Samsung Announces Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra Alongside Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy SmartTag

[rum0rm0nger]

And a lot of people forget that when the iPhone XR moved to the 11, it got a faster processor, I believe it got more ram, it got another camera on the back, a better battery, new color options... and was $50 cheeper.
Galaxy S 21 has a worse screen, a plastic back, less ram, slower fast charging, and yet it’s supposed to be an upgrade.

On the other hand, the S21 has a faster/more powerful processor (Snapdragon 888 vs. Snapdragon 865), has new color options, and is $200 cheaper.

Granted it has the same camera setup, but so did the iPhone 11 vs 12 with main upgrades in the cameras being software improvements.

Also, the iPhone 12 has a smaller battery than the iPhone 11.

Just playing devil's advocate because I really think the whole "Apple rulez and Samsung droolz" thing is juvenile and tiresome. And yeah, I'm sure I'm showing my age with that last comment.

 

[44267547]

Short useless synthetic benchmarks are misleading. I tried playing Need for Speed No Limits on iPhone 12 Max but it suffered from periodic lag during game play. Must be bumping into thermal limit and throttling or something. Not the only one either.

https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/665191

Did you even read the link that you actually posted? (Well, I did for you.) It’s from months ago, and it was during a beta period. Where users were experiencing problems, which has a patch since then (Someone commented in that link stating issue was resolved). So your link you posted isn’t even relevant to what @LFC2020 said.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Unreal , they took the AirTags leaks and just made the product themselves with the AR thingy as well ........

Pretty easy to do when Samsung have already had other tag like devices out since 2016. And besides, if anyone is being copied in this idea, it's Tile, not Apple.

 

[SFjohn]

I don’t understand why there is an article on Samsung’s new phones. Being a macrumors site, why bother? I'm not jonesing to switch OS platforms. There have to be a ton of platforms that show off Samsung, Google, and other Android phones that most people use. Is Macrumors.com getting paid to shill for Samsung?

 

[ColdShadow]

Fugly.

 

[iGüey]

I don’t understand why there is an article on Samsung’s new phones. Being a macrumors site, why bother? I'm not jonesing to switch OS platforms. There have to be a ton of platforms that show off Samsung, Google, and other Android phones that most people use. Is Macrumors.com getting paid to shill for Samsung?

Maybe because is healthy to measure the reactions and opinions of the entire market, even all fanboys included (supporters and detractors). Just think for a while that if Blackberry would had heard on time the opinion of the market, maybe they could had react on time and make the changes that the market needed at that very moment. IMHO always is important to hear the market, not only your friends but also your adversaries, and obviously vice versa.

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

The fastest mobile processor ever*


* In a galaxy device

Only to get beaten by a years-old A series chip

 

[ian87w]

What people are waiting for is the performance of the Exynos 2100. But of course Samsung will not release the NDA until after the pre-order period.

 

[SchrodingersMartian]

Samsung phones stink also smell funny. They do not have that Apple scent and they look like Arse which is what they smell like also.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Very nice, except for ONE thing: no Micro SDXC memory expansion.

 

[Star Brood]

I don’t understand why there is an article on Samsung’s new phones. Being a macrumors site, why bother? I'm not jonesing to switch OS platforms. There have to be a ton of platforms that show off Samsung, Google, and other Android phones that most people use. Is Macrumors.com getting paid to shill for Samsung?

Probably for the same reason people on this forum are commenting about: haha look at those guys over there!

Not to mention the fact that people here are just generally interested in new technology just for the sake of it.

 

[mackinmike]

Really nice phones and smartags. And prices have lowered a bit due to exclusion of charger. Nice

 

[ian87w]

Very nice, except for ONE thing: no Micro SDXC memory expansion.

With the way Android treats SD cards nowadays, it should've been deprecated a long time ago. Also, Samsung's Gallery's to OneDrive sync won't work if the photos in the SD card. Found it the hard way.

Google should just put an end to it, rather than have OEMs tricking users that they can just get a lower storage device and add an SD card.

 

[lowendlinux]

No one can get that many camera lenses to look good

 

[Slo Pesci]

Wonder if these are like the s20/Note 20 series where they have no speaker grill, just a hollow canal for all the dust and debris to go right into the body of the phone.

 

[ian87w]

No one can get that many camera lenses to look good

I like it that Samsung decided to be bold with their own design, instead of copying iPhone's glass island design. Gotta give credit to them. Although they can do better by making bolder colors. I mean Black body with red accent on the camera would be slick.

 

[sofila]

Maybe because is healthy to measure the reactions and opinions of the entire market, even all fanboys included (supporters and detractors). Just think for a while that if Blackberry would had heard on time the opinion of the market, maybe they could had react on time and make the changes that the market needed at that very moment. IMHO always is important to hear the market, not only you friends but also your adversaries, and obviously vice versa.

You're wrong. A true Apple supporter is always right. Even while arguing with another Apple supporter who is diametrically opposed. In that case you have two perfectly right Apple supporters. That's life.

 

[Donoban]

I don’t understand why there is an article on Samsung’s new phones. Being a macrumors site, why bother? I'm not jonesing to switch OS platforms. There have to be a ton of platforms that show off Samsung, Google, and other Android phones that most people use. Is Macrumors.com getting paid to shill for Samsung?

its all about generating clicks for advertising revenue.

just wait for an apple product launch. Macrumors posted the iPhone 12 was ready for purchase and had a huge blurb about the phone. But apples store site was down due to tech issues. So the article was scheduled, click bait and had no new info.

the best thing about this site is the forum. Which has some great rants at times.

No doubt this post will get me banned again. Lolz.

but surely there is a way to make money and be true to a core purpose?

 

[Abazigal]

You're wrong. A true Apple supporter is always right. Even while arguing with another Apple supporter who is diametrically opposed. In that case you have two perfectly right Apple supporters. That's life.

My favourite adage, for now and always, is that one bets against Apple to their own detriment.

 

[The Game 161]

I don’t understand why there is an article on Samsung’s new phones. Being a macrumors site, why bother? I'm not jonesing to switch OS platforms. There have to be a ton of platforms that show off Samsung, Google, and other Android phones that most people use. Is Macrumors.com getting paid to shill for Samsung?

because samsung is apple's main competition and are the company that packs alot of tech into their devices. Alot of these features you will see in the iPhone soon enough and quite frankly it's great to see what other companies are releasing.

the tech world exists outside of just apple.

 

[Johns12]

I don’t understand why there is an article on Samsung’s new phones. Being a macrumors site, why bother? I'm not jonesing to switch OS platforms. There have to be a ton of platforms that show off Samsung, Google, and other Android phones that most people use. Is Macrumors.com getting paid to shill for Samsung?

because samsung is apple's main competition and are the company that packs alot of tech into their devices. Alot of these features you will see in the iPhone soon enough and quite frankly it's great to see what other companies are releasing.

the tech world exists outside of just apple.

Also, the sad part that's missing in this is that many ( I have no idea what the percentage is) of Apple users use other tech besides Apple. I for one have a Galaxy Note 8. I also have an IPad, Macbook Pro, and Mac Pro. Yes, I'm interested in ALL tech news. Easier for me to get it on one site.

 

[imlynxy]

I wish Samsung S21 has dual sim (or esim support) in the USA.
This is the only thing that stops me from switching from iPhone.

 

[TBoneMac]

Samsung has today announced a range of new devices at its Galaxy Unpacked event, including the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra, as well as Galaxy Buds Pro earphones and Galaxy SmartTag item trackers.

Samsung's latest Galaxy S21 series of smartphones feature a new design, edge-to-edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and 8K video recording. The Galaxy S21 has a lightweight design and a compact 6.2-inch display, while the Galaxy S21+ has a 6.7-inch display and a larger battery.

The Galaxy S21 series espouses a new Contour Cut Camera housing that blends into the device's metal frame, and the AI-powered triple-lens camera system itself also sees a number of improvements, with the ability to intuitively assess scenes and adjust the camera settings accordingly.

For customers who need the most from their Galaxy device, there is the S21 Ultra, which delivers an "intelligent pro-grade camera system," improved display, Wi-Fi 6E9, ultra-wideband capabilities, and better performance. The S21 Ultra also brings the popular S Pen experience to the Galaxy S series for the first time.

With a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the largest device in the Galaxy S21 series. For the first time, users can enable a 120Hz refresh rate and Quad HD+ at the same time, and the display is 25 percent brighter and has a 50 percent improved contrast ratio.

The S21 Ultra features a quad rear camera system with ultra-wide, wide, and dual tele-lenses, 100x Space Zoom, improved Night Mode, and an upgraded 108MP pro sensor that can capture 12-bit HDR photos. All lenses, including the front camera, can shoot video in 4K at 60fps.

The S21 and S21+ are available in 128GB and 256GB storage configurations and a range of colors, including Phantom Violet, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White, with pre-orders starting today. The S21 Ultra also offers a 512GB model, with Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown color options, starting at $1,199.99. The Galaxy S21 starts at $799.99 and Galaxy S21+ starts at $999.99. Devices will begin arriving with customers on January 29.

In addition to the S21 series of smartphones, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds Pro, with "immersive sound," improved call quality, intelligent ANC, IPX7 water resistance, and enhanced connectivity. With an 11-millimeter woofer for deeper bass and a 6.5-millimeter tweeter for a crisp treble with minimum distortion, the Galaxy Buds Pro achieve what Samsung says is its "best audio experience yet."

The Galaxy Buds Pro feature three microphones, a Voice Pickup Unit, Wind Shield technology, Ambient Sound amplification, automatic ANC, and automatic device switching. When used with a Galaxy S21 series smartphone, the Buds Pro offer 360 Audio with Dolby Head Tracking technology, similar to Apple's Spatial Audio feature on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.

The Galaxy Buds Pro can deliver up to eight hours of continuous playback, with an additional 20 hours of reserve power available via the wireless charging case. Galaxy Buds Pro are available for pre-order now in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Violet for $199.99.

The company also introduced the Galaxy SmartTag, a low energy Bluetooth item tracker. The Galaxy SmartTag enables users to quickly and easily locate items based on the strength of the Bluetooth signal in the SmartThings Find app, and users can emit a chime from the tag. The SmartTag is believed to be Samsung's competitor to Apple's long-awaited AirTags item trackers.

The Galaxy SmartTag retails for $29.99 and all pre-orders of the Galaxy S21, S21+, or S21 Ultra will also include a free Galaxy SmartTag. An ultra-wideband variant called Tag+ will arrive later in 2021 for $39.99.

Article Link: Samsung Announces Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra Alongside Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy SmartTag

Those look terrible. Not to mention — People always whine about how apple ”makes up” their own names like ”Retina display” or “liquid retina” etc.. but no one ever complains about Samsung’s dumb names Amoled 2X Infinity-O Which basically means Beyond-retina edge-to-edge display with a camera cutout circle.

The issue with samsung is that their phones cost as much as iphone pros do or essentially the same, but the main difference is the samsung phone feels like a $500-600 phone and the iphone actually feels like it’s worth $1000+ I used to only get Samsung Galaxy phones every time. I thought it was the best by far but when I tried an iphone instead I realized that Galaxy phones are mediocre at best. Now I know that GooGle pixel phones are even worse than samsung phones (clunkier UI if you can imagine that possibility)

 

[TBoneMac]

They become better at copying Apple. The new One UI 3 has a lot of design clues taken straight from iOS (don't even wanna mention the 1:1 animations that were borrowed from iPhone X/iOS 11).

The event was boring, because they talk too much and say less. But the phones look promising.

Samsung is basically Apple but with android instead so they’re good phones but they just aren’t as good. And the overall build quality is lesser as well than the iPhones. I used to only get galaxy phones and eventually decided I would try an iphone just once to see if I was missing anything and first day of owning an iPhone I was totally sold that I had been making the wrong choice with my Galaxy 3/4/7/etc etc

Heck, Samsung even copied apples iphone screen size, they just added a half inch or so which lets them say 6.2 inches instead of 6.1 and 6.8 instead of 6.7. Samsung is a numbers company, they don’t care about bringing features out when they’re ready, they just want to be the “first company to do it” which is why they were one of the first to introduce Quick/fast-charging with the galaxy 6 or 7 I believe. Whichever it was, I owned that phone and that Quich-charge feature totally MESSED UP MY PHONES BATTERY. By 3 months of use the battery went from lasting most of the day to only lasting about half of it if that. So samsung does a lot of cool things like bringing 108MP cameras first before anyone else, but the problem with them is they, unlike apple, almost never bring out the features when they’re ready but instead rush them out of the door to customers. This is why Samsung had issues with early quick charging phones and apple did not. Sure Apple took longer to release quick-charge capable phones but when they finally did they worked flawlessly i.e. my battery is still great after a long time. Samsung likes to have the biggest specs i.e. the highest resolution screen (even if you can’t actually tell the difference between 480ppi and 555ppi for example on a 6 inch screen), they like having the biggest screens Iphone 6.7 vs Galaxy 6.8, they like having the “best” camera (i know it’s not really the best but it is the best if you ONLY look at the Megapixel spec), but they lack with their software. It doesn’t matter if they copy iOS they’ll never really “capture” the iOS experience. Apple just keeps improving it, Samsung is no pioneer in software they’re followers.

In 2021 really the only great software company that makes an OS is Apple. MicroSoft has fallen off in my opinion though many may disagree, Windows 10 has been a boring and mediocre OS. It started off very abysmally poor with people complaining for years and it’s taken, What like 10 years to become good And even then, most people who use windows do not use it because they love the OS, they use it because they HAVE TO i.e. some program they use is Windows 10 only. Android is a clunkfest, with way too many options. My Mother has a google pixel and I can tell she just hates it most of the time Because whenever there is a small issue which is fairly often she has no idea how to fix it and it’s not that she is technologically illiterate cause she isn’t, even I have a hard time finding things on the pixel because there’s simply WAY too many apps/bloat and when you go into the settings there are way too many settings for the average user. It’s like a chore to do anything and even when we “do the right thing” it often just does not want to work anyways So that google pixel has been quite a mess And the charge/usb-c doesn’t even work. Nothing happened to it, it just doesn’t work (the phone is a lemon//was a dud or maybe google pixels are just cheap in general but nevertheless not impressed With the software or the hardware of the google pixel 3)

 

[satchmo]

Whatever floats your boat, but I can't unsee this.