Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 are solid, if unremarkable upgrades, and there are some great Black Friday deals available on them. But anyone looking to a truly cutting edge Samsung smartphone needs to wait for this.
Samsung Galaxy S11 concept render
Thanks to new information from acclaimed Samsung insiders Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) and Ice Universe, we now know the Galaxy S11 will dramatically change size and sport a new design compared to its predecessor. And that’s just the start.
Update: 11/17 - the advantages of the Galaxy S11 continue to grow. In addition to Blass and Ice Universe leaks below, XDA Developers has found more evidence of the Galaxy S11's photocentric upgrades over its predecessors. An APK teardown of the Samsung Camera app has found hidden code referencing Director’s View Mode (shooting with multiple camera simultaneously), Night Hyperlapse (seemingly a Pixel 4 Astrophotography rival) and Single Take Photo (a burst mode designed to capture a single scene by combining dozens of photos). And the cherry on top? Evidence of a future-proof 8K 30fps video recording mode - something the rumoured 108MP Galaxy S11 camera could handle with ease.
Blass explains that Samsung is making the Galaxy S11 range even larger with three new screen sizes: the 6.4-inch Galaxy S11, 6.7-inch Galaxy S11+ and 6.9-inch Galaxy S11 5G. This compares to screen sizes of 6.1-inches (S10), 6.4-inches (S10+) and 6.7-inches (S10 5G). Yes, Samsung’s standard S11 will have a display as large as this year’s S10+, though he does warn that Samsung may yet opt for a more conservative 6.2-inch panel.
Blass also says Samsung will offer 5G versions of all models so, presumably, the Galaxy S11 5G will need a new name (‘Max’ seems to be popular). He adds that Samsung will only use curved-edge displays next year, with the flat panel used on the Galaxy S10 Lite not being repeated. Personally, I prefer flat displays (no interface warping, more durable) but that’s just me.
As for arrival times, Blass says Samsung could launch the Galaxy S11 as early as mid-February but it will certainly be before the end of the month.
Are you worried about the new screen sizes? Don’t be. A new design mocked up by Ice Universe “based on the leaked information” shows the Galaxy S11 bezels will be even thinner so the change in handset size is likely to be minimal. He also states that the punch-hole camera will move to the centre of the display, like the Galaxy Note 10, and be smaller. This last point may disappoint some given Samsung had been hotly tipped to put the Galaxy S11’s camera under the display.
Samsung Galaxy S11 render based on leaks
That said, this may be the Galaxy S11’s only disappointment considering what else we know about the phone. The headline change is a potentially groundbreaking camera codenamed ‘Hubble’ due to its extreme zoom capabilities. There is also a big performance upgrade, next-gen memory, a supersized fingerprint sensor and a real crowdpleaser: much bigger batteries. Samsung is also working on revolutionary new battery tech which may or may not make it in.
So my suggestion: unless you can secure yourself a massive Black Friday discount (the biggest will be from Costco and from Target - bookmark them), wait for the Galaxy S11. It’s going to make them look old, fast.
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