The Samsung Galaxy S21 is about a month from launch, but we already have a pretty good idea of what they'll look like from these detailed designs.
LetsGoDigital published the following images, and the renders themselves designed by Giuseppe "Snoreyn" Spinelli. These are apparently based on real images of the phones which LGD has seen but isn't publishing in order to protect its source. If LGD's original images are accurate, this makes these renders the most reliable we've seen so far.
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Galaxy S21 Ultra
There are a lot of similarities between these renders and the Galaxy S21 renders we've seen before. LGD draws particular attention to the camera system on the back, which wraps around from the back to the side of the phone, something the Galaxy S- eries has not done before. However, there is one extra camera on the S21 Ultra model compared to the earlier renders.
In total, we're expecting five sensors on the back of the S21 Ultra. There will be a 108MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera and time-of-flight depth sensor, as there was on the Galaxy S20 Ultra that preceded it. The new sensors are reportedly a pair of 10MP telephoto cameras, one with 3x zoom and the other with 10x zoom. Taken together with the expected 40MP selfie sensor, the S21 Ultra's photo package should be one of the strongest on the market at launch.
Going into further detail on the S21 Ultra, LGD repeats the claim that this will be a 6.8-inch phone, slightly smaller than the 6.9-inch S20 Ultra. The screen will be curved on the left and right edges, unlike the smaller models which will use only slightly curved displays. The S21 Ultra will also likely have a higher QHD resolution, but the same 120Hz refresh rate and central punch-hole selfie camera.
There are even rumors that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will support the S Pen stylus, with Samsung potentially looking to discontinue the Galaxy Note line that is defined by this accessory.
On the inside, we should expect a 5,000 mAh battery, powered by an included 25W charger or an optional 45W charger. Running the show should be the newly revealed Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip or Samsung's own Exynos 2100, depending on the region. That'll then be accompanied by at least 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, although there was an option for 16GB/512GB on the S20 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus
The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus are said to have smaller displays at 6.2 and 6.7 inches,respectively. While these will also be capable of a 120Hz refresh rate, they will have an FHD resolution, and will be flat "2.5D" panels according to previous leaks.
Following on from the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 FE, these cheaper S21 models may use plastic backs instead of the usual glass. That will make for a cheaper handsets, but considering these are meant to be flagships, plastic may feel too low-quality for the price tag.
For cameras, the S21 and S21 Plus should have similar set-ups to the S20 and S20 Plus. That's a 12MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 64MP 3x zoom telephoto camera, with the Plus model also getting a TOF camera on top of that.
Samsung's new colors for the S21 range all follow the same ghostly naming convention. The S21 Ultra will have the choice of Phantom Black and Phantom Silver, while the S21 Plus will offer those plus the more colorful Phantom Violet. The base S21 gets a choice of either Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet or Phantom Pink.
While we're still expecting these to be expensive phones, we're hopefully going to see a small price reduction from the S20 series to the S21 series. According to one rumor, that drop could be as big as $150.
The launch date for the S21 isn't too far away. We've heard from several sources that the lineup will make its debut in January, earlier in the year than both the S20's launch (February) and the Galaxy S10's launch (March). The reason for this is likely to keep up with newer competitors, such as the iPhone 12 series, or the OnePlus 8T.
