Though Samsung still has other devices to showcase for 2020, murmurs have already surfaced about what the manufacturer has in store for its 2021 flagship products.
Most recently, reports indicate that models of the Galaxy S21 (Galaxy S30) may feature 16GB of RAM, as production for the latest LPDDR5 DRAM chips has begun at Samsung’s Pyeongtaek plant in South Korea. The manfacturer has updated its 10nm-class EUV technology (1z), allowing for a faster and more efficient RAM package. This third-generation module is comprised of eight 16Gb chips to make 16GB RAM instead of eight 12Gb chips and four 8Gb chips featured in prior modules. The new eiteration is 30 percent thinner than older chips and and transfers 51.2GB of data in one second.
Samsung first introduced the 16GB RAM capacity in early 2020 and it was featured on the absolute top of the line Galaxy S20 Ultra model that featured 512GB of internal storage. Other models in the S20 series featured either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. Now, 16GB of RAM could potentially be more readily available across the next Galaxy S21 series, with the cheaper and more standard models featuring this capacity. It is possible Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus models could have 16GB RAM options, while a Galaxy S21 Ultra could have an even higher RAM capacity.
The 16GB RAM option may also be on its way to becoming more of a standard across the tech industry, as Samsung has said other smartphone brands will feature the upcoming component. It will also be used among automotive applications.
With months before its official release, no specs or features for the Galaxy S21 can be confirmed, but pundits expect more concrete details about the device to surface in the coming month. Another recent report out of Korea suggests the Galaxy S21 series may introduce S-Pen stylus support, which has long been the defining feature of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.
It may be precisely because of the unique popularity of the Galaxy Note series that Samsung may be considering adopting components on to the Galaxy S series. When the Galaxy Note was first introduced it stood out as a large display “phablet” device. Now, most models in the Galaxy S series also have similarly large displays. It is likely Samsung may begin by introducing an S-Pen only to the top of the line Galaxy S21 Ultra to maintain the overall difference between the S line and the Note line.
Still, this rumor has drummed up considerable speculation on whether the Galaxy Note series is on its way out of Samsung’s product lineup. The Korean source claims that Samsung has plans to bring the S-Pen to the early-year S series and to make its still rather new Galaxy Z Fold series the highight late year product. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is set to launch on September 1, but some suggest next fall’s potential Galaxy Z Fold 3 could launch with an S-Pen in tow instead of a new Galaxy Note.
Not every is on board with this suggestion and pundits have noted that price as well as availability of the components necessarily to truly mass product foldables may hinder Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line from becoming main stream products like the Galaxy S or Note lines. Popular leakster, IceUniverse has said a Galaxy Note 21 model is sure for Samsung’s 2021 line up even if various Galaxy S21 models include S-Pen support.
Samsung is known to ship about 10 million Galaxy Note units upon its release, making the series a consistent success across its near decade tenure on the market. Recent reports also indicate that U.K. demand for the Galaxy Note 20 is up almost 50 percent compared to interest in the 2019 Galaxy Note 10. So far, Samsung’s foldables have sold fewer than 1 million units and 2020 sales estimates are approximately 6 million, still well below the Galaxy Note line.
While the unique features of Samsung’s foldables have piqued the interest of tech enthusiasts, their high price has likely detered many prospective customers. Currently, the manufacturer’s cheapest foldable is the Galaxy Z Flip, which sells for $1,380 and the coming Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to be priced well over $2,000. Rumors suggest Samsung has plans to release several less expensive foldables in 2021, but these devices will likely have to prove to be a commercial success before any long term changes are made to the Galaxy S or Galaxy Note lines.
