Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2021 brings an exciting S21 lineup

Earlier than usual and more virtual than usual, Samsung Electronics just held its Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event to a worldwide audience. Introduced by Head of Mobile Communications, TM Roh, the event was an hour-and-a-half deep dive into the company’s flagship line of smartphones, the S21 series of three: S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra. For tech enthusiasts, Galaxy Unpacked, of which there can be several each year, is an event attended with keen interest as Samsung brings more advanced features to its top-end phones. But first, the show kicks off with some ear-buds....

The Galaxy Buds Plus, looking a little less bean-like this year, promise a combination of extraordinary sound and better noise cancellation. Samsung says the inspiration for the buds has come from trying to take the best from high-end audio devices, such as the woofer from speakers. So they are putting in two-way speakers in a setup they call System in Package, minimising the use of spaces The Buds have a lot of features including 360-degree sound with head tracking, active noise cancellation using several microphones to reduce 99 percent of outside sound and mics placed closer to the mouth for clearer phone calls. The noise cancellation is of the intelligent variety, recognising the user’s voice and receding the music to seamlessly allow for conversations. This is a feature that first appeared on Sony headphones. The software can switch the Buds to adapt to the user’s activity and the device being used. Features, for the most part, will work with other Android phones as well.

The new series of smartphones for 2021 included the S21 and S21+. Samsung describes the two phones as being designed for expression. Of the two, the S21 is meant for those who want a light design and compact 6.2-inch display while the Galaxy S21+ sports an expanded 6.7-inch display and a larger battery, better for marathon gamers and binge-watchers. Last year’s ‘Mystic’ series of colours gives way to ‘Phantom’ this year with a signature Phantom Violet looking particularly eye-catching and a Phantom Black having been created specially to be a deep and vivid shade that sets it apart.

Samsung also launched the S21 Ultra, the largest of the three with its 6.8-inch screen and also equipped with the S-Pen, Samsung’s signature stylus that has made up the Galaxy Note line and also been used on some tablets.

All three devices use 5G and are based on either the Snapdragon 888 or the Exynos 2100, Samsung’s newest chip and a 5 nanometer one with more high speed connectivity, photography, AR/VR and XR and for Artificial Intelligence. All three phones will be running Samsung’s OneUI 3.0, which comes with many new features and redesigned elements. The S21 series screens use an adaptive refresh rate, moving automatically between 10Hz to 120Hz to conserve battery and resources depending on the activity.

The S21 and S21+ feature a three-camera setup. The primary is a 64MP with a 3X lossless zoom. There is an ultra-wide lens and a depth sensor for enhanced portrait shots with studio effects. An 8K Snap feature lets the user grab images from the video footage, to capture live-action. Optical stabilisation ensures steady video even in bumpy conditions. There are numerous features such as Director’s View, Single Take, and Vlogger’s View to users myriad options for using the cameras for content creation.

The S21 Ultra has the more advanced quad-camera setup aimed at videographers and photographers. The primary lens is a 108MP able to capture 12-bit HDR photos with rich colour and high dynamic range. For the first time on a Galaxy smartphone, it is possible to shoot in 4K at 60fps across all lenses including front and rear four lenses, to shift to a different perspective with the same quality. Creators also have a 12-bit RAW file option to retain all detail.

India will be among the first of the countries to get the S21 series. The Galaxy S21 Series will be available in six colours: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom White, Phantom Grey and Phantom Pink. Pré-booking is starting January 15 across Samsung's Exclusive Stores and retail stores and on Samsung.com and leading online portals. As an introductory offer, all pre-booked consumers can get Galaxy Watch Active 2 or a combo of Galaxy Buds+ and Travel Adapter with a device of their choice.

The S21 series will cost:

Galaxy S21 (8+128GB): INR 69999 (Phantom Violet, White, Pink, Grey)

Galaxy S21 (8+256GB): INR 73999 (Phantom Violet, White, Grey)

Galaxy S21+ (8+128GB): INR 81999 (Phantom Violet, Silver, Black)

Galaxy S21+ (8+256GB): INR 85999 (Phantom Violet, Silver, Black)

Galaxy S21 Ultra (12+256GB): INR 105999 (Phantom Black, Sliver)

Galaxy S21 Ultra (16+512GB): INR 116999 (Phantom Black)

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