This year Samsung once again chose not to release a single flagship phone . Instead, we got three phones, the
Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra, each with unique additions, sacrifices and prices.
While Samsung’s range isn’t quite as varied as the massive iPhone 12 line, but each is still different enough to make knowing which is right for your needs and budget a little tricky.
Here to help we’ve created this guide detailing everything you need to know about the top and bottom entry into Samsung’s 2021 flagship line, including our real world findings testing the S21 and S21 Ultra.
Pricing and availabilityLet’s start with pricing. All models of the S21 are cheaper than the outgoing S20 models.
The starting RRP of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is £1149/€1249/$1199, which is marginally less than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 256GB model and more than the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at £769 €849/$799. This is a big reduction over the outgoing Galaxy S20. By launching at £799, Samsung undercuts the price of Apple’s iPhone 12 in some regions.
The Samsung S21 Plus will cost from £949/€1049/$999. Again, this price is slightly lower than that of the S20 Plus, which retailed for £999/€1099 at launch.
All three models are available to pre-order now and will ship on January 29. This is the earliest Samsung has ever released a flagship S series phone and it’s one of the first big phone announcements of 2021.
Both the S21 and Ultra have the same overall look. This means that on both phones Samsung has successfully built the camera module into the design, making it stand out more and cling to the top corner. The only big difference is that the S21 and S21 Plus have a smaller camera panel as they have fewer sensors, with the Ultra needing more space for its impressive lens setup.
All three phones have IP68 water and dust resistance rating, a USB-C port on the bottom for charging, stereo speakers and a small cut-out on the display for the front camera. They also all boast a new, much larger optical fingerprint scanner that is built into the screen. We can’t state how much better this optical sensor is than the one of the S20. During testing we found it offers far better accuracy and speed.
There are a few big differences, though. Size and weight are one of them, with the Ultra tipping the scales at a whopping 228g. For comparison, the Galaxy S21 weighs 172g. Check the table below for full dimensions.
One reason for the much lighter Galaxy S21 is that it ditches the glass on the back for plastic, Both other models have glass rears.
You do feel this change when you pick up the Galaxy S21. While the plastic is nice enough, it lacks that high-end finish you get with metal or glass. Considering this is Samsung’s main phone line, the change is a bit of a shame .
The S21 Ultra is the largest phone and as such has the biggest display. Here you’ve got a 6.8-inch curved panel, whereas the S21 Plus has a flat 6.7-inch screen and the smallest S21 packs a flat 6.2-inch version.
There’s more to differentiate the displays than just size. The S21 Ultra has a max brightness of 1500 nits, packs a WQHD+ resolution and an adaptive refresh rate that cycles from 10Hz-120Hz depending on what you’re doing. Unlike the S20, these two options can be utilized at the same time.
If you’re watching a YouTube video, for example, it’ll refresh less than if you’re playing Fortnite. This helps save battery as it ensures you’re not wasting energy when you don’t need to.
There are no two ways around it: this is the best screen on any phone we’ve ever used. It’s ridiculously sharp, pleasingly colorful and an absolute star if you’re streaming HDR video through YouTube or Netflix.
The S21 and S21 Plus also have adaptive 120Hz displays, however they can only drop to 48Hz. They both also have slightly lower FHD+ resolutions – quite an odd move for a series that usually sticks to the best possible screen. The screen here is still good , just not in the same league as the Ultra or even the iPhone 12 series, when we used them.
Specs and cameraS21 has 8GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage; Ultra models up that to 12/16GB and up to 512GB storageWant the best camera? Go for the UltraS21 has cameras similar to the S20The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra lives up to its branding (and price) by packing in a wealth of top end hardware. Choose this model if you want the most RAM and the biggest storage sizes.
For instance, RAM on the Ultra model is either 12 or 16GB, with storage options coming in at 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. It’s also the only model to support the S Pen stylus traditionally seen on Samsung’s Note line of phones.By comparison, both the Samsung galaxy batteryS21 and S21 Plus have 8GB RAM and either 128 or 256GB storage.
You’ll find the same chipset inside all phones, so even if you plump for the cheapest version it’ll still be seriously fast. In the US the chipset of choice is the Snapdragon 888, while us in the UK and certain other markets wi ll have Samsung’s own Exynos 2100.
All versions of the S21 we have tested are quick, and we didn’t notice any issues with the smaller amount of RAM on the cheaper model. However, the lack of expandable storage and no 512GB option mean that if you’re shooting lots of 8K video you will see that storage deplete very quickly. We’d recommend going to the 256GB model, just to be safe, as a result.
In terms of benchmarking scores, both the S21 and S21 Ultra are on par. You won’t get better gaming performance on the S21 Ultra, aside from the extra freedom afforded by the bigger, far better display.
Where the Ultra mode does come out firmly on top is with its camera and this is firmly the best camera phone you can buy right now. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a wildly different camera array to the S21 and S21 Plus, with an extra zoom lens along with more pixel-packed sensors. Here’s a quick overview of the Ultra camera specs:
Moving over to the S21 and S21 Plus, these have more modest specs and we found the S21 camera took virtually the same kinds of pictures as the outgoing S20 model. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the S20 had one of the best cameras around when it was released – but a year later and the S21 can’t compete with the iPhone 12.
Battery lifeThe bigger battery on the S21 Ultra gives it more staminaAll S21 phones ditch the chargerWired charging peaks at 25wInside the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, you’ll find a 5000mAh cell, 4800mAh for the S21 Plus and 4000mAh for the S21. All three phones can be charged at 25w wired and 15w wirelessly. They also all pack Reverse Powershare for charging up accessories.
None of the phones comes with a charger in the box though, just a USB–C cable, so you’ll need to use an older USB-C charger or to buy one separately. If you’re upgrading from something like the Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S9 then that plug is not capable of providing full charge speeds to these phones.
The Galaxy S21, on the other hand, is more modest and not much of an upgrade over the outgoing S20. In fact, you could say it is a downgrade thanks to the less premium materials used, lower resolution display and use of the same camera array. But, it’s important to see the S21 as more of a device for those who have much older phones and aren’t interested in blowing over a grand on a new phone. For this market, the Galaxy S21 is an ideal phone at a great price. ll have Samsung’s own Exynos 2100.
All versions of the S21 we have tested are quick, and we didn’t notice any issues with the smaller amount of RAM on the cheaper model. However, the lack of expandable storage and no 512GB option mean that if you’re shooting lots of 8K video you will see that storage deplete very quickly. We’d recommend going to the 256GB model, just to be safe, as a result.
In terms of benchmarking scores, both the S21 and S21 Ultra are on par. You won’t get better gaming performance on the S21 Ultra, aside from the extra freedom afforded by the bigger, far better display.
Where the Ultra mode does come out firmly on top is with its camera and this is firmly the best camera phone you can buy right now. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a wildly different camera array to the S21 and S21 Plus, with an extra zoom lens along with more pixel-packed sensors. Here’s a quick overview of the Ultra camera specs:
Moving over to the S21 and S21 Plus, these have more modest specs and we found the S21 camera took virtually the same kinds of pictures as the outgoing S20 model. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the S20 had one of the best cameras around when it was released – but a year later and the S21 can’t compete with the iPhone 12.
Battery lifeThe bigger Smartphone battery on the S21 Ultra gives it more staminaAll S21 phones ditch the chargerWired charging peaks at 25wInside the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, you’ll find a 5000mAh cell, 4800mAh for the S21 Plus and 4000mAh for the S21. All three phones can be charged at 25w wired and 15w wirelessly. They also all pack Reverse Powershare for charging up accessories.
None of the phones comes with a charger in the box though, just a USB–C cable, so you’ll need to use an older USB-C charger or to buy one separately. If you’re upgrading from something like the Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S9 then that plug is not capable of providing full charge speeds to these phones.
The Galaxy S21, on the other hand, is more modest and not much of an upgrade over the outgoing S20. In fact, you could say it is a downgrade thanks to the less premium materials used, lower resolution display and use of the same camera array. But, it’s important to see the S21 as more of a device for those who have much older phones and aren’t interested in blowing over a grand on a new phone. For this Samsung’s market, theGalaxy S21 phone battery is an ideal phone at a great price.