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Update, January 8, 2021 (3:10 AM ET): We’ve updated the Samsung Galaxy S21 rumor hub with new pre-order details for India. Read on for all the latest!
We’re only weeks away from the launch of the next entry in Samsung’s flagship smartphone line, the Galaxy S21 series.
There are now many solid rumors about the devices, including full-blown leaks revealing the specs and renders of the upcoming phones. We also can make confident assumptions about certain aspects based on the history of the line. What we know so far is chronicled in our roundup below.
As usual, be sure to bookmark this page so you’re always up-to-date on the latest info surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S21 phones!
Samsung Galaxy S21 series: Name and release date
Previously, there were conflicting rumors related to the names of the phones. We originally thought it could be the Samsung Galaxy S30 series, but new rumors support that the line will be known as the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. We are now confident that will be the name, but Samsung has not yet totally confirmed that’s the case.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S series: A history of the biggest name in Android
As far as a release date goes, we naturally assumed Samsung would announce the phones in mid-February 2021. That’s the timeframe in which the company has launched every iteration of the Galaxy S series since the Galaxy S9. However, we now know that Samsung will launch the phones much earlier than usual.
On December 10, Android Authority confirmed in a phone call to Samsung’s largest Indian branch — Samsung’s Opera House outlet in Bengaluru — that the series will make its global debut on January 14, 2021. However, you’ll need to wait until January 29 to get your hands on the devices. The outlet also confirmed a number of other details which we cover below.
Samsung later confirmed the January 14 reveal date for the Galaxy S21 series in an official announcement.
Models and designs
In 2020, we saw the introduction of the Ultra moniker within Samsung’s flagship phone line with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. With the successive launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, it was a safe bet that Sammy would once again launch an Ultra variant in the Galaxy S21 family.
We can now confirm that there will be three models in the lineup, namely the standard Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21 Plus, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S20 buyer’s guide
Judging by leaked renders of the Galaxy S21 lineup, the three phones look almost identical, albeit for a few minor differences. The vanilla Galaxy S21 is expected to feature a 6.2-inch screen while the S21 Plus is rumored to get a 6.7-inch display and the S21 Ultra is purported to come with a 6.9-inch screen.
Galaxy S21 details
We still don’t have confirmation on the devices’ dimensions, but the standard Samsung Galaxy S21 is rumored to measure 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm. It could feature a 6.2-inch flat display with a centered punch hole. There are three cameras on the back of the phone as pictured in the renders below courtesy of Evan Blass:
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Most recently, we saw some real-life images of the Galaxy S21. The leaked photos show off the flat display panel of the phone, among other details. Check one of the photos out below:
Galaxy S21 Plus details
With the Galaxy S21 Plus, we don’t know the dimensions quite yet (although it will obviously be bigger than the vanilla variant). We can go one better than a render, though. A brief marketing loop uncovered on December 8 (via Android Police) revealed a possible two-tone design for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. The below GIF is of the Galaxy S21 Plus, featuring a purple paint job with bronze accents. The colorway options for all three devices will be covered at the foot of this section.
Credit: Samsung / Android Police
We also got a good look at the Galaxy S21 Plus in an “unofficial review” video. You can see the phone from all angles in the video which also reveals some key specs of the phone.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra details
As for the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the most up-to-date renders suggest there could be a whole slew of lenses on the back:
Real-world shots of the Galaxy S21 Ultra also leaked on December 7 via YouTuber Sakitech, almost matching the renders above curve-for-curve.
Colors and cases
Samsung’s Opera House outlet also confirmed the colorway availability across the Galaxy S21 line, which was later backed up by WinFuture. The vanilla S21 will be available in gray/black, pink, purple, and white. For Plus buyers, the options are silver, gray/black, and purple. Finally, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will get two colorways, namely gray/black and silver.
Finally, we also have some leaked renders of official Samsung cases for the Galaxy S21 series, courtesy of MySmartPrice. You can see them below:
Do note that the cases above are official ones you would buy directly from Samsung. There will be many more choices from all the major third-party companies in time for the launch of the new phone series.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series: Specs and features
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
An extensive leak by Android Police in mid-November revealed all the key specs for the Galaxy S21 series. It suggested that the phones would run the Snapdragon 875 — now confirmed to be the Snapdragon 888 — in some regions, and Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2100 in others.
On December 10, Samsung’s Opera House outlet confirmed to Android Authority that the Indian Galaxy S21 series devices will be powered by the Exynos 2100, confirming the chip’s existence. A recent FCC listing also confirmed the Galaxy S21’s US models will sport Snapdragon 888 silicon.
Related: Samsung Exynos processor guide: Everything you need to know
All phones are rumored to get a 120Hz refresh rate. However, we’re not certain if that refresh rate will work even at the highest display resolutions.
We can also go ahead and assume that none of the specs of the Galaxy S20 series will see a downgrade. That means no phone should have less than 12GB of RAM or less than 128GB of internal storage. Here are the rumored storage sizes as leaked by WinFuture:
- Samsung Galaxy S21 — 128GB, 256GB
- Galaxy S21 Plus — 128GB, 256GB
- Galaxy S21 Ultra — 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Per an extensive WinFuture leak on December 26, the Galaxy S21 is said to sport a 6.2-inch display while the S21 Plus wears a 6.7-inch screen. Both displays bear 2,400 x 1,080 pixels with a 120Hz refresh rate. Gorilla Glass Victus makes an appearance on both. The phones are also said to also pack an IP68 rating, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and Wi-Fi 6 support.
A leak by Jimmy Is Promo on January 4 seemingly confirms that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will pack 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of internal storage with an expandable storage card slot.
Battery and power
According to the Android Police leak, the Galaxy S21 is set to house a 4,000mAh battery. The S21 Plus could have a 4,800mAh battery. WinFuture‘s December 26 leak reiterates these capacities, too.
The S21 Ultra will probably have the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor. The battery capacity of the top-of-the-line Ultra model was also corroborated by a spec leak from WinFuture.
Somewhat related to the battery, we also have rumors that ultra-fast wired charging could be on-hand for the series. It’s possible Samsung could introduce 65W charging speeds to the Galaxy S line. This makes sense as OnePlus just launched the OnePlus 8T, which has this feature. However, there is evidence to suggest that not all variants of the line will have it. If that’s true, it’s likely the Galaxy S21 Ultra would get it exclusively. It’s also possible, though, that all the phones will have the option, but only the Ultra will have the in-box charger capable of delivering those speeds.
A rumor in October claimed that Samsung could drop the in-box chargers for all the phones in the line, just like Apple did with the iPhone 12 lineup. This has now been corroborated by journalist Roland Quandt, at least for the European region. “No, your European Samsung Galaxy S21 (all of them) will not come with a charger in the box,” he tweeted. Quandt added that there also won’t be any headphones or a case in the box.
Samsung Galaxy S21 camera systems
The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus will reportedly have matching rear camera setups. WinFuture‘s December 26 leak suggests the phones will wear a 12MP primary camera alongside a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. Joining the duo is a 64MP sensor for telephoto duties. On the front, a 10MP selfie camera is said to feature. Video shooting features are set to include 8K recording at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, and 1080p video at up to 240fps.
Per details from Samsung’s Opera House store, we can confirm some of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s cameras. Allegedly, it will employ a second-generation 108MP main camera and two 10MP sensors. One of those telephoto lenses will sport 10x optical zoom. Earlier rumors also point to a fourth sensor on the Ultra, namely a 12MP wide-angle snapper. The system will also sport laser autofocus. These camera specs were also corroborated in another leak by WinFuture’s Roland Quandt.
A leaked marketing flyer by Evan Blass on January 4 seemingly confirms the presence of a 12MP wide-angle snapper on the Ultra model. More interesting still is the return of the 40MP selfie camera used on the S20 Ultra.
Related: The best Android smartphone camera systems on the market
The phones can apparently record videos from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. All of the devices are rumored to support 4K video recording at 60fps and 8K recording at 30fps.
Finally, we have a rumor related to a feature that likely won’t be in the Galaxy S21 series: in-display selfie cameras. Allegedly, Samsung wasn’t able to meet the production demands necessary to include this new technology in the Galaxy S phones. Instead, Samsung could push that feature to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.
S Pen support?
Rumors that the Galaxy S21 series could support the famous S Pen stylus that comes with Galaxy Note phones have been mounting for some time. Now, an FCC listing spotted on December 23 all but confirms this. Alongside the usual writing and tapping functionality, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will sport some of the Galaxy Note series’ S Pen smarts like hover and click.
A WinFuture leak on January 4 shed more light on the design of the S Pen accessory. Aesthetically, the stylus is more akin to the S Pens included with Samsung’s tablet series than the Note line. Samsung may also sell a case for the S21 Ultra which would include a storage slot for the stylus.
It’s unclear if the S Pen will be bundled with the phone itself. Word also has it that Samsung will shutter the Note line and S Pen will remain an optional accessory for the S21 Ultra and so-called Galaxy Z Fold 3.
One UI 3.1
It’s now widely believed that the Galaxy S21 series will debut with One UI 3.1 — a mild upgrade over One UI 3.0 currently rolling out to Samsung’s current flagships.
A new video published by tipster Jimmy Is Promo seemingly confirms this. Demonstrating the new skin on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the leaker reveals some features brought over from the Note line. These include screen-off note-taking and Air command. And yes, stylus support is seemingly confirmed yet again.
Also showcased is the ability for users to choose between Samsung Free and Google Discover as their launcher’s info page. This was hinted at in earlier leaks, too.
Pricing and availability
Every year since the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S9, the company has raised the introductory pricing of its phones. One would expect that trend to continue in 2021 with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.
However, a recent report suggests that pricing could actually go down in 2021 as compared to 2020. According to initial rumors, these could be the lowest starting prices for each phone in the line:
- $849 — Galaxy S21 (128 GB)
- $1,049 — Galaxy S21 Plus (128GB)
- $1,249 — Galaxy S21 Ultra (128GB)
Prices for the Galaxy S21 series were also revealed in another leak from tipsters Ishan Agarwal and 91Mobiles. They too suggest lower starting prices for the Galaxy S21 and the S21 Plus. However, the S21 Ultra is tipped to be that much more expensive. These are the European prices revealed in that leak. These numbers were later corroborated by WinFuture:
- €849 — Galaxy S21 (128GB)
- €1,049 — Galaxy S21 Plus (128GB)
- €1,099 — Galaxy S21 Plus (256GB)
- €1,399 — Galaxy S21 Ultra (128GB)
Please note that those prices are not confirmed. They might vary in different parts of Europe depending on local taxes.
As far as availability goes, we should see Samsung open pre-orders around most of the world on launch day, January 14. Usually, devices would then be available for general purchase on a Friday two weeks later, or January 29.
Finally, in 2020, Samsung released some 4G-only variants of its flagships in various parts of the world. Tipsters Ishan Agarwal and 91Mobiles claim that Samsung will launch 5G versions of the S21 phones in India. Currently, India doesn’t have a 5G network. This suggests the trend of 4G-only variants might not happen in 2021.
Samsung Galaxy S21 pre-registration
United States
If you reside in the US, you can now pre-register to buy your Galaxy S21 series device. Pre-registering doesn’t cost anything, but it does come with a few added bonuses. For starters, Samsung will award those who sign-up for pre-order notifications $50 in credits towards accessories for their future phone. Additionally, $10 extra will be handed out to those who sign up via the Samsung Shop app.
Trade-in options are also available. If you own a Galaxy S20 or Galaxy Note 20 device, you can gain up to $700 in credit towards a Galaxy S21 series device when trading it in.
The pre-registration program is live until January 28, 2021. If you want to snag those credit offers, you’ll need to reserve your phone by 11:59 AM ET on January 13, 2021, and complete your pre-order between January 14 and January 28.
India
Those in India can now also “pre-reserve” their Galaxy S21 series device of choice for Rs 2,000 (~$27). This fee will secure buyers with a “Next Galaxy VIP Pass” and will later be deducted from the phone’s actual price. The pre-reservation will also land buyers a free Galaxy S21 series cover worth Rs 3,849 (~$52). Pre-reservations will be open until January 14, 2021 via Samsung’s website and Samsung Shop app.
That’s all we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Be sure to bookmark this page so you are always up-to-date on the latest rumors!
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