Samsung Galaxy S21's Unprecedented 'January Gamble'

Released in January, One Month Ahead of February Unpacked
Card Aiming to Block iPhone 12 Offensive and Fill Huawei's Void
Targeting Market Share and Revenue Expansion
Also Spacing Out from Galaxy Z Flip2 Launch Schedule

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Galaxy S21 will be unveiled in January next year. The usual release schedule, which was typically revealed at the February Unpacked event, has been moved up by more than a month. What is the reason behind this unprecedented 'January gamble'?

Why Was the Galaxy S21 Release Moved Up?

The scene from the 'Galaxy S20 Unpack Event' held in San Francisco last February

According to industry sources on the 4th, Samsung Electronics plans to launch the Galaxy S21 globally at the end of January next year. Samsung adjusted the release schedule as a strategic move to counter the iPhone 12 offensive while aiming to expand market share and sales. The decision was also influenced by the opportunity to regain ground in the smartphone market, which had stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to block the iPhone 12's dominance. With Huawei faltering due to U.S. government sanctions, this is a chance to quickly respond with a new product and increase market share. It is also a strategy to space out the release from the Galaxy Z Flip 2, the follow-up to the foldable smartphone. The closer the release dates of the lower-priced Galaxy Z Flip 2 and the Galaxy S21, the higher the risk of mutual cannibalization.

As smartphone replacement cycles lengthen and the mid-to-low-end product segment expands, flagship shipment volumes have weakened compared to before. The shipment volume of the main flagship lineup has been declining annually. The securities industry estimates the Galaxy S20's shipments this year at 22 million units, which is over 10 million fewer than the 32.8 million units shipped in the launch year of the Galaxy S10. The Galaxy Note 20's shipments for the third and fourth quarters are estimated at 7.4 million units, showing a significant gap compared to the Galaxy Note 10's 10.1 million units during the same period.

Samsung Electronics faces the challenge of driving pent-up demand caused by COVID-19. Market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA) forecasts Samsung's smartphone shipments this year at approximately 265 million units, a decrease of over 30 million units compared to last year due to the pandemic. Next year, shipments are expected to exceed 300 million units. While Samsung's smartphone 'economies of scale' continue, it must tighten its grip in the 5G smartphone market. The story changes in the 5G smartphone market next year. It is analyzed that Apple will hold the top spot with a 24.2% share, followed by Huawei at 22.2%, and Samsung Electronics at 15.1%.

What Will the Galaxy S21 Look Like?

Galaxy S21 Ultra Rendering Image (Source=OnLeaks)

The Galaxy S21 is expected to support S Pen recognition and significantly improve display quality. There are predictions that the S Pen will be included in the top-tier model or that S Pen recognition will be supported across all models. Until now, the main distinction between the Galaxy S series and the Note series was the 'S Pen,' but this move is interpreted as an effort to integrate the Note series to grow the foldable category. It could serve as a natural phase-out for the Note series while reestablishing the position of the Galaxy S series.

The display refresh rate of the Galaxy S21 is also expected to be raised to 144Hz. The Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first to apply a 120Hz refresh rate, and this is an evolution aimed at optimizing video viewing and cloud gaming. This will also differentiate it from the iPhone 12, which has a 60Hz refresh rate. The rear camera will have up to 108 million pixels, and the front camera will have 40 million pixels, the same as the previous model, but the camera module design will be smoother, reducing the 'camera bump.' The bezel thickness will be thinner, and the front camera size will be smaller. It will be equipped with Qualcomm's latest smartphone chipset, the Snapdragon 875, and Android 11.

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