Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus & S21 Ultra: All You Need to Know Ahead of Launch

Samsung Galaxy S21 series round up

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 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.

samsung galaxy S21 wallpapers

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.

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).

  • 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:

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 S21Galaxy S21 PlusGalaxy S21 Ultra
Dimensions151.7 x 71.2 x 8.9 mm162.6 x 76.2 x 8.9 mm165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm
Weight~170 grams~204 grams228 grams
Back PanelReinforced PlasticGlassGlass
Display6.2-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
ProcessorSnapdragon 888, or
Exynos 2100
Snapdragon 888, or
Exynos 2100
Snapdragon 888, or
Exynos 2100
RAM8GB8GB12GB
Storage128GB
256GB
128GB
256GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
Operating SystemAndroid 11-based OneUI 3.1Android 11-based OneUI 3.1Android 11-based OneUI 3.1
Rear CamerasTriple 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 Camera10MP (f/2.2)10MP (f/2.2)40MP (f/2.2)
Video Capabilityup to 8K @ 30fps
720p @ 960fps
up to 8K @ 30fps
720p @ 960fps
up to 8K @ 30fps
720p @ 960fps
IP RatingIP68IP68IP68
Connectivity5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C 3.25G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C 3.25G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C 3.2
Battery4,000mAh
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

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