What’s in the next iPhone? Meet Samsung’s New Galaxy S21

Do you know what I could do with all this saved time? Probably… nothing.

You would be forgiven if you completely missed the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S21 a few weeks ago. There are no whiz bang features and you might have been distracted otherwise. Still, the trio of new phones – the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, and Galaxy S21 Ultra – are the best Samsung has released in years, and the best Android phones for the money right now. The S21 starts at $ 799, down $ 200 from last year’s model.

It’s what I like to call a year of Samsung refinement. (For other examples, see the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S10.) The company has tweaked and improved some of its best previously introduced features, including the fingerprint sensor, fast-refresh 120Hz display, and the 10X zoom lens of the S21 Ultra.

This is no mere coincidence, these are some of the features that Apple is likely to incorporate into its next iPhones, whether they are branded iPhone 12S, iPhone 13 or iPhone Super Max Crazy Deluxe 2021.

Apple has been working on in-screen fingerprint technology and has considered including both Touch ID and Face ID on the same device, two former Apple employees told me. While they couldn’t confirm the company’s plans, other reports, including one from Bloomberg, say Apple is testing in-screen fingerprint sensors in its upcoming iPhone.

Apple declined to comment on its future products.

While there are other industry reports that Apple is adopting improved, faster OLED displays and an additional telephoto lens, I can also point out a little something called … history. As you’ll see in the video above, I’ve traced the last five or so years at Apple following Samsung on hardware features – and Samsung after Apple.

There’s a clear pattern: Samsung is rolling out the cutting edge functionality (e.g. water resistance, wireless charging, 5G connectivity) as soon as possible – by my estimate, two to three years before Apple. Apple follows when it deems the technology ready for the masses. When Apple beats Samsung in the market, it tends to be with proprietary technology, like AirPods or Face ID, or removing features like the headphone jack.

“For people who love Samsung, it doesn’t exist too soon,” said Drew Blackard, vice president of product management at Samsung Electronics America. It highlights the value the company derives from feedback from early adopters. They “help us refine what will become the product two years later”.

And so it syncs up: just as Samsung is tweaking its old features – as it did with the Galaxy S21 – you can be sure Apple isn’t generally far behind with its own variants.

In-display fingerprint sensor

The Galaxy S21’s fingerprint sensor lives under the bottom half of the screen. A fingerprint icon will appear if necessary, letting you know where to press. It’s fast and reliable, recognizing the sides of my fingers and even the slightest touch. It wasn’t always like that.

With the Galaxy S10 and S20, the technology was slower, frequently returned error messages, and failed with wet fingers. The improvements are the result of Qualcommof

second generation ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The sensor now covers a larger area, works 50% faster, and captures more fingerprint data in its scans, making them more accurate.

Qualcomm declined to say whether Apple was another customer of its ultrasound technology.

A former Apple employee, who worked on Apple’s Touch ID, said the company is working with optical sensors for on-screen fingerprint scanning. The person said optical detection can be more reliable than ultrasound. Apple filed for various related patents as early as 2014. A recent patent shows a recognized fingerprint when placed anywhere on the screen. Apple declined to comment on its patents.

Former employees stressed that whatever solution Apple chooses should meet the security standards of its current Touch ID, which is still used on the iPhone SE, iPad and MacBooks.

120 Hz OLED screens

Please take your seats for the rudimentary refresh rate class. To convey movement, all screens are refreshed a certain number of times per second, often 60. It is measured in hertz, so “60 Hz”. Since the video is typically 60 frames per second or less, this works for the most part. But doubling the refresh rate to 120Hz can make some animations even smoother, especially scrolling and menu transitions. It can also reduce latency when writing with a stylus and improve some video games, which can run at over 60 frames per second.

Can you really tell the difference unless you compare the two side by side? No, but it’s nice to have. The biggest lag in technology has been the battery. Last year’s Galaxy S20 had the 120Hz option, but it was turned off by default due to battery drain. With the Galaxy S21, it’s enabled by default, with improved screen power efficiency and new adaptive frame rates that adapt to what’s on the screen. On the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung uses a new low-power 6.8-inch OLED display that cuts power consumption by 16%, while maintaining extremely high resolution.

It has been reported that Samsung, which regularly manufactures iPhone components, will provide this type of display for future iPhones. Plus, Apple already has the marketing jargon for this. The iPad Pro’s LCD screens have refresh rates of 120Hz, which it calls “ProMotion.”

The 2021 iPhone Pro models will have 120Hz displays, according to Ming-Chi Kou, a TF International Securities analyst with long experience in accurately predicting future iPhone functionality. Apple tested it in the iPhone 12, he says, but pulled it out due to battery and performance issues.

An ultra zoom camera

Last year I called the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s “Space Zoom” – which could magnify photos digitally up to 100X – a creep camera. This year the optical capacity is even better. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has four rear cameras, including a telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom and another with 10X optical zoom.

Translation: Crazy clarity photos when you stand completely far away.

Is it still scary? Sure, but is it also useful when trying to take a photo of a deer in the distance or your child in the middle of the football field? Of course.

Apple has explored greater telephoto magnification, according to Kou, although he’s not sure when. Apple has also filed for patents on this subject, including one this week, which refers to a camera comprising “two lightweight foldable elements.”

Zoom out and the picture is clear: Whether Apple buys Samsung’s technology or invents its own, it strives to give iPhones many of the features that Galaxy owners already have on hand.

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Write to Joanna Stern at [email protected]