Galaxy S21 series: first pictures and release date leak

The S-series is traditionally unveiled in February before going on general release in March. But according to multiple reports, Samsung will be moving the reveal date forward to January with sales starting either the same month or in February.

It’s speculated that unlike this year, Samsung doesn’t want to launch the next Galaxy S-series and Z Flip close together; 2021 could see the foldable release at a later date than the S21 handsets, and the company wants to put plenty of space between the two.

We’ve also heard that Samsung’s suppliers have begun mass production of S21 components, further suggesting that the series is arriving sooner than usual.

In addition to the new release date, the first alleged images of the Galaxy S21 series have dropped. Prolific leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) has posted Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra designs on his Voice profile.

It appears that the Galaxy S21 follows its predecessor in featuring a flat, 6.2-inch display with a near-identical footprint. The rear, however, has been given a revamp, with the camera unit, which still has three lenses, now blended into the side of the phone. The array is also said to have been lifted further from the frame, creating a bump of around 1.1 mm.

The high-end S21 Ultra will have a curved display and measure between 6.7 - 6.9 inches. The camera unit is larger to accommodate the flash/fourth camera, protruding around 1.9 mm from the body.

There have been rumors that the S21 line would ship with a stylus—potentially in preparation for Samsung to drop the Note series as it focuses on foldables—but there doesn’t appear to be an S-pen slot. And after Samsung joined other companies in mocking Apple’s decision to drop the charger from the iPhone 12, expect the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra to ship with power bricks.