Hey.

In 2021, we continue to unravel the consequences of the first year of the pandemic. The electronics market has changed, and it was impossible to imagine the scale of these shocks a year ago. Despite a difficult year, sales of smartphones declined slightly, the pandemic turned out to be a factor of growth and a time of opportunity for many companies. Most of all, due to quarantine and related measures, companies that rely on Chinese factories have suffered, they could not release new models on time. In the spring of 2020, many announcements did not take place, they were postponed to a later date. At Samsung, everything went according to plan, as the impact of the pandemic on R&D and production was minimal, the supply of goods did not stop for a noticeable time, the announcements went on schedule, as in previous years.

But in 2021, the usual rhythm breaks, the company postponed the spring announcement to mid-January, sales of the updated line will also begin earlier. There are several reasons for this, but the key is the release schedule for new chipsets, both from Samsung and competitors. In 2021, the flagships will receive processors made according to the technological norm of 5 nm, which gives an increase in performance, better power consumption. The first company that was able to launch smartphones and tablets with 5nm processors on the market was Apple, historically it has always been that way. Then, usually smartphones from Huawei came out, this year, due to the sanctions, it became impossible, the player is temporarily out of the race. But then solutions from Samsung and Qualcomm followed, they came out almost simultaneously. Starting in 2021, Samsung wants to close the gap with Apple in terms of release time, as well as take advantage of its own semiconductor production in order to be faster than Qualcomm. There is no longer any link to the trade show in Barcelona, ​​now the announcement is directly dependent on the capabilities of production and its planning.

In theory, the postponement of the announcement a month ahead makes it possible to become the first manufacturer in 2021, which opens a line of devices, shows its flagships. Since the lifespan of such models is several years, and within the framework of the current model range, sales can be corrected through additional devices that come out later. For example, in 2020 we saw the S20 FE, something similar will be in 2021. Likewise, the Galaxy Note line allows for additional variety, giving a new interpretation of the existing basic models. In this part, Samsung’s strategy does not undergo any significant changes, everything remains the same.

Another point is that it is almost impossible to achieve dramatic changes in the characteristics of devices from year to year. Already in 2020, we saw how Samsung is clearing the way for new generations of flagships; for this, the company sold out previous devices as part of all kinds of promotions. For example, the release of the Galaxy Note20 line meant the abandonment of Note10 +, this device disappeared in retail chains, there were noticeable discounts on it. And in terms of price / quality ratio, this model turned out to be super successful, outperforming the same Note20 / Note20 Ultra in many respects, although in some ways it was certainly inferior.

This approach is justified for withdrawing older models from the market, but keeping the basic devices. So, the appearance of the S21 line will remove from the market by no means all models of the 20th series, the S20 Ultra will gradually disappear, the emphasis will be transferred to the S20s. For many buyers, the 21st line will prove to be excessive, expensive compared to the previous models, and people will buy the 20s. Exactly the same we saw a year ago or more recently for the iPhone 11, which has become a preferred purchase over the 12th line. A sign of our time, when many rational buyers choose last year’s model, since the volume of changes in new products is not large enough to justify buying the current flagship for the maximum price at the time of market launch.

It cannot be said that Samsung’s situation is completely similar to what is happening around Apple. The attractiveness of the new models is supported by marketing, so, at the start of sales with pre-orders, various additional accessories are offered, for example, when buying Ultra, you can get wireless headphones for free (they cost 17 rubles separately, which looks like a good offer for a loyal audience). But considering the price level of the flagships, the presence of previous models, we can say that the demand for these devices will be common, sales growth cannot be expected. On the other hand, this growth will shift towards the 990 models, and there is no doubt about it.

Samsung is building a pricing policy for Apple devices, nothing has changed here. Samsung’s offer is 25-30% more profitable in comparison with similar iPhones, there is no analogue of Apple’s Ultra models, they are beyond this comparison.

A few words about model numbers and how the company is trying to simplify names. To avoid confusion, now the names for the flagships are simplified as much as possible, the number corresponds to the year. If the S20 is a 2020 model, then the S21 is 2021. The name of the chipset is simplified in much the same way, for example, Exynos 2100 is a 2021 chipset, Exynos 2200 is a 2022, and so on. At the moment, the idea is exactly that, but from the experience of past years, we know that inside Samsung everything can be altered and changed again.

Galaxy S21 line specifications

Let’s take a look at the technical specifications of the entire line of devices to understand how they differ from each other. I made up a plate for this, which in a convenient form will give an idea of ​​the devices.

I suggest starting with the negative points that cannot be avoided when discussing the 21st lineup. Following Apple, Samsung decided to abandon the supply of a charger and headphones in the kit, inside you will find only a charging cable. The decision unambiguously evokes negativity, it is wrong in every sense. And greed is apparently contagious, since the opportunity to earn an additional couple of billion dollars within a year does not look as good as what the company will receive in full. Copying the style from Apple, apparently, is considered good form, but I think it’s utter stupidity, they dug themselves a hole and flew into it at full speed.

It is impossible to justify or even more to approve of such an approach, we laughed at Apple, now it’s time to condemn Samsung. Given that the competition is aggressive in the smartphone market, you need to try to fight for each of your customers. This decision by Samsung will scare and alienate many, and it is impossible to explain greed in small things with any words about environmental protection. The fact that the world leader refuses to use a charger in the package may force many to do exactly the same. And this is bad in every sense. Until mid-December, there was hope that common sense would prevail and that this suicidal decision would be abandoned. But that didn’t happen.

It remains for us to keep a close eye on what Samsung will do with chargers in all other models, while they only disappear in this year’s flagships. But if the trend continues, then many of the principle will choose competitors, this will be especially noticeable in the middle price segment and for budget models, where every ruble counts.

Another negative point is the rejection of memory cards. Yes, I understand that this is no longer so important for many, but this has always been the advantage of Android smartphones over the iPhone, and once Samsung has already tried to abandon it. In 2015, in the Galaxy S6 and all flagships of that year, the company removed the microSD cards in order to return after a year, the reaction of buyers was purely negative. Five years later, the situation repeats itself, but it is impossible to say that everything is exactly the same as then. Over the past couple of years, the company has already released several flagships without support for memory cards, they have been and are in stable demand, there are no complaints about the lack of microSD cards. Considering the cheap cost of the connector, abandoning it in such expensive devices looks like something absurd, I expected that in some models the memory cards will be left. Now you need to choose the right amount of memory that you need. On the other hand, there is a partnership with Microsoft and a OneDrive cloud offering of unlimited space that should resolve this issue for most people. Personally, I have no nostalgia for memory cards, since the devices always have a large amount of memory and there is enough for everything.

From a design point of view, the entire line has the same design of the camera block on the back, this is an influx of metal. It differs noticeably from solutions of other companies, the devices stand out at its expense. The block is protruding, so you should think about using covers with these smartphones, for Ultra a cover will definitely be needed.

Galaxy S21:

Galaxy S21 +:

Ultra has a glass back panel, satin finish, very nice and good material. At the same time, S21 / S21 + have a case made of reinforced plastic (glastic), I do not see any special flaws in it, it is pleasant in appearance and to the touch. But many moan that this is not a premium material, they would like to see glass here. To my taste, the material is quite wear-resistant, pleasant in the hands, but I would like to see glass, as in Ultra, but for cost reasons it was abandoned.

Galaxy S21 Ultra:

Every year there are voices about the design of the devices that they are “so scary”. I am sure that this year the traditions will not be changed and we will repeatedly read exactly the same statements. In real life, the devices look good, although this is not an upward design dream. But, on the other hand, today not a single manufacturer pleases us with something unusual: ugly iPhones with angular and uncomfortable bodies (the Galaxy S21 has a cut of ergonomics), strange looking smartphones from Chinese manufacturers. It cannot be said that the current market pleases with the design of its devices. Against this background, the Galaxy S21s are at a good level, there are no surprises here.

Among the new features, I will note UWB in S21 + and S21 Ultra, the technology can be used with smart tags, they must be purchased separately. Place such a mark somewhere, and the smartphone will find your item. I’m not sure if the idea will get any deafening development.

Changes in the photo part for S21 / S21 + will not be noticeable compared to previous models, they run into new software and processing algorithms. And you get, give or take, the same experience as the S20’s. The change is that now you can simultaneously record 4K video on all cameras, which became possible thanks to the updated processor. Another thing is the S21 Ultra, where a laser autofocus was added (as in the Note20 Ultra), as well as an additional telephoto module with x10 optical zoom. In the review we will dwell on the capabilities of this model in detail, but, like the previous Ultras, this is a very interesting tool for those who take a lot of pictures. But it is very different from the base models and previous smartphones in the way you will take pictures, you need to get used to it. And for some it becomes a stumbling block, you don’t want to relearn, but then you will not get any visible result.

All new devices, thanks to the chipset (this is not only a software chip), have received new AI-algorithms for shooting, including for portraits and moving objects (pets, children). I will dwell on this in detail in the review.

I will not talk in detail about OneUI 3.1 now, there are changes, read the text about OneUI 3.0, there the main points are touched upon.

In the material from the presentation, I see no reason to delve into all aspects of the new devices, since they largely coincide with the previous models. An important difference is that all devices have 5G support (even if it will be disabled in Russia), there are no 4G versions at the moment. We talked about this in the description of the new chipset, read this material if you are wondering why this is so.

The speed of the new models is excellent, however, there were no problems with the 20s. I will leave tales about braking smartphones on the conscience of those who invent them and see such problems.

With each new generation of Samsung flagships, we see the development of screen technology. And this year everything happened exactly the same, with one exception – the best screen, a work of art in every sense, is in the S21 Ultra. The screens are called the same – Dynamic AMOLED 2x, but in the younger models they are simpler, they have a lower maximum brightness (1200 nits, in Ultra up to 1500 nits!). Also, the refresh rate of the screen is up to 120 Hz, but it is regulated in the younger models in the range from 48 to 120 Hz, in the Ultra – from 10 to 120 Hz.

Spoiled by good screens, but the S21 Ultra display looks like something new against the background of all previous models from Samsung: a bright and very clear picture, visible in all conditions, excellent viewing angles. In direct comparison with the younger models, this is even more noticeable. For those who pay attention to the display and want the very best for themselves, the choice is obvious – you need to look at the S21 Ultra.

Also, for the first time in the S-series for Ultra, they added support for the touch layer from Wacom, the device works with the S Pen, but it is not included in the package, as well as the connector on the case (as in the Note series). The software is exactly the same as what we see in the Galaxy Note, but to carry the S Pen, you need a case. This does not mean that the Note line itself will disappear, it is just that the Ultra models are trying to add the maximum of all the technologies that the company has.

One of the innovations that many have been waiting for is a change in the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor hidden in the screen. The sensor area has almost doubled (1.7), the response speed has increased. In this aspect, previous devices look slow, Samsung has pulled up the capabilities to the level of other Android smartphones, while retaining all the security benefits.

Prices of a new line of smartphones and market prospects

Let’s dwell on the most interesting thing – the cost of new models, because apart from the price it will be difficult to talk about new items. For convenience, I made a plate.

The cost of new models has grown, and it can be seen with the naked eye. But the difference in price with the previous S20 today is such that many will rush to choose the models of the previous season, and I think that this makes some sense. Read a separate article on why the S20 / S20 + looks like a more informed purchase to rational buyers than the S21s.

Comparison of the new S21 with the latest line from Apple is inevitable, but here Samsung has better features, and the prices look much nicer, the price / quality ratio is noticeably better. For example, the iPhone 12 Pro, which is an analogue of the S21, costs 99 rubles for the 990 GB version, the difference in cost is 128 thousand rubles! But Pro Max, a competitor to S25 +, costs 21 rubles, the difference is 109 thousand rubles. A model similar to the S990 Ultra does not exist in Apple’s lineup, but if you compare the most expensive 20 GB iPhone 21 Pro Max and the S12 Ultra head-on, the second will be 512 thousand rubles cheaper. The difference here is not so great, but the models are simply incomparable in all characteristics, the S21 Ultra has a fundamentally different set of features.

My opinion about the new line is simple – everything is expected, and the volume of changes does not boggle the imagination. The S21 Ultra is very interesting, but just like the previous Ultra series devices, it is far from being for everyone, the price is too high. Both S21 and S21 + will be in demand, but the release of these models will spur sales of the flagships of the previous year, which is logical. It is impossible to call the line a failure, sales will be at the same level as for the S20s a year earlier, adjusted for the current market (it is slightly reduced for all players in the flagship segment, the crisis is in the yard). The market shifted to a strategy where the previous flagships start selling in high volumes a year later and form the sales base for each manufacturer. Therefore, in 2021 the S20 / S20 + will be important for the market, and the S21 / S21 + will start to gain momentum a year later. This is how it works now.

The models are nice, but changing from last year’s devices to them does not make sense only if money burns your pocket. The renewal cycle is now at least two years, or even three, this is justified. For those on an unlimited budget, it doesn’t matter, you can change your devices every six months. By the time of the start of sales, we will discuss the new items in more detail and in more detail, but, summing up, I want to say that everything is in order with them. The only sad moment is the savings on charging, the repetition of Apple’s steps in this direction, and this is a fat minus, which Samsung will still backfire in practice, will take away some of the buyers who choose other brands. Why it was necessary to do this is completely unclear.

New Galaxy Buds Pro Noise Canceling TWS Earbuds

The material turned out to be great, but I need to say a few words about the Galaxy Buds Pro headphones, which were also announced along with the new line of smartphones, you can get them for pre-ordering new products.

The headphone price is 17 rubles, they expand the line of TWS-headphones and rise above the Galaxy Buds Live, which I adore and consider one of the best headsets of this kind.

In Buds Pro, Samsung engineers decided to rework the sound, the company calls them the best TWS headphones. Two speakers in each, three microphones, redesigned noise cancellation system. They sound awesome, there is no doubt about it. But there are certain shortcomings in ergonomics, which will be a fundamental point for many. At the beginning of the week, read a detailed review of the Buds Pro, they have many pitfalls. I have big doubts that I will replace Buds Live with these headphones, why this is so – in the review.

Of the new features of OneUI 3.1, I note that in professional video recording mode, you can now simultaneously record sound both from the headphones and from the phone itself. This is an interesting development of a feature that first appeared six months ago and allowed wireless headphones to be used to record sound. Now we see a logical development of this direction.

PS Specially flipped through the articles from the previous announcements of the Galaxy line, nothing has changed for many years: a lot of comments that everything is gone and the new models are not interesting to anyone. Prices are rising! Previously, the models were wow, but now, of course, they are not the same. But rewinding history, we see that sales were both then and now. The flagships from Samsung set the bar for functionality and convenience, and they do. But you can talk about the fact that before the trees were large, and the grass was green, after all, someone has just such a perception of the market and devices.

Related Links

Share: 

we are in social networks:

Anything to add ?! Write … eldar@mobile-review.com