The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra stands out in different ways from the regular Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus to earn its name. This includes dual telephoto lenses for serious zoom; support for the S Pen (a first for Galaxy S phones); and a larger, brighter and more dynamic 120Hz OLED screen. The best part? The price is not as Ultra as last year’s model.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specifications
Show: 6.8 inches AMOLED (3200 x 1400); 10 to 120Hz
SVE: Snapdragon 888
RAM: 12GB, 16GB
Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
Rear cameras: 108MP wide (f / 1.8), 12MP ultra wide (f / 2.2), 10MP telephoto (3x zoom, f / 2.4), 10MP telephoto (10x zoom, f / 4.9), laser AF sensor
Front camera: 40MP (f / 2.2)
Video: 8K 30 fps / 4K 60 fps
Battery: 5,000 mAh
Wireless: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB
Size: 6.5 x 2.97 x 0.35 inches
Weight: 8.08 ounces
The Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $ 1,199, which is $ 200 less than the ambitious but flawed Galaxy S20 Ultra. The new Ultra is in a slimmer design and offers faster performance of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chip. Still, the new S21 costs $ 100 more than the excellent iPhone 12 Pro Max, so Samsung has a lot to prove.
Samsung does make compromises here. You will not find a charger in the holder, and there is no microSD card slot to expand the storage space. But overall, the S21 Ultra looks like the most versatile Galaxy phone to date and a serious contender for the best spot on our best phone list.
Release Date and Price of Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is available to pre-order from January 14 at 11 a.m. ET. The release date for the Galaxy S21 Ultra is January 29th. You can buy portable and unlocked versions of the phone.
The Ultra starts at $ 1,199 and contains 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. You can also upgrade to 256 GB storage and to a model with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. The 256 GB model costs $ 1,249 – basically $ 50 extra – while you pay $ 1,379 for a Galaxy S21 Ultra with 512 GB of storage.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra design and colors
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a camera bump, but it does not differ as much from the design as with the S20 Ultra. A new contour cutting design integrates the hump better with the glass back and the metal frame all around.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra colors are limited if you buy via a carrier, with only Phantom Silver and Phantom Black as your options. But the matte look is sophisticated and must withstand fingerprints. Samsung.com offers exclusive S21 Ultra colors, including Phantom Navy, Phantom Titanium and Phantom Brown.
One welcome design upgrade is that the on-screen fingerprint sensor is now 1.7x larger, so it should be a little easier to unlock this device. This is especially handy now that many of us still wear masks.
The S21 Ultra is 6.5 x 2.97 x 0.35 inches (165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm) and weighs 8.08 ounces (229 grams) and is larger and heavier than the S20 Ultra ( 6.6 x 2.7 x 0.34 inches, 7.7 ounces). The S21 Ultra is also noticeably thicker than the iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches, 8.03 ounces). This is definitely a phone you want to use with both hands.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Screen
The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is simply on the best screens on a phone. It’s bright, vibrant and does not let you choose between a sharp QHD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate like its predecessor. With this phone, you can do both at the same time, so you can scroll and play smoothly without dropping the pixels.
The refresh rate is scaled down to 10Hz (compared to 48Hz on the S21 and S21 Plus), which can help save battery life. In addition, the S21 Ultra is designed to become excessively bright and reach up to 1500 nets. The S20 Ultra reached a maximum of 1200 nets.
When I watch Schitt’s Creek on Netflix, Moira Rose’s dark red lipstick and intense blue eyes appear, and I can make out fine, fly-away blonde hair as she complains about its premiere.
Samsung says that the S21 Ultra has a contrast ratio of 3 million: 1, which is 50% higher than the S20 Ultra. And there is an Eye Comfort Shield feature designed to reduce eye fatigue by limiting blue light.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Cameras
These are the cameras where the Galaxy S21 Ultra stands out the most compared to the S21 and S21 Plus. There is a 108 MP main sensor and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, which is complemented by a laser autofocus sensor.
The 108MP main camera can capture 12-bit HDR photos with 64 times richer color data and more than three times the dynamic range of the S20 Ultra. There is also a 12-bit RAW file option in Pro mode.
I tested the camera in a nearby store to take a product, and the green peppers in the foreground look incredibly vibrant. And you can find out a fair amount of detail when you zoom in.
Samsung says it has also improved the Portrait Mode on the S21 by using AI to better separate the subject from the background. The phone did a great job with this portrait with a pleasant bokeh effect, and my blue sweater and brown jacket have a fair amount of detail.
But the main camera feature is the Ultra’s two telephoto lenses – one with 3x zoom and one with 10x optical zoom. The S20 Ultra only had a 4x optical zoom.
It’s getting better. While the 100x Space Zoom has returned with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, it is not as shaky as before. This is because there is a new Zoom lock feature that identifies your subject to keep it more stable in the frame.
The Space Zoom is so good that it should not fall into the wrong hands. # GalaxyS21Ultra pic.twitter.com/ONJPWtdUZY15 January 2021
The Galaxy S21 Ultra should perform better in low light than the S21 and S21 Plus, thanks to a faster Bright Night sensor and 12MP non-binding technology to reduce noise reduction.
One shot I took outside seemed brighter than in real life, but the Night Mode added a golden hue that is unrealistic. The S21 Ultra actually asked me to adjust the lighting, but the end result seemed too bright.
To the video, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 8K video can record up to 30 fps and all its cameras can record 4K video at up to 60 fps. But the coolest video upgrade is Director’s View. There is a new vlogger mode that allows you to use the front and rear cameras for video recording at the same time. And you can see live thumbnails from every camera while recording video, so you can make quick calls if you want to switch.
Another software upgrade is Single Take 2.0. Just like before, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is smart enough to capture multiple images and videos simultaneously for easy sharing. But the AI can now analyze more frames per second to find the most beautiful photos, while also creating a Dynamic Slow Mo cut.
Samsung Galaxy S21 performance
The Galaxy S21 Ultra features Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 888 processor, which promises 20% better CPU performance, 30% better graphics and up to twice the AI performance.
We will provide benchmark results with your final review, but overall the S21 Ultra so far looks very smooth and fast. It’s no problem to juggle multiple open apps, and I enjoyed console-like gaming as I cut through Grimvalor and jumped. Even with several enemies on screen, the S21 Ultra did not stutter.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra S Pen
For the first time ever, a Galaxy S device supports the S Pen, the S21 Ultra lets that happen with a Wacom digitizer built into the screen. With the S Pen, which is optional, you can draw, sketch and take notes, just as you can on the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. It is also useful for signing documents quickly.
Just remember that the S Pen is sold separately – it costs $ 40 – and you must use a compatible case if you want to store the stylus on the go when not in use. There are two case options with S Pen support, and both cost $ 69.99.
In addition to the S Pen – which is actually a slightly larger version of the one that comes with the Galaxy Note to improve its grip – Samsung is developing a second stylus. The S Pen Pro will be shipped later this year at an unknown price. It is generally larger and offers Bluetooth connectivity.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and UWB
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra supports all the latest wireless standards, starting with 5G. The Qualcomm X60 modem in this device may have carrying aggregation, which should result in higher peak speeds while delivering better power efficiency.
In addition, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the first phones to support Wi-Fi 6E, a new standard that delivers faster speeds and overall bandwidth if you have a compatible Wi-Fi 6E router.
Finally, the S21 has Ultra UWB (ultra-broadband), which makes it easier to share files with other UWB devices, such as the Galaxy S21 Plus. And you can use this phone as a digital key for select 2022 cars.
If you’re constantly losing things – like me – you want to check out Samsung’s new Galaxy SmartTags. You can use this label in conjunction with the SmartThings Find app to track everything from your keys to your suitcase. You can also use the SmartThings Find app to track other Samsung devices, including phones, smartwatches, tablets and earbuds.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra battery and charging
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has the same size 5,000 mAh battery as the S20 Ultra, but this phone will have to last longer. The 5nm processor in this device is more efficient, and Samsung says it uses AI to analyze usage patterns to reduce power consumption. We’ll see how well the S21 Ultra performs on our battery test and whether it can crack our phone’s best battery life list.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra supports a fast 25W charger
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Prospects
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has all the benefits of becoming the best Android phone, at least for those who are willing to pay a premium. And it’s good to see that Samsung’s price dropped by $ 200 compared to the S20 Ultra. The biggest reasons to get excited about this phone are the dual zoom cameras and the fantastic 6.8-inch OLED screen that gives you 120Hz and a full square HD resolution at the same time.
I find the support of S Pen so nice to have because I do not see that many people will utilize it due to the extra cost for the pen and case.
I’m a raider that Samsung does not have a charger in the box, and that you can not extend the storage. And while all the new camera tricks are cool, I’m more interested to see how well the S21 Ultra can withstand the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Google Pixel 5 in terms of image quality. Stay tuned for our final rated review.