As 2020 gets ever closer, so does the next generation of mobile tech. With Samsung Galaxy S11 info beginning to leak ahead of its predicted launch date of February next year, one main contender has emerged to battle it out with Samsung: the Huawei P40 Pro, which is expected to be officially announced soon. But what can Samsung do to ensure its next flagship gets the edge on the competition? Read on for the five features we're hoping to see from the Galaxy S11. The future is now.
- Samsung Galaxy S11 secret weapon to smoke Huawei P40 Pro revealed
- iPhone 11, move over: Huawei P40 with under-screen camera to launch
1. Four-sided Bezel-Free Display
The Samsung Galaxy S10's face contains a screen-to-body ratio of 88%, just pipped by Huawei P30 Pro, which squeezes an extra 0.55% of screen space in to come in at a grand total of 88.5%. The race is on for the first flagship four-sided bezel-less phone, and Samsung being the first to achieve that coveted sheet-glass look would surely be one in the eye for its rivals.
2. Under-Screen Camera
Of course, 100% of screen space is only doable without that teardrop indent used for the installation of front-facing cameras. Earlier this year, Oppo managed to embed a selfie camera underneath the screen itself, dubbing the technology the first 'Under-Screen Camera', or USC. In the race to ever-sleeker, simpler-looking phones, Huawei is expected to include an USC in the P40, and the technology is a must if Samsung means to keep up with the competition in the screen stakes.
3. 5G Compatibility
As 5G slowly rolls out across the world, compatibility is a must if Samsung intends to future-proof its flagship in a meaningful way. As Apple looks towards the technology with next year's iPhone 12, the Samsung Galaxy S11 needs to pip Huawei P40 Pro to the post in order to gain the advantages – namely, ubiquity and brand recognition – that come with being an early adopter.
4. Next-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor
It's not just the size of the screen that counts, but how you use it – so processors matter. The current-gen Snapdragon 855 has begun to harness some of 5G's potential with its X50 5G modem, but it's still largely tied to 4G. The Samsung Galaxy S11 will need to adopt the next generation of processor, the 865, to take advantage of a more advanced network. Its hardware needs to stay in the game against other flagships like the P40 Pro, as Huawei will surely be hard at work on its own devices' innards.
5. 108-megapixel camera sensor
Earlier this year, Samsung reached a milestone in collaboration with Xiaomi: becoming the first smartphone producers to stuff an eye-watering 108 megapixels into a smartphone camera sensor, crossing the 100-million pixel mark for the first time in mobile history according to The Verge. With the tech ready and waiting, it would be a crying shame for Samsung not to give smartphone users what they want (hint: more of everything) and include this barnstorming achievement in their next-generation flagship. With the Huawei P30 Pro supporting a respectable, yet modest 40 megapixels as part of an incredible photo setup, it's one way for the Galaxy S11 to remain head-and-shoulders above Huawei's camera credentials.
Liked this?
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
Matt Evans now works for T3.com sister brand TechRadar, covering all things relating to fitness and wellness. He came to T3.com as staff writer before moving on, and was previously on Men's Health, and slightly counterintuitively, a website devoted to the consumption of Scotch whiskey. In his free time, he could often be found with his nose in a book until he discovered the Kindle.