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 thenews releaseentitled 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.”
Let’s break this down and see how it fits in with some of the more juicy Samsung rumors circulating recently. TheSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 2is 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 originalGalaxy Z Flipis 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 mayadd S Pen stylus supportto 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 thetop features Note phone owners loveand now, it may add it to theGalaxy S21, future foldable phones, or even some of the higher-end A Series phones. It’s somewhat surprising, given Samsungunderstands the stylus separates the Notefrom 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.
Finally, the unsurprising news is Samsung will improve its cameras once more next year. It has made strides forward already, with theNote 20 Ultramaking far better use of its camera than the very similarGalaxy 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 massive600-megapixel camera, which would stick out the back of the phone by 22mm.
Roh concludes by saying Samsung will share more in January, hinting theGalaxy S21 seriesmay 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 theGalaxy S20 FE, so we’re looking forward to seeing what it has planned for 2021.
