'Galaxy S21' Early January Launch... Will It Also Feature the S Pen?

Expanding Market Share Amid Huawei's Slump
Camera Design Changes in Rendered Images Draw Attention
Reduced Camera Bump... S Pen Input Support Added

Galaxy S21 Rendering Image (Source=OnLeaks)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Samsung Electronics is bringing forward the launch of its flagship smartphone 'Galaxy S21' by one month next year.

According to IT specialized media SamMobile on the 18th (local time), Samsung Electronics will unveil the 'Galaxy S21' in early January. The new product launch is expected to begin from late January or early February.

Unpacked event moved up by one month in February... Filling Huawei's gap and countering iPhone 12

Samsung Electronics usually holds the Unpacked event in February to reveal the Galaxy S series, but next year's new product unveiling schedule will be one month earlier. This is interpreted as a strategy to quickly increase market share by countering the iPhone 12 while taking advantage of Huawei's sluggish performance.

At last February's Unpacked event, the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip were released simultaneously, but this year it is expected that the S21 will be unveiled first in January, followed by the Z Flip 2 sequentially in February. The Z Flip series has the lowest price among foldable phones and inevitably competes with the flagship.

As the Galaxy S21 launch approaches, partner companies have also started mass production of Galaxy S21 components, working hard to meet the advanced launch schedule.

Galaxy S21 'Camera Bump' Reduced

Galaxy S21 Ultra model rendering image (Source=OnLeaks)

Rendering images of the Galaxy S21 have also been released, drawing attention to the reduced 'camera bump' that was criticized in the Galaxy S20 and Note 20. The screen size of the Galaxy S21 is 6.2 inches, the same as its predecessor. It is designed with a flat display without edges on the sides. The rounded corners and triple camera remain the same, but the camera slot has moved away from the induction design, and the bezel thickness has become thinner.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is equipped with a quad camera and does not include a slot for the S Pen. While the camera module on the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 featured a prominent induction design, the next product connects the top and sides, making it less conspicuous. The camera bump does not completely disappear on the Ultra model. The thickness where the camera is located is 10.8mm, and 8.9mm where there is no camera, similar to the Galaxy S20 Ultra. It is expected to feature a 108-megapixel camera, two telephoto lenses, and 5x optical zoom. The Ultra model is known not to have an S Pen slot.

There have been rumors that Samsung Electronics will release the Galaxy S21 series in three models and equip the top-tier model with an S Pen. It is also anticipated that the S Pen recognition feature will be included rather than providing the S Pen as a standard accessory in the S series. This can be seen as part of the process to unify the flagship lineup under the S series and emphasize foldables. However, since the discontinuation of the Note series has not been confirmed, it is too early to make a definitive judgment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.