Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today introduced its latest flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S21 line, along with a Bluetooth location tracker for finding lost items and a pair of high-end wireless earbuds with a case that acts as a charger.

Executives presented the devices during the company’s virtual Unpacked event, the scene of its biggest product announcements of the year.

The 5G-enabled Galaxy S21 series includes three phones with varying screen sizes and prices. The basic S21 model has a 6.2-inch display and will be available from $799, while the middle-of-the-range Galaxy S21 Pro comes in a 6.7-inch form factor with a $999 price tag. The top-end model, S21 Ultra, packs a 6.8-inch display and will go on sale starting at $1,199.

The biggest under-the-hood upgrade in Samsung’s latest flagship phones is the use of Qualcomm Inc.’s new Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip. According to Qualcomm, the chip’s central processing unit provides up to 25% more performance than the yesteryear model using one speedy “prime” core and seven less powerful secondary cores. The integrated graphics processing unit, in turn, is advertised as being 35% faster, which should translate into a smoother experience for customers when using visually rich apps.

S21 Ultra devices sold outside the U.S. will use Samsung’s internally developed Exynos 2100 chip instead of the Snapdragon 888. Last year, Samsung’s Qualcomm-powered Galaxy S phones received higher marks in the performance department from some reviewers than the Exynos-based variants. The latest Exynos 2100 in the international editions of the S21 Ultra attempts to narrow the gap with a promised 30% improvement to multicore speed and 20% better power efficiency.

The other major change in the S21 series is the phones’ design. Samsung has swapped the large, domino-shaped camera housing on the back of last year’s models for a flat “Contour Cut Camera” that blends the rear lens into one of the smartphone’s corners. Another change: While the flagship S21 Ultra keeps the slightly rounded display design of its predecessor, the two lower-end models feature a more standard, rectangular look.

The displays differ in sharpness as well. The S21 Ultra’s screen has a resolution of 3200 pixels by 1440 pixels with a high refresh rate of up to 120 Hertz, which allows more pixels to be loaded per second and thereby make tasks such as scrolling smoother. The S21 and S21 Pro, in turn, have screen resolutions of 2400 pixels by 1080 pixels.

The differences between the models are partially the result of a new price strategy Samsung is pursuing with the S21 series. The basic S21 model and midrange S21 Pro are launching $200 below the prices at which their respective predecessors debuted, which could allow Samsung to target a broader audience amid the slowdown in worldwide smartphone shipments. The S21 Ultra has received a $200 price cut as well, though at $1,199, it’s still squarely in the premium category.

The new phones may be especially appealing to business buyers, Moor Insights & Strategy President Patrick Moorhead told SiliconANGLE.

“For commercial customers, I believe the biggest S21 features are the integration of the pen and the highest-quality camera,” he said. “The new security features like a dedicated security processor and secure memory look very provocative as well and will make IT sleep better at night.”

New gadgets

Samsung rarely dedicates its annual Unpacked events solely to smartphones and this year’s livestream was no exception. The new Galaxy S21 lineup was joined by two new gadgets: a Bluetooth location tracker called the Galaxy SmartTag and a pair of premium wireless earbuds that will sell under the brand Galaxy Buds Pro.

The $29.99 SmartTag can be attached to an item such as a suitcase or a TV remote via a keychain to make it easier to find if it gets lost. The device broadcasts its location to the user’s Samsung handset via an app that shows a proximity indicator and a button for making the SmartTag produce a chime. Samsung is entering the location tracker category before chief rival Apple Inc., which is expected to launch a similar product under the AirTags brand some this year.

The Galaxy Buds Pro is a more iterative addition to Samsung’s consumer hardware line. It’s a high-end pair of earbuds with a $199.99 price tag, active noise canceling technology for sharper audio and a waterproof exterior. The Galaxy Buds Pro can operate for up to eight hours per charge or up to 28 hours if a user brings along the accompanying case included in the box, which doubles as a wireless charger.

Photos: Samsung