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    Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

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    Last updated: February 27th, 2024 at 17:13 UTC+01:00

    OverviewHands-OnReviewSpecificationsBuyScreen ProtectorsCasesWireless ChargersWired ChargersWireless EarbudsBattery PacksDownload ModeHard ResetWipe Cache

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    Introduction

    Samsung has kept the “Ultra” branding reserved for its top-tier flagships since last year. When it emerged that the Galaxy S21 series will get an Ultra model as well, it immediately became clear that it would be a top-of-the-line device. It takes the baton from the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

    The company is committed to offering handsets to the entire spectrum of flagship buyers. To that end, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ will round out Samsung's flagship series for the first half of 2021

    Design

    The Galaxy S21 Ultra is dominated by the 6.8-inch display on the front. It's bigger and wider than any device in the new flagship lineup. It's also the only device in the series to feature a glass back.

    Samsung has introduced a gorgeous new Contour Cut design for the camera housing. It seamlessly blends into the metal frame of the device for a sleek look. The camera housing itself is made of metal. The body is IP68 water and dust resistant. There's a USB Type-C port at the bottom along with the AKG-tuned speaker. A 3.5mm headphone is predictably missing.

    Specifications

    Samsung ships the Galaxy S21 Ultra with the Exynos 2100 chipset in most markets across the globe. Only a handful of markets will get the Snapdragon 888-powered variant. Memory and storage configurations max out at 16GB and 512GB respectively.

    There's support for 25W fast charging for its 5,000mAh battery. However, the handset doesn't come with a charger in the box. It only gets a USB-C to USB-C cable. Those who don't have a charger will need to purchase one separately.

    Display

    The Galaxy S21 Ultra gets a 6.8-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display with slim bezels. It supports a 10Hz to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The Galaxy S21 Ultra can achieve its highest refresh rate at max resoltuion.

    This is the first device in Samsung's Galaxy S lineup to have support for the S Pen. One isn't shipped with the device and can't be stored inside it. The S Pen for the Galaxy S21 Ultra needs to be purchased and carried separately.

    Camera

    Samsung is taking the same bonkers approach that it took for the Galaxy S20 Ultra with this device. The Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with an improved 108-megapixel in addition to a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and two 10-megapixel telephoto cameras with 3x and 10x optical magnification. It boasts 100x Space Zoom and comes with a laser autofocus module for fast focusing. A 40-megapixel front camera is also present.

    Software and new features

    Android 11 is present on the Galaxy S21 Ultra in addition to One UI 3.1. A handful of new features have been introduced, including those that leverage the new capabilities of the camera system.

    The Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the many Samsung devices that will get four Android upgrades. The handset is supported for major OS updates until Android 15.

    On November 15, 2021, Samsung released Android 12 One UI 4.0 for the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

    Release date and price

    The Galaxy S21 Ultra was unveiled on January 14, 2021 with pre-orders going the same day. The handset went on sale January 29, 2021 with prices starting at $1,199.