Samsung Galaxy S21 release date and colors revealed — the wait is almost over

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Set the date: January 14!

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus teaser video screen capture
(Image credit: @MaxWinebach)

The Samsung Galaxy S21 will launch globally on January 14, according to store executives speaking to Android Authority. 

The news outlet was told by store executives at Samsung’s Opera House outlet in Bengaluru, India that the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra would go on sale on that date before hitting store shelves on January 29. 

These dates match previous leaks and rumors that pointed to an "early January" release and align with an Android Police report published earlier this week, which claimed the Samsung Unpacked event would be hosted on January 14. 

The Samsung store in India is already taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Customers can "pre-book" the phone by paying Rs 2,000, or about $27, and get the option to select their S21 model after the official announcement. 

Samsung Galaxy S21 colors

Store execs also told Android Authority the Galaxy S21 color options: gray, pink, purple and white. The larger Galaxy S21 Plus will be available in pink, purple, silver and black while the most expensive Galaxy S21 Ultra will come in silver and black. 

It will be interesting to see what sort of finish Samsung uses on these phones. A leaked teaser video supposedly shows the purple color variant as having a matte pearlescent finish with a gold camera module. It's a luxe look that might turn more reserved shoppers off (I'm a fan).

Beyond the color options, Android Authority reports that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a 108MP main camera, two 10MP lenses (one supports 10x optical zoom) and laser autofocus. There is a fourth lens that is supposedly 12MP. The unit shipping in India will run on an Exynos 2100 chipset, but those set for the US are expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 888 chip. 

Phillip Tracy
Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.