Samsung Galaxy S21 is a NEW iPhone rival coming next week – and it’s already leaked

SAMSUNG has announced a new gadget event where the South Korean firm is expected to unveil its latest smartphones.

The Galaxy Unpacked showcase will take place on January 14, according to a short teaser video released yesterday by Samsung.

Samsung has announced the date of its next Galaxy Unpacked event in a teaser video uploaded to YouTubeCredit: Samsung

Multiple leaks and rumours suggest that fans are due their first look at three new mobiles: The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra.

“Over the past year, mobile technology has taken center stage in everyday life as people are working from and spending time at home,” Samsung said in a statement alongside its video.

“The accelerated transition to a mobile-first world brings with it the need for devices that can transform everyday life into an extraordinary experience.”

The 12-second clip doesn’t give fans a lot to work with.

It shows what appears to be the S21’s triple camera module floating within a translucent cube, alongside the tagline: “Welcome to the everyday epic.”

Aside from that, fans remain largely in the dark over the specs of Samsung’s new mobiles – as well as what they’ll look like.

However, a flurry of leaks and rumours in recent weeks have all-but confirmed what to expect from the S21 line-up.

The S21 and S21 Plus are said to share the same spec sheet, with the Plus coming in slightly larger.

The rumoured phones are said to be the follow-ups to last year's Galaxy S20 line — The rumoured phones are said to be the follow-ups to last year’s Galaxy S20 lineCredit: Reuters

The S21 Ultra will boast higher specs and will be even larger, while also sporting a curved display and support for Samsung’s S Pen stylus.

The mobiles are reported to cost between £800 / $800 and £1,200 / $1,200.

The Galaxy Unpacked event will kick off at 3pm GMT / 10am ET.

Samsung releases dozens of phones every year, but its S line often gets the most hype.

The company typically unveils its latest S Series phones in February for a March releaseCredit: Alamy

The company typically unveils its latest S phones in February for a March release.

This year it appears to be doing things a little differently, with a January reveal for what is presumably a February release.

It comes amid rumours that the company is planning to axe its popular Note series smartphones this year.

They’re typically larger and boast beefier specs than the S series, and come with support for the S Pen.

Samsung – a brief history

Here’s what you need to know…

Samsung is a major South Korean company made up of many businesses that operate globally
It’s known locally as a “chaebol”, which means “business conglomerate”
It was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company
But over several decades, it branched out into food processing, insurance, textiles and retail
It wasn’t until the late 1960s when Samsung entered the electronics industry – for which it’s best known in the west today
It also launched businesses in construction and shipbuilding in the 1970s
Today, Samsung’s most important sources of income are its smartphones and computer chips
The firm accounts for around a fifth of South Korea’s total exports, and roughly 17% of the country’s GDP
More than 320,000 staff are employed by Samsung globally
And in 2017, Samsung turned over the equivalent of £174billion today in revenue