Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review

Alternatives

The new Galaxy Ultra impresses with three key features, and it will be remembered for those novelties - the new 120Hz Quad HD OLED and its S-Pen support, and the versatile quad-camera on the back that relies on real optics instead of some hybrid trickery.

Yes, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the all-powerful Galaxy right now, and that alone is enough to sell it. It's the Ultra model - meaning there is no better phone on the market today. Indeed, there isn't.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro isn't even official yet, Huawei is yet to unveil the P50, and we are yet to see recent Huawei devices with Google app integration. The OnePlus 9 is unannounced as well, while the next iPhones are far ahead in the future.

Speaking of iPhones, Samsung really outdid itself by dropping the charger immediately after Apple's done it. It could have waited a year or announced it a year ahead to allow a transition period, but it's Samsung - some things are done in the heat of the moment. Like saving the planet, for example.

And that's the reason while the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max comes as our first suggestion. The Max costs as much as the Ultra, and subjectively, it's the prettier and supposedly sturdier device. The iPhone also impresses with performance and LiDAR scanner if you have the use of it, that is. The camera performance is somewhat on par with the Galaxy as far as primary and ultrawide shooters are concerned. The iPhone cannot match the zoom capabilities of the Ultra, plus it runs on iOS, so if you've invested in Android apps, there are two major deal-breakers right there.

Thinking about the camera, we just can't but mention the elusive Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra (about $950). It's officially sold only in China, but if you value a complete package with an outstanding camera - this is the one, folks. It has a 120Hz 1080p OLED, Snapdragon 865 chip, and stereo speakers to get you started, but we found its quad-camera (0.5x + 1x + 2x + 5x) to be among the best on the market as far as photo quality is concerned. This Ultra also comes with a 120W adapter, which recharges its flat battery for 27 minutes, so there is that, too.

Another limited-edition phone that comes to mind is the Google-less Huawei P40 Pro+. It has a 1200p 90Hz OLED and one of the best camera configurations money can get you on a handset - 50MP primary, 8MP 3x, 8MP 10x, 40MP ultrawide, and 3D ToF. Indeed, that's a similar setup to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Huawei's cameras save some incredible photos. The P40 Pro+ stock is scarce but not that hard to find. It costs about €800/£900 - meaning it is cheaper than the Ultra. Then again, no Google on it.

Back to more popular and easier to find choices - the OnePlus 8 Pro seems relevant even 10 months after its launch. It solved the 120Hz Quad HD OLED conundrum way before Samsung; it runs on a powerful Snapdragon 865 chip; and it offers a reasonably good quad-camera on the back with a 48MP primary, 8MP 3x tele, 48MP ultrawide, and a 5MP color filter cam intended for some artsy shots. The OnePlus 8 Pro runs on the especially smooth Oxygen launcher and is €500 cheaper than the Galaxy. Sure, it can't offer 20% more powerful chip, 10x zoom and S-Pen support, but do these cost €500? You decide.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max • Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra • Huawei P40 Pro+ • OnePlus 8 Pro

The verdict

If you've stayed with us that long, you've probably noticed we are conflicted about this Galaxy S21 Ultra. It is the perfect smartphone on paper, even without a microSD expansion and a bundled charger. But we've had ups and downs while using it for the past week. By the end of this review, we realized the good stuff far outweighs the bad, and most of what we didn't like could be fixed with an upcoming update.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra absolutely deserves its Ultra insignia - it has the best OLED screen with Wacom layer at that, the most powerful hardware, one of the largest batteries, good stereo speakers, and pretty advanced camera system. We were thoroughly impressed by the screen performance and the battery endurance, like the UI and the S-Pen features, and saw many good photos and videos saved by the various snappers.

We aren't huge fans of the new industrial design - mostly how the camera on the back was made. The phone is large and slippery, making it very uncomfortable to handle without a case. The photo quality wasn't always flagship-grade - Samsung needs to tone down its image processing even if it results in some noise or lesser dynamic range. We've always preferred images with natural-looking processing, and so far, both Apple and Samsung have failed us. Here's hoping that at least Samsung does something in this direction with a software update.

If you are after the best and newest phone on the market - look no further - that's the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It has its issues, but the overwhelmingly good features elsewhere and a patch or two will make up for everything. Samsung is definitely off to a good start this year with its Ultra!

Pros

• The best OLED screen, 1000+nits, 1440p, 120Hz, HDR10+, S-Pen.
• Phenomenal fingerprint scanner performance.
• Outstanding battery life, fast to top-up the 5,000mAh battery.
• Stereo speakers with good loudness.
• The fastest Android chipset, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Ultra-Wide Band.
• OneUI is super smooth, clutter-free, S-Pen support.
• The daylight photos are good across the board even if a bit overprocessed.
• The selfies are excellent.
• The 4K30 videos are great.

Cons

• Somewhat bulky and slippery.
• The image processing needs further refinements.
• We don't miss the microSD slot, but some of you might.
• No charger, no headphones in the box.
• Uses different chipsets in different regions.