The Significant New Update of Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Hands 2021
How Would you make the best smartphone?
If money was no object, What Would it look like? Would it have more cameras, better cameras, a bigger and brighter screen, a faster processor, more RAM, more storage, a stylus? Well, Samsung thinks it has the answer. The Galaxy S 21 ultra. A Phone that imagines what it Would look like If you didn't have to make any compromises. It's a phone that shows What the best of Samsung hardware and Android software can look like. If you're willing to pay for it.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung's latest
Superlatively name the smartphone. It's the successor to last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra and it shares a lot in common with that phone. Giant OLED display, a 108-megapixel camera, the works. But the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a refined version of last year's model. On that looks to smooth out some of the sharp edges of Avatar S20 Ultra. Literally in some cases thanks to the new rounded design language that Samsung is using here.
And looking at the space sheet, the S21 Ultra does sound like a top offline Android wishlist come to life. There's a 6.8 inch 3,200 by 1,440 OLED display wait refresh rates that go up to 120 hertz, and unlike last year's model, you'll actually be able to run that 120-hertz refresh rate at full resolution. Although it is an adaptive refresh rate, so Samsung's software will control where and when that's ramping up. It also has 12 gigabytes of RAM, Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 processor, up to 512 gigabytes of storage, and a massive 5000 milliamp power battery- it also fully supports 5G with support for both sub six gigahertz and millimetre Wave 5G, and it also has an ultra-wideband radio which will work Samsung's new Galaxy tags.
Its honesty is hard to imagine Samsung cramming anything else in here. Of course, just because Samsung can't physically feet it in the phone doesn't mean they're Dan adding features. This year's Galaxy S21 Ultra will be the first Galaxy S phone to support Samsung's S pen stylus, which clips onto optional cases. Unfortunately, that stylus isn't included in the box. Instead, you will have to shell out another $40 for the stylus itself
or buy it in a $70 bundle that includes a case,
either one that flips out or just clips onto the site. You might say that it's a bit S-pensive. Pricing aside though, the S pen on the S21 Ultra does work pretty similar to the Galaxy Note. You'll be able to use it to write down notes, navigate around the operating system, and convert handwriting to text. If you do really like the S Pen on the Galaxy Note, you'll probably like this a lot. Although it does add even more bulk to what already is a giant phone by almost any metric, it is something you'll want to think about. And then there are the cameras. Now last year's S20 Ultra shot for the moon,
literally. Samsung's tech demo wash shows how it could and take pictures of the Moon. But despite Samsung's lofty ambition, there were some issues. The original S20 ultra suffered from problems with autofocus among other photographic bugs. The S21 Ultra though promises a better experience. There's a new laser autofocus system which Samsung says should help with a lot of the focusing issues, using that wild 100× zoom feature. There's also support for 12-bit colour depth, a better de-mosaicing of the process,
and refinements to how Samsung is handling Al things and especially smoothing. That said, we're gonna have to wait for a lot more comprehensive testing before we see if Samsung has actually elevated the S21 Ultra's camera, from a cool tech demo into a camera contender. Now the S21 Ultra isn't just about, that 108-megapixel sensor though. There are also three additional cameras on the back. Just for fun. There's a 12 megapixel ultra-wide for getting wide shots and two separate telephoto cameras. On that goes up to 3× zoom and on that goes up to 10× zoom.
Now both of those telephotos shoot at 10 megapixels and offer optical image stabilization. Now, the reason why there are two separate telephoto lenses is for more versatility. It lets users have a little more control and offers a little better options in terms of zooming at different lengths. Now, all four of those cameras, along with the laser autofocus system and the flash, are all located in the new giant camera bump that's on the back of the phone. But like the smaller S21s, this is where Samsung's new design really comes to play here,
which is that the camera bump isn't this weird oblong squircle anymore, that's just running the back of your phone. Samsung has melded it with the aluminium frame for a much nicer lock. It just kind of flows together now. Which is much better. On that side, there's still a whole bunch of stuff that Samsung needs to fit in that array, so it doesn't look quite as nice as the three cameras on the S21 and S 21+. That ever so slightly bit of awkwardness is a pretty common trend on the S21 Ultra. It's just a bit bigger than the S21+ which just makes it a bit harder to hold in your hands, it's a bit heavier.
Now, again, none of that's a bad thing. You are getting a lot more for that extra bit of size and weight. You're getting the better cameras, the better screen resolution, more RAM, the S pen support. But those differences do add up, especially when you factor in the fact that this phone costs $300 more at its base price than the S21+. As you might expect from a 2021 flagship phone, there is only one port, which is a USB-C port. Buttons on the side are also pretty standard. There are a power button and volume rocker. There is no Bixby button. Rest in peace. On are the other big differences between the S21 Ultra and the S21 and S21+ is the shape of the display. The S21 and S21+ have shifted over to a flat panel. But the S21 Ultra,
with that higher resolution, is still sticking with that classic gently curved Samsung display that you know and love from years past. As for that screen, it looks great. Samsung is one of the best when it comes to making OLED panels that just shine. It is almost eye-searingly bright, the resolution looks crisp, and the 120-hertz scrolling is incredibly smooth. It is just a wonderful screen. The Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $1,299,
so the price goes up as you and storage, with pre-orders starting on January 14th and shipping on January 29th. It is a different kind of phone than Samsung's other things flagships. This is the creme de la creme. This is the phone that you get when you want the absolute best when money is not a factor. I don't think the S21 Ultra is going to be the phone for everyone. But if you want the absolute best Android phone that you can buy or the best smartphone that you can buy, honestly, well, I think the Galaxy S21 is going to make a really compelling case that it is that phone.
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