Samsung Comes Out Dealing With Much-Awaited Galaxy S21 Phone Line

Aggressive trade-in and switcher offers accompanied the rollout of Samsung’s much-anticipated Galaxy S21 series 5G smartphones Thursday, led by the 6.8-inch flagship Galaxy S21 Ultra with a 120 Hz AMOLED display. The S21 Ultra is the first phone to be compatible with Samsung’s S pen, allowing users to draw, take notes, edit photos and sign documents on the phone screen.

Samsung and its carriers began taking preorders for the 5G trio Thursday, with phones due Jan. 29. Pricing starts at $1,199. Customers who order before Jan. 28 can get a $200 Samsung credit with a Galaxy S21 Ultra, said the company. For a limited time at Samsung.com, customers can get the phone for as low as $499, or $13.89 a month for 36 months, with an eligible trade-in value up to $700, said the company. At Samsung.com, a $250 instant credit on preorders includes an exclusive $50 credit.

At its Thursday Unpacked event, Samsung touted its Quad HD+ display with a frame rate that automatically adjusts based on content and a quad rear camera with a 108-megapixel sensor that captures 12-bit photos and 4K videos at 60 frames per second. The camera includes a 100x zoom, powered by a new dual-tele lens system -- one optical 3x and an optical 10x -- and wide and ultrawide lenses. The 5G smartphone is one of the first to support Wi-Fi 6E.

Owners of the S21 Ultra and S21+ will be able to use their phones to unlock compatible car doors via ultra-wideband, said the company. SmartThings on Android Auto allows users to control smart devices at home from their car; they can raise the temperature and turn on lights before they arrive home, it said.

T-Mobile offers for new and existing customers include a free S21 5G, or up to $800 off another model, with 24 monthly bill credits, when trading in an eligible device, no additional line required. Verizon pitched switchers a free 128 GB version S21 5G and a free year of the Disney bundle -- Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu -- along with Discovery+ with select unlimited plans. AT&T Wireless offered new and existing customers the S21 5G for free with qualifying trade-in and a compatible 5G plan.