Galaxy S21: Huge leak divulges nearly full spec list w/ new design, plastic base model

With an earlier launch expected this time around, the leaks have started to pour out around Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S21 series. Today, we’re getting a huge reveal of nearly all of the specs for each Galaxy S21 model, as well as new details about each device.

If you’ll recall, last year, Samsung’s enemy in the leaks game was Max Weinbach, who today reports on the next series over at Android Police. In his huge information dump, we get a ton of details about the Galaxy S21 series, starting with a nearly complete list of specs.

According to Weinbach’s sources, the Galaxy S21 series will see a modest, almost expected upgrade over its predecessor. That starts with a Snapdragon 875 or Exynos 2100 chipset depending on region, but apparently, the two chips are “on par” with each other this year, something we couldn’t say on the S20.

All three phones also retain 120Hz displays but this time with 6.2-inch and 6.7-inch OLED LPTS panels on the Galaxy S21 and S21+, both at just FHD+ (1080p) resolution. That’s a step down from last time. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, though, will have a 6.8-inch WQHD+ (1440p) OLED LPTO display, which also features an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate just like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The S21 Ultra’s display will also feature S Pen support, as previously reported, but an S Pen won’t be included. All three phones will also debut with Android 11 and One UI 3.0 and feature both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (Wi-Fi 6E) for the Ultra. The S21+ and Ultra will also support UWB, including Samsung’s upcoming AirTags competitor.

It’s from there that the specs differ a bit on each Galaxy S21 model. The smallest S21 will offer a 4,000 mAh battery and three cameras — 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 64MP telephoto. That’s the same as last year. The S21+ will have the same camera array but with a much larger 4,800 mAh battery. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will feature a 5,000 mAh battery with a 108MP (Gen2) main camera, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x optical, and 10MP 10x optical zoom cameras. 100x “Space Zoom” will also be returning, and the laser autofocus from Note 20 Ultra will be coming over as well, which is great news.

Galaxy S21 Leaked Specs:

As far as the design goes, the leaked designs we’ve seen in recent weeks are apparently accurate, though they’ll obviously look a bit different in person. That’s according to official press renders Weinbach has seen but cannot share at this point.

Beyond just the design, though, this report claims that the S21 series will come in some new “Phantom” colors. That includes Violet, Pink, Gray, and White for the smallest device, Silver, Black, and Violet for the S21+, and only silver and black for the S21 Ultra. Notably, too, the frame and camera bump will feature different colors depending on the model, which sounds like a neat idea, but we’ll have to see how it looks in person. Weinbach explains that:

…the Phantom Black colorway has a black frame and camera bump while the Phantom Violet and Phantom Pink colorways have a copper body. Our sources tell us the Phantom White has a subtle blue tint with a bronze bezel, similar to the blue and gold Note 7 colorway.

Interestingly, Samsung is also taking a different route with this design as far as materials go. Where every S20 was similar as far as materials go, the base S21 device will be made from plastic. The S21 Ultra will stick with glass/metal, but at this point, it’s unclear which path the S21+ will follow. Apparently, Samsung received better fan reaction to the plastic backs on Note 20 and S20 FE than the company expected, driving this decision.

It’s unclear what pricing will be for the Galaxy S21 series, but apparently, rumors are floating around that the company plans to lower the starting price this year. That’s good news, considering the Galaxy S20 series struggled to gain any traction with a starting price of $1,000. Right now, the series is expected to debut in January.

More on Galaxy S21:

• Samsung makes a bid to steal Huawei market share as Galaxy S21 Ultra specs leak
• Galaxy S21 series allegedly set for January 14 launch
• Samsung Galaxy S21 tipped to support S Pen, but without a place to put it