Here’s what Samsung announced today

It’s a little earlier than usual, but Samsung has just announced its newest round of products for 2021. That includes a few new smartphones, truly wireless headphones, and even a tracking device.

Today, during its Unpacked event, Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. As you can imagine by the naming scheme, it’s the Ultra that packs in the biggest screen size, and also the majority of the features. That even includes support for the company’s stylus, the S Pen.

And then, beyond the phones, there’s the new Galaxy Buds Pro which are meant to take on Apple’s AirPods Pro. And, finally, the Galaxy SmartTag tracking device. This is (probably) going to take on Apple’s oft-rumored, but still unofficial, AirTags — but, for now, it’s primarily going up against Tile’s tracking device.

In any event, let’s dig into the details.

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 lineup

Galaxy S21

The Galaxy S21 is the least expensive model, but it doesn’t necessarily shy away from the specifications you’d want out of a smartphone in 2021. You’ll get a relatively big display, plenty of built-in storage, powerful cameras, and much more. However, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy S21 doesn’t support the S Pen like it’s more powerful Galaxy S21 Ultra brethren.

Here are the specs:

  • Display
    • 6.2 inches Flat FHD+
    • Dynamic AMOLED
    • Infinity-O Display with 2400×1080 resolution
    • 421ppi
    • HDR10+ certified
    • Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate
    • “Eye Comfort Shield”
  • Dimensions & Weight
    • 71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9mm
    • 171g
  • Cameras
    • Front camera
      • 10MP Dual Pixel AF, 80-degree FOV, and f/2.2
    • Rear cameras
      • Ultra wide: 12MP FF, 120-degree FOV, and f/2.2
      • Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, 79-degree FOV, and optical image stabilization
      • Telephoto: 64MP Phase Detection AF, Hybrid Optic 3X, 76-degree FOV, OIS, f/2.0, and 30X Space Zoom
  • Processor
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
  • Memory
    • 8GB of RAM
  • Storage
    • Either 128GB or 256GB
  • Battery
    • 4000mAh
  • Charging
    • Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
    • Wireless Power Share
  • Operating System
    • Android 11
  • Network/Wireless
    • 5G: Sub-6GHz and mmWave
    • NFC
  • Sensors
    • Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, barometer, accelerometer, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, and Barometer, Ambient Light sensor, Proximity sensor
  • Authentication
    • PIN, pattern, or password
    • Face recognition
    • Fingerprint recognition
  • Water resistance
    • IP68

Nothing super fancy by any means, but the Galaxy S21 is a solid enough device.

Pricing & availability

Pricing starts at $799. It will be available in several colors: Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White. Pre-orders start today, and it goes on sale January 29, 2021.

Galaxy S21+

And the specs for the other Galaxy S21 handset that isn’t the Ultra variant, here’s the specs for the Galaxy S21+.

  • Display
    • 6.7-inch Flat FHD+
    • Dynamic AMOLED
    • Infinity-O Display with 2400×1080 resolution
    • 394ppi
    • HDR10+ certified
    • Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate
    • Eye Comfort Shield
  • Dimensions & Weight
    • 75.6 x 161.5 x 7.8mm
    • 202g
  • Cameras
    • Front camera
      • 10MP Dual Pixel AF
      • 80-degree FOV
      • f/2.2
    • Rear cameras
      • Ultra wide: 12MP FF, 120-degree FOV, f/2.2
      • Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, 79-degree FOV, optical image stabilization
      • Telephoto: 64MP Phase Detection AF, Hybrid Optic 3X, 76-degree FOV, OIS, f/2.0, 30X Space Zoom
  • Processor
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
  • Memory
    • 8GB RAM
  • Storage
    • Either 128GB or 256GB
  • Battery
    • 4800mAh
  • Charging
    • Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
  • Android 11
  • Networking & Wireless
    • 5G (both sub-6Ghz and mmWave)
    • NFC
  • Sensors
    • Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, barometer, accelerometer, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, and Barometer, Ambient Light sensor, Proximity sensor
  • Authentication
    • PIN, pattern, or password
    • Face recognition
    • Fingerprint recognition
  • Water resistance
    • IP68 rated

A slightly bigger display, a slightly bigger battery, but otherwise similar handsets between the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+.

Pricing & availability

Pricing for the Galaxy S21+ starts at $999. It will be available in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Black. Pre-orders start today, and it goes on sale starting January 29, 2021.

Galaxy S21 Ultra

And now, the flagship of Samsung’s newest smartphones. This is the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s not quite a Galaxy Note, but it sure blurs the lines a bit. Namely, the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers support for the S Pen, Samsung’s stylus. However, Samsung isn’t including the S Pen in the box with the Galaxy S21 Ultra — you’ll need to fork over $40 to get the stylus.

But, here are the specs for Samsung’s newest flagship:

  • Display
    • 6.8-inch Edge WQHD+
    • Dynamic AMOLED
    • Infinity-O Display with 3200 x 1440 resolution
    • 515ppi
    • HDR10+ certified
    • Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate
    • Eye Comfort Shield
  • Dimensions & Weight
    • 75.6 165.1 x 8.9mm
    • 229g
  • Cameras
    • Front camera
      • 40MP Phase Detection AF, 80-degree FOV, f/2.2
    • Rear cameras
      • Ultra wide: 12M Dual Pixel AF, 120-degree FOV, f/2.2
      • Wide-angle: 108MP Phase Detection AF, 83-degree FOV, OIS, f/1.8
      • Telephoto (1): 10MP Dual Pixel AF, Optical 3X, 35-degree FOV, OIS, f/2.4
      • Telephoto (2): 10Mp Dual Pixel AF, Optical 10X, 10-degree FOV, OIS, f/4.9
    • 100X Space Zoom
    • Laser AF Sensor
  • Processor
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
  • Memory
    • Either 12GB or 16GB of RAM
  • Storage
    • 128GB or 256GB with 12GB of RAM
    • 512GB with 16GB of RAM
  • Battery
    • 5000mAh
  • Charging
    • Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
    • Wireless PowerShare
  • Operating System
    • Android 11
  • Network & Wireless
    • 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave)
    • NFC
    • Wi-Fi 6E
  • Sensors
    • Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient Light Sensor
  • Authentication
    • Pattern, PIN, password
    • Face recognition, fingerprint recognition
  • Water resistance
    • IP68 rated

Samsung’s high-end flagship for 2021 certainly packs a punch, and not in a small package, either.

Pricing & availability

The Galaxy S21 Ultra goes on sale on January 29, 2021. Pre-orders are live now. It will be available in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black. Pricing starts at $1,199.99.

Galaxy Buds Pro

And now for Samsung’s take on a competitive product to Apple’s AirPods Pro. Samsung has had truly wireless headphones for quite some time, so the company has had a lot of time to refine and improve. With the Galaxy Buds Pro, it is taking what it’s learned over the years and jamming it into high-end ear buds.

The Galaxy Buds Pro come in three colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Violet, and Phantom Silver. Each earbud weighs 6.3g, and they measure in at 19.5 x 20.5 x 20.8mm. Meanwhile, the charging case comes in at 50 x 50.2 x 27.8mm and weighs in at 44.9g. The earbuds feature a two-way speaker, with an 11mm woofer and a 6.5mm tweeter.

There are three microphones in total, with two outer and one inner. It also features Wind Shield and Voice Pickup Unit for improved call quality.

The Galaxy Buds Pro features Active Noise Cancellation with two adjustable levels. It can block up to 99% of background noise, according to Samsung. Meanwhile, Ambient Sound can amplify up to +20dB, with 4 adjustable levels. The wireless headphones also feature Voice Detect.

The earbuds feature 61mAh batteries in each unit, while the charging case features a 472mAh battery. With ANC turned on, the Galaxy Buds Pro feature five hours of playtime on a single charge, and up to 18 hours when used with the charging case. With ANC off, you can expect eight hours of listening time on a single charge, and a total of 28 hours when used with the charging case.

Meanwhile, you can get a total of 14 and a half hours of talk time and 4 hours on a single charge (with ANC on), and a total of 17 and a half hours of talk time and 5 hours on a single charge (with ANC off). With five minutes of charging in the charging case, you can get one hour of music playback.

The Galaxy Buds Pro use Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity. The headphones feature an accelerometer, gyro sensor, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, Touch sensor, and Voice Pickup.

You’ll need an Android device running Android 7.0 or newer, and it must have at least 1.5GB of RAM. They are IPx7-rated for water resistance.

Pricing & availability

Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Pro launch today, January 14. They are priced at $199.99.

Galaxy SmartTag

Samsung decided it was time to really go after Tile and that company’s market leadership. (And maybe preemptively strike at Apple, too.) That’s where the Galaxy SmartTag comes in. It’s a Tile-like tracking device, and it runs on Bluetooth 5.0. The tracking device is small, so it can be easily slipped into a bag, attached to your keys, luggage, and other items.

Samsung utilizes the Galaxy Find Network, so it can even track items when they are offline or out of range. Customers can even look through a history of where the tag has been, making it quick and easy to retrace your steps.

Interestingly, the Galaxy SmartTag can even control IoT automated accessories. As Samsung puts it, you can click a button on the SmartTag and turn on your lights in your home, and control other items as well.

There are different pack options for the Galaxy SmartTag. You can purchase a single SmartTag for just $29.99, or a two-pack (no pricing on this one at the time of publication). The SmartTag comes in black or white. You can pre-order now, and shipments are expected to start on January 15, 2021.