Samsung, the Note5, and the Murky Middle of Smartphones

Samsung's marketing budget hit a record $14 billion two years ago, and while those heady days may be a thing of the past, the company today spared no expense in letting the world know that it has a new smartphone it would like you to buy. Two smartphones ,actually.

Samsung rented out Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City to debut the Galaxy Note5 (unlike previous Notes, there's no space between "Note" and "5") and the Galaxy S6 edge+. Both smartphones are firmly in the phablet category, as both have displays that are a whole 5.7 inches, though the edge+'s is curved ever so slightly. As is typically the case, both devices are thinner and lighter than their predecessors, and have faster processors and more memory. Samsung has a full list of all the tech specs here.

Reporters were able to test drive the devices at the event, and there's no denying that Samsung has done a pretty excellent job here: both retain the high-end fit and finish of their smaller cousins, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, and both are ideal for folks needing more real estate to pound out email after email or watch funny cat videos. Samsung has even worked out a deal with Google-owned YouTube for a Periscope-like livestreaming app that comes with the devices. TouchWiz, Samsung's custom user interface for Android, is still here, but the company has progressively dialed it down so it's not as overbearing as in the days of the S3 and S4.

The gist, basically, is that they're Samsung's latest and greatest—"Next is Now," in the company's marketing copy. But you knew that already! What you might not have known is how much the company needs them to be a hit.

Ever since 2011, Samsung has introduced the latest Galaxy Note at IFA, a tech industry trade show held in early September in Berlin. This year, Samsung bumped up the date, and brought the event to New York, the center of the universe, to better capture press attention. (We were there, so that's something.)

Bumping the date up also helps Samsung avoid being overshadowed by the all-conquering iPhone, which Apple also typically introduces in early September. (This year, according to BuzzFeed, that date is likely September 9.) And word today is that Xiaomi, the fast-growing Chinese smartphone maker that has snatched a great deal of market share away from Samsung, will release its latest phablet, the Redmi Note 2, in just a few days, too. Yikes!

But for at least a couple weeks, all eyes are on Samsung's new devices. Samsung needs the Note5 and S6 edge+ to do well because it's being targeted on the low-end by companies like Xiaomi and on the high-end by Apple. Yes, the Note5 and S6 edge+ are wonderful devices at first blush, but Samsung may have a hard time convincing consumers, particularly those in emerging markets, that they should spend upwards of $600 on them (official pricing has not been announced yet) when Xiaomi is happy to sell them a phablet for less than $200.

This need to do well is partly why I thought we might see the return of Weird Samsung, a company so thirsty for success that it would embarrass itself and the wider industry just to attract attention. Unfortunately for me, since I was looking forward to a day at the circus, I think it's safe to say that Weird Samsung is now a thing of the past. Today's presentation was simple and professional, with presenters bathed in soft white light while perched on the stage of Alice Tully Hall's auditorium. There were no wacky celebrity appearances, no awkward tete-a-tetes between executives, though there were plenty of points in the script where Samsung expected the audience to laugh. Nope: today Samsung was here to sell, sell, sell you on the idea of getting a Galaxy S6 edge+ or Galaxy Note5 before Tim Cook steals away your attention in just a few weeks.

Both devices are available in the US on August 21, with pre-orders beginning today at all the major wireless carriers.