We’re at the tail end of CES 2021, and Samsung has agreed to unleash its new flagship Galaxy S21 series, comprising of the S21, S21 Plus and S21 Super, with an Unpacked event in the same busy week, beginning at $800 (£769). The update, which is around a month earlier than normal, included the Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds and the SmartTag object tracker.
The new Galaxy S21 is all metal and has stronger glass for better longevity, with a screen that supports adaptive refresh between 48 and 120Hz and improved blue light safety. And, of course, there’s a trio of improved cameras and modern AI photo editing hardware. Well, better bokeh! Pet-specific mode, yes! Adds multishot processing and skin-optimized white balance to your selfie choices.
For footage, you’re going to be able to pull 8K images from videos and fire photos and videos simultaneously, plus the best shot mode. It also adds a multi-camera view for video, with fast switching between them—-that sounds pretty good.
The phone also has an upgraded CPU for quicker operation and updated security hardware. Samsung has partnered with Unity, the makers of game development software, to optimize gaming.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a stronger CPU, monitor and camera relative to its smaller relatives. It has a new 108-megapixel image sensor that gives it extra binning pixels to render better low-light images. “Nona-binning!” “Space Zoom!” is a modern algorithm that uses the new folded lens to offer a great zoom between large and telephoto and lock to minimize camera shake.
Samsung has enhanced connectivity with third-party providers. It is now using Android messages instead of rerouting to its own messaging scheme, for example. There is more support for Google’s Android APIs, such as Android Auto and Nest, in the SmartThings app.
The Ultra is arriving in purple… The black ghost. The latest show demands lower power and switches between 10 and 120Hz on the fly to conserve the energy, but it’s sharper with a wider range. The S Pen Pro is new, with Bluetooth behaviour, and the new S Pen has been developed in collaboration with Wacom.
Samsung takes the IoT technologies to the Galaxy SmartTag, and SmartTag Plus (with ultra-wide wireless), compact handheld devices for monitoring something (or anyone) you can put on, with the SmartThings Find software on your computer.
They’re not all tablets, though. The company also unveiled its Galaxy Buds Pro, adding a tiny woofer for stronger bass with improved sound. They have motion detection cameras, and 360 surround Dolby audio, as well as active noise cancellation. And they’re looking extraordinary.
The mic has also been modified to be more directional and has a more closed fit with tweaks to reduce wind noise. The Galaxy Buds Pro has cost $200 in the U.S. and a bafflingly more costly £219 in the U.K.
