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Samsung store confirms Galaxy S21 5G launch date, colors, and key specs

By Joshua Swingle

Published: Dec 10, 2020, 5:54 AM

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Samsung store confirms Galaxy S21 5G launch date, colors, and key specs

Samsung Galaxy S21 concept render

UPDATE: Reservations for the Galaxy S21 preorder are now open in the US. Get $50 in store credit for registering!

A report published in October revealed that Samsung was planning an early January Galaxy S21 announcement. Now, the largest Samsung Experience store in India has confirmed the exact date and several other details.

Samsung will announce the Galaxy S21 series on January 14

Store executives at Samsung's Opera House store in Bengaluru, which is the largest one in India, have confirmed to Android Authority that the South Korean brand will unveil the whole Galaxy S21 series at an Unpacked event on Thursday, January 14.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra

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The Indian release date has been locked in for Friday, January 29. The employees didn't confirm whether the international launch is scheduled for the same day, but that is probably the case because everything that's been shared lines up perfectly with what tipster Jon Prosser reported in early November.

In anticipation of the launch, Samsung's Experience Store in Bengaluru has started taking pre-bookings for the Galaxy S21 line. A device can be pre-booked for Rs 2,000 ($27) and customers will be kept updated about local availability over WhatsApp.

Once the devices have been introduced, each customer will be able to choose the model they'd like to acquire, meaning nobody will have to select one before seeing them.

Leaked Galaxy S21 teaser

The official launch pricing wasn't confirmed, but the employees were more than happy to talk about the colors. As per previous reports, it's been confirmed that Samsung will offer the standard Galaxy S21 in Gray, Purple, Pink, and White.

On the other hand, the larger Galaxy S21+ looks set to land in Pink, Purple, Silver, and Black. The premium Galaxy S21 Ultra is only planned in Black and Silver, although leaked photos suggest it will offer a matte coating.

The Exynos 2100 will power the Galaxy S21 in some regions

If all of this wasn't enough, the Samsung Opera House employees corroborated some of the recently leaked specifications too. The Galaxy S21 Ultra will indeed boast a 108-megapixel main camera, laser autofocus, and two 10-megapixel cameras, one of which will offer 10x optical zoom.

The employees didn’t speak about the Ultra’s fourth camera, but leaked details suggest it’ll be a 12-megapixel ultra-wide. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S21 & S21+ cameras weren’t detailed.

On the topic of the chipset, a recent FCC listing confirmed the US models will offer Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888. However, in India, the store employees confirmed that Samsung will use its in-house Exynos 2100, which should be announced December 15.

Samsung Galaxy S21 series concept renders

The same chipset is expected to be at the heart of all European models and the devices released in most other international markets. It remains to be seen whether the Exynos 2100 will be selected for South Korea too.

How much will the Galaxy S21 lineup cost at launch?

As mentioned above, the store employees didn't discuss pricing. However, there are some rumors floating around. Here's what the Galaxy S21 series should look like based on the current information:

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G — $850 to $899, down from $999.
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G — $1,050 to $1,099, down from $1,199.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G — $1,250 to $1,299, down from $1,399.

Pricing for other markets remains a mystery at this stage. But if the rumors about $100-150 price cuts in the US turn out to be true, similar price drops are to be expected across Europe.