already revealed one — the Galaxy Tab S4.
Samsung is reportedly working on a new smartwatch, but instead of calling it the Gear S4, this model would be known as the Galaxy Watch. Rumors suggest 38mm and 42mm sizes along with a bigger battery than what shipped in the Gear S3. Samsung could showcase this watch alongside the Note 9 this week, though it could just as easily wait until the IFA trade show in Berlin at the end of this month, where the company is holding an Aug. 30 press conference.
Another gadget in the works is Samsung's entry into the smart speaker space, with a Bixby-powered device. If Bixby 2 is indeed part of the Note 9's launch story, then a speaker featuring that same updated assistant could be a complementary product. In July, the Wall Street Journal said a Bixby Speaker would launch in the "next month or so," with an expected price tag of $300.
One product that could share the stage with the Note 9 has nothing to do with Samsung. Multiple reports suggest that Fortnite, the very popular multiplayer shooter game, will make its long-awaited Android debut on Samsung's new phone. If true, it seems fitting that Fornite would share in the Note 9's spotlight this week.
