The Samsung Galaxy S21 series launch is quickly approaching. Here’s what you need to know about Samsung’s next flagship smartphone family.
Update: December 10,2020 (06:40 AM ET): We’ve updated the hub with confirmation of the Galaxy S21 series’ global launch date, colorways, and key specs. Read on for all the latest. Believe it or not, we are in the final quarter of 2020. That means we’re only a few months away from the launch of the next entry in Samsung’s flagship smartphone line, tentatively known as the Samsung 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! In 2020, Samsung upended its naming scheme for the Galaxy S series in multiple ways. It jumped from 10 to 20 for its numbering and also introduced the Ultra moniker. These big changes make it tricky to deduce what the company could call the next iteration of the series. Related: Samsung Galaxy S series: A history of the biggest name in Android We previously believed that Samsung would use the Galaxy S30 branding in 2021. However, the spate of rumors and leaks about the phones all point to the Galaxy S21 name instead. As far as a release date goes, we naturally assumed Samsung would announce the Galaxy S21 series 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, early rumors suggested that Samsung could push that date forward by a significant margin. In October 2020, The Elec and SamMobile both claimed that the phones could launch as early as the beginning of January. This was followed by a report from Korea’s Maeil Business outlet in November, claiming that the Galaxy S21 series could be revealed in January 2021 with sales starting from late January. Reuters then reported on November 9 that Samsung could launch the Galaxy S21 series as early as “late January,” citing three sources. The newswire claimed that the Korean brand is going for an early launch in order to take advantage of Huawei’s struggles and fend off Apple. On December 10, we received a concrete reveal from Samsung itself. 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. Indian residents will however have to wait until January 29 to get their hands on the devices. The outlet also confirmed a number of other details which we cover below. As mentioned, this year saw the introduction of the Ultra moniker with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. With the successive launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, we assumed that the Ultra title would make an appearance once more with the firm’s latest series. 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. Judging by leaked renders of the Galaxy S21 lineup, the three phones look almost identical, albeit for a few minor differences. 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.
