Samsung unpacks Galaxy S21 series; headphones, charger not included
After several leaks and rumors prior to its launch, Samsung officially unpacked on Thursday evening the latest models under its flagship series: the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and the S Pen-wielding Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The new Galaxy S21 lineup comes in three sizes. You get a 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display for the Galaxy S21 and a slightly taller 6.7-inch screen for the Galaxy S21 Plus.
The top-tier Galaxy S21 Ultra variant, on the other hand, has a 6.8-inch 3200x1440 WQHD+ display covered with Gorilla Glass Victus. The largest display in the new lineup also offers 25 percent brighter picture that peaks at 1500 nits as compared to its Galaxy S20 predecessors. All models also come with 5G connectivity, Eye Comfort Shield and offer 120Hz refresh rates for a smooth scrolling experience.
At their core, all three devices are powered by a 5nm octa-core processor. The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus both have 8GB of RAM paired with either 128GB or 256 GB of internal storage, while their more potent sibling has either 12GB or 16GB of RAM with up to 512GB of storage.
In terms of cameras, Samsung has also equipped the new flagship lineup with an array of versatile lenses. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus’ camera system comprise of a 64-megapixel telephoto lens, 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and 12-megapixel ultrawide camera paired with a 10-megapixel selfie camera.
For the top-spec variant, the front sports a 40-megapixel lens along with a quad-camera setup composed of a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, two 10-megapixel cameras and a 108-megapixel pro sensor, which allows users to capture 12-bit HDR photos with 64 times richer color data and more than three times wider dynamic range. In short, the main shooter of the Galaxy S21 Ultra is more than capable of delivering sharper and detailed photos.
As for the battery department, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has the largest capacity with 5,000mAh while the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are equipped with 4,000mAh and 4,800mAh, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a starting price of P69,990 for the 256GB model and P79,990 for the 512GB pre-order-exclusive model. The Galaxy S21 Plus has a price tag of P57,990 while the base Galaxy S21 will ship for P47,990. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S21 series begins today, Jan. 15 to 28, 2021.
Starting January 29, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G will be available at Samsung.com, authorized Samsung stores, and other Samsung online and telco partners. As for the colors, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will be available in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black while the Galaxy S21 Plus will come in Phantom Violet and Phantom Silver. The base Galaxy S21 model will be available in Phantom Violet and Phantom Gray.
Samsung drops headphones and chargers in Galaxy S21 series
After taking a playful jab at Apple’s announcement last year, Samsung also revealed that they’re shipping the new lineup of mobile devices without the traditional wired headphones and in-box chargers in order to “help address sustainable consumption issues.”
To recall, the South Korean company posted an image of its charger on its Facebook page along with a text that reads "Included with your Galaxy” following Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone 12 lineup last October.
“Your #Galaxy does give you what you are looking for. From the most basic as a charger, to the best camera, battery, Performance, memory and even 120Hz screen on a smartphone,” the caption read.
According to Patrick Chomet, EVP and head of customer experience office, mobile communications business at Samsung Electronics, they “discovered that more and more Galaxy users are reusing accessories they already have and making sustainable choices in their daily lives to promote better recycling habits.”
“To support our Galaxy community in this journey, we are transitioning to removal of the charger plug and earphones in our latest line of Galaxy smartphones,” he said.
Chomet added: “We believe that the gradual removal of charger plugs and earphones from our in-box device packaging can help address sustainable consumption issues and remove any pressure that consumers may feel towards continually receiving unnecessary charger accessories with new phones.”
Apple previously said that the decision to not include a charging adapter and the wired EarBuds in their latest offerings is aimed to reduce the company’s carbon emissions as well as the use of precious materials.