Samsung will exhibit off Galaxy S21 at Jan. 14 Unpacked event

2021 will convey some previously-than-usual goodies from Samsung. The South Korean electronics giant sent out invitations for its initial Unpacked of 2021 to choose position at 7 a.m. PT on Jan. 14 — about a thirty day period previously than past calendar year. It touted “Welcome to the Each day Epic” as the concept for the celebration. 

“In excess of the previous year, cell technological know-how has taken center phase in every day existence as persons are doing the job remotely and spending far more time at house,” Samsung stated. “The accelerated changeover to a mobile-to start with planet brings with it the require for equipment that can rework daily existence into an remarkable practical experience.”

Samsung is envisioned to unveil its latest Galaxy S equipment at Unpacked, which arrives the identical 7 days as the all-digital CES electronics clearly show. This time all around, Samsung possible will have 3 various types of the flagship cellular phone: the 6.2-inch S21, the 6.7-inch S21 Furthermore and the 6.8-inch S21 Extremely. The devices are envisioned to glimpse largely the exact but have bigger digital camera modules, boosting their picture and online video capabilities. 

Samsung could also discontinue its Galaxy Be aware line this yr and substitute it with S Pen assistance on its Galaxy S21 Extremely. Early renders never show a noticeable spot for a stylus, which may possibly imply it has to be housed individually from the cellphone when not in use. On Samsung’s preferred — but market — Observe lineup, the stylus slides into the gadget for storage. 

Samsung will also have a push meeting at CES on Jan. 11. It is really expected to aim on its Television and house equipment firms for that function, as it has carried out in earlier yrs. Unpacked will be the final working day of CES. 

A Jan. 14 date for Unpacked will come before than usual for Samsung. In the earlier, the company has normally unveiled its newest flagship cell phone in February, possibly marginally before or in the course of the Mobile Globe Congress trade clearly show and then unveiled the device in March or even April. 

Regaining floor

Samsung announced last year’s Galaxy S20 lineup and Galaxy Z Flip foldable on Feb. 11 in what was one of the tech industry’s last in-person events before the novel coronavirus pandemic forced borders to shut and governments to challenge remain-at-property orders. The Galaxy S20 gadgets, all of which arrived with 5G, began preorders Feb. 21 and strike suppliers on March 6.

The day immediately after Unpacked, organizers canceled the Cell Environment Congress trade show in Barcelona, which was slated for afterwards in February. At the time of that selection, COVID-19 experienced contaminated far more than 42,000 persons and claimed extra than 1,000 lives. That number has soared to about 85 million bacterial infections and about 1.8 million fatalities, as the entire world grapples with a crippling new wave of the virus. 

Samsung, like most tech businesses, has struggled to sell its pricey smartphones during the pandemic. Though it was just one of the first providers to launch a mobile phone with 5G, it was surpassed by Huawei as the world’s major mobile phone maker at a time it commonly would have gotten a improve from Galaxy S sales. The Chinese handset maker grew to become the most important smartphone vendor in the environment in the 2nd quarter, the initial time in 9 several years that Samsung or Apple hadn’t held that title. Analysts expected Apple to develop into the world’s 2nd-largest 5G cell phone vendor in 2020 — with less than three months of sales. That set Samsung, once the chief with the new connectivity, in third area.

Dropping its placement at the top rated of the smartphone industry has caused Samsung to make improvements, like keeping Unpacked about a thirty day period earlier than usual. Samsung also has shifted its designs to offer with modifying customer preferences during the pandemic. In September, it introduced introduced the Galaxy S20 FE, a more affordable design for its flagship smartphone lineup. The cell phone started off at $700 — or $300 considerably less than the frequent S20 charges — and came as the pandemic prompted need for fewer expensive equipment. 

Samsung over-all regained ground in the 3rd quarter to again come to be the top rated smartphone vendor as Huawei struggled to survive amid sanctions by the US. Samsung in late Oct noted its greatest quarterly revenue at any time, thanks to a “important improve in customer need” for its smartphones, personal computers and other goods. 

Target for 2021

Tae-moon Roh, Samsung president and head of mobile communications, published a site write-up in mid-December with facts about the company’s plans for 2021. Along with indicating the business would share extra in January, Roh reported Samsung in 2021 would grow its foldable lineup and make the devices “far more available” — possible code for reducing rates — as effectively as set more emphasis on the camera and online video abilities in its products. The organization will also bring functions from its Galaxy Take note devices to other phones in its portfolio, which is probable to include S Pen support on its future Galaxy S21 phones.

“We have by no means believed in a one particular-sizing-fits-all mobile experience and we under no circumstances will,” Roh wrote. He included that Samsung is “doing work on innovative developments in 5G,” artificial intelligence and the web of matters “that will redefine the parameters of what cell can do and give buyers the independence to tailor their cell activities to in shape their lives — not the other way about.”

Alongside with new connectivity abilities and AI capabilities, Samsung in 2021 designs to make it “less complicated to promptly track down the points that issue most, from your keys to your wallet — even your loved ones pet.” The enterprise is predicted to introduce physical Tile-model intelligent trackers, potentially known as Galaxy Wise Tags, to enable people continue to keep track of their belongings using BlueTooth. Apple has long been rumored to be doing work on its personal AirTags, but it has not still unveiled anything at all in that arena. 

Tune back again to CNET for comprehensive coverage of Samsung’s occasion on Jan. 14.