Galaxy S21 specs suggest a leak in the Ultra model with S Pen support

There may not be much mystery when Samsung unveils the Galaxy S21 (or S30) next year. Android police sources say they have leaked detailed specifications of the S21 family and suggest that the Ultra model will be even more central than it is now. Although the screen size should remain very similar across the board, the 6.8-inch S21 Ultra will use a battery-saving LTPO display (like the one on the Note 20 Ultra) with support for the S pen and a maximum brightness of 1,600 nit. The stylus will not be included, the sources said. Instead, you’ll need to buy a case if you want to easily carry the pen with you.

The entire range, including the 6.2-inch S21 and 6.7-inch S21 +, will move to the expected Snapdragon 875 in some countries and the unannounced Exynos 2100 in others. However, don’t complain if you’re used to Exynos variants struggling to keep up. The 2100 should be “on par or better” than the Snapdragon. We’d be cautious about accepting that swagger at face value, but that’s a positive sign if it’s true.

Camera sizes wouldn’t change much on the regular S21 models between their 12MP primary sensors, 64MP telephoto lenses, and 12MP ultra wide-angle shots. The Ultra, however, would use a second-generation 108-megapixel sensor, as well as 3X and 10X telephoto lenses with 130% more pixels. All new galaxies would eventually get 4K, 60 frames per second of video capture across all cameras, as well as 8K of recording at 30 FPS.

Other improvements would include the Note 20’s ultra-broadband, twice as fast WiFi 6E on the Ultra, and a mode that records video from the front and rear cameras at the same time. However, not everything would be a step forward: Samsung could use plastic (or “glasstic”) in the base of the S21 and spare glass at least for the Ultra.

Not sure how strict these specs would be. But if they’re accurate, they would nullify some of the incentives to buy a Galaxy Note. You would only need it if you intend to use the S Pen from the start or if you want the latest Samsung technology when the ticket is valid. This may not represent the end of the ticket, but it could represent a change in strategy.