A Rollable Smartphone Unveiled at CES 2021
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at kyuha.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed.
In addition to being released a month earlier than its predecessors, the Galaxy S21 series is about W200,000 cheaper. We expect sales of the S21 to exceed those of the S20. Meanwhile, a rollable smartphone was unveiled at CES 2021, which should lead to a variety of new form factors in the future.
Galaxy S21 series unveiled
Samsung Electronics (SEC) unveiled the Galaxy S21 series at its recent online event. Announced a month earlier than its predecessor, the S21 series will come in three models: the S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra. Preorders will start on Jan 15, with the official release date set for Jan 29.
The Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra will be priced at US$799 (W999,900), US$999 (W1.199mn), and US$1,199 (W1.452mn), respectively, levels that are roughly W200,000 cheaper than the S20 series. Thanks to the lower prices, reduced Covid-19 effects, and early launch date, we estimate 2021 shipments of the S21 series at 29.6mn units, 23% higher than the S20 series.
Notable hardware updates for the S21 Ultra include: 1) S Pen compatibility; 2) a rear quad camera setup, including a 108MP wide angle, 12MP ultra-wide angle, and two 10MP dual pixel telescopic cameras; and 3) a 40MP front-facing camera. Of note, the two telescopic lenses feature 3x and 10x optical zooms.
CES 2021: New form factors, including rollable smartphones
Rollable smartphones were a main standout at this year’s CES. LG released a video of its concept rollable phone. The 6.8-inch main display expands to 7.4-inches on the press of a button. The price of LG Rollable is expected to be around W2.6mn, and will it is scheduled for released in 1H21. TCL also introduced a rollable smartphone that scales from 6.7 inches to 7.8 inches.
Going forward, smartphones are expected to be released in various form factors, including foldable and rollable smartphones. The main metrics for determining form factor will likely be consumer demand and response.