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Samsung has pulled the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G plug ahead of the S22 launch

By Adrian Diaconescu

Updated: Feb 07, 2022, 9:12 AM

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Samsung has pulled the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G plug ahead of the S22 launch

Even though the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra 5G haven't exactly sold like hotcakes since their early 2021 commercial debut, Samsung is dreaming big again, anticipating huge global demand for its next family of ultra-high-end smartphones.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra in particular is expected to prove exceptionally popular, which is at least part of the reason why the "regular" S22 and the non-Ultra S22+ giant could be released a little later. Because Samsung is undoubtedly hard at work manufacturing as many S22 Ultra units as possible in the middle of a major industry-wide chip shortage, it was also not surprising to see most S21 Ultra variants go out of stock weeks ago.

The 512GB Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra can be had for just $299.99

With $1000 off for an S21 Ultra trade-in and a free 512GB storage upgrade, the S22 Ultra can be had for up to $1100 off.

$299 ⁹⁹

$1399 ⁹⁹

Expired

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is now $800 off

Grab a free 256GB storage upgrade to add to the enhanced $700 trade-in credit.

$249 ⁹⁹

$1049 ⁹⁹

Expired

The 256GB Samsung Galaxy S22 can be had for a $100 instead of $849

The Galaxy S22's storage upgrade to 256GB is now free, plus you can get up to $700 off with a trade-in.

$100

$849 ⁹⁹

Expired

Save $825 on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

The 128GB Tab S8 Ultra enjoys $675 enhanced trade-in credit, plus free Galaxy Buds Pro earphones with a purchase.

$424 ⁹⁹

$1099 ⁹⁹

Expired

But now the world's largest handset vendor has taken things to the next level, pulling last year's 6.8-inch super-flagship from its US website entirely.

Farewell, sweet giant, we... knew ye very well!

Yes, ladies and gents, it looks like the time has come to bid adieu to quite possibly the best Android phone of 2021. Let's not act shocked or heartbroken here, as we all knew this was coming. Especially in 2022, with the aforementioned global chip crisis still making it difficult for many companies to maintain satisfactory inventory of high-end devices from multiple generations.

To be perfectly clear here, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is no longer offered as an option for potential US buyers visiting the S21 family section on Samsung's official US website. The S21, S21+, and of course, the S21 FE are all there, which means the former two models could stick around (at least for a little bit) after their successors are unveiled this Wednesday, February 9.

The S21 Ultra 5G, on the other hand, is almost certainly gone for good, at least as far as Samsung.com purchases stateside are concerned. Naturally, Googling for the phone will still produce the same results as before, but while the Galaxy S21 Ultra presentation page is intact, hitting the "buy now" button inevitably redirects you to S21, S21+, and S21 FE buying options.

Although the largest and most advanced member of the S21 family doesn't seem to have disappeared from Samsung's website in many other countries yet, the Exynos 2100-powered Ultra is out of stock pretty much everywhere in Europe at the time of this writing. Basically, we wouldn't call the Galaxy S21 Ultra globally discontinued right now, but it's definitely about to get there.

Can you still buy the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G in the US?

Yes, you can. The question of whether or not you should buy the slowly aging powerhouse is entirely different, of course, but if for some reason you really want to do that on the eve of Samsung's Galaxy S22 Unpacked launch event, there are a few places that will welcome you with open arms.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

$1199 ⁹⁹ Buy at BestBuy $1199 ⁹⁹ Buy at AT&T

Best Buy, for one, is still selling the entry-level 128GB storage configuration at a whopping $1,200 unlocked while charging $200 less than that if you don't have a problem opting for a Verizon-locked model.

For its part, Verizon has the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G unavailable online, although you can use Big Red's website to choose in-store pickup for your order... where available. T-Mobile is also listing the Snapdragon 888 flagship as "not for sale online", which probably means certain physical stores still have some lingering inventory they need to clear.

Finally, AT&T might be Best Buy's number one alternative for US Galaxy S21 Ultra purchases today... at the same extravagant $1,199.99 price with 128 gigs of internal storage space.

Keep in mind that, while we do expect the S22 Ultra to be similarly expensive, the base price will include an S Pen this time around, not to mention an upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, better cameras, and various other smaller enhancements. So, yeah, it's definitely time to say goodbye to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and never look back... unless, of course, Best Buy decides to clear its inventory with a $300 or $400 discount.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.