Variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, reverse charging, on-screen fingerprint sensor... we're all normal, right? and.
Samsung's Galaxy smartphone line has undergone a major redesign every few years, and today's Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra are such a big update. This is the first major overhaul since the 2017 Galaxy S8.
Design-wise, the Galaxy S21 series doesn't seem to be confused with any other smartphone out there. Love or hate the new design, it features a Contour Cut camera and a new color palette of black, white, silver, purple, and pink (depending on model).
On the front, there is a punch-hole selfie camera (10 million pixels for the S21 and S21+, 40 million pixels for the S21 Ultra) in the center, and the S21 and S21+ have a flat display unlike before. Only the S21 Ultra has a curved "edge" display. The S21 line also all comes with a screen refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which fluctuates depending on the content you're watching. When you're looking at stills, the refresh rate is lower to save battery, and when you're playing games, it's higher to give you a quicker response.
But perhaps the biggest change is on the inside. The Galaxy S21 finally has no microSD card slot, and it feels like the end of an era. Samsung has held onto the dream of free storage expansion longer than Google, but it has long considered getting rid of the microSD card slot, and now feels like the time has come.
I think there will be a backlash from old Galaxy fans against the abolition of the microSD card slot. With that trend, some people may change their minds to other companies such as LG and Motorola. But laugh or cry, the Galaxy S21 no longer has extended storage, and unless Galaxy fans rally, it won't make a comeback in next year's model.
Samsung followed Apple in discontinuing the inclusion of charging adapters. With adapters lying around everyone's homes right now, the decision is understandable, but Samsung did a post last year that made fun of Apple (which was later taken down), so the root of the tongue is fast. I guess it's dry.
In terms of hardware, Samsung was touting the launch of the Exynos 2100 chip, but at least the US S21 model is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and full 5G support. For faster unlocking, all S21 models feature an on-screen fingerprint sensor, with a sensor size 1.7 times larger than before. Wired/wireless high-speed charging, reverse charging function, and Power Share are standard for all S21 models.
The $800 S21 and $1,000 S21+ have almost the same specs other than size. . 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage are standard, and the triple-lens camera on the back has 12 million pixels for main and ultra-wide angles, and 64 million pixels for telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The biggest difference is that the S21 is the smallest of the three models with a 6.2-inch organic EL display and a 4,000mAh battery, while the S21+ has a 6.7-inch organic EL display with a 4,800mAh battery and UWB (ultra wideband) connection support. increase. According to Samsung, UWB could not be installed on the S21 due to the price.
What's interesting about the S21 and S21+ displays is that they both have a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, but the resolution is 2400 x 1080, down from the S20 and S20+'s 3200 x 1440. So for the S21 and S21+, I downgraded from QHD+ to Full HD+.
On the other hand, the $1,200 Galaxy S21 Ultra, which sits at the top of the Galaxy line, is still super specs, with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Or 256GB (the more expensive version has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage), a 6.8-inch QHD organic EL panel, four rear cameras (two of which are telephoto), a 108 million pixel main camera, and a 12 million pixel super It consists of a wide-angle camera, a telephoto camera with 10 million pixels and 3x optical zoom, and another telephoto camera with 10 million pixels and 10x optical zoom. As an added bonus, it also has a laser autofocus sensor to help you take ultra-sharp photos.
The S21 Ultra's display also has a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, but the range is 10-120Hz, which is more variable than the S21 and S21+, which fluctuate between 48-120Hz. …But the difference is subtle in terms of character, so I still don't know what kind of difference it will make when I actually use it.
Furthermore, as rumored, the S21 Ultra will support a stylus, allowing you to use the features of the popular S Pen in the Galaxy Note series. The only problem is that the stylus and the case that holds it are sold separately. The S Pen is $40 (about 4,100 yen), and the bundle with the S Pen compatible case is $50 (about 5,200 yen). A fancy flip cover and S Pen set costs $70.
Finally, a lot of software features have been added as well. In the camera app, a new interface, Director's View, has been added, making it easy to switch between various cameras. You can now also shoot dynamic slow motion videos in single take mode. Portrait mode has also been updated to make it easier to emphasize the subject. Also, in order to make full use of the zoom camera, the Zoom Lock function uses AI to make it easier to capture the subject.
For videos, a vlogger mode has been added, allowing simultaneous shooting with the front and rear cameras. An 8K Snap function that allows you to shoot still images while shooting 8K videos has also been added. In addition, it also supports recording with multiple microphones in cooperation with Galaxy Buds Pro.
This year's announcement of the Galaxy S21 was the fastest timing ever, but the content is also full of content, and you can feel Samsung's enthusiasm for 2021. You can It feels like the Galaxy series has entered a new era, such as a redesign, a 120Hz variable refresh rate screen, and the abolition of the microSD card slot. The standard S21 is $800 (about 83,000 yen), the same price as Apple's base model, the iPhone 12, and it's competing.
Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra start pre-ordering today for $800, $1,000, and $1,200, respectively, shipping in January Starting on the 29th.
In the US, anyone who pre-orders the S21 series gets a $30 Samsung SmartTag as a bonus. Samsung SmartTag is a Tile-like Bluetooth-based tracking tag. Again, you're taking the initiative against Apple's AirTag, which you don't know when it will come out.