Galaxy S21 Ultra
The big brother of the series, Galaxy S21 Ultra, comes with a curved 6.8-inch screen, QHD + and a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels. It is the brightest screen ever made by Samsung and it does not lack the variable refresh rate, which reaches up to 120Hz. The phone weighs almost 230 grams, has IP68 water resistance and is made of aluminum, with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back.
The S21 Ultra has a 108MP main camera with f / 1.8, a 12MP ultrawide camera with f / 2.2, and two tele cameras for 3x optical zoom and 10x optical zoom (f / 2.4 and f / 4.9). It returns that 100x spatial zoom, which Samsung says it has improved with AI and now has a menu function that allows the camera to stabilize.
The processing power is given by an Exynos 2100, made on 5nm, that is the processor that Samsung counts on to beat the performance on Snapdragon 888 and put an end to the dissatisfaction of European users. The combination of RAM + storage is 12GB RAM + 128/256GB storage memory and 16GB RAM + 512GB storage memory.
The S21 Ultra has a large 5000mAh battery, normal for its size. It allows fast cable charging, fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, but this time, Samsung took a page from Apple's book - the phone comes without the charging brick in the box, being equipped only with a USB cable.
Of course, there is no lack of 5G connectivity, and Samsung brings an interesting feature on the S series, which could signal the end of the other flagship series of South Koreans: Notes. The Galaxy S21 can use the S-Pen, and even has a special case that can be purchased, which includes a stylus slot. It remains to be seen how this will affect the launch of a new Note.
Starting January 22, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will be available on samsung.com/ro as well as at partner stores. Galaxy S21 Ultra will be available in the following variants:
From January 14th to 28th, users can pre-order the new Galaxy S21 Ultra and receive a free Galaxy Buds Pro headset. Those who order Galaxy S21 + and Galaxy S21 will receive Galaxy Buds Live headphones. Everyone who orders any Galaxy S21 series smartphone will also receive a Smart Tag as a gift. The price for the Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at 1249 euros.
Galaxy S21 + and Galaxy S21
The main differences from Ultra for S21 + and S21 are, as usual, the size - 6.7 inches for the + and 6.2 inches for the simple one. The screen is the same, a Dynamic AMOLED 2X with Infinity-O display at a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and refresh rate up to 120Hz.
The S21 + weighs about 200 grams, the S21 being 30 grams lighter. Both phones have IP68 water resistance, and the S21 comes on the back with that "glass", a plastic that mimics glass, which I've also seen on the Galaxy Note 20.
The cameras are identical: 10MP on the front, with f / 2.2, 12MP on the main one with f / 1.8, 12MP on ultrawide with f / 2.2 and a 64MP telephoto with 3X optical zoom and optical stabilization, at f / 2.0. Zoom up to 30x.
The new Exynos 2100 processor is also present here and there are only two RAM + storage configurations: 8GB + 128GB / 256GB. The battery has 4000mAh in the middle of the series and 4800mAh in the middle of the S21 +. Charging is identical to Ultra, and the box charger will be missing from here as well.
Pre-orders for Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 + start on January 14, at 6.20 pm. During pre-orders (between 14 and 28 January 2021), for each pre-order of Galaxy S21 or Galaxy S21 +, customers can also get Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy SmartTag headphones as a gift, within the available stocks.
Prices start at 849 euros for the Galaxy S21, 1049 euros for the Galaxy S21 + and 1249 euros for the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
First impressions
I had the pleasure of getting my hands on the new devices a few days ago, and playing with them for about an hour. At first glance, I like it: the S21 series does not stand out with anything in particular, instead offering a balanced, well-developed and good-looking package. The new design is not for everyone, as I learned from a few discussions with acquaintances of mine, but personally, it attracts me, and I like it more than the one on the S20. It seems to me that it gives the feeling of something finished, it no longer offers that space between the edge of the phone and the bump camera. In addition, as I specified in so many materials, I'm a fan of the curved screen, so I'm glad that Samsung doesn't go "all-in" on that straight screen I saw on the S20.
Another thing I noticed is the camera. There is an improvement over the S20 Ultra and I would venture to say, using it for four months, over the Note 20 Ultra. Of course, it remains to be seen how this impression will be translated, but it is an auspicious sign. However, the 100x zoom is still a gimmick and I don't think it can be used in any court.
I also really liked S21, the little one, to my surprise. I say that because what I liked about it is the design. Yes, it has plastic on the back, but you don't even notice the difference when you put the S21 and S21 Ultra next to each other, like I did. This "glasstic" or whatever you want to call it is very well made and perfectly mimics the glass to the touch.
The screen is still gorgeous. I haven't had time to see the content on it, but it has an incredible brightness, enough to be used as a flashlight (if you didn't have the flashlight function, of course). What I can say here is that I can't wait to see an episode of a Netflix / HBO / Amazon production on the 6.8-inch screen of the S21 Ultra.
But there are also downsides. Obviously, the lack of a charger in the box. It's a wrong move, in my opinion, and I will continue to argue that, but because it was taken by Apple, it will be copied by all the other manufacturers. It's sad and I would have liked Samsung to stay in position here, especially since they laughed at the Americans after they announced that they were giving up the charging brick. Unfortunately, this seems like another thing we're going to have to get used to as users.
Then I don't understand the purpose of the S21 +. I don't understand who this phone is for, especially since it has 95% of the S21's specifications. He's in a weird position, and I don't understand why he insists on this formula of 3 phones in a flagship series, but here the marketing and sales data would probably contradict me.
In the end, I like that they brought the S-Pen on the S series (it's kind of normal, considering the name). However, it would be disappointing if Samsung made this decision just to give up the Note, so I will be ready to offer a retroactive minus if this happens.