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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra · Photo source

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Photo 1 of 115

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra · Photo source

Samsung · Galaxy S

Galaxy S21 Ultra

Released January 2021

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the top model of Samsung's 2021 Galaxy S range, with a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ 120 Hz screen, the Exynos 2100 in the UK, a 108 MP main camera, 3x and 10x telephotos and S Pen support, suited to anyone comparing older Android flagships.

Model history · 2 models, 2020–2021
  1. 2020Galaxy S20 UltraCompare
  2. 2021Galaxy S21 Ultra
Screen
6.8″
Display
OLED, 120 Hz
Chip
Exynos 2100
Memory
12 GB – 16 GB
Storage
128 GB – 512 GB
Main camera
108 MP
Zoom
10×
Battery
5,000 mAh
Weight
227 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers agree it is Samsung's most capable phone of its year, with a superb screen, the best zoom of any Android phone then available, S Pen support and a striking design. The common complaints are the high price, the missing microSD slot and charger, and its size; Trusted Reviews and Tom's Guide found battery life improved.

From trustedreviews.com, techradar.com and tomsguide.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Screen size
6.8″
Resolution
3200 × 1440
Sharpness
516 pixels per inch
Panel
OLED
Refresh rate
120 Hz
Display type
Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display (3,200 × 1,440), HDR10+ certified; adaptive 120 Hz (10–120 Hz); 6.8 inches as a full rectangle, 6.6 inches with rounded corners
Pixel density
515 ppi
Brightness detail
1,500 nits peak
Screen protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus front and back
Display features
Eye Comfort Shield

Performance

Chip
Exynos 2100
Memory
12 GB – 16 GB
Storage
128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
CPU
5 nm, 64-bit octa-core, 2.9 GHz + 2.8 GHz + 2.2 GHz; 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, or 16 GB with 512 GB
Storage type
128, 256 or 512 GB; no microSD slot

Cameras

Main camera
108 MP
Ultra wide camera
12 MP
Telephoto camera
10 MP
Optical zoom
10×
Front camera
40 MP
Main camera
108 MP wide-angle, phase detection AF, OIS, F1.8, 0.8 µm, 83°; laser AF sensor
Ultra wide camera
12 MP Dual Pixel AF, F2.2, 1.4 µm, 120°
Telephoto camera
10 MP Dual Pixel AF, 10x optical, OIS, F4.9, 1.22 µm, 10°
Second telephoto camera
10 MP Dual Pixel AF, 3x optical, OIS, F2.4, 1.22 µm, 35°
Front camera
40 MP phase detection AF, F2.2, 0.7 µm, 80°
Zoom
3x and 10x optical; 100x Space Zoom
Video recording
8K at 24 fps; 4K at 60 fps

Battery and charging

Battery
5,000 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim)
Up to 22 hours
Wired charging
Up to 25 W
Wireless charging
Up to 15 W
Battery life detail
5,000 mAh typical, 4,855 mAh rated; wireless video playback up to 22 hours; internet use up to 18 hours (LTE) or 18 hours (Wi-Fi); talk time up to 41 hours (4G)
Wired charging
USB PD 3.0 (PPS) fast charging, AFC and QC2.0 compatible; 25 W
Wireless charging
Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (WPC); 15 W
Charges other devices
Wireless PowerShare

Design

Type
Standard
Weight
227 g
Thickness
8.9 mm
Height × width
165.1 × 75.6 mm
Water and dust resistance
IP68
Stylus
Yes
Materials
Metal frame with Contour Cut camera housing; Deluxe Frosted Haze matte finish
Colours
Phantom Black, Phantom Silver; Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy and Phantom Brown on Samsung.com
Water resistance detail
IP68, up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes; not advised for beach or pool use
Biometrics
Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, face recognition
Sensors
Ultrasonic fingerprint, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, Hall, proximity, ambient light
Speakers
Stereo speakers; UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 playback

Software

Operating system
Android
Software at launch
Android 11

Connectivity

Mobile network
5G (NSA, SA), Sub6
SIM
Nano-SIM and eSIM
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), HE160, MIMO, 1024-QAM
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.2
Ultra Wideband
Yes
NFC
Yes
USB
USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1; DisplayPort output up to 4K at 60 fps
Positioning
GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou

Storage options

StorageMemory
128 GB12 GB
256 GB12 GB
512 GB16 GB

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Two telephoto cameras, 3x and 10x optical
  • 6.8-inch Quad HD+ screen with adaptive 10–120 Hz refresh
  • First Galaxy S to work with the S Pen (sold separately)

Cons

  • 227 g and 8.9 mm thick
  • No microSD slot, unlike the Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • S Pen not included and has no slot in the phone

Closest rivals

Model
ScreenDisplayChipMemoryStorageMain cameraZoomBatteryWeightReleased
SamsungGalaxy S22 Ultra
6.8″OLED, 120 HzExynos 22008 GB – 12 GB128 GB – 1 TB108 MP10×5,000 mAh228 gFeb 2022
XiaomiMi 11 Ultra
6.81″OLED, 120 HzQualcomm Snapdragon 88812 GB256 GB50 MP5×5,000 mAh234 gApr 2021
vivoX70 Pro+
6.78″LTPO OLED, 120 HzQualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus12 GB256 GB50 MP5×4,500 mAh213 gSept 2021

Previous model: Galaxy S20 Ultra. Newer model: Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Sources

  1. samsung.com/uk/business/smartphones/galaxy-s/galaxy-s21-ultra-5g-phantom-black-…
  2. news.samsung.com/uk/samsung-galaxy-s21-ultra-5g-the-ultimate-smartphone-experie…
  3. image-us.samsung.com/SamsungUS/samsungbusiness/pdfs/datasheet/Galaxy_S21_Series…
  4. corning.com/gorillaglass/worldwide/en/products-with-gorilla-glass/smartphones/s…

Photo: images.samsung.com

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