Samsung's Galaxy S21 is just days away from its January 14 unveiling, and many rumors have already revealed the most important changes from the previous Galaxy S20 series

The new more powerful and efficient Snapdragon 888 chip, combined with a lower display resolution and new LTPO display technology, should result in a longer lasting phone, and the dual telephoto cameras, laser autofocus, and S Pen support The addition of the Galaxy S21 Ultra should make it a killer competitor to the iPhone 12 Pro Max

Add to that a handsome new design and a potentially lower price than last year, and Samsung could have great success once the phone is officially launched Below are the seven major upgrades expected for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series

If you can't stand curved displays on smartphones, you'll be pleased to hear that the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are both rumored to feature flat display panels the S21 Ultra still has a curved left and right edge, but the other two versions use larger displays than the other two, which may be necessary for ergonomic reasons

Aside from this, the official renderings show that Samsung has given the phone a handsome new design, with the rear camera bump curving beyond the edge of the phone and integrated with the side rails As for colors, based on what has been leaked, there are classics like black, white, and silver, as well as a range of bright pastel colors to choose from

The new centerpiece camera feature of the Galaxy S21 is the two telephoto sensors rumored to be on the back of the S21 Ultra Both have a resolution of 10 MP, but one is capable of 3x zoom and the other 10x zoom; covering two different magnifications means less reliance on digital zoom, combined with the S21 Ultra's other new feature, a laser autofocus sensor, portrait mode and other effects could be more reliable

Most of the cameras on the S21 and S21 Plus appear identical to those on the S20 series However, Samsung promises to offer "super-intelligent, professional-grade camera and video capabilities in 2021" Therefore, the Galaxy S21 series is expected to offer improved video recording as well as improved computational photography and post-processing performance Spec leaks point to 8K/30p video recording (up from 8K/24p) on the S20

Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 and other models in the series have been the only ones to feature the S Pen However, once the Galaxy S21 Ultra, rumored to be the first Galaxy S phone to use the S Pen, is released, it may no longer be such a unique feature

With a display size rumored to be 68 inches, the S21 Ultra's display would be ideal for stylus use Unlike Galaxy Note phones, however, the S Pen will not come standard and there is no convenient storage slot Instead, it will likely be necessary to purchase a case with a slot for the S Pen

Samsung has not touched the Galaxy S21's silicon and is armed with Qualcomm's latest chipset, the Snapdragon 888 Based on recent pre-release benchmarks, this chip adds a lot of computing power to the S21, new optimizations for gaming and photography, and higher power efficiency thanks to a 5nm process and an integrated 5G modem

However, this only applies to Galaxy S21 devices in the US The S21 released in the UK will most likely use the Exynos 2100 chip instead Less information is available on this chip than on the new Snapdragon, but it is expected to offer similar performance and features

While this is not an upgrade per se, it does mean that you are getting more phone for your money The Galaxy S20 launched last year and started at $999, but one rumor suggests that the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus could see a price drop of at least $50 The Galaxy S21 Ultra could be priced at the same $1,399 or even higher

Compared to rival devices like the iPhone 12 and OnePlus 8T, the Samsung is still relatively expensive, even accounting for hardware differences Nonetheless, a price drop would be welcome, and given the deals that wireless carriers inevitably offer, prices could go up

One of the worst parts of the Galaxy S20 was the phone's short battery life, especially when set to the highest refresh rate; the S21 Plus is the only model rumored to have a larger battery, from 4,500 mAh to 4,800 mAh S21 Plus However, longer battery life is expected for both the S21 and S21 Plus

While all S21 models will still support 120 Hz refresh rates, the S21 and S21 Plus are said to feature FHD resolution displays, rather than QHD like the S20 and S20 Plus This means a slight reduction in detail in the images produced, but should result in less battery drain, up to 24% based on one batch of tests by Android Authority Combine this with the more power efficient 5nm Snapdragon 888 chipset, and you shouldn't have to worry so much about your phone running out at the end of a long day

The S21 Ultra's QHD panel gets a new trick over its successor by using the same LTPO display technology found in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra This allows the phone to adjust the refresh rate on the fly between 1Hz and 120Hz Other phones typically offer a choice of two or three preset refresh rates in the settings menu

The result is a higher refresh rate only when needed, which puts less strain on the battery and allows for longer use on a single charge For example, playing a game will allow the S21 Ultra to reach its full 120 Hz potential, but if the phone is left resting on the home screen, the refresh rate will drop to its lowest to conserve power until you do something else