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Samsung Galaxy S21 hits the FCC, confirms Snapdragon 888

Range-topping silicon and swift wireless tech are confirmed to arrive on the Galaxy S21.
By
December 9, 2020
Samsung Galaxy S20 Back 2
TL;DR
  • The Samsung Galaxy S21 has been detailed in a new FCC listing.
  • The listing also confirms the phone’s chipset, wireless technology support, and battery.

So far we’ve seen renders, leaked marketing videos, and lengthy specs leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S21 this month. Now, it’s the FCC’s turn to spill the beans.

One member of the flagship trio, bearing the model number SM-G991U, recently passed through the US certification agency confirming a number of key specifications. Judging by the model number, the phone is likely to be the base Galaxy S21 model.

For starters, the listing mentions that the Galaxy S21 will arrive with the Snapdragon 888 chipset (part number SM8350). It’s almost a given that Samsung launches its new flagships with the range-topping Qualcomm silicon, but the FCC now confirms it. For those in traditional Exynos regions hoping they’ll receive the Snapdragon variant, it’s still likely the Exynos 2100 will pilot the new devices in your area.

Beyond silicon, the FCC also confirms the wireless technologies the Galaxy S21 will support. The series will bring mmWave 5G smarts, while we can also expect Wi-Fi 6 and NFC support, too.

The listing also sheds light on the Galaxy S21’s battery. A power cell with the number EB-BG991ABY was first spotted on China’s 3C back in September, and it now makes an appearance here. Although no battery capacity is provided by the FCC, the 3C listing suggests it weighs in at 4,000mAh — unchanged from the Galaxy S20. As per previous leaks, only the Galaxy S21 Plus is set to gain in the battery department compared to the Galaxy S20 Plus.

Finally, there’s also mention of a travel charger — specifically model number EP-TA800. The 25W USB-C charger is currently sold by Samsung, but it’s unclear if it will be included in the box alongside the Galaxy S21 series. Rumors have swirled since July about Samsung’s possible ditching of the bundled charger.

Read more: The best Samsung smartphones you can buy

The FCC’s reveal is the latest morsel of info to emerge this week and comes after a purported promotional reel of the Galaxy S21 Plus shed more light on the phone series’ design.

It remains unclear when the Galaxy S21 series will launch, but judging by the increasing number of leaks, an early January appearance is starting to look more and more likely.