Update: The Samsung Opera House store has reportedly now revealed additional details, stating that the phones will use the Exynos 2100 chipset (at least in India) and will go on sale in the country on January 29, while also hinting at an earlier on sale date for much of the world. These details have been added to the article below.
It’s been rumored for a while that the Samsung Galaxy S21 would be announced on January 14, and now it’s more or less been confirmed thanks to a Samsung store in India.
Speaking to Android Authority, “store executives” at the Samsung Opera House store in Bengaluru, India, have said that the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S1 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will all be announced on that date, then go on sale in India on January 29.
However, they additionally said that this was the date because stocks would only reach India a week after the global launch, suggesting that much of the world – likely including the US, UK and Australia – might get the Samsung Galaxy S21 range a week earlier, on or around January 22.
Colors and cameras
The store also claims that the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be available in grey, pink, purple, and white colors, the Galaxy S21 Plus will land in pink, purple, silver, and black options, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will come in a choice of black or silver. Those colors largely line up with what we’ve heard before.
Additionally, they’ve said that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 108MP main camera, two 10MP cameras (one of which will allow for 10x optical zoom), and a laser autofocus. We’ve also heard these camera specs before, though a 12MP sensor is rumored to be included too.
The last bit of information from the store is that the Galaxy S21 range will be powered by the Exynos 2100 chipset in India. This chipset hasn’t yet been announced, but it’s largely expected to be the next flagship chipset from Samsung, and based on past form is likely to power the range in much of the world outside the US (which will probably get the Snapdragon 888).
So there’s nothing really new here, but coming from a Samsung store this is very close to a confirmation. That said, it’s presumably information that the store shouldn’t have let slip, so we’d still take it with a tiny pinch of salt until Samsung makes a more official statement.
Incidentally, those of you who live in India can already reserve one of the Galaxy S21 models at this store by paying a deposit, and even if you do that you don’t have to decide which of the three you want until they’re announced.
