With new iPhones, the new Samsung Galaxy S line, foldable devices and a host of other innovations, 2021 will also be the year of mobile devices. But what should you pay attention to? What will be different about them? And when can we expect these innovations to appear?
We will look into our crystal ball and see what awaits us in the next 12 months.
Oppo Find X3
You may not have heard of Oppo, but its Find X2 phones (all four) were some of the best in 2020. The Chinese brand has built a good reputation for making solid phones across a range of price points, so we're excited to see what's in the Find X3 store.
One thing is for sure, it will be equipped with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset. (We know because Oppo announced it.) This will make it one of the first phones to feature the new chipset, which should make it one of the most powerful flagships out there.
It will also feature the Oppo Full-Path Color Management System, which Oppo also announced earlier. This will provide better color temperature and all-round visual performance.
Yes, and the Find X3 will also be 5G and launch in the first three months of 2021.
This is what we know for sure. But what do we hope for? The leaks point to a 3K screen, a dual-lens system, and fast charging capabilities. Definitely one to watch next year.
Samsung Galaxy S21
This year has been one of the most unpredictable on record, so it's good to see that some things never change. Just like the clock always moves forward in spring, Samsung always releases a new Galaxy S phone in the first half of the year. And next year looks like it will be no exception.
It appears that the Galaxy S21 line consists of the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra. Rumor has it that the phones will go on sale on Friday, March 5th, but some say that Samsung will announce the phones long before that, possibly as early as January 14th! Pre-orders can be posted on the same day. This is almost two months ahead. Expect the hype to come to a head by the time the phones actually go on sale.
So what can we expect from the phones themselves?
Analysts predict that Samsung may lower the price of the standard S21 to account for the economic impact of the global pandemic. It could be sold for around £800, which would be a smart move as Apple's current iPhone 12 costs just £699 and the Google Pixel 5 costs £599. Samsung will have to save somewhere if it wants to stay competitive.
Screens are always the highlight of the Galaxy S lineup. Next year, the S21 will get a 6.2-inch screen, the S21 Plus will get a 6.7-inch screen, and the S21 Ultra will get a 6.8-inch one.
All three are said to be 120Hz panels, but only the S21 Ultra is supposed to offer Samsung's adaptive refresh LTPO panel like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. This will allow the S21 Ultra to deliver a maximum brightness of up to 1600 nits, which is 200 nits more than the S20 Ultra. You may need to wear sunglasses to use it.
The razor-thin bezels are a sure sign that the front of the phone is almost entirely covered by the screen. And we can expect the hole camera to remain a fixture for now. The S21 can also work with Samsung's S Pen, which until now has been the company's only prerogative for the Galaxy Note series.
As for the camera front, expect the S21 to have the same layout as the S20. But the S21 Ultra should be a step up. We expect the second generation to get the 108MP camera found in the S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra, plus a 3x optical telephoto lens and a 10x optical telephoto lens.
Expect more power, longer battery life, and maybe 65W charging speeds for faster juicing. Samsung should also release the Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless earbuds alongside the new phones. Roll into the new year.
Samsung Galaxy Note 21
Or not. According to a recent Reuters report, Samsung is considering dropping the Note line next year. This will be the first time the company hasn't launched a new Note since the line launched in 2011.
This is apparently due to the "dramatic drop" in demand for high-end phones during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the S Pen stylus will live on. Samsung is said to be making this accessory compatible with its new S21 line and foldable phones. It is also believed that the R&D budget for the Note 21 will be invested in its foldable parts, which could speed up development significantly.
Its foldable devices currently include the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2. So far, they've been held back by faulty mechanisms and high prices, but if Samsung can address these two big adoption hurdles, we could see its foldable devices become really compelling. offer during 2021. So, perhaps, the note will still not be missed so much.
IPhone 13
Is the iPhone 13 out of luck in 2021? Or, more likely, will we see the iPhone take one of the biggest leaps forward in its 13-year history?
The big word is wireless. The iPhone has had wireless charging for a long time, but 2021 could see the first fully wireless iPhone. This is thanks to Apple's MagSafe magnetic technology. This greatly simplifies the correct installation of the wireless charger, as it simply snaps into place. In addition, wireless charging is getting much faster than was possible before.
So who needs a Lightning port? Perhaps that's what Apple thought, as rumor has it that it wants to drop the port from the line entirely. iPhone 13 in favor of fully wireless charging.
The benefits can be twofold. This will not only make the iPhone thinner, as it requires fewer internal components to connect to a wired charger, but it will also make it more waterproof, as there will be no port for water to enter.
Apple has previous ones in this regard. It was the first company to remove the headphone port from their phones. While this drew protests from customers unhappy about having to buy a new pair of headphones, the rest of the industry duly followed suit. The same may soon happen with charging ports...
ZTE Axon 20
ZTE is another Chinese phone maker that has gone under the radar on these shores. But it's also one of the most innovative mobile companies out there.
Take, for example, the Axon 20. This is the first phone with a front camera built under the screen. This means no unsightly notch on the camera body or hole in the display itself, allowing for uninterrupted viewing.
And what will be the viewing experience. The screen is a 6.92-inch FHD+ OLED screen that uses a combination of materials, display timing, and a "special matrix" to hide a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
Admittedly, it launches on December 21, which is 2020, not next year. But it's bound to pave the way for more phones to be released next year with cameras built under the screens themselves.
