Samsung’s 2021 premium flagship is a powerful beast of aphone that does it all. Find out more in this second opinion Galaxy S21 Ultra review.
Apex predators stand out for a variety of reasons. They are often signified by their sharp fangs or claws, aggressive behavior, and stealthy approach to their prey. Samsung, long one of the top dogs in the smartphone market, is taking a similar tack with its latest flagship, the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The phone has a sharp design, aggressive camera module, and hidden strength thanks to specs that kill. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: an apex predator in the smartphone kingdom where it slays much of the competition. After using the smartphone for nearly a week and thinking about Samsung’s previous phones, it’s easy to see that the company has been on a journey. The 2020 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra was a solid first attempt. It set the blueprint for what was to follow, even if it didn’t necessarily succeed itself. Later, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra made improvements upon the S20 Ultra’s blueprint, even if they didn’t go quite far enough. With the S21 Ultra, we finally see Samsung hitting its stride and delivering the phone many have hoped for. That’s not to say it’s perfect. Even the world’s top predators have faults and weaknesses. While I agree with much of our initial review (see below), I do have some of my own thoughts. Here is Android Authority’s Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review second opinion. Smartphone design has homogenized over the years, particularly in the premium space. You often get a sizable metal-and-glass slab with a significant camera module on the back and a distinct display on front. The same is true of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The phone is massive, but not so massive as the S20 Ultra — and that’s all that matters. The S20 Ultra was a bit too big. Samsung dialed the screen size in a tenth of an inch and that allowed it to shrink the footprint of the new phone by 2mm in height and fractionally in width. These small measurements are a big deal. The sizing reduction, while minor, makes a world of difference in usability. Samsung couldn’t escape adding some weight, however, and the S21 Ultra is notably heavier than the S20 Ultra at more than half a pound (229g). The materials are top-notch. The phone has a beefy metal frame that encircles the device and two glass panels that sandwich the aluminum. Samsung went with matte finishes this year and I appreciate that. The glossy look to last year’s S20 Ultra was a bit much. The clean look of matte surfaces is appealing and the black of our unit is particularly stealthy. There’s no escaping the camera module. Last year, the module was a tacked-on platform that looked just awful. It’s no less huge, but at least the S21 Ultra’s camera module doesn’t look like an afterthought. Samsung extended the mid-frame up and around the camera module, protecting it with metal. I like that Samsung integrated the design just a bit more than it did on older phones. As for the rest of the design, it’s functional in the way that a flagship should be. Mostly. Some are sure to complain about Samsung’s pivot away from microSD card support. I certainly hear ya. Samsung has long offered microSD slots on its phones as a point of differentiation. This year, there’s no slot. But I think we need to accept it and move on. The majority of flagships these days don’t include memory card support and Samsung offers 256GB for just $50 more than the base price. That’s more than enough storage for most people. You get everything else: waterproof design, fast USB-C, stereo speakers, and more. I only wish there were more colorways available than just black, navy, and brown. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra alternatives: 6 phones to consider before you buy Samsung is one of the world’s top display makers, and that’s evident (once again) on the company’s flagship product. The 6.8-inch screen is a joy to use and look at. It’s the only screen of the S21 family to offer pixel-rich 3,200 x 1,440 resolution. The other S21 phones have Full HD+ screens. Samsung’s Super AMOLED tech is beyond reproach at this point and delivers outstanding color, brightness, and contrast. Let’s not forget about the super-fast 120Hz refresh rate. You’ve also got Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection. I agree with our original review in that the limitations of the 120Hz display are frustrating.
