Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Samsung unveils Galaxy S21
Roh Tae-moon, president and head of mobile communications business at Samsung Electronics, poses with the company's Galaxy S21 smartphone during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event held online, Friday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
Samsung Electronics has unveiled its new Galaxy S21 smartphone which it boasts will allow people to do things more easily as it enhances the company's presence in the premium phone market.
The tech giant held an unpacked event Friday, online due to the virus pandemic. Samsung said the 5G network-enabled Galaxy S21 series comes with three different models ― the Galaxy S21, S21+ and the S21 Ultra ― and Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earphones, which can reduce background noise by up to 99 percent.
With the latest mobile processor chips, upgraded camera features and bold new designs, Samsung said the Galaxy S21 series is designed to offer a better user experience.
“We are living in a mobile-first world, and with so many of us working remotely and spending more time at home, we wanted to deliver a smartphone experience that meets the rigorous multimedia demands of our continuously changing routines,” Roh Tae-moon, president and head of mobile communications business at Samsung, said.
“We also recognize the importance of choice, especially now, and that's why the Galaxy S21 series gives you the freedom to choose the best device for your style and needs,” he added.
Design-wise, the new S series uses new camera housing technology that seamlessly blends into the device's metal frame.
The S21 is designed for users who want a light design with a compact 6.2-inch display, while the S21+ sports an expanded 6.7-inch display with a larger battery.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the largest one in the S21 series with a 6.8-inch display and has advanced professional-grade 108 megapixel cameras.
All three models support a refresh rate of 120 hertz while the S21 Ultra offers a 120 hertz refresh rate with a quad HD+ display mode to ensure users enjoy the best image quality.
Samsung said it will take pre-orders for the new Galaxy S21 series from Jan. 15 to Jan. 21 in Korea. The new smartphones will be released across the world starting Jan. 29. The S21 and S21+ are priced at 999,900 won ($910), 1.199 million won, respectively. The S21 Ultra comes with two models ― one with a storage capacity of 256 gigabytes (GB) and 12GB of RAM and another with 512GB storage and 16GB of RAM. They are priced at 1.452 million won and 1.5994 million won, respectively.
For Samsung, the success of the S21 series is especially important at a time when the company has lost its presence in the global smartphone market. According to market researcher Strategy Analytics, Samsung's global market share in the smartphone business in 2020 was estimated at 19.5 percent, which is the first time since 2011 that the smartphone giant's share dropped below 20 percent.