Samsung embraces a different approach for next flagships

Nov 12, 2020 18:56 GMT  ·  By

With the iPhone 12 already on the market, the next in the queue to announce a new high-end device is Samsung, the company expected to take the wraps off the Galaxy S21 in early 2021.

According to Samsung’s typical release calendar, Galaxy S models are announced in February and then go on sale in March, but next year, the South Koreans would embrace a completely different approach.

The Galaxy S21 is projected to see daylight in mid-January, while the sales would start later the same month. In other words, the next Galaxy S would receive at least one extra month on the market as compared to its predecessors, and the whole thing happens for two separate reasons.

First and foremost, Samsung wants more exclusive time on the market, as new devices, including Huawei high-end phones, are projected to also launch in early 2021.

And then, it’s not a secret the Galaxy S20 itself has been substantially hit by the global health issue, and its sales have so far been well below expectations. Samsung thus wants to deal with the poor market performance of the S20 by bringing the S21 earlier on the market, also in an attempt to make sure that it provides customers with a worthy alternative to the iPhone 12.

But there’s a chance the Galaxy S21 would also introduce other big changes.

Before the foldable revolution started, Samsung’s high-end lineup relied on two different models, namely the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note series. The Galaxy S typically launched in February, while the Note went live in August. The two devices often shared the same specs, but the Note was the only one to come with support for the S Pen.

Samsung Galaxy Note has long been one of the few devices on the market to come with a stylus, so the South Koreans have thus created a niche that was positioned as a high-end product sold alongside the Galaxy S series.

But given the two models share nearly the same hardware and the S Pen is the only big difference between them, Samsung might be planning a major change next year. And it all comes down to merging the Galaxy S and the Note series.

The first step is reportedly the addition of S Pen support to the Galaxy S21. In other words, the next Galaxy S model will be the first to come with support for the S Pen that typically shipped with the Note, though very important to know is that this model won’t be sold with one. Instead, customers would have to purchase it separately, though it’ll be interesting to see how Samsung plans to make it more convenient to carry the stylus around since the Galaxy S21 won’t have a dedicated slot for such an accessory as the Note.

People familiar with the matter said that sooner or later, the Galaxy Note would become a member of the Galaxy S series, and bringing support for the S Pen to the Galaxy S21 could be one major step in this direction. This makes total sense in the long term, especially as Samsung is now investing big in foldables.

Needless to say, the South Koreans have remained completely tight-lipped on everything regarding the Galaxy S21 launch plans, so for now, it’s better to take everything with a healthy dose of skepticism. If this happens, however, it’s probably just a matter of time until the Galaxy Note becomes a premium member of the Galaxy S lineup, though there’s a chance this major change won’t be complete in 2021.