Galaxy S21 rumors: everything you need to know for today’s Samsung Unpacked event

This story is part of THESE, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the hottest gadgets from fully virtual CES 2021.

The Galaxy S21 is only a few hours away. Samsung Unpacked event happens today at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET), after months of rumors and speculation. Here’s how to watch the Galaxy Unpacked event live the last day of CES 2021. the latest leaks view detailed product specs and info on how the three S21 phones stack up and what will be included in the box, plus what appears to be a pre-order offer Galaxy Buds Pro or Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy SmartTag. You can actually sign up to pre-order the S21 right now.

The company released a slew of phones in 2020 to match almost any budget, from the $ 100 Galaxy A01 to the $ 1,999 Galaxy Z Fold. But Galaxy S phones are considered the flagship handsets of the company, 2020. seeing the launch of the Galaxy s20 line and most affordable Galaxy S20 FE. Leaks indicate the S21 with a new design with enhanced camera features including 10x optical zoom. Other rumors say the S21 Ultra could even completely replace Galaxy Note phones, with leaks showing a case for phone which has room for the S Pen.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S21 specs: battery, price, size and more rumored to be

Here’s everything we know about Galaxy S21 phones right now.

3 Galaxy S21 phones with the same processor

It’s no surprise that Samsung is launching three different models of the S21: the 6.2-inch S21, the 6.7-inch S21 Plus, and the 6.8-inch S21 Ultra. But a major leak from Android Police’s Max Weinbach apparently documents almost the entire spec sheet, which reveals even more about these three phones than model names and sizes. Evan Blass’ latest leak also includes a detailed spec sheet showing three phones with the same model names and display sizes.

The displays will likely all support 120Hz like the previous S20 series, with the S21 Ultra sporting the highest resolution WQHD Plus display. But the other key reveal is that these phones will likely use the latest Snapdragon processor in the US. It was previously thought to be called Snapdragon 875, it was actually named Snapdragon 888, which was announced at a Qualcomm virtual event in December. Some of the main claims of the new chip are faster 5G performance and longer battery life.

Read more: Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20: price, features and more compared

The other main differences between the S21 phones seem to be the design of the camera modules, the color options and of course the battery capacity. The S21 base will have a 4000mAh battery, the S21 Plus battery will be 4800mAh, and the high-end S21 Ultra will get a gigantic 5000mAh battery, according to the leaked datasheets.

Renderings show sleek new camera and frame design

Previous renderings posted by Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) indicate that the Galaxy S21 won’t be drastically different from previous S20 phones, but it will have a redesigned camera module. It looks like there will be an in-display fingerprint reader and punch-hole selfie camera like before on all three phones, with the S21 and S21 Plus’s screens sitting flat and the S21 Ultra’s screen curving. the edges. More Galaxy S21 teasers leaked online in early December, showing a Phantom Violet color with a hole-punch camera and small bezel on the front of the device and a rear triple-camera setup.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S21 colors: prepare for pastel pink, if the rumors are true

The S21 and S21 Plus’s three-camera array has been moved to the upper left corner and it’s safe to assume that there will be a regular wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto camera. This render matches the Android Police and Evan Blass datasheet, which states that it will be a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and wide camera, plus a 64-megapixel telephoto lens. The LED flash has been moved just to the right of the camera housing.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is a little different, with a much larger camera module with four rear cameras: a 12-megapixel wide and ultra-wide, plus two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses with 3x and 10x optical zoom. It also looks like the 100x space zoom seen on the S20 Ultra will also feature on the S21 Ultra. Space zoom is Samsung’s term for the hybrid digital and optical zoom used to achieve 100x.

The S21 Ultra’s main camera appears to have a 108-megapixel sensor called “Generation 2 sensor” on the datasheet. We assume that it will use a pixel binning method for producing 12-megapixel photos, as the S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra do with their 108-megapixel sensors. The S21 Ultra also seeks to retain the laser autofocus system of the Note 20 Ultra, as opposed to the phase-detection autofocus system of the S20 Ultra.

Evan Blass on Twitter shared the following infographic which details the resolutions and specifications of the S21 series cameras which appear to corroborate previous leaks.

While the @OnLeaks renderings also show the S21 series in a gray and black finish, other colors are expected. The S21 appears to come in phantom white, phantom gray, phantom purple, and phantom pink; the S21 Plus in Phantom Silver, Phantom Black and Phantom Violet; and the S21 Ultra in Phantom Black and Phantom Silver. The rendering in the video below from the Italian site Pigtou shows what the silver finish can look like.

Twitter user Ice Univers posted an image showing conceptual renderings of the other S21 colors, then followed by an image posted to Instagram which they say is the front of the S21 Ultra.

YouTube user Sakitech posted the video below, which claims to show a photo of the S21 Ultra and S21 Plus. It details the camera specs and gives an overview of what the preproduction sample might look like. Dutch site LetsGoDigital has also released detailed 3D renderings of the Galaxy S21 series that show the SIM tray moved at the base of the phone.

Will the Galaxy S21 have any accessories in the box?

Samsung will almost certainly follow suit Apple’s advance by removing both the charger and the wired headphones from the Galaxy S21’s box, according to a previous report, now corroborated by the Blass leaks. It wouldn’t be the first time that Samsung has taken the headphones out of the retail box, as the $ 1,999 Galaxy Z Fold 2 ships without headphones in the US (although you can request a pair of AKG headphones at Samsung after purchase).

Read more: Will the Samsung Galaxy S21 have a headphone jack? Here’s why we don’t think so

Goodbye Galaxy Note, hello stylus for the S21?

A Reuters report says Samsung may discontinue the Galaxy Note line and the S21 Ultra will take its place as a Samsung phone with a stylus. While the renderings don’t show a visible location for a stylus, the phone can still support the S Pen with a software update. This would mean that the stylus would have to be housed separately from the phone when not in use. Images of WinFuture show a case for the S21 Ultra that has a specific slot for the S Pen when not in use, appearing to confirm rumors that there will be no room to store the S Pen in the phone itself- same, as you can do on the Galaxy Note line. the latest spec leak also shows S Pen support in the S21 Ultra only, although the stylus is sold separately.

In Samsung’s blog post, TM Roh also confirms that there will be synergy between the Note and other Samsung phones. “We’ve also paid attention to people’s favorite aspects of the Galaxy Note experience and are excited to add some of its most loved features to other devices in our lineup.”

Older portable devices may not be compatible with the S21

Samsung has released numerous fitness trackers and smartwatches over the past few years, but a notification in the Samsung Members app spotted by GalaxyClub suggests that the Galaxy S21 does not support older portable devices such as the Galaxy Gear. The full list of affected devices includes the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, Gear S, and Gear Fit. This news is not particularly surprising, given that some of these trackers were released over five years ago.

One UI 3.1 can debut on S21

Another video presented by Droid Life shows the new Samsung One UI 3.1 which will be supposed to launch with the S21. As an update to the current One UI 3.0 which is currently on many new Samsung phones running Android 11, the new update seems to bring features like background videos of calls, stream of Google discovery on the home screen, as well as changes to the camera interface.

The S21 could be cheaper than the S20

There is also the possibility that Samsung will lower the base price of the Galaxy S21, possibly in response to declining sales of mobile phones across the board due to the coronavirus pandemic. South Korean leaker Landsk claims the S21 will start at $ 899, the S21 Plus at $ 1,099 and the S21 Ultra at $ 1,250. That would mark a price drop of $ 100 from the launch price of the regular S20 in March 2020.

Other rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S21: