London-based startup F(x)tec launched the Pro1 back in September last year. At launch, the device ran a near-stock version of Android 9.0 Pie with just a couple of additional apps that had been optimized to work with its physical keyboard. The device received official LineageOS 16 as well as official LineageOS 17.1 support. The phone also served as the base for our own XDA phone: the Pro1-X. And now, the device has received an unofficial LineageOS 18.0 build based on Android 11.
The LineageOS 18.0 build for the F(x)tec Pro1 is built off the official Android 9 firmware with proprietary blobs, but the underlying base version of the ROM is Android 11. The build is compatible with all F9X)tec Pro1 variants, essentially meaning that you can flash it on the Pro1-X too when it reaches your hands. Pretty much all expected functions of the phone are functioning as expected, and no major bugs exist in the ROM.
If you’re interested in trying out LineageOS 18.0 and near-stock Android 11 on your F(x)tec Pro1, you can download the recovery flashable package from the thread below. But before you go ahead and flash the ROM on your device, make sure you read the installation instructions and other linked documentation, including the guides and special boot modes. Also, make sure to take a backup of your data before you start the process or you may lose it during the installation. Also keep in mind that no custom kernels are provided support for, in the forum thread, so stick to the stock kernel only. There aren’t too many options for custom kernels either, so you should be good on this end. The device is developer-friendly, but there aren’t options available because of its rather niche characteristics. But with our Indiegogo for the Pro1-X sitting at 661% funded, there’s clearly a demand for such a device, and we hope that the situation changes in the near future.
Lenovo’s Legion lineup has matured over the years and this year, we saw the company cranking up a notch with some really interesting products. Apart from the Legion 5i, the company launched the Legion 7i which is the top of the line offering from the company. It borrows the looks and styling from its mid-range counterpart but competes with some of the most powerful notebooks including heavyweights like Alienware and Razer. But is this notebook the right choice for gamers?
Lenovo Legion 7i: Specifications
As I mentioned, the Legion 7i is the most powerful offering from Lenovo and is available with either the 10th-gen Intel Core i5-10300H all the way to a Core i9-10980HK. The unit that I got here includes the Core i7-10875H with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q. Here are the full specifications:
Specification
Lenovo Legion 7i
Dimensions & Weight
19.82 x 359.41 x 259.08mm
2.25 kgs
Display
15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS
144Hz
HDR400
100% Adobe RGB
500-nits brightness
G-Sync
Processor
Intel Core i7-10875H (2.3GHz / 5.1GHz)
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)
RAM & Storage
16GB DDR4 (3200MHz)
1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Battery & Charger
80Wh
230W charger
I/O
USB 3.1 Gen 1
2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2
HDMI 2.0
Ethernet
Kensington lock slot
Power-in
Thunderbolt 3 Type-C (Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, USB 3.1, HDMI)
USB-C (DisplayPort 1.4, USB 3.1 Gen 1)
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
Connectivity
Intel WiFi 6 802.11AX (2 x 2)
Bluetooth 5.0
OS
Windows 10 Home
Paid Add-on: Windows 10 Pro
Other Features
Corsair iCUE controlled RGB lighting
Lenovo Vantage tuning software
X-Rite Color Assistant
Quick access thermal profiles
About this review: Lenovo India sent us the Legion 7i for review. This review has been written after about 15 days of regular use. Lenovo had no input into the contents of this article.
Lenovo Legion 7i: Design and Build
The design is sort of a mixed bag here. While I appreciate the clean look and aluminum finish of the notebook, the lid tends to wobble, and the dark grey finish does seem quite plain. You do get a lot of RGB lighting though, and that definitely catches your eye. There is an RGB strip around the bottom, an RGB Legion logo on the lid, some RGB lights planted right inside the rear air vents, and of course, under the keyboard. Apart from the light show, Lenovo has all of its branding placed vertically on the keyboard deck and the lid. Very clean.
It is a fairly sleek 15-inch machine weighing 2.25 kilograms with a thickness of about 19mm. That is not bad considering it is roughly the same as the Razer Blade 15. It shouldn’t be very heavy to carry around but considering most of us are now confined to our homes, the notebook should look suave on your desk. Now as I mentioned, the lid isn’t very sturdy, although I can overlook that considering it doesn’t wobble when using it on a firm surface. The lid can open all the way and lay flat, which can be useful if you like to prop your laptop on a cooling stand. Speaking of which, the display gets slim bezels on the sides, while the top bezel houses the 720p webcam. Lenovo offers a nifty slider to shut the camera lens for the ones who fret over security. The bottom bezel is fairly large, but I don’t have any complaints about that.
You also get a total of four air vents- two at the back and one on each side. The bottom has this large perforated area for the fans to pull in cool air. The keyboard deck is nice and spaced out, and the trackpad looks fairly big. Lenovo is offering a good set of ports placed all around the notebook. You get two USB-C 3.1 ports on the left, one of which offers Thunderbolt 3 while the other is limited to DisplayPort 1.4. There is also a headphone combo jack. The right side includes a single USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port to plug in a mouse or other peripherals. At the back, you get two more USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, an HDMI 2.0, a gigabit ethernet port, a charging port, and a Kensington lock slot. The ports at the back are denoted by subtle white LEDs, which I really liked. These light up when the notebook is turned on or is in standby mode.
I wanted to check out the insides for future upgradability and I got easy access by removing ten screws from the bottom lid. The dual-cooling fans have a large array of fins that are quite slim and in the middle are some heat pipes to dissipate heat. Lenovo does offer a vapor chamber cooling solution on the higher-configured models, including the one I am reviewing here. There are two M.2 slots out of which one is occupied by a 1TB Western Digital NVMe SSD. This means you can add another M.2 SSD to expand your storage. The memory sticks are in the middle but are protected by a plastic shield. You can remove that and get access in case you want to upgrade in the future.
Display
Lenovo is offering the Legion 7i in three display options. While all three offer a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS anti-glare panel, there are various configurations. The first one is a 144Hz, < 3ms response time option that comes with 100% sRGB and 300-nits of brightness. The second option (the one that we have received for review) has the same refresh rate but offers 100% Adobe RGB coverage, 500-nits of brightness, VESA DisplayHDR 400-certification, and Dolby Vision. The top of the line option includes 240Hz refresh rate, < 1ms response time, 100% sRGB, 500 nits brightness, VESA DisplayHDR 400-certification as well as Dolby Vision.
Now, I honestly had no complaints about this panel. Colors look punchy and there is an ample amount of brightness as well despite having a matte finish. The unit that we got is also G-Sync compatible. Speaking of which, I had a great time playing games as the panel offered smooth textures and sharp imaging. The display is also a treat if you want to watch movies, especially in HDR format. Additionally, Lenovo packs a software called X-Rite Color Assistant that lets you set various color profiles depending on your usage. You can choose between Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, Rec. 709, and sRGB. Other than that there is a Default setting as well as a Non-calibrated option.
Keyboard and Touchpad
I use iCUE on my personal desktop and I can tell you that it is one of the best RGB software.
I’ve usually had a good experience with Lenovo’s keyboards and this doesn’t seem any different. It has a sturdy build although there is a bit of a flex on the keyboard deck, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Lenovo suggests that its ‘TrueStrike’ keyboard features soft switches with a 1.3mm key travel. It is good to type on with a sort of membrane style feel to it. The keyboard includes a full-sized number pad, along with large arrow keys that take some extra room on the deck. Of course, it comes with RGB lighting offering 16 million different colors via Corsair’s iCUE software. I use iCUE on my personal desktop and I can tell you that it is one of the best RGB software. You get a variety of options including colors and patterns for the keyboard as well as the under-glow and rear lighting. Though, there is one small issue specifically on this laptop. The software doesn’t have any option to switch off the default rainbow effect. Thus every time you turn the laptop on or off, the colors change to a spiral rainbow effect. The only option is to completely shut the lighting on the keys. The keyboard comes with a variety of function button options as well as one where you can switch between the thermal modes on the laptop by pressing the Fn + Q key. This can also be done using the Lenovo Vantage software and is denoted by the color of the power button.
The touchpad is fairly simple to look at, nothing fancy in terms of the finish. It is smooth and responsive and the left and right clicks work as expected. Now I’ve seen some concerns on certain forums suggesting that if you press the top section of the touchpad it depresses making a small gap. While that is true, I believe it isn’t a huge issue unless apart from dust accumulating over time.
Performance
Powering the unit I reviewed is an Intel Core i7-10850H which is an octa-core processor offering speeds of 2.30GHz going up to 5.10GHz using Turbo Boost. The Samsung dual-channel 16GB DDR4 memory used on the system is clocked at 3200MHz. For storage, you get a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD by Western Digital, although certain regions around the world get a Samsung NVMe drive. Last but not the least, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU 8GB GDDR6 takes care of the graphics loads. This is a high-end machine and is way more capable than handling 30-40 Chrome tabs and multiple video streams at the same time. I never had a single instance where the laptop would slow down on me.
Gamers can expect excellent performance even in the most resource-intensive games.
Gamers can expect excellent performance even in the most resource-intensive games. Titles like Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order at its highest settings ran around 130fps while Rise of the Tomb Raider held up well around 90fps at maximum settings. Multiplayer titles like Apex Legends and PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) consistently ran smoothly at 120fps.
As for synthetic benchmarks, I ran a variety of tests to push the limits of the hardware. The results were as expected delivering scores similar to most gaming laptops in the same range. Some of the benchmarks we tested included 3D Mark, Cinebench R20, and PC Mark 10. You can check out the results below:
The Western Digital SSD felt quite fast and snappy to me. Running CrystalDiskMark reaffirmed my experience as the NVMe SSD managed to score 2,913MBps read speeds and 2,961MBps write speeds. This is not the fastest SSD around when compared to the offerings by Samsung, but it should deliver rock-solid transfer speeds.
Lenovo bundles the laptop with its central-hub software called Lenovo Vantage. It’s a nifty tool that helps you monitor your system as well as enable or disable certain features. As mentioned before, you can use this to choose either of the thermal modes that include performance, balanced, or silent.
As for audio performance, the dual stereo speakers are placed on either side and face downwards. They produce a good amount of volume and even a little bit of thump. The sound quality isn’t going to blow your mind, but it should be good enough for watching movies or casual gaming.
Thermals
With great power comes great responsibility heat, but thermals are something that the Legion 7i is not entirely good at. During my testing, I saw peak temperatures of the CPU going as high as 95-degrees which is quite alarming. Due to this, all cores of the CPU did thermal throttle. Just to clear up, I didn’t face any noticeable issues in the performance while gaming, and these peak temperature readings were recorded during benchmark stress tests. The system does limit either the power or the clock speeds of the CPU. This was evident as the CPU was unable to hit the 5GHz clock speeds and only peaked at speeds of 4.7-4.8GHz.
The notebook emits a considerable amount of heat during long gaming sessions especially if you engage the performance mode. The areas around the air vents get really hot and the heat spreads around the top of the keyboard deck. The keyboard itself does not get warm, which was nice to see. You shouldn’t face any heating issues while regular usage, although I wouldn’t advise using this notebook in your lap for longer stretches as the cooling fans need space to pull in air from the bottom.
Battery Life
The notebook features power-hungry hardware and I honestly didn’t have high expectations with the battery life. However, since Lenovo offers three performance modes, I was curious. The 4-Cell 80Wh battery lasted about 4 hours 10 minutes while using the machine at a stretch for web browsing. For a good measure, I had kept the brightness slightly below 50% and set the performance mode to Balanced. This is fairly average for a gaming laptop and you may get varied results depending on your usage. To provide the juice, the notebook comes with a beefy 230W charger. I do have to give it to Lenovo for making an effort to keep the thickness of the charging brick almost similar to the laptop itself.
Lenovo Legion 7i Verdict: Powerful but Toasty
Lenovo is finally working it’s way up the ladder with the Legion 7i and assures that it means business. It’s a really well-made machine and definitely the most powerful gaming laptop offered by the company. Capable of handling all of your high-end AAA titles with ease, it is also a really good machine for content creators. Is it a good desktop replacement? Definitely. Having said that, I really hope Lenovo would look into the issues regarding thermal performance as there are instances of throttling under certain heavy loads. Apart from that, I hardly had any complaints, which is to be expected at these premium price points.
The pricing for the Legion 7i starts at ₹1,94,638 going all the way up to ₹2,77,490 where you get the Core i9-10980HK processor and a 240Hz panel. The notebook is clearly targeted at consumers looking for the top of line performance with no restrictions on their budget. Should you buy one? Well, there are a bunch of options in this price range that you should also explore before choosing the Legion 7i. Do have a look at the Alienware M15 R3, the Razer Blade 15, and even the Acer Predator Triton 500, or some of our other recommendations for those in the USA. If you do end up with the Legion 7i, you will be satisfied with your decision as long as you know what you are getting.
The Legion 7i is the top of the line gaming notebook from Lenovo. It offers the 10th-gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 20-series GPU for a super-charged performance package.
Update 71 (11/16/2020 @ 04:57 AM ET): Added download links for MIUI 12 latest beta builds, compiled on November 13, 2020.
Previous Updates
Update 70 (11/11/2020 @ 06:07 AM ET): Added download links for MIUI 12 latest beta builds, compiled on November 12, 2020.
Update 69 (11/11/2020 @ 06:07 AM ET): Added download links for MIUI 12 latest beta builds, compiled on November 10/11, 2020. Previous links have been moved to our archive page.
The latest version of Xiaomi’s custom Android skin – MIUI 12 – is finally here. The company has dropped the curtain yesterday, alongside the Mi 10 Youth Edition launch event in China. Compared to MIUI 11, the stable version of which was released less than six months ago, MIUI 12 brings in a slew of improvements, visual overhauls, and many new features. We have already extracted the new wallpapers, and now we are presenting the downloading links of the first set of MIUI 12 beta firmware packages for a bunch of Xiaomi and Redmi devices.
It is worth mentioning that these closed beta builds are meant for the Chinese variants, as Xiaomi suspended the rollout of MIUI global beta since last year. As a consequence, you have to flash these recovery ROMs using TWRP to bypass the MIUI beta account whitelisting. Do not expect Google Play Services or any pre-installed Google apps in them. Language options are likely limited to English and Chinese only, too. Xiaomi did launch MIUI 12 globally, and we are waiting for builds to appear for that too. Meanwhile, you can try out the closed betas from China.
The beta MIUI 12 builds listed below are based on either Android 10 or Android 11, depending on the device. If you are looking for MIUI 12 stable releases, you can find those here.
Download: MIUI 12
You can download the latest beta of MIUI 12 for your device from the links below. You can also visit our linked forums in case you need further assistance. While all of these download links are directly from Xiaomi, users are advised to proceed at their own risk. We warn you once again, this is not intended for the average consumer and is recommended only for users comfortable with flashing ROMs.
The full changelog for MIUI 12 beta, when updating from MIUI 11, is as follows:
MIUI 12 Full Changelog
Highlights
MIUI 12. Yours alone.
System animations
New: All-new physically-based animation engine with advanced architecture will refresh your device’s look.
New: Dynamic window technology takes switching screen orientation to a new level.
System visuals
Brand new visual design works for all types of content and languages.
Magazine-level layouts bring important things into the spotlight and make the content structure clear.
Privacy protection
New: MIUI 12 is the first Android-based mobile OS that went through the rigorous enhanced privacy protection testing.
New: Reset your device ID and control how it’s used based on virtual ID technology.
New: Grant permissions that will be used only while you’re using an app.
New: You can also grant permissions just once, and decide again next time a permission is required.
New: Restrict access to telephony to third party apps.
New: Return blank messages to the apps that require personal information.
New: Receive notifications whenever apps record audio, use camera, or access your location.
New: Use secure sharing to control what additional data is sent along with shared items.
New: Get comprehensive stats on how apps use permissions in app behavior history.
New: Visit privacy.miui.com to learn how MIUI protects your privacy.
Optimization: Apps aren’t allowed to launch other apps in the background now.
AI Call Assistant
New: Mi AI can answer your calls now!
New: You can record a customized greeting that will be played to the other person during AI calls.
New: Customized greetings are also supported for outgoing calls.
Xiaomi Health
New: All-new Xiaomi Health gives you more options and makes your health stats more accurate.
New: Put your device next to you before falling asleep to analyze your sleep cycle and record talking and snoring.
New: You can sync data with supported wearable and smart home devices.
New: Xiaomi Health can remind you to stand up and move when it detects that you’ve been sitting down for too long.
New: The app also analyzes your stats and gives you simple health advice.
Control center
New: Swipe down from the upper right corner of your screen to open Control center.
New: Animated icons are a joy to look at!
Accessibility
New: Mi Ditto combines dictation and speech output, making mobile devices more convenient for people who have difficulties using conventionally designed smartphones.
Trips
New: Traffic and suggested routes to airports and train stations.
New: You can track your previous trips now.
New: Checklists for trips.
New: Alarms for train arrivals.
Mi Carrier Services
New: View your SIM balance and mobile data usage stats.
New: Save frequently used phone numbers to top up balance and buy mobile data later.
New: Buy SIM cards and services.
Messaging
New: Promotional messages are grouped according to their content now.
Status bar, Notification shade
New: All-new design.
Weather
New: New animations bring the weather from outside directly to your screen.
Settings
New: Security introduces new comprehensive privacy protection mechanisms.
New: Lite mode simplifies your device and brings essential features up front.
File Manager
New: Use the floating shortcut to filter and sort items, as well as switch view.
Calendar
New: New layout tailored for landscape orientation is available now.
New: We added lots of fresh animations that will accompany your actions.
New: Calendar cards will remind you about important events and anniversaries.
Notes
New: You can create folders with notes now.
New: New dynamic backgrounds look gorgeous!
New: Tasks are completed with a satisfying animation now.
New: Checklists of subtasks make managing your agenda much simpler.
Security
New: New animations feel natural and refreshing.
New: Keep your home safe with smart home device alerts.
New: Binging your favorite shows will be more convenient with our new video toolbox.
Xiaomi Cloud
New: Shared family storage plan is available now.
Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer yshalsager and XDA Member kacskrz for providing these download links!
OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus 8T last month, and just a few days after the launch, we started seeing rumors about the company’s next flagship. The first rumor suggested that the company was planning to launch the OnePlus 9 in March next year, four weeks earlier than its usual launch schedule. Soon thereafter, XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Usernamespotted new strings in OxgenOS 11 Open Beta 3 for the OnePlus 8 series that suggested that OnePlus might return to Verizon with the OnePlus 9. Now, 91Mobiles has procured CAD renders of the upcoming device, which give us our first look at its design.
As per a recent report from the publication, the OnePlus 9 will feature a design similar to the OnePlus 8T, with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera, a flat display, and a rectangular camera module on the back. However, the device will feature a slightly larger 6.55-inch panel. Contrary to previous reports, which suggested that the device would include a 144Hz high refresh rate display, this recent leak reveals that the device will offer a 120Hz refresh rate panel.
The rectangular camera module on the OnePlus 9 will include 3 sensors and an LED flash, with two of the sensors larger in size than the third. The report further adds that the series will include two models — OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro — which will go by the following model numbers:
OnePlus 9: LE2110, LE2117, and LE2119
OnePlus 9 Pro: LE2120 and LE2127
While the report sheds no light on the specifications, we expect the OnePlus 9 series to feature Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 875 chip and 65W fast charging support. The devices will, most likely, run OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box.
Since these renders aren’t from sources like OnLeaks and evleaks which are known extensively for their reliability, we advise you to take all the aforementioned information with a sizeable grain of salt. Renowned leaker Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) has also expressed his doubts about these renders in a recent tweet, in which he stated: “Take their post with a good amount of salt. I will further investigate but as of right now I will say that this CAD is inaccurate.”
Several Xiaomi and POCO users in India are facing an annoying issue following a recent MIUI 12 update, which brings up a “Find device closed unexpectedly” error. The device restarts as soon as the error message pops up, and this cycle continues indefinitely. The error is, most likely, a conflict caused by a recent update to the Airtel Thanks app (a SIM/account management app from the Indian telecom service provider) and MIUI’s Find My Device settings. While Xiaomi hasn’t disclosed the exact cause of the issue, the company is working with Airtel on a fix.
In a recent tweet on the matter, Harmeen Mehta, Global CIO and Head of Digital at Airtel, confirmed that the issue affects users who have the Airtel Thanks app on their devices. As a temporary fix, Airtel has pushed a small tweak to the app, which should stop affected devices from restarting until Xiaomi delivers a permanent fix. However, for this fix to work, you’ll have to open the Airtel Thanks app at least once after a reboot.
Some @airtelindia customers are experiencing phone crashes on MI phones. We have worked with Xaomi to find the cause & they are preparing a fix. Meanwhile we have put a small tweak in the airtel #Thanksapp to help. Please open the app once to effect new settings. #HappyDiwali2020
Xiaomi is currently working on a permanent fix, which is expected to roll out to users next week. In a statement regarding the fiasco, the company said:
“It has come to our notice that Mi & Redmi devices are showing an error, causing unwanted rebooting of the device. It has been observed that certain lines of code are misbehaving during an app update. While we are working on fixing the issue with the App developer and rollout out a permanent update by early next week, we have put temporary containment measures in place, over the last 36 hours. This fix may need consumers to get their devices at a service center. At Mi India, customer experience is top most priority and we regret the inconvenience caused to them. As a committed brand, our endeavor is to continue delivering on our consumer expectations, thereby offering best user experience to everyone.”
Until Xiaomi delivers a fix, you can also try uninstalling the Airtel Thanks app from your device, disabling “Ultra Battery Saver” in phone settings, or disabling “Find My Device” as a temporary fix. However, these solutions may not be 100% effective.
According to a report from Reuters, Qualcomm has received a license from the US Government to sell 4G mobile phone chips to Huawei. Qualcomm representatives commented that they received a “license for a number of products, which includes some 4G products“. Qualcomm had applied for a number of licenses, including for 5G Snapdragon chips.
Huawei historically has been a smaller customer for Qualcomm, the biggest supplier of mobile phones. That is because the Chinese OEM relied on its own HiSilicon Kirin SoCs for its flagships and the vast majority of its smartphone portfolio, and relegating Qualcomm chips to some lower-end phone models only. But that scenario was dealt a huge blow when US companies were restricted from supplying Huawei with the resources required for Kirin SoCs. This meant that the Huawei Mate 40 could be the last smartphone with a flagship Kirin SoC.
So, this relief for Huawei might give it some more breathing room, but analysts in the report predict only a “limited impact”. This is because the license granted only covers 4G chips, while consumers and even chipmakers are shifting to newer 5G chips and devices. For instance, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 launched last year and used extensively across flagships this year is a mandatory 5G chip, and some of the other better-performing chips from Qualcomm are also 5G chips. The strategy-roadmap for 5G is expected to get even stronger when Qualcomm launches its next-generation flagship chips next month. So the benefit that Huawei derives out of its license will unlikely give it back its competitive advantage.
It is still unclear if Qualcomm will be granted a license for supplying 5G chips to Huawei.
Recent rumors suggest that Samsung will launch its Galaxy S21 series early next year in January. As a result, we’ve already started seeing leaks and rumors about the company’s next flagship devices. Last month, leaked CAD renders gave us our first look at the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Ultra. But sadly, the renders revealed nothing about their hardware specifications. Now, Android Police has procured official press renders of the next-gen Galaxy devices that confirm the design we saw in the leaked CAD renders and reveal some more information about the device’s specifications.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series: Rumored specifications
Specification
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Display
6.2-inch FHD+ LTPS
120Hz
6.7-inch FHD+ LTPS
120Hz
6.8-inch WQHD+ LTPO
1-120Hz adaptive
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 or Exynos 2100
Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 or Exynos 2100
Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 or Exynos 2100
Battery
4,000mAh
4,800mAh
5,000mAh
Rear Camera(s)
12MP primary camera
12MP ultra-wide camera
64MP telephoto camera
12MP primary camera
12MP ultra-wide camera
64MP telephoto camera
108MP (Gen 2) primary camera
12MP ultra-wide camera
10MP 3x optical telephoto camera
10MP 10x optical telephoto camera
Connectivity
5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
As per a recent report from the publication, the Galaxy S21 series will include 3 devices — the Galaxy S21 (codename O1), Galaxy S21 Plus (codename T2), and Galaxy S21 Ultra (codename P3). The devices will either be powered by Qualcomm’s unannounced Snapdragon 875 or the upcoming Exynos 2100, based on region.
Although that may sound disappointing to some Samsung fans, sources claim that the new Exynos chip could be “on-par or better than the Snapdragon 875.” On top of that, the Exynos 2100 is rumored to be more power-efficient than previous generations. The report further adds that both the Snapdragon 875 and Exynos 2100 will be 5G compatible chips, and Samsung will offer 5G versions of all three Galaxy S21 models. However, it isn’t clear if Samsung will offer LTE-only variants of the devices.
Display improvements
On the display front, the Galaxy S21 will feature a 6.2-inch FHD+ 120Hz panel, and the Galaxy S21 Plus will feature a 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz panel. However, both these devices won’t feature the advanced adaptive refresh LTPO panels found on the Note 20 Ultra. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S21 Ultra, on the other hand, will feature a 6.8-inch WQHD+ LTPO panel with an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz.
The display on the top-end variant will offer a peak brightness of 1600 nits and a contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, as opposed to a peak brightness of 1400 nits and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Furthermore, the sources add that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will offer S Pen support; however, the stylus won’t be included in the box. Instead, Samsung is planning to sell cases that will store the S Pen outside the phone’s body.
Camera improvements
On the camera front, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus will reportedly feature the same camera setup as the Galaxy S20 series. The devices will include a 12MP primary sensor, a 64MP telephoto sensor, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. While the sources didn’t reveal any details about the camera sensors, it’s expected that Samsung will use the same or similar parts as it did on the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus.
While the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus won’t offer any major improvements in the camera department, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will. The device will feature an improved 108MP primary sensor, the same 12MP ultrawide as the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, a 3x telephoto sensor, and a 10x optical “super” telephoto sensor. The new telephoto sensors will feature 130% larger pixels and dual pixel autofocus. With the new 10x telephoto sensor, Samsung will be reviving 100x Space Zoom on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
All camera on the Galaxy S21 series will support 4K video recording at 60 fps, which was previously limited to the main sensors. Samsung’s Super Steady stabilization mode will also get 60fps recording support, and the camera will be able to switch between 30fps and 60fps based on the lighting conditions. Samsung will also add an 8K/30fps option to the devices, a new dual recording mode which will allow users to record using both the front and rear cameras, improvements to the night mode with more manual controls, and improvements to the moon mode.
The battery capacity of all three devices in the Galaxy S21 series will remain similar to the Galaxy S20 series. The Galaxy S21 will feature a 4,000mAh unit, the Galaxy S21 Plus will include a 4,800mAh unit, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra will pack in a 5,000mAh unit. While the sources didn’t confirm maximum supported charging speeds on the devices, we expect all models to support a minimum of 25W. Both the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra will support Ultra Wide Band tech.
Leaked color variants
The report further reveals details about all the color variants that will be available at launch. The Galaxy S21 will come in Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom White, and Phantom Pink. The Galaxy S21 Plus will be offered in Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, and Phantom Violent. And the Galaxy S21 Ultra will be available in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black.
The frame and camera bump on the devices will come in different colors based on the device’s colorway. For example, the Phantom Black variant will have a black frame and camera bump, while the Phantom Violet and Phantom Pink variants will have a copper frame. Much like the Galaxy Note 20 series, the base model in the Galaxy S21 series will feature a plastic back panel, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra will use glass. The sources didn’t confirm the back panel material for the Galaxy S21 Plus.
The Galaxy S21 series is shaping up to be a minor improvement over the Galaxy S20 series, except for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, despite the improvements, Samsung is rumored to be lowering the prices of the upcoming devices to offer a more competitive product. As of now, we have no information on the pricing of the devices.
Featured image: Leaked CAD render of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
As for synthetic benchmarks, I ran a variety of tests to push the limits of the hardware. The results were as expected delivering scores similar to most gaming laptops in the same range. Some of the benchmarks we tested included 3D Mark, Cinebench R20, and PC Mark 10. You can check out the results below:
The Western Digital SSD felt quite fast and snappy to me. Running CrystalDiskMark reaffirmed my experience as the NVMe SSD managed to score 2,913MBps read speeds and 2,961MBps write speeds. This is not the fastest SSD around when compared to the offerings by Samsung, but it should deliver rock-solid transfer speeds.
