With the dawn of the new year, we are eagerly waiting for a boatload of smartphones powered by the latest Snapdragon 888 chipset to start pouring in. Xiaomi has taken the crown for the launch of the first Snapdragon 888 smartphone. But, Korean giant Samsung is also rumored to be pushing for an early launch this year. The Galaxy S21 series has leaked heavily over the few weeks, leaving nothing to the imagination. We not only know how it will look, the guts that power the phones, but also the expected price tag and color variants.
So, if you are eager to learn everything about the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra ahead of the official launch, you have made the right pit stop. So, let’s not waste any more time and discuss the rumored launch date, new design, internal specifications, and the rumored price tag of the upcoming flagship series:
Galaxy S21 Series: Launch Date
Samsung has already started teasing the upcoming Galaxy S21 series. It has shared a video offering us a look back at the Galaxy S-series. It ends with the tagline ‘A new Galaxy awaits’ in 2021. You can check out the teaser right here:
The company is yet to share the official date for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event. The rumors, however, suggest that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S21 series on 14th January via a live stream at 3:00 PM GMT/ 8:30 IST. We have been hearing of this date for quite a while now. And now, reputable tipster Ishan Agarwal has tweeted out the launch date, along with the invite.
Galaxy Unpacked 2021 Invite!
The Next Galaxy is coming on January 14. The Live stream will start through Samsung's Official Website at 3PM GMT / 8:30PM IST
Excited for the #GalaxyS21 Series? #GalaxyUnpacked #UNPACKED2021
Please credit & link for more: https://t.co/DWl1WBWaDd pic.twitter.com/KJ0YlVVpdD
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) December 30, 2020
Galaxy S21 Series: Design & Features
The upcoming S21 lineup will not look a whole lot different from its predecessor on the front. The standard S21 and S21 Plus will include a flat AMOLED display with minimal bezels and a centered punch-hole selfie camera. The S21 Ultra, on the other hand, will have a bigger display that’s slightly curved at the edges.
The biggest design change will be the camera modules. The metal frame of the three variants will curve at the right edge and seamlessly blend into the camera system (as shown in the hands-on images below). The camera island will look like it’s part of the smartphone’s frame. All three variants will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 888 chipset or Exynos 2100 (launching on 12th January) in some regions like India.
S21+ ?
i never leak images,
but a friend sent me these, so hey.. pic.twitter.com/npjamUSlTh— Mauri QHD (@MauriQHD) December 29, 2020
As for the color variants, the standard S21 will be available in four colorways – gray, white, pink, purple. Both the S21 Plus and S21 Ultra will launch in silver and black colorways, but the former also has a purple variant (with gold/ bronze edges).
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S Pen Support Confirmed
One of the highlights of the high-end Galaxy S21 Ultra will be S Pen support. It will be the first Samsung phone outside the Note lineup to have stylus support. It will not have an S Pen cavity but you will be able to buy an S Pen and compatible carrying case separately. In the tweet below, you can see how some of the official cases will look like:
Exclusive for @mysmartprice: Samsung's Galaxy S21 Series Official Cases. The design language is a… choice. What do you think? Wouldn't covering the camera bump make these covers thick?#GalaxyS21 #Samsung #GalaxyS21Series
Please credit & link: https://t.co/8yBsWfyRcj pic.twitter.com/WHHaAAYFPP
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) December 29, 2020
Also, if you like the Galaxy S21 wallpapers, then you can head to this link to download and use these pastel-colored wallpapers on your device already.
Galaxy S21, S21 Plus & S21 Ultra: Specifications
Instead of giving you the entire specifications step-by-step in lengthy paragraphs, we have compiled a table for you to easily check out the specs of each Galaxy S21 variant. You can also see how they compare to each other right here:
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21 Plus | Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 151.7 x 71.2 x 8.9 mm | 162.6 x 76.2 x 8.9 mm | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | ~170 grams | ~204 grams | 228 grams |
| Back Panel | Reinforced Plastic | Glass | Glass |
| Display | 6.2-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED 2X, 120Hz 2400 x 1080-pixel | 6.7-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED 2X, 120Hz 2400 x 1440-pixel | 6.8-inch WQHD+ AMOLED 2X, 120Hz 3200 x 1440-pixel |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888, or Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 888, or Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 888, or Exynos 2100 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB 256GB | 128GB 256GB | 128GB 256GB 512GB |
| Operating System | Android 11-based OneUI 3.1 | Android 11-based OneUI 3.1 | Android 11-based OneUI 3.1 |
| Rear Cameras | Triple Camera Setup 12MP primary 12MP ultra-wide, 120-degree FOV 64MP telephoto, 3x optical zoom, OIS | Triple Camera Setup 12MP primary 12MP ultra-wide, 120-degree FOV 64MP telephoto, 3x optical zoom, OIS | Quad Camera Setup 108MP primary, OIS 12MP ultra-wide, 120-degree FOV 10MP telephoto, 3x optical zoom, OIS 10MP periscope, 10x hybrid zoom, OIS |
| Selfie Camera | 10MP (f/2.2) | 10MP (f/2.2) | 40MP (f/2.2) |
| Video Capability | up to 8K @ 30fps 720p @ 960fps | up to 8K @ 30fps 720p @ 960fps | up to 8K @ 30fps 720p @ 960fps |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C 3.2 | 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C 3.2 | 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C 3.2 |
| Battery | 4,000mAh 25W fast-charging Qi wireless charging | 4,800mAh 25W fast-charging Qi wireless charging | 5,000mAh 25W fast-charging Qi wireless charging |
Price and Availability
There’s nothing left to the imagination with the Galaxy S21 series. Reputable tipster Roland Quandt of WinFuture has also shared what each variant will cost in Europe. You can check out the price list down below:
- Galaxy S21 (8GB+128GB) – 849 euros (~Rs. 75,300)
- Galaxy S21 (8GB+128GB) – 899 euros (~Rs. 79,750)
- Galaxy S21 Plus (8GB+128GB) – 1049 euros (~Rs. 93,050)
- Galaxy S21 Plus (8GB+128GB) – 1099 euros (~Rs. 97,499)
- Galaxy S21 Ultra (12GB+128GB) – 1349 euros (~Rs. 1,19,650)
- Galaxy S21 Ultra (12GB+256GB) – 1399 euros (~Rs. 1,24,000)
- Galaxy S21 Ultra (12GB+512GB) – 1529 euros (~Rs. 1,35,600)
As you can see above, Samsung will lower the entry barrier for its Galaxy S-series this year. The Galaxy S21 series will start at 849 euros as opposed to the 899 euros launch price of its predecessor. It is currently unknown whether the company will bring the 5G variants to India or not.
If you are certain about getting any of the aforesaid S21 variants, you can already pre-order the upcoming flagship (via XDA) in the US. Samsung is offering users $50 credit against accessories when they reserve their device. Rumors suggest that Samsung has started accepting pre-orders in India as well.
Galaxy S21 Series: Focus on Design and Cameras
Samsung already has the formula for how to make a good flagship smartphone. It has decided not to pour in Chemical X and not toy with what already works. The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus will offer you a powerful flagship with an elegant design and better cameras. The S21 Ultra, on the other hand, gains a power-up for professional users. It will not only offer more camera capabilities but the added S Pen support could attract new buyers.
Featured Image Courtesy: WinFuture
