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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Specs

9.1

PhoneArena Score

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review

8.6

User Score (8 reviews)

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Released

Jan 29, 2021

Display

6.8-inch
3200 x 1440 px

Camera

108 MP Main
40 MP Selfie

Battery

5000 mAh

Storage

128GB

Hardware

Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
12GB RAM

OS

Android 13
Samsung One UI

Description

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the headliner of the S21 series. It's the first S series phone to support Samsung's S Pen. Specifications are top-notch including Snapdragon 888 chipset, 5G capability, up to 16gigs of RAM, and 512GB of storage. A 5000mAh battery keeps the lights on for this powerhouse. In the camera department, a quad-camera setup is presented with two telephoto sensors. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra starting price is $1200.

This device is also known as Samsung SM-G998U1

Pros

High refresh rate (120Hz)
5G ready
High screen-to-body ratio (89.33 %)
Supports wireless charging
High pixel density screen (516 PPI)

I want it 0 users

I have it 5 users

I had it 6 users

Deals

$1200

$1193

$396

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Display Benchmarks
Size:	6.8-inch
Resolution:	3200 x 1440 px, 20:9 ratio, 516 PPI
Technology:	Dynamic AMOLED
Refresh rate:	120Hz (adaptable)
Screen-to-body:	89.33 %
Peak brightness:	1500 cd/m2 (nit)
Features:	HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware Benchmarks
System chip:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SM8350 (5 nm)
Processor:	Octa-core, 1x 2.84GHz Kryo 680 + 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680 + 4x 1.80GHz Kryo 680, 64-bit
GPU:	Adreno 660
RAM:	12GB (LPDDR5)
Internal storage:	128GB (UFS 3.1), not expandable
OS:	Android (13, 12, 11), Samsung One UI
Device type:	Smartphone

Battery Benchmarks
Capacity:	5000 mAh
Type:	Li - Polymer, Not user replaceable
Charging:	Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, USB Power Delivery, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Qi and Powermat wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging
Max charge speed:	Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W

Camera
Rear:	Quad camera Camera samples
Main camera:	108 MP (OIS, Laser and PDAF)
Specifications:	Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.33" Pixel size: 0.8 μm
Second camera:	10 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF)
Specifications:	Optical zoom: 10.0x Aperture size: F4.9 Focal Length: 240 mm Sensor size: 1/3.2" Pixel size: 1.22 μm
Third camera:	10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF)
Specifications:	Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 70 mm Sensor size: 1/3.2" Pixel size: 1.22 μm
Fourth camera:	12 MP (Ultra-wide, PDAF)
Specifications:	Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm
Flash:	LED
Video recording:	7680x4320 (8K UHD) (24 fps), 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps)
Features:	OIS, HDR, Hyperlapse, Video light, EIS
Front:	40 MP (PDAF, HDR)
Video capture:	3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps)

Design Size comparison
Dimensions:	6.50 x 2.98 x 0.35 inches (165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm)
Weight:	8.04 oz (229.0 g)
Materials:	Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus) Frame: Aluminum
Resistance:	Water, Dust; IP68
Biometrics:	2D Face unlock, Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint
Keys:	Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key
Colors:	Phantom black, Silver

Cellular
5G:	Bands n2, n5, n12, n25, n41, n66, n71, n77, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave
4G (FDD):	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 14(700 PS), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3), 71(600)
4G (TDD):	Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46, 48(3600)
3G:	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900)
Data Speed:	LTE-A, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS
SIM type:	Nano SIM

Multimedia
Headphones:	No 3.5mm jack
Speakers:	Earpiece, Multiple speakers
Features:	32-Bit DAC, Dolby Atmos, aptX, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Screen mirroring:	Wireless screen share
Radio:	FM, Stereo, RDS
Additional microphone(s):	Noise cancellation, Video recording

Connectivity & Features
Bluetooth:	5.1
Wi-Fi:	802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax(Wi-Fi 6), dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB:	Type-C (reversible), USB 3.2
Features:	Charging, Headphones port, OTG, Video out
Hearing aid compatible:	M3, T3
Location:	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning
Sensors:	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer
Other:	NFC, ANT+

Regulatory Approval
FCC approval:
Date approved:	Dec 22, 2020
FCC ID value:	A3LSMG998U
Measured SAR:
Head:	0.77 W/kg
Body:	1.02 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission:	1.59 W/kg
Wireless Router:	1.16 W/kg
Phablet:	3.15 W/kg

Buyers information
Price:	$ 1200
In The Box:	C to C Data Cable, Ejection Pin

Availability
Officially announced:	Jan 14, 2021

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Alternative variants

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

with 256GB storage

Differences from the main variant:
Internal storage:	256GB
Colors:	Phantom black
Price:	$ 1250

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

with 512GB storage

Differences from the main variant:
RAM:	16GB
Internal storage:	512GB
Colors:	Phantom black
Price:	$ 1380

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

SM-G998B for Europe

Differences from the main variant:
System chip:	Samsung Exynos 2100 (5 nm)
Processor:	Octa-core, 1x 2.91GHz Cortex-X1 + 3x 2.81GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x 2.2GHz Cortex-A55, 64-bit
GPU:	Mali G78 MP14
Weight:	8.01 oz (227.0 g)
5G:	Bands SA, NSA, Sub-6
FCC approval:
Date approved:	Dec 22, 2020
FCC ID value:	A3LSMG998B
Measured SAR:
Head:	0.16 W/kg
Body:	0.72 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission:	1.59 W/kg
Wireless Router:	1.34 W/kg
Phablet:	3.86 W/kg

Carrier Availability

Discontinued

T-Mobile
U.S. Cellular

News

Should you buy the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2023 - a comprehensive review

Astrophotography mode comes to Galaxy S21 line and Galaxy Z Fold 4

Links

Overall User Rating

(8 reviews)

8.6

1 person recommends this phone.

Build quality

8.9

Camera quality

8.4

Performance

9.4

Display

9.6

Battery life and charging

8.3

Value for money

zeeslikethat

Arena Apprentice

Solid phone

Posted: Aug 10, 2024, 9:02 AM

Phone owned for more than a year

I have had this phone as a daily since January 2022, will be replacing the battery. Overall, I had an excellent experience with it. It feels so premium, solid frame, has got some weight to it (which is good for me), still good as a daily in 2024.

Build quality

Camera quality

Performance

Display

Battery life and charging

Value for money

zeeslikethat recommends this phone.

What I like

Build quality
Weight
Resistance to shock

What I don't like

Battery life
Heat

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HelloThere21

Arena Apprentice

2021's best flagship is 2022's great option; what I think after one year of usage.

Edited: Feb 16, 2022, 3:20 PM

Phone owned for more than a year

I originally switched from iPhone to Samsung in 2020. I was getting bored of iPhones and thought I'd try the Galaxy S20+. That phone was awesome, so when I saw the trade-in values on the Samsung site, I had to get the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

To summarize this device; It's Ultra. Everything about it is what you'd expect, and more. I've never been consistently impressed with a phone, especially after the novelty wares off. It's also improved a lot since launch, from better camera processing and shutter speed, to longer battery life. Overall, what we have here is one of the greatest Galaxies, and one of the greatest phones avaliable.

Build quality

Camera quality

Performance

Display

Battery life and charging

What I like

Versatile camera
Insane display
Great software
Ready for 2022

What I don't like

Battery life could be better
Lack of a MicroSD card slot
Lack of a headphone jack
Can be quite large

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TonyTostones

Arena Apprentice

Good but not worth the price tag.

Posted: Oct 05, 2021, 4:41 PM

Phone owned for less than a year

Been using this Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for 6 months and hace found its to be a good handset but just not worth the price tag. The phone is too large to use singlehandedly. I chose the Ultra over the plus for the upgraded camera. Six months in the camera has been somewhat disappointing. There's a S21+ in our household and the photos between them are not very different. The telephoto lenses on the ultra are a cool addition theoretically, but in use the super zoom is pretty unusable and grainy.