The biggest smartphone fails of 2020 (Update: Video!)
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on December 29, 2020. It has been updated to include the related video above.
The smartphone world endured a rollercoaster of a year, as the transition to 5G collided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The former meant that we got 5G phones across almost all price segments, as well as some major price hikes at the top-end. Meanwhile, the pandemic hurt business in a big way in the first half of the year, as lockdowns resulted in offline retail collapsing.
Yet, even without these two factors, we still saw several major smartphone fails that are really hard to justify. From Microsoft to OnePlus and beyond, here are the more notable smartphone fails in 2020.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra hits FCC, S-Pen support confirmed
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has landed in the FCC database.
Samsung’s filing also confirms S-Pen support in the new phone.
Samsung confirmed earlier this month that it would be bringing the Galaxy Note’s “most well-loved features” to other Galaxy phones, while severalwebsites and leakers outright claimed that the Galaxy S21 Ultra would offer S-Pen support.
Now, the apparent Galaxy S21 Ultra (model number SMG998B) has swung by the FCC, and we’ve discovered that the filing indeed confirms S-Pen support. In fact, the listing reveals that the new smartphone will support Hover functionality too. This lets users hold the S-Pen above the screen (without touching the display) for various functions, such as previewing content or displaying a pointer. Check out the screenshot below.
The Weekly Authority: Galaxy S21 all-access, tech that shook 2020, and more
Welcome back to The Weekly Authority, the
Android Authority series that recaps the top Android and wider tech news from the week. Tristan Rayner here a day before the Winter Solstice to share the last
Weekly Authority of the year with you, as we bump into the holidays and New Year period. We’ll be back early in 2021 to keep this show rolling! Happy holidays, thanks for reading this year, and let’s make 2021 a year to remember for the right reasons!
Popular news this week
You thought news might slow down in December? Wrong. So much happened.
Full Galaxy S21 Ultra specs leak, no in-box charger allegedly confirmed
Credit: Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
Leaker Roland Quandt says Samsung won’t include a power adapter with Galaxy S21 Ultra units in Germany.
German consumers also won’t find a case or free pair of headphones in the box either.
One day after posting dozens of press renders of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus,
WinFuture’s Roland Quandt, who has a good track record when it comes to pre-release leaks, has shared all of the S21 Ultra’s specs. If you’ve been following our rumor hub, you’ll know we’ve been able to piece together most of the S21 Ultra’s spec sheet before today. But there are a couple of interesting tidbits in Quandt’s report.
Credit: Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
Leaker Roland Quandt just shared about a dozen press renders of the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus
They showcase the two phones from multiple angles and in different colors.
He says the base model S21 will feature a plastic back.
Just two days after Evan Blass shared a single press render of the Galaxy S21,
WinFuture’s Roland Quandt has followed up with about a dozen official images of the S21 and S21 Plus that provide a much better idea of how the two phones will look in person.
They also give a better look at the different colorways Samsung will offer. We see the Galaxy S21 Plus in black and the S21 in “Phantom White,” gray, lavender, and peach. Click the source link to see them all.