UFO hovers over London! Amazing photos show "invasion" of Samsung launch party

James Artaius
·3 min read
10
550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event.
550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event.

Galaxy invasion! To mark the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, a flying saucer measuring 525 feet descended on the iconic skyline of London, England.

The UFO was comprised of 550 drones, engaging in a complex aerial demonstration that took over 650 hours to design and program. A series of stunning images of the event were captured on a Canon EOS R5, Sony A9 and Nikon D5 – which you can see below. I've also embedded a video of the "invasion" at the end of the article, which is definitely worth a watch!

550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event
550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event

After a spectacular takeoff, the display began with the drones forming the words "Galaxy AI is here" in the stars above The Thames. After the drones transformed into an outline of the new S24 handset, they then engaged in a spectacular and dynamic depiction of the stars and solar system in motion.

While I thought that a spinning Saturn, complete with rings, was the culmination of the aerial demonstration, things kicked into an even higher gear when the drones combined to form a stunning flying saucer – with a design evoking of the iconic UFO from Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event
550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event

"To celebrate the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, we wanted to capture the wonder and amazement of this new age of smartphone by creating a spectacular drone show that would gaze beyond our planet and into the galaxy," said Annika Bizon, Samsung UK and Ireland's marketing and omnichannel director.

"We brought the stars, solar system and universe closer than ever before to the British public to demonstrate the infinite possibilities as we look to embark on a new journey with Galaxy AI."

550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event
550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event

While the latest Samsung flagships look very similar to their predecessors, the real difference is in the highly touted – and highly capable – Galaxy AI.

"Following in the footsteps of Apple, Samsung is working to refine its flagship smartphones to perfection, and the S24 series might be the closest it has come so far," said my colleague Luke Baker in his hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 review.

550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event
550 drones form UFOs, planets and phones in the sky above London, at the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event

"This year, a lot of the focus is on AI software enhancements, and these phones are packed with AI-powered productivity tools and image-editing tricks. The camera hardware is essentially unchanged, with only the S24 Ultra’s telephoto camera getting a proper upgrade, but with image processing this powerful, the S24 series may prove how little the hardware matters in 2024."

You can watch Samsung's recap of the drone display in the video embedded below. I've witnessed (sometimes endured) a lot of interesting PR stunts over the years, but I think this is the coolest and most creative I've ever seen!

If you're a phone freak, check out the best camera phones – specifically the best Samsung phones and the best Android phones. And if the display has inspired you, take a look at the best drones for beginners and the best camera drones overall.