
Samsung will expand its foldables lineup beyond the Z Fold 2 (pictured here) and the Z Flip.
Angela Lang/CNET
Samsung has big plans in store for 2021. That includes expanding its foldable lineup and making the devices “more accessible” — likely code for lowering prices — as well as putting more emphasis on the camera and video capabilities in its devices. And it will bring features from its Galaxy Note devices to other phones in its portfolio, which is likely to include S Pen support on its upcoming Galaxy S21 phones.
Tae-moon Roh, Samsung president and head of mobile communications, published a blog post Tuesday with details about the company’s plans for 2021. Along with talking about possible new features on Samsung’s phones, he also said the company will have more to say in January — which aligns with rumors that Samsung will introduce its Galaxy S21 in mid-January.
Tae-moon Roh took over as head of Samsung’s mobile business from Dong-jin Koh, better known as DJ, nearly a year ago. Before his promotion, Roh oversaw development of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones, and at the time of his appointment as head of mobile, he was Samsung’s youngest-ever president at 51.
The blog post comes as Samsung gears up for CES and its first Unpacked of 2021. The company is rumored to be planning an event for Jan. 14, an earlier-than-normal release for its Galaxy S lineup. In the past, it has typically unveiled its newest flagship phone in February, either slightly before or during the Mobile World Congress trade show and then released the device in March or even April. Instead, this year it may unveil its Galaxy S21 lineup at the end of virtual CES, which goes from Jan. 11 to 14.
Samsung announced this year’s Galaxy S20 lineup and Galaxy Z Flip foldable on Feb. 11 in what was one of the tech industry’s last in-person events before the novel coronavirus pandemic forced borders to close and governments to issue stay-at-home orders. The Galaxy S20 devices, all of which came with 5G, began preorders Feb. 21 and hit stores on March 6.
The day after Unpacked, organizers canceled the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, which was slated for later in February. At the time of that decision, COVID-19 had infected more than 42,000 people and claimed more than 1,000 lives. That number has soared to over 68 million infections and about 1.6 million deaths as of Dec. 9, as the world grapples with a crippling second wave of the virus.
Samsung, like most tech companies, has struggled to sell its pricey smartphones during the pandemic. While it was one of the first companies to release a phone with 5G, it was surpassed by Huawei at a time it normally would have gotten a boost from Galaxy S sales. The Chinese handset maker became the biggest smartphone vendor in the world in the second quarter, the first time in nine years that Samsung or Apple hadn’t held that title. And analysts expect Apple to become the world’s second biggest 5G phone vendor this year — with less than three months of sales. That puts Samsung, once the leader with the new connectivity, in third place.
The fear of losing its position at the top of the smartphone market may lead Samsung to make changes, including holding Unpacked about a month earlier than normal. Samsung also has shifted its plans to deal with changing consumer preferences during the pandemic. In September, it introduced the Galaxy S20 FE, a cheaper model for its flagship smartphone lineup. The phone started at $700 phone — $300 less than the regular S20 costs — and came as the pandemic prompted demand for less expensive devices.
Samsung overall regained ground in the third quarter to again become the top smartphone vendor as Huawei struggled to survive amid sanctions by the US. Samsung in late October reported its highest quarterly revenue ever, thanks to a “significant increase in consumer demand” for its smartphones, computers and other products.
Samsung is expected to sell its newest Galaxy S devices in January. This time around, Samsung likely will have three different models of the S21: the 6.2-inch S21, 6.7-inch S21 Plus and 6.8-inch S21 Ultra. The devices are expected to look largely the same but have bigger camera modules, boosting their photo and video capabilities.
And Samsung may discontinue its Galaxy Note line this year and replace it with S Pen support on its Galaxy S21 Ultra. Early renders don’t show a visible location for a stylus, which may mean it has to be housed separately from the phone when not in use. On Samsung’s popular — but niche — Note lineup, the style slides into the device for storage.
Samsung also will have a press conference at CES in January. It’s expected to focus on its TV and home appliance businesses for that event, as it has done in past years. Unpacked may come the last day of CES.
More to come …