Samsung Galaxy S21

This is good news for current Galaxy users and those considering a Galaxy product. It ensures that your phone or tablet is safe and up to date for a longer period. Samsung is planning to roll out these updates on a monthly and quarterly basis. Still, a security update is a different than an Android update.

A security update fixes security issues that can be exploited by hackers. An Android update includes new features and improvements. As far as Android updates are concerned, Samsung still tries to provide 3-year updates for its most important products. This gives Samsung a clear advantage over other Android manufacturers. In some cases you only get 1 major Android update, not to mention monthly security updates.

Selected Galaxy products

The Galaxy products that receive 4 years of updates are:

• Galaxy Fold, Fold 5G, Z Fold2 4G, Z Fold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G


• Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, S10 Lite, S20, S20 5G, S20+, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra, S20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G
  Galaxy Note10, Note10 5G, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra 4G, Note20 Ultra 5G


• Galaxy A10, A10e, A10s, A20, A20s, A30, A30s, A40, A50, A50s, A60, A70, A70s, A80, A90 5G, A11, A21, A21s, A31, A41, A51, A51 5G, A71, A71 5G, A02s, A12, A32 5G, A42 5G


• Galaxy M10s, M20, M30, M30s, M40, M11, M12, M21, M31, M31s, M51


• Galaxy XCover4s, XCover FieldPro, XCover Pro


• Galaxy Tab Active Pro, Tab Active3, Tab A 8 (2019), Tab A with S Pen, Tab A 8.4 (2020), Tab A7, Tab S5e, Tab S6, Tab S6 5G, Tab S6 Lite, Tab S7, Tab S7+

Android One and Pixel

Samsung is also taking away the advantage that Android One phones have. They can receive multi-year Android and security updates. Nokia especially brings out Android One phones. Google Pixel phones can also count on multi-year updates, and this move gives them an extra competitor.

Samsung had some making up to do with the Galaxy S21 series consisting of the S21, S21+ and the S21 Ultra. Indeed, sales of the S20 didn't do so well. According to estimates its sales were 30% lower than the S10. This forced Samsung to come up with a more affordable model; the S20 FE

That one did remarkably well and Samsung seemed to learn from this experiment. After years of higher prices the entry S21 went down in price. Consumers seem to appreciate that price cut; of all S21 models, the entry-level S21 accounted for 40% of that. The S21 Ultra accounts for 36% of sales with a meager 24% for the somewhat invisible S21+. The latter barely differs from the entry-level S21 apart from its format.

Record number of preorders

Whether Samsung will break its sales record with this is still too early to say. The year is still long and a lot can still change. Regarding the UK market, Samsung has already set a record. Never before has it sold so many S21 models during pre-sales. Remarkably, the expensive S21 Ultra accounted for half of all preorders. Exactly how many orders Samsung sold isn't reported so it's hard to verify and compare.

After the disappointing success of the S20 series, Samsung came up with the S20 FE (Fan Edition). A cheaper alternative but still with high-end specifications. The S21 and S21+ are best described as successors of the Fan Edition rather than the S20 and S20+

The screen resolution went down and the camera specifications did not change. Samsung even went a step further by leaving out the memory card slot and the charger. All of this does result in a lower price. How different is the S21 Ultra. This device is an impressive list of improvements. But that is also reflected in the price.

Galaxy S21 and S21+

A new strategy for the S21 and S21+ that have to rely on the renewed appearance where especially the rear camera stands out. Both devices are much more powerful than their predecessors, thanks to the renewed Exynos processor, which this time is better than Qualcomm's Snapdragon counterpart.

Differences between the S21 and S21+ are the screen (6.2 versus 6.7 inches) and the battery (4000 versus 4800 mAh). For better camera performance, you'll have to go with the Galaxy S21 Ultra this year. Prices of the Galaxy S21 start at €849 while the S21+ costs at least €1,049.

Galaxy S21 Ultra

Not only does the S21 Ultra have a 108MP camera with good autofocus this year, it is also the only one that has a 10x optical zoom thanks to a perioscope lens. Also, the Ultra is the only one to feature a new type of AMOLED screen that is more energy efficient and has S Pen support. Also, the Ultra is the only one with a sharper Quad HD resolution. Unfortunately, with a suggested retail price of € 1,249, the Ultra is also the most expensive of the S21 series.

Galaxy Buds Pro

Besides the S21 series, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds Pro. These True Wireless Earbuds feature active noise cancellation (ANC) thanks to 3 built-in microphones. An 11mm woofer takes care of the low bass sounds while the 6.5mm tweeter takes care of the mid and high tones. Together this should provide a rich and balanced sound. The in-ear plugs come in a smaller than usual case but with a considerably larger battery than the Buds+. Prices start at € 229.

All three Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra do not have a headphone port or a memory card slot. A charger and earbuds are also not included in the box. Not all were surprises. Earbuds for example were not included before or were only included during preorder. Also the removal of the headphone port is not entirely out of the blue.

Other things were surprising. Not including a charger, for example. Apple started this trend with the iPhone 12 and Samsung is now following suit. Remarkable because Samsung openly criticized this decision. Criticism it removed in the weeks leading up to the Galaxy S21 launch. Now it must be said that the S21 series does not require a different charger than the S20. Something that can't be said about the iPhone 12. And Samsung is also expected to lower the price of its charger, just like Apple did back then.

First without memory card slot

But the most striking omission is the memory card extension slot. An ideal way to quickly and cheaply get some extra memory. Handy also to store all your 8K videos. But the memory card is not without its problems. It is many times slower than the internal memory storage, you can't move all your apps to it and WhatsApp can not store photos or videos on it by default. Try to explain all these technical shortcomings to a normal everyday user.

Memory has become much cheaper in recent years, so phones with 256 and even 512GB of internal storage memory are no exception anymore. Moreover, you can always store content in the cloud. The lack of this doesn't seem like a disaster, but it is remarkable. Samsung always mentioned the memory card slot as a plus point compared to the competition. But in the year 2021, the Galaxy S phones will also have to make do. Fortunately, every S21 model, both the S21, the S21+ and S21 Ultra come with 128GB of storage.

The S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra weren't the biggest secrets. Information of the trio leaked frequently prior to the official unveiling. As such, those who followed all of that will hear little new. Still, the S21 family is a big step forward for Samsung. There are quite a few differences from last year.

Starting with the Galaxy S21. It has a back made of polycarbonate, also called plastic. The press release doesn't mention this, Samsung rather talks about the new Contour Cut Camera housing. They mean the new design of the camera island. On the S21 5G, that's taken up by a 12MP wide-angle (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide-angle (f/2.2) and 64MP telephoto (f/2.0) with 3x hybrid optical zoom. The screen measures 6.2 inches in size and is of the Dynamic AMOLED 2X type. A special feature is the adaptive refresh rate between 48 and 120Hz.

Samsung Galaxy S21+

Those who want bigger can go for the 6.7-inch Galaxy S21+ 5G. Again, we find the same Full HD+ resolution as the smaller S21. In this, the S21+ differs from its predecessor which still had a higher Quad HD+ resolution. However, the battery is bigger this year: 4800 mAh. That in combination with the lower resolution should lead to a longer battery life.

Camera wise not much has changed: a 12MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide-angle and 64MP telephoto with 3x hybrid optical zoom. The back of the S21 Plus is made of glass. Other than that, expect the usual specifications like fast charging, wireless charging, Android 11 with One UI 3.1.

Samsung Exynos 2100

All Galaxy's announced today have the same processor: the Samsung Exynos 2100. In the US and Asia, the S21 series is sold with a Snapdragon 888. All these chipsets have in common that they are based on the same 5nm. This makes them more energy efficient and more powerful. The Exynos has a slightly higher clock speed of 2.9 GHz compared to 2.8 GHz of the Snapdragon, but in reality they will hardly differ. This is a good thing, because this was not always the case in previous years.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

What remains is the top model; the Galaxy S21 Ultra. For those for whom even the best is not good enough, Samsung has put all its know how into this device. The 6,7 inch screen can be used with an S Pen (sold separately) and has the highest resolution: 3200 x 1440 pixels. The 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera is joined by a 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 2nd 10MP telephoto (10x optical zoom) and an impressive 108MP primary camera.

Here the same 5nm processor as the S21 and S21+ but with more RAM memory: 12 or 16GB instead of 8GB. The battery is a big 5000mAh and the new WiFi 6E is present. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. This is Corning's 7th version and it's sturdiest so far.

Prices and availability

Placing a preorder can be done after the presentation. Shipments start from January 29. Those who buy a phone in the period between January 14 and January 28 will receive a 50% discount on Samsung Care+. By doing so insures your phone for 2 years from accidental damage.

Prices for the S21 start at €849. That's lower than previous years. You get the 128GB storage for this, for 256GB storage you pay €899. You can choose from the colors Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink and Phantom White.

The S21+ starts from an amount of €1049. For this you get 128GB of storage. For 256GB you pay €1099. Available colors are Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver and Phantom Black. If you prefer Phantom Red or Phantom Gold, you can only get those at Samsung's own e-store.

Finally, the S21 Ultra is the most expensive of all. That one gets a suggested retail price of €1249 for the 12/128GB model, €1299 for the 12/256GB model and €1429 for the 16/512GB model. Available colors seem a bit limited; Phantom Silver and Phantom Black. In Samsung's own store it is still available in Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy and Phantom Brown.

Early orderers will get a set of S21 and S21+ worth €139 with their Galaxy Buds Live order. S21 Ultra buyers will get the new Galaxy Buds Pro twv €229. Samsung also adds its new Galaxy SmartTag twv €29,99 to all models. With the latter, you can find objects like your bag or house keys.

Samsung send out her invitation via Twitter. "Your experience will be even more epic on the 14th of January", it reads. There is also an animation, albeit somewhat blurred. This is probably the renewed camera module of the S21 and the S21+. The S21 Ultra, as we now know, has an even larger island with more modules.

As regular viewers we don't expect much spectacle; everything of the trio seems to have leaked out already. For example, the S21 with plastic rear is expected to get a lower price, the S21+ has a glass rear and equipped with a larger battery and the S21 Ultra is the ultimate flagship with impressive camera features and S Pen support. By the way, the latest news about the Ultra is about the same S Pen.

S Pen support

According to WinFuture Samsung comes with a separate accessory for the device. It would be a case in which you can also store the S Pen. For an amount of 40 euros you can also buy the S Pen separately but then you need to think about where you want to store it. In the device, like a Galaxy Note, is not possible.

All details will become clear on January 14th. The event starts at 16:00 CET and can be followed online via samsung.com.

We're taking you back to October 13th, 2020. Apple had just announced the iPhone 12 and it came, quite surprisingly, without charger. According to Apple you probably had one anyway and not putting one in the box saved the environment a lot. Samsung immediately mocked Apple and placed the message below on its Facebook page.

But now that Samsung is considering selling the upcoming Galaxy S21 without a charger, this kind of criticism comes back like a boomerang. And that is why it has started to remove earlier criticisms. Maybe Samsung now also understands that the fuss about leaving out a charger is not big enough that it damages sales figures, and on top of that, it delivers a nice saving. With Apple, however, this does not translate to a lower price, but possibly the entry S21 does see a drop in price.

Criticism not new

The fact that Samsung is criticizing Apple is not new. The fact that Samsung has to keep crawling back to its remarks again and again is becoming more and more painful. We suggest that Samsung focuses more on itself instead of the competition.

The render of the S21 is not only very similar to all previously published material, it is also very similar to the existing S20. At least as far as the front is concerned. The back of the Galaxy S21 has more changes, at least according to rumors.

The specifications of the S21 also largely match to the current S20 so it is unclear how Samsung wants to market the new S21. There are rumors of a lower price, but you can get the S20 for a significantly lower price. Any how, this is the first time that we see official press material of the upcoming S21 series. Similar renders of the S21+ and S21 Ultra are expected in the coming days.

Earlier than usual

Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S21 series on January 14th. That date has not yet been confirmed. Should Samsung indeed announce its next generation Galaxy S phones in mid-January than thats earlier than usual. Normally Samsung announces its flagship sometime in February.

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At least that's what @UniverseIce believes. He or she thinks that the fingerprint scanner on the S21 is almost 2x larger. Moreover, its speed has improved. A short tap should be enough to successfully scan your fingerprint. Until now, fingerprint scanners in displays were slightly slower than physical scanners usually found on the rear.

Allegedly Samsung still uses an ultrasonic scanner that works by transmitting sound waves. Some other manufacturers use optical scanners that works with light. The ultrasonic scanners usually work a bit better because they do not suffer from wet or greasy fingers. The disadvantage, however, is that they are a bit more expensive and do not work with every screen protector, especially thicker glass screen protectors. Compared to optical scanners, they are also a bit slower, but Samsung seems to have solved that problem.

January 14th

According to the latest rumors, Samsung will announce the Galaxy S21 on January 14, most likely along with the S21+ and S21 Ultra. This trio will have a new camera layout on the back, but are otherwise very similar on paper to the current generation of flagships. Although the faster fingerprint scanner may be one difference.

To start with some bad news; the build quality. Samsung already started this transition with the S20; plastic. Thats not necessary bad in itself, but it does feel very cheap for a phone in this price category. We prefer glass or metal. Next year, both the S21 and the larger S21+ will have a plastic back. One advantage is that it does not break as easily as glass.

If we continue with the cameras we are treated to the second disappointment. We expect little change in that area. On paper it uses the same 12MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 64MP telephoto zoom. Those who want more should head to the S21 Ultra but more about that later. For those who had hoped for a Snapdragon 875 processor from Qualcomm: we have some bad news. Europe will get an Exynos chip just like previous years. Although they do promise that the Exynos 2100 will have comparable, and possibly even better performance.

Samsung Galaxy S21+

5G and WiFi 6 are still present so let's look at the battery. Only the one in the Galaxy S21+ is bigger; 4800 mAh against 4500 mAh last year. The one in the S21 remains at 4000 mAh; this is starting to get a bit cramped for a 6.2 inch phone.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

If you want a little more, both in terms of size and technology, you should opt for the S21 Ultra. Not only is the 6.8-inch screen the largest of the three, it's also the only one with an LTPO panel with a variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. This is also better for the battery life. Considerable progress has also been made in the camera area, especially with the telephoto zoom lens. There are two 10MP sensors that can zoom in 3x and 10x optically. Problems with the autofocus have been solved. What remains is a 108MP main camera and a 12MP camera with ultra-wide-angle lens. Enough to make everyone jealous.

One More Thing

For some time there have been rumors that the Note and S series will merge. This will not happen in 2021, but the first step is set. The S21 Ultra works with the S Pen. It will not be built in, but Samsung will probably sell cases in which you can store them. Until now, the S Pen could only be used with Galaxy Note phones and some Galaxy tablets.

The Galaxy S21 series is expected early 2021, to be exact somewhere in January. That's earlier than usual, possibly to be more in line with Apple's iPhone release, to make up for disappointing sales of the S20 series or to take in Huawei customers.

Via: AndroidPolice
Image: @onleak

We have a love-hate relationship with Jon Prosser here on the editorial board. The outspoken Prosser quite often predicts things that are not 100% correct afterwards. Still, his statements are newsworthy and that's why we thought it was worth reporting. Especially because a launch of the S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra comes earlier than usual.

Now this rumor has been mentioned before, so we're not surprised. However, this is the first time that we have heard a date. Prosser expects that from January 29th 2021 the device will be in stores in the colors Black, White, Gray, Silver, Violet and Pink. This is probably not the case for every model. For example, the S20+ was not available in pink just like the S20. Something similar will probably also apply to the S21+ next year.

Galaxy S21 earlier than expected

Samsung always announces its new flagship at the beginning of the year, but usually somewhere around February / March. That it now chooses January is remarkable. Presumably this has to do with the disappointing sales of the S20-series. The coronavirus threw a spanner in the works and forced the manufacturer to revise its strategy. The S20 FE is the result of this and possibly the same type of model will follow for the Note 20 series. An S21 FE is not expected in January, but Samsung is expected to announce a 'One More Thing'.

Free wireless earplugs

According to Korean media that could be a set of free Galaxy Buds. Samsung swung out the headphone port just like other manufacturers. Now, in some countries, AKG USB earplugs were in the box, but before 2021 Samsung may go completely wireless. A Samsung Galaxy S21 with free Galaxy Buds Beyond, the intended successor to the Galaxy Buds Live, could be a decisive factor to purchase them.

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Apple said in its Keynote that the decision to sell the iPhone without a charger was because of the environment. However, it gives customers 3 strong reasons to go buy a new charger anyway. 1: To be able to use the included USB-C cable. 2: To get the maximum speed MagSafe is capable of. 3: To take advantage of the higher charging speed of the iPhone 12. By doing so, Apple is not only harming the environment, it is harming its customers. For example, the price of the new iPhones did not go down. Something Samsung is now also thinking about doing.

Apple is known for its high margins on mobile phones. Something Samsung can learn a thing or two. Not delivering headphones in the box is something we can live with just fine. And given the seemingly high sales numbers of the new iPhones, we can probably also live without a charger. So why not sell the Galaxy S21 without a charger as well? For now, these are rumors and as long as the S21 is not official, everything can still change.

Uncomfortable

It would be very ironic if Samsung took this step. It openly criticized Apple just after the release of the iPhone 12 on social media. It placed an image of a charger with the text "included in the box". But to be fair; the first rumors Samsung abandon selling their Galaxys without a charger came from before the launch of the iPhone 12. Openly criticizing the competitor might not be the smartest move to do. Possibly the social media department did not get the memo from the marketing department.

Not the first time

Yet this is not the first time that Samsung is backtracking on criticism. This all started from day one with the iPhones lack of a removable battery. Something we could do without in the end. And after removing the headphone port, that decision was also ridiculed. A few generations later, Samsung would follow. Our advice for Samsung (and others); just focus on yourself instead of being so preoccupied with the competition. That way you avoid making a fool of yourself.

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To be honest; it's not more than this piece. Literally. We have received a picture of the camera module of the Galaxy S21. Or actually it's not even the module itself but the cover in front of it. That shows again how important the S21 is going to be if even this is considers news.

And yet this part tells us that the previously leaked render seems correct. Those renders showed an elongated camera island in the corner. On the left it is curved and to the other side it runs at a 90 degree angle. Just like a staircase. The part has the shape of a double teardrop; an icon shape you can choose in OneUI with 2 rounded corners and 2 sharp corners.

Samsung Galaxy S21 specifications

The holes in the camera module seem to have the same size, although that says nothing about the expected camera resolution(s) of the Samsung Galaxy S21. Apart from this image and a previously released render, no real specifications have emerged yet. This will undoubtedly happen in the near future. Especially now that the launch of the device has probably been brought forward. We are now considering a launch of the S21 series in January.

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Samsung still does not seem to have found the perfect recipe for a camera layout. The S20, S10 and even the S9 are not exact copies of their predecessors. The same goes for this S21. Although the triple camera is located in the same upper left corner, it is not on a separate island as with the S10, but it gradually descents into the rest of the housing.

The image above comes from @onleaks who decided to published these renders on Voice. Of course our attention immediately goes to the back of the S21 but there is also something to be said about the front. It seems that Samsung has finally succeeded in creating a symmetrical front. The S20 had more space underneath the screen than above. The punch hole for the single selfie camera is still at the top and in the middle.

6.2 inch flat screen

From the dimensions of the device we can conclude that the screen measures about 6.2 inches and that it is flat. In recent years, Samsung has always used a screen that was rounded near the edges. Although lately the curvature was not as drastic as it used to be. Whether the S21+ and/or Ultra also gets a flat screen, just like the S20 FE, remains to be seen.

Launch Samsung Galaxy S21

Exact specifications are not given by @onleaks. However, the camera's looks much larger on the image, suggesting that it is a higher resolution module. No guarantees however. Choice of material is also a big unknown. Maybe the back is made of glass, maybe it turns out to be something completely else. We may hear it as early as January. The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 may have been brought forward to January 2021, at least the very last rumor.

Not much if you ask us. After all, a small screen is not very useful for a stylus. The other way around; how viable is the Note-series without the S Pen? Isn't that just a Galaxy S Plus? For now these are just rumors as mentioned by Herald Corp. But if true, they predict the end of the Note-series.

Of course it's not impossible for Samsung to merge the Galaxy S and Note-series. It could give the Galaxy S21 a head start on, for example, the iPhone. Still, we advise you to take the report with a grain of salt. There are quite a few drawbacks for a smaller phone with S Pen. For example, the pen takes up a relatively large amount of space inside the housing, which goes as the expense of the battery capacity.

Changing strategy

The fact is that the Samsung Galaxy Note series has a somewhat erratic history. For example, the Galaxy Note 5 did not see a worldwide release because the model would not be popular enough according to Samsung. The following year Samsung came back to this but the Note 7 had its own problems. After battery problems, the model was even canceled. Starting from the Note 10 a cheaper but larger Lite model was announced but the following year the arrival of a larger Note 20+ was postponed. In other words, the strategy of the Note-phones is often tinkered with.