Samsung Galaxy S21 release date leak just stole the iPhone 12’s thunder

Normally Samsung launches the Galaxy S range towards the end of February, but this time round there have been plenty of rumors suggesting that won’t happen.

Word is that Samsung is prepping the Galaxy S21 range for an early launch, likely in January, and new evidence seems to corroborate that idea.

WinFuture’s Roland Quandt has tweeted claiming Samsung is starting part production on the Galaxy S21 Ultra right now. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear whether this is the beginning of mass production, or whether Samsung is still sampling prototype devices ahead of the eventual launch.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (part) production seems to be starting rn. Will have to wait a little to confirm if this is mass production or just sampling for PVT/DVT devices.October 30, 2020

If this is the beginning of mass production, then Samsung is nearly two months ahead of its usual schedule. The obvious assumption would be that Samsung wants to move up the release by the same amount, suggesting a January release instead of March, though we can’t know for sure. 

It’s also possible Samsung is jumping the gun to avoid COVID-related delays in the supply chain. That said, the evidence suggests Samsung will still be ready for an early launch next year, with past reports claiming it’s hoping to fill the gap left by the Google-less Huawei. 

The only question is when the Galaxy S21’s launch will be. The consensus is that it will launch in January, though some rumors have also claimed we could see the phone as early as this December.

So far there’s still a lot we don’t know about the S21 range. Renders have shown off the standard model, complete with a triple lens camera and 6.2 inch display on 2.5D glass. The S21 Ultra, on the other hand, is said to come with a 6.8-inch display, a 40MP front camera, a 5,000 mAh battery, and five camera sensors on the back — including two telephoto lenses (3x and 10x) and a 108MP main lens. 

Both are also expected to come with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s been rumored that they will launch alongside a new pair of Galaxy Buds, named “Buds Beyond.”

We’ll bring you more on the Samsung Galaxy S21 as soon as we hear it.