The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, unveiled alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus phones, proves that sometimes you have to do something twice to …
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, unveiled alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus phones, proves that sometimes you have to do something twice to get it right. While just as bold as last year’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra is a refined second take on the Ultra concept. There’s still the 100x Space Zoom, but it’s easier to use. There is still the «big for sake of being big» design, but it looks much more appealing. And there’s still a high price, but at $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) it costs $200 less than the S20 Ultra in the US. If you want the absolute best specs and features, the S21 Ultra will undoubtedly seem appealing. The phone will also attract camera nerds, thanks to the improvements Samsung made to the cameras. And with the addition of S-Pen support — it’s the first Galaxy S phone to use the stylus — the S21 Ultra will likely catch the eye of Galaxy Note users looking for a different option. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. S21 Plus vs. S21 Ultra Last year’s Ultra model, on the other hand, seemed like it came out of nowhere. It was a phone all about excess that, by sheer fate, was launched at the beginning of a global pandemic and recession. Its bold, behemoth take on the Galaxy S line was undercut by its $1,400 (£1,199, AU$1,999) price and issues with its nearly domino-sized camera system. Overall, the S21 Ultra is a major update both in terms of hardware and software features over the S20 Ultra. And when you factor in a lower price, it all kind of makes sense. I wouldn’t call the S21 Ultra’s design radically different, but my review unit has the best black finish I’ve ever seen on a phone. It’s the stuff that goth dreams are made of. The color is called phantom black, and when you see it in person you immediately understand why Samsung made a nearly 3-minute video explaining what went into making the blackest black. The S21 Ultra also comes in phantom silver and there are limited-edition phantom finishes in titanium, brown and navy, which can only be found on Samsung’s website. The camera bump is large and melts into the sides of the phone, which are glossy black. And while the regular S21 and S21 Plus are snazzy in their two-tone colors, the all-black S21 Ultra looks cool, elegant and badass all at the same time. The S21 Ultra is a little heavier than last year’s S20 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s the second heaviest phone I’ve used in the past year, just behind the Asus ROG Phone 3. Around the front is one of the most impressive displays I’ve seen. It has a Wide Quad HD resolution and a variable refresh rate between 10 and 120Hz, which is determined by what’s on the screen.
