Samsung wants to help put 2020, and its many ups and downs, behind us by teasing what’s to come from its mobile business early in the new year. In a lengthy overview of the last months, along with some predictions for 2021, Samsung’s President of Mobile Communications TM Roh has strongly hinted at some developments to get excited about in January.
In a section of the news release entitled The Samsung Promise, Roh writes:
“True to our heritage of staying ahead of the curve with trailblazing mobile tech, we’ll be expanding our portfolio of foldables, so this groundbreaking category is more accessible to everyone. And while we’re already known for our revolutionary cameras, we’ll never stop trying to outdo ourselves — so be on the lookout for super-intelligent, pro-grade camera and video capabilities in 2021. We’ve also been paying attention to people’s favorite aspects of the Galaxy Note experience and are excited to add some of its most well-loved features to other devices in our lineup.”
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Let’s break this down and see how it fits in with some of the more juicy Samsung rumors circulating recently. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is easily the best foldable smartphone we’ve used yet, but it’s still a massive financial commitment. Roh’s words indicate a cheaper Galaxy Fold device is on its way. To get an idea of current costs, the original Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s cheapest foldable phone, priced at $1,099, while the 5G version costs $1,450. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 costs $1,999, and we’re hopeful it’s the full-size foldable which will get a much-needed price cut.
Rumors have spread recently that Samsung may add S Pen stylus support to other Galaxy phones outside of the Note series, and Roh’s words seem to confirm this. Samsung has said the S Pen is one of the top features Note phone owners love and now, it may add it to the Galaxy S21, future foldable phones, or even some of the higher-end A Series phones. It’s somewhat surprising, given Samsung understands the stylus separates the Note from the S Series, but Roh’s words are suitably vague so it’s not clear whether other phones will come with a stylus, or just support for one.
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Finally, the unsurprising news is Samsung will improve its cameras once more next year. It has made strides forward already, with the Note 20 Ultra making far better use of its camera than the very similar Galaxy S20 Ultra. Recent rumors have linked the Galaxy S21 with a quad-camera setup and a 10x zoom feature. Additionally, a leak showed Samsung may be working on a massive 600-megapixel camera, which would stick out the back of the phone by 22mm.
Roh concludes by saying Samsung will share more in January, hinting the Galaxy S21 series may arrive in the first month of the new year, rather than late February as the latest S Series hardware has done in previous years. Rumors have put a Samsung Unpacked event on the calendar for mid-January, but this is not official yet.
Samsung has had a strong 2020, impressing with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 down to the Galaxy S20 FE, so we’re looking forward to seeing what it has planned for 2021.