Samsung Galaxy S21 leak says Samsung wants MORE Bixby not LESS

(Image credit: ice Universe)

published 27 November 2020

We’ve been handed a lot of information about the Samsung Galaxy S21, with leaks detailing the unexpected aesthetic shift and surprising specs of Samsung’s flagship smartphone.

Now we’ve got an even better view of the final product as we see how the S21 will appear in a case, as well as getting more details about its user interface. The leaks give us a useful glimpse into the upcoming smartphone and help tailor our expectations – especially when it comes to Bixby.

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pic.twitter.com/mNJkHMsw8YNovember 25, 2020

Courtesy of Twitter leaker Ice Universe, new renders reveal the Galaxy S21 in several cases. While the cases themselves look attractive enough, their back panels are an interesting shape. A large chunk of each panel is cut-out to accommodate the phone’s bulky camera block and another, asymmetrical splodge removed to fit in its flash.

There’s a chance that these renders may not represent the final product, but they do nicely align with the other leaks we’ve seen of the Galaxy S21. The front, punch-hole selfie camera and three-lens back camera block all match the designs we’ve seen before. It’s likely this strange case shape is here to stay for the S21.

Fellow leaker Max Weinbach has also shared mock-ups of the three devices in the S21 series, showing off the sizeable camera bumps and design overhaul:

Y’all know what’s up pic.twitter.com/8nT1Oz24VbNovember 26, 2020

More details about the phone’s UI have also come to light. SamMobile reports the Galaxy S21 will feature voice unlocking through the Bixby voice assistant. Specifics remain unclear, but Bixby has in the past allowed users to unlock devices and initiate commands through vocal passwords.

The idea is to offer users another hands-free way of unlocking their device, but the actual security of this process might be lacking. If someone can adequately imitate or produce a recreation of your voice, they could enter your phone. Voice biometrics sound futuristic but might be a little redundant next to other unlocking methods.

Besides these new revelations, previous leaks of the S21 are making fans understandably hesitant about the phone. They indicate the S21 will feature a newly patented ‘Blade Bezel’ as Samsung switches from its curved screen to a thin, flat display. It’s also likely the S21 series will be built from glasstic, a plastic, glass-imitating material that wasn’t met with rave reviews when used on the Galaxy Note 20 and is generally taken to be a far cry from a premium material.

And if you’re eager for a huge leap forward from the Galaxy S20 specs-wise, dial back your expectations. Leaks indicate Samsung might be sticking with the Snapdragon 865 processor that’s already used in the S20. This doesn’t mean the S21 will run poorly by any stretch, but may not be much faster than Samsung’s current flagship model.

If you’re keen to get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy S21, you won’t be waiting much longer as the phone is expected to release this January, a good few weeks earlier than the Galaxy model’s usual March release window.

Keep your eyes peeled for more official announcements, and leaked renders, or if can’t wait for an upgrade, you can take a look at take a look at the Galaxy S20 Black Friday deals, or peruse the long list of retailers below who are running their own Black Friday deals.