The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has gotten all of the hype recently, but it’s good to remember Samsung’s other — and arguably more important — flagship. The Galaxy S series is expected to get an update in February, and we’ve already started hearing rumors and leaks about the upcoming phone. Well, phones.
There are even rumors about what the upcoming devices will be called. While Samsung jumped to the Galaxy S20 from the S10 last year, current rumors indicate that the next phone range will be called the Samsung Galaxy S21.
Whatever the devices end up being called, here’s everything we know.
Galaxy S21 design and display
We’re still a few months away from the expected launch of the Galaxy S21 series, but we’ve already gotten renders that apparently show the design of the upcoming phone. Renders of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra have been leaked by @OnLeaks, and seem to show that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a huge camera bump on the back that bleeds over the edge of the phone. Apart from that, the phone will look relatively similar to its pedecessor, with a hole-punch cutout at the top.
The display on the Galaxy S21 Ultra will reportedly be 6.8 inches, and some rumors suggest that it could be up to 144Hz, beating the 120Hz refresh rate on the Galaxy S20 series. It should offer a Quad HD+ resolution. The exact specifications may vary a little, and known Samsung Twitter leaker Ice Universe still believes that the display will be 120Hz.
Like the Galaxy S20, the Galaxy S21 is expected to come in three different models, likely to be called the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Galaxy S21 cameras
Samsung changed the aesthetic of the camera array with the Galaxy S20, moving it to the top left of the back of the phone, similar to the camera array on the iPhone 11 series. This made way for a new triple-camera setup, and we can expect that as the base level for the S21 as well.
When it comes to actual specs of the cameras, rumors suggest that the device might offer two telephoto lenses to make for better zoom shots, as well as a wide-angle sensor and an ultrawide sensor. The main sensor on the phone may also be a hefty 108-megapixel camera sensor — which will reportedly be coupled with a 40-megapixel front-facing camera. That’s pretty huge. Apart from that, one rumor notes that the front-facing camera may have optical image stabilization, or OIS, which will help make for better selfies.
Will it be the Galaxy S21 or Galaxy S30?
There is some debate as to what the next Galaxy S will end up being called. For the first 10 years of the Galaxy S series, Samsung simply counted up for its naming scheme — but last year it skipped from the Galaxy S10 to the Galaxy S20. For 2021, rumors indicate that Samsung will return to simple iteration, and call the new device the Galaxy S21 — though that could change as we get closer to the launch of the phones. “Galaxy S30” is certainly a possibility, although it could quickly get out of hand in just a few model generations.
Galaxy S21 specs and performance
Under the hood, the Galaxy S21 series will likely get an impressive performance boost. Like in previous years, it’s expected that the phones will offer slightly different specs depending on where you buy one. Some rumors suggest that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a yet-to-be-announced Samsung Exynos 1000 chipset, which is a 5nm chip that will compete with the Snapdragon 875. Speaking of the Snapdragon 875, it will likely be featured in all three U.S. versions of the phone. Other rumors suggest that the chip in the international Galaxy S21 will be called the Exynos 2100, and that it’s capable of scoring 690,000 on AnTuTu, which is pretty impressive. That leak comes from known Samsung leaker IceUniverse.
According to a report from GalaxyClub, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a 4,885mAh battery, which more or less matches the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s battery capacity. This was confirmed by MyFixGuide, which claims to have found the battery capacity by matching the model number to 3C certification documents online. Dutch site Galaxy Club also claims the phone will have the same whopping 65-watt charging currently only available in some phones from Oppo and Xiaomi.
Galaxy S21 pricing and availability
The newest Samsung Galaxy S devices are usually launched in February, and that’s expected to remain true this coming year. When it comes to pricing, the phones will likely carry a similar price tag to the Galaxy S20 phones, with the S21 being the cheapest and the S21 Ultra being the most expensive. If they’re the same price as the Galaxy S20 series, prices will range from $1,000 to $1,600, depending on the sizes and specs.
We will continually update this story with the latest leaks, rumors, and information on the Galaxy S21 series.
