Credit: Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
Samsung has had a year-long rollercoaster in 2020. It has had its fair share of real successes, such as with the Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Galaxy A series. However, sales of the main Galaxy line S20 did not live up to expectations. The Galaxy Note series no longer pulls strong numbers either.
If nothing else, 2020 has proven that Samsung is ready to give up 90% of its focus on the high-end market. Most of his big wins revolved around his cheaper deals. The COVID-19 pandemic may have been responsible for at least part of this. Whatever the reason, however, the company is finally finding that not everyone needs (or even wants) $ 1000 + smartphones.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S series: a story of Android’s biggest name
In 2021, Samsung must develop its economic successes. On the other hand, it also needs to push harder in the foldables market, which it completely dominates at the moment. There is actually a lot we hope to see from Sammy in 2021, and we’ve compiled the five most important points below.
1. A greater emphasis on value
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
Here has Android Authority, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE totally blew us away. Samsung released phones in 2020 that were much better than the S20 FE, but no other phone offers the Goldilocks ratio of value and specs. It has helped the phone become our number one favorite of 2020.
Additionally, phones from Samsung’s other budget lines – notably the Galaxy A, Galaxy M, and Galaxy F series – have also performed well, both critically and commercially. Conversely, the big names in the Galaxy family – the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series – have performed rather poorly.
See also: Galaxy S20 FE was Samsung’s most important phone of 2020
Samsung does better in all areas when it offers great devices at reasonable prices. I know, I know – duh, right? We might have all been able to predict that it would, but Samsung can no longer object. It has hard data to back it up.
From 2021, we hope Samsung can focus even more on its valuable offerings. Yes, we love our Galaxy S phones and we love the new Ultra offerings. But we’re also struggling financially and just can’t justify spending $ 1,400 on a phone when a different device offers all the features we’re interested in at literally a quarter the price.
2. Better use cases for foldable phones
Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Samsung has already promised that a lot of foldable products are on the way in 2021. Some of them will even be more economical (but not cheap). Samsung can release all the foldables in the world, but it has to do a better job convincing us why we should want them.
Once you remove the wow factor from ‘my phone may unfold’, what does something like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 really offer? We understand that having a tablet-sized screen accessible in your pocket is really cool. This doesn’t change the fact that the Android tablet market is drowning due to a lack of support for tablet-sized screens and tablet-focused apps.
Related: The best Android tablets you can buy right now
If Samsung really wants us to buy a foldable, it has to tell us why we should want one. If you take to Twitter (or even the comments section of this article), you will no doubt find people who will be happy to tell you why they like their foldable. The problem is, we need to hear this from Samsung. We have to see it in the ads, and we have to see it backed up with software and apps that prove that we don’t do that want to a foldable – us need a.
If Samsung wants to sell a bunch of foldable phones in 2021, that should be its top priority. He would also have to work hard to make his existing designs better, more durable, and less expensive. We don’t need a ton of different foldable styles, we need one or two that work well and will last a few years before they break. Then, and only then, will Samsung get people’s attention.
Since there is still almost no competition in this area, this should be Samsung’s primary focus.
3. A thinner One user interface
Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
If you look at the history of Samsung’s Android skins, you will find a lot of negativity. People hated TouchWiz. The company understood this and made things smoother, more cohesive, and less cartoonish with Samsung Experience. It was an improvement, but still not as clean as many would have liked. Then the designers reduced the fat, reigned in their ambitions, and made most people happy with One UI.
Related: Here’s everything new in One UI 3.0
Do you notice a trend there? The more Samsung shrinks its Android skins, the more people seem to like them. Granted, Samsung can’t go back and make One UI more similar to Pixel UI or Oxygen OS, although it can continue to work hard to create a sleek, smooth, and less bloated software experience.
In 2021, we hope that One UI 4.0 (as we assume it will be known) will bring us closer and closer to the perfect Android experience with Samsung. We all want absolute power over our phones and love knowing that we can do whatever we want. Samsung has always been good at doing this. But if you are planning to institute an everything but the kitchen sink policy when it comes to your software experience, you had better be prepared to keep it very clean and organized. Hopefully Samsung will keep this in mind in 2021.
4. Compact (but still powerful) phones
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
Android Authority readers have told us a lot about their desire for smaller phones. Samsung has come incredibly close to delivering the perfect compact phone experience in 2019 with the Galaxy S10e. For some reason he ended the “e” line shortly after and became “huge all the time” in 2020.
It might not have been the best decision. The Google Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Apple iPhone SE, iPhone 12 Mini, and even Sony Xperia 5 II have proven that critics and consumers alike are looking for more compact smartphones.
Related: Can we stop it with the big funny phones now?
The problem is, of course, that apart from the iPhone 12 Mini and the Xperia 5 II, most compact phones just aren’t as powerful as their larger counterparts. Samsung, more than any other Android maker, is in a privileged position to finally fix this problem in 2021.
As far as we can tell, there won’t be a smaller version of the Galaxy S21 series landing in January, but that doesn’t mean Samsung couldn’t release a compact version later this year. Whatever it does, Samsung can no longer ignore the desire for compact yet powerful phones.
5. Less Exynos, more Qualcomm
We saved the best for last. Here has Android Authority, the anger over Exynos processors explodes time and time again. Samsung sells the same phones for the same prices in different parts of the world and offers dramatically different processing quality with these phones. In 2021, it’s time for it to stop – or at least decrease.
We will give credit where credit is due: Exynos processors improve. While we haven’t seen it yet, rumors suggest that the upcoming Exynos 2100 – Samsung’s answer to the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 – will be pretty good.
Related: Exynos Processors: Your Guide to Different Chips
We’ve heard rumors that at least one 2021 phone from Samsung will see a Qualcomm processor all over the world, regardless of the market. Unfortunately, this phone is not a Galaxy S20 or similar device.
We hope 2021 will bring us a bit more cohesion within the Samsung lineup when it comes to processors. Make no mistake: Exynos processors will always be a thing and people outside of North America will be stuck with an Exynos 2100 instead of a Snapdragon 888. We just hope Samsung shifts the scales a bit towards Qualcomm. next year so that maybe we can get closer to the day when a flagship from Samsung lands with the same processor around the world.
You tell us: what do you want to see from Samsung in 2021?
We’ve told you what we expect the most from Samsung in 2021. Now is the time for you to tell us! In the poll below, choose what you want to see the most from Sammy next year. If you’re feeling particularly chatty, you can head over to the comments and explain why you are feeling that way.
Loading the surveyOf course, if you think that what you want most isn’t covered here, you can let us know as well. However, save your time and don’t write that you want to see the headphone jack return in flagships. He won’t be back in 2021 (or never, most likely).
