Samsung Galaxy S21 series looks gorgeous

Next year, Samsung is rumoured to launch its Galaxy S21 series a bit earlier than expected. In light of this, it is no surprise to see leaks about the series already. We know Samsung plans on launching the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Thanks to LetsGoDigital and its sources, we now have a fairly accurate idea of what these smartphones will look like. This is a complete redesign from the past and so far, we are liking what we see.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Just like last year, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will be Samsung’s top end model. But it seems Samsung wants to revert slightly. Unlike the 6.9-inch panel on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will feature a 6.8-inch panel. It seems the 6.8-inch panel will sport a curved look alongside a QHD+ resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.

We did hear rumours about the Galaxy S21 series going for an under-display camera earlier this year. However, Samsung seems to have abandoned that thought for the time being. We will still see a hole-punch selfie camera centred on the smartphone’s display, doubling also as a 40MP selfie camera. As for its primary camera, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will retain the 10x Hybrid Zoom function from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, alongside a renewed 108MP wide angle camera. Completing the setup, you find a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and two 10MP telephoto cameras, for 10x and 3x optical zoom. Given the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s camera autofocus problems earlier this year, we expect the Galaxy S21 Ultra to borrow the improved camera found on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Rumours also point to a completely new ISOCell Vizion 3D ToF sensor on the smartphone for longer range 3D depth perception.

Equally as controversial as the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s camera was its processing power. We know Samsung equips its flagships with Qualcomm processors or in-house Exynos ones based on region. Last year, Samsung’s Exynos 990 did not perform as well as its Qualcomm counterpart. But this year, Samsung will most likely look to fix this. While units in this region will be equipped with Samsung’s Exynos 2100 chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 will be used for South Korean and American models. In either case, both chipsets will support 5G. We do not want to base our judgement on the smartphone’s power based on benchmarks just yet, so we will have to wait a bit longer for this.

Other internals about the smartphone remain in line with last year’s model. You will find IP68 certification along with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Rumours also point to Samsung dropping microSD support on the Galaxy S21 series, which is something we are not sure about just yet. And in terms of battery, it will not be a surprise to see a 5,000mAh cell here. With last year’s Galaxy S20 Ultra supporting 45W charging, things could be similar for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, it is likely that only a 25W charger is included out of the box. Rounding up with colour options, we are likely to see the Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Black and Phantom Silver.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

Compared to last year’s Galaxy S20+, the Galaxy S21 Plus seems like a downgrade from what we are hearing. It will boast a 6.7-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. However, unlike the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the latter will not be adaptive. Moreover, compared to last year’s Galaxy S20+, the Galaxy S21 Plus sees a resolution downgrade.

In line with the success of the Galaxy S20 FE and the Galaxy Note 20, the Galaxy S21 Plus will also launch with a plastic casing, instead of glass. Both glass and plastic have their set of advantages and disadvantages, so it will be interesting to see how consumers react to Samsung’s choice. As for the camera system, it will remain fairly unchanged, with a 12MP wide, a 12MP ultra-wide angle and a 64MP telephoto camera. The latter is responsible for 3x Hybrid Zoom. But it seems the extra DepthVision camera we saw on the Galaxy S20+ last year will be discontinued on the Galaxy S21 Plus.

The smartphone’s processing power will remain identical to the Galaxy S21 Ultra which is a bonus. As for its battery, we will see a larger 4,800mAh cell on the Galaxy S21 Plus. We think it will be compatible with up to a 25W charger, with only a 15W charger provided out of the box. At launch, expect to see the Galaxy S21 Plus in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and a new Phantom Violet.

Samsung Galaxy S21

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is the base model for its upcoming flagship series, which will retain the same internal processing power. Moreover, we are also likely to see it come with the same Android 11 operating system found on its older siblings underneath One UI 3.1.

Like last year, the Galaxy S21 will be smaller and cheaper, donning a 6.2-inch flat display. It will sport a Full HD+ resolution however we are not sure about its refresh rate. Just like the Galaxy S21 Plus, the Galaxy S21 will sport a plastic back seemingly to keep costs low. Speaking of the back, here is where you will find the smartphone’s triple-camera system identical to last year’s. The Galaxy S21 will come with a 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide and a 64MP telephoto camera. The latter will be capable of 3x Hybrid zoom just like the Galaxy S21 Plus.

Due to its smaller size, the Galaxy S21 is expected to feature a 4,000mAh battery, which is unchanged from the Galaxy S20. A maximum charging speed of 25W is possible, but only a 15W charger will be provided out of the box. As for the smartphone’s colours, we are likely to see a Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet and Phantom Pink variant, with availability varying by region.