This patent might hint at the Galaxy S11's design
Samsung released its first smartphone with a punch hole display in December but the design ultimately didn’t go mainstream until February when the Galaxy S10 series arrived. Next year, the South Korean company is largely expected to use a refined version of this layout on the Galaxy S11 and a new patent seems to hint at what’s in store.
Three selfie cameras could be on the way
As spotted by Tiger Mobiles, Samsung was recently granted a patent by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) relating to an updated punch hole design that’s large enough to incorporate three front-facing sensors. This year’s Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10 5G already feature dual-camera selfie setups but it would make sense for Samsung to increase the number of sensors on next year’s premium devices in an attempt to stay ahead of the competition.
Slimmer bezels may also make the cut
The patent also envisions a front panel that pairs the punch hole with impressively thin bezels. This is something that’s been expected from the Galaxy S11 for a long time because, unlike Apple, Samsung makes improvements to its designs every year, even if the changes are only minimal.
In this particular case, the punch hole described is situated on the left side of the display, which suggests the visualized smartphone features an LCD display. However, that doesn’t mean Samsung won’t be able to use the new triple-camera layout on its Galaxy S11 series when it launches in early 2020.
Early Samsung Galaxy S11 concept render
Samsung Galaxy S11 announcement and release date
The Samsung Galaxy S11 series will reportedly be announced at a standalone Unpacked event on Tuesday, February 18, ahead of MWC 2020. The next-gen lineup is expected to consist of the 5G-ready Galaxy S11, Galaxy S11+, and Galaxy S11e in addition to a 4G LTE model and potentially a Galaxy Note 10-like smartphone.
Feature-wise, the device will probably adopt a triple-camera setup on the rear and a flat AMOLED display up front. This should be paired with Android 10 and One UI 2.1 in addition to a high-end Qualcomm chipset if positioned as a budget flagship alternative.