Everything You Should Know About Samsung S21

The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy s21 was officially announced on January 14, 2021. There are three devices from the Samsung s21 series and these will be pitted against the successful line up of the iPhone 12 line up. But will these three be enough to topple Apple’s reign?
For those holding on to their old Samsung phones for this year’s iteration here are some of the things you should know.

Samsung S21 Release Date
It’s all about the hype and Samsung knows how to build it. Prior to the official announcement which was held on January 14, 2021, leaks have been littering the internet. Pictures and speculations have drawn in a lot of discussions, praises and criticisms. But, in just a few days, all were revealed. Samsung has sent out its invites but due to the ongoing pandemic, it will likely be a virtual event.
The release date was set to be on January 29, 2021 but pre-orders began shortly after the announcement.

Samsung S21 Pricing
Last year, the Samsung S20’s prices were enough to raise a lot of eyebrows. This also discouraged a lot of people from getting the flagship devices which Samsung had remedied by introducing the Note 20 series at a more reasonable price. Now, most probably due to the economic effect by the pandemic, there are rumors that a price cut will be given to the lower-cost models.
Speculated prices (in USD) are as follows: Samsung S21 at $899, the S21 Plus at $1099 and the top tier flagship S21 Ultra at $1,349. These prices are in actuality slightly lower than last year's flagship Samsung line up.

The Samsung S21 Design
Many have speculated that design-wise Samsung won’t lean too far away from the comfortable design language featured in the S20 line up. The S20 was elegant, simple, and had all the essential flagship materials and aesthetic. A design change is however quite likely with the S21 when considering that Apple, Samsung’s top rival, made significant changes to their iPhone 12 line up.

Screen Size Matters
The three models will be the base S21 at 6.2-inches, the S21+ at 6.7-inch and the 6.8-inch Galaxy S21 Ultra. There’s a slight difference between the mid and top tier but an overwhelming height gap between the base model.
Basic design will follow the overall build of the Samsung lineups in the past. Leaked images show that the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus will have flat displays while the premium Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a curved-edge panel. “Blade Bezels'' referring to the extremely thin and uniform bezels will be seen in all three models. The rumored under display camera won’t be present in this model as there is a punch hole for the selfie camera.

Design Changes
The camera design is the most dynamic change on the Samsung S21 models with each individual camera placed inside a module that flows into the frame. Material will also be different for the S21 lineup. Although both the Samsung S21 and S21+ have an aluminum frame and the S21 Ultra may have a stainless steel one, a plastic build may be present for the cheapest of the three.

Samsung S21 Series Camera
Samsung is well known for its advanced cameras and the rumor is that both the Samsung S21 and S21+ variants will borrow their hardware from last year’s model. You’ll probably find the 12-megapixel main camera and the same ultra-wide shooter. As with the 2020 model, you can expect a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with 1.1x optical zoom and the 3x hybrid zoom with a slightly bigger sensor this time around.
The S21 Ultra variant will probably have a next-gen 108-megapixel main camera which will offer better light sensitivity for better low-light shots. You can expect an impressive zoom system with the rumored new 10 megapixel 3x telephoto zoom camera.

Spectrum of Colors
Colors are speculated to be more low key for the Samsung S21 Ultra while the base Samsung S21 and S21+ will be carrying the funky hues. The camera design will allow two tone colors and this will be a big part of their color scheme. There are supposedly 11 colors coming out with the premium model having more options. Many are anticipating the violet with gold accent on the camera module for that and the brown colored option that is a rare color to feature in any phone model.

New Chipsets for the S21 lineup
Across the models it’s likely that all will support the 120Hz frame rate similar to the previous S20 series with the S21 Ultra having the highest resolution featuring a WQHD Plus display. But the processor will also be the same for the line up with Samsung rumored to use the latest Snapdragon processor. Initially tagged as the Snapdragon 875, it was announced last December in a Qualcomm virtual event as the Snapdragon 888. The new processor boasts faster 5G performance and a better battery life.

Optimized Battery
Aside from the make, material finish and the color options the battery capacity will also be slightly different among the three. The base Samsung S21 is set to have the lowest capacity at 4,000-mAh while the S21+ will have a 4,800 mAh capacity. The Ultra will have the largest capacity at a whopping 5,000 mAh. That, of course, is based on the leaked spec sheets floating around. It will be necessary to power that big 6.8 inch screen for the Ultra considering it will have that WQHD screen and all will be 5G capable. And with a new chipset, this lineup will likely prove its extended battery life which Samsung is well known for.

No Headphone Jack?
The question that most people are interested in would be the little tidbit about not having that headphone jack. All things considered, with the third party cases floating around, the Samsung S21 probably doesn’t have it anymore. And so, we’ll be forced to buy that adaptor or get on board the wireless earbuds ecosystem which will benefit Samsung’s simultaneous launch of the new Galaxy Buds Pro.

Final Thoughts
Launch date is just in a few hours and everything will be revealed when we get to see that virtual launch. Until then, everything is mere conjunction and speculation but it’s an exciting way to anticipate what the Samsung S21 series will be like when it comes out. Until then, it would be best to quench our curiosity by checking out the accessories that have come out.