Samsung Galaxy S21 Price, Release Date, and Specs

The Galaxy S21 and S21+ are Samsung's latest flagship smartphones.

When Will the Samsung Galaxy S21 Be Available?

Samsung usually drops its new smartphones early in the year. Rumors, including one from Sammobile.com, were spot on about an announcement and launch in January 2021. The S21 series will be available on January 29, just over two weeks after the Samsung Unpacked event.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Pricing and Models

The cost of the S21 series starts at $799, $200 cheaper than the S20. There will be three models: the S21 ($799 and up), S21+ ($999 and up), and S21 Ultra ($1199 and up). The Ultra model is the most high-end with the best specs, including a fancy display and a camera with all the bells and whistles. The Plus version sits in the middle, with a slightly smaller display than the Ultra, and a less advanced camera. The base model has the smallest screen, but the same camera as the S21+.

All three models support 5G wireless.

Pre-Order Information

Pre-orders start at 11:00 am EST on January 14. If you order by January 28, you'll get a Samsung Credit: $200 for the Ultra, $150 for the Plus, and $100 for the base model. All pre-orders also include a free Galaxy SmartTag.

All three models will ship on January 29 and will be available for purchase from major carriers, retailers, and Samsung.com.

Current Samsung users with the Shop Samsung app can always make reservations to pre-order the next Galaxy phone before launch day. That process lets you get $60 in accessories and an extra $10 credit if you end up pre-ordering through the app, too.

The Latest News about the Samsung Galaxy S21

You can get all the latest news about Samsung smartphones from Lifewire; here are more ways to learn about the new Galaxy phones.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Key Features

The most intriguing rumor was that the S21 would have six rear cameras. In reality, it has four: Ultra-wide, wide, and two telephoto lenses.

In mid-2020, a Samsung patent surfaced of a camera design with six lenses: five wide-angle and one telephoto. The patent images also show they are tiltable, enabling more artistic photos with the bokeh effect and making it easier to take photos in low light. Perhaps we'll see this in the next Galaxy smartphone.

The Samsung S21 smartphones will also have:

• 5G. Not surprisingly, all three models will support 5G, which promises faster speed.
• S Pen support. The S21 Ultra will support the S-Pen, but it won't have an S Pen slot.
• No charging cable included. Since so many consumers already have the proper cables, the company might stop including them to reduce waste. Android phones have been using USB-C for quite a while, so this makes sense.
• No earbuds included. Similarly, since Samsung has been shipping earbuds with every phone for a long time, consumers likely have them in drawerfuls.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Series Specs and Hardware

These are the official specs for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, which match many of the rumors and leaks leading up to the event.

In addition to the colors listed below, Samsung.com will offer colors for each model that aren't available anywhere else.

What Version of Android Will the Galaxy S21 Have?

The Galaxy S21 will ship with Android 11 pre-installed along with Samsung's One UI (version 3) overlay.