Samsung confirms early Galaxy S21 launch in the most roundabout way there is

Samsung today pretty much confirmed the rumored changes to its annual flagship release calendar. As much as something like that was even possible without actually name-dropping the Galaxy S21, of course. The company's roundabout acknowledgment of multiple recent reports — including our own — claiming the Galaxy S21 series will be announced in January is hence the final piece of evidence anyone should need that this is indeed happening.

Because much like a quick search through our news archives would tell you, Samsung is not one of those businesses that go out of their way not to comment on rumors. Quite the contrary, in fact. Since it must have taken a lot of effort to comment on the aforementioned reports with any substance, but again, without fully leaning into them. Yet that's precisely what one company official did earlier today in response to a query from a South Korean outlet.

An odd year or a new beginning for the Galaxy S series?

More specifically, when questioned about the veracity of the reports suggesting the Galaxy S21 family will be announced in January, a Samsung spokesperson said the constantly shifting market landscape means none of its established product traditions are ever safe. Not even those that are nowadays a more reliable herald of spring than bird migration trends, such as the widely known fact that February is when Samsung announces the new generation of its Galaxy S flagships.

As things stand right now, it is quite possible that the next Unpacked event marks the beginning of a new tradition – one that sees Samsung revisit its flagship smartphone series every January instead of February. If and when things return to normal in the sense that large gatherings of people are once again safe and widely practiced industry-wide, this would mean future additions to the Galaxy S range would move closer to Las Vegas-based CES than Barcelona-hosted MWC.

But it's not like Samsung is likely to settle for an event that's not all about… well, Samsung, when it comes to its most successful smartphone family ever. After all, that's kind of the main reason why it started doing its now-signature Unpacked shows.