Samsung’s Galaxy S21 to debut at Unpacked event on January 14

The new year will bring goodies earlier than normal from Samsung. The South Korean electronics giant has sent out invitations for its first Unpacked of 2021, which will take place at 7 a.m. PT on January 14 – about a month earlier than last year and last. CES day. He touted “Welcome to the Daily Epic” as the theme of the event, where the latest version of his Galaxy S smartphone is set to debut.

“Over the past year, mobile technology has taken center stage in everyday life as people work remotely and spend more time at home,” Samsung said. “The accelerated transition to a mobile-centric world is driving the need for devices that can turn everyday life into an extraordinary experience.”

Samsung will likely have three different models of the flagship phone: the 6.2-inch S21, the 6.7-inch S21 Plus, and the 6.8-inch S21 Ultra. The devices are expected to look largely the same, but feature larger camera modules, increasing their photo and video capabilities.

The company could also discontinue its Galaxy Note line this year and replace it with S Pen support on its Galaxy S21 Ultra. Early renderings don’t show a visible location for a stylus, which may mean it needs to be housed separately from the phone when not in use. On Samsung’s popular – but niche – Note line, the stylus slips into the device for storage.

Samsung will also be holding a press conference at CES on January 11. At this event, he is expected to focus on his television and home appliance business, as has been the case in recent years. Unpacked will be the last day of CES.

A January 14 date for Unpacked is coming earlier than normal for Samsung. In the past, the company has typically unveiled its new flagship phone in February, either a little before or during the Mobile World Congress trade show, and then released the device in March or even April.

Regain ground

Samsung announced last year’s Galaxy S20 line and foldable Galaxy Z Flip on February 11 in what was one of the last in-person events in the tech industry before the novel coronavirus pandemic forced the border closures and governments to issue stay-at-home orders. Galaxy S20 devices, all of which come with 5G, started pre-orders on February 21 and hit stores on March 6.

The day after Unpacked, organizers canceled the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, ​​which was scheduled for later in February. By that time, COVID-19 had infected more than 42,000 people and killed more than 1,000. That number has climbed to around 85 million infections and around 1.8 million deaths as the world grapples with a crippling new wave of the virus.

Samsung, like most tech companies, has struggled to sell its expensive smartphones during the pandemic. Although it was one of the first companies to release a phone with 5G, it was overtaken by Huawei as the world’s largest phone maker at a time when it would normally have been boosted by sales of the Galaxy S. Chinese handset maker became the world’s largest smartphone supplier in the second quarter, the first time in nine years that Samsung or Apple didn’t hold that title. Analysts expected Apple to become the world’s second-largest supplier of 5G phones in 2020 – with less than three months of sales. This put Samsung, once a leader in new connectivity, in third place.

The loss of its position at the top of the smartphone market caused Samsung to make some changes, including holding Unpacked about a month earlier than normal. Samsung has also changed its plans to deal with changing consumer preferences during the pandemic. In September, it introduced the Galaxy S20 FE, a cheaper model for its flagship smartphone line. The phone started at $ 700 – $ 300 less than the S20’s usual costs – and came when the pandemic sparked demand for cheaper devices.

Globally, Samsung regained ground in the third quarter to once again become the top smartphone vendor as Huawei struggled to survive amid U.S. sanctions. Samsung announced at the end of October its highest quarterly turnover ever, thanks to a “significant increase in consumer demand” for its smartphones, computers and other products.

Focus for 2021

Tae-moon Roh, Samsung president and head of mobile communications, posted a blog post in mid-December with details of the company’s plans for 2021. In addition to saying the company would share more in January , Roh said Samsung in 2021 will do so. expand its foldable range and make devices “more accessible” – code likely to lower prices – as well as put more emphasis on the camera and video capabilities of its devices. The company will also bring the functionality of its Galaxy Note devices to other phones in its portfolio, which will likely include S Pen support on its upcoming Galaxy S21 phones.

“We never believed in a universal mobile experience and we never will,” Roh wrote. He added that Samsung “is working on revolutionary advancements in 5G,” artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things “that will redefine the parameters of what mobile can do and give consumers the freedom to tailor their mobile experiences. to their lives – not the other way around. “

In addition to new connectivity capabilities and artificial intelligence features, Samsung plans in 2021 to “make it easier to quickly locate the things that matter most, from your keys to your wallet, even your pet.” The company is expected to introduce Tile-like physical smart trackers, eventually called Galaxy Smart Tags, to help people keep track of their assets using BlueTooth. Apple has long been said to be working on its own AirTags, but it has yet to reveal anything in this area.

Check back on CNET for full coverage of the Samsung event on January 14.