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At its first Unpacked event of 2021, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy S21 series. Three new flagship handsets boasting a change in design, an attractive lower entry price and, sadly, the omission of a much-loved feature.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Series
The Galaxy S Series has been updated for 2021 with the new S21, S21+ and the Ultra. All three models share the same Qualcomm™️ Snapdragon 888 processor, use 5G as standard and run Android 11. And, that is where most of the similarities end.
Samsung has been meticulous in creating each to be a different handset whilst all remaining under the same banner of the Galaxy S21 series.
As you’d expect the big differences are in the display sizes and the main rear camera configurations. But, the most important change and one Samsung should be applauded for, is the new lower price.
After a difficult year for everyone, all three handsets have notable upgrades compared to the old 2020 models yet have each had a price drop of around $200/£200!
Samsung’s latest S Series empowers you to easily share and connect with state-of-the-art camera and video, bold new design and streamlined connectivity capabilities
Samsung
Galaxy S21
The smallest of the trio, and now one of the most affordable flagship smartphones for this year. Samsung has set the starting price for the Galaxy S21 at $799/£769, and what a device it is for that price.
With a 6.2″ Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display, it might be the smallest in this line-up but its hardly small compared to the competition! And this display has the same adaptive 120Hz refresh rate as the other 2 more expensive models.
There is more value to be had with the S21 as it shares the same main rear camera configuration as the S21+. The triple cam is made up of a 12MP main lens, a 12MP Ultra-Wide and a 64MP Telephoto lens. At the front is a punch hole 10MP cam.
Now the Galaxy S21 can capture 8K video and you can take a snapshot from within that footage whilst maintaining the detail with 8K Snaps. All three models include Vlogger View which uses both Front & Back cameras at the same time.
Say Goodbye to the Expandable Memory
A noticeable and quite frankly sad omission from the Series is the MicroSD Card slot. Samsung has decided to remove one of the most useful features that set its handsets apart from the iPhone.
However, with 5G connectivity and plenty of cloud storage options, on-device storage will soon not be a major need. The S21 comes with a standard 8GB RAM and a configurable choice of either 128GB or 256GB for storage.
If you’re considering the S21 instead of the S21+ the main difference between the handsets is the larger battery and addition of Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) in the S21+. The choice will most likely come down to the screen size you need.
Price
Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S21 start at $799/£769
Pre-orders are open now on samsung.com with shipping dates varying by market.
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Galaxy S21+
The S21+ is the awkward middle sibling, in the S21 Series. Feature-wise it is almost on par with the cheaper, albeit, slightly smaller S21. So above everything on the S21 above what more do you get for the additional $200 on the Plus?
An obvious start is the display. The same Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED panel with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate is used but now measure at a larger 6.7″. And, because it’s a Samsung, the edge to edge display really makes use of the extra space and is pocket friendly yet still big enough for movies.
At first glance, the designs look the same but the S21+ has a more premium glass back finish, whereas the smaller S21 is plastic. Hardly a show-stopper, but for many the finish is important. Which brings me on to the colour schemes. The S21+ has 3x standard colours and 2x Samsung exclusives.
More Colours, More Choice
You can pick from Black, Silver, Violet, Gold or Red with the latter two being the exclusives. It’s worth noting that Samsung has carried these colour options over to its Buds & Watches so you can accessorise accordingly!
With a larger shell for the display comes more space for a bigger 4,800mAh battery. The question will be whether this results in a longer life span between charges or if will match the S21 which has a smaller 4,000mAh unit but also that smaller display?
Finally, the S21+ (and Ultra) has Ultra-Wideband, or UWB, technology. I doubt many would be upgrading just for this alone but UWB is a short-range comms protocol that can capture accurate spatial and directional data.
Price
The Samsung S21+ starts at $999/£949.
Pre-orders are open now on samsung.com with shipping dates varying by market.
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Galaxy S21 Ultra
The pinnacle of Samsungs Flagship Series is the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The step-up in features is evident when you take a look at a side-by-side comparison of all three models.
At 6.8″ the new Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display even overshadows last years Note S20! And, with such a large edge-to-edge display to make use of, Samsung has brought S Pen support to the Ultra.
Streaming and viewing video promises to be a joy thanks to the combination of 5G the large display and the AKG speakers. But, it will be the new Quad Cam that draws the most attention.
Samsung are promising the “Best In-Class Experience” with the new Galaxy S21 Ultra camera.
100x Space Zoom
With a new design casing on the rear, the quad-cam comprises of a 108MP sensor, a 12MP Ultra-wide and two 10MP Telephoto lenses. The front cam is upgraded to a 40MP lens, with both that and the rear both able to record video in 4K at 60 fps (frames per second).
There are more big numbers to come due to the two rear telephoto lenses, one of which has a 3x and the other a 10x optical zoom. Together they deliver 100x ‘Space Zoom’, for clearer zoomed-in shots.
Finally, the Ultra, as does the S21 and S21+, all have wireless charging as standard with Wireless PowerShare functionality built-in.
Price
The 12MB RAM/128GB Storage option starts at $1,199/£1,149 and rises up to $1,379/£1,329 for the top spec 16MB RAM/512GB Storage model.
Samsung S21 Series Comparison
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21+ | Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm | 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8mm | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 172g | 202g | 229g |
| Colour Options | Phantom Grey Phantom Pink Phantom Violet Phantom White | Phantom Black Phantom Silver Phantom Violet Samsung Exclusives Phantom Gold Phantom Red | Phantom Black Phantom Silver Samsung Exclusives Phantom Brown Phantom Navy Phantom Titanium |
| Display | 6.2″ Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz | 6.7″ Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz | 6.8″ Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz |
| Operating System | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 11 |
| Processor | Qualcomm™️ Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm™️ Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm™️ Snapdragon 888 |
| Memory | 8GB | 8GB | 12GB 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB 256GB | 128GB 256GB | 128GB 256GB 512GB |
| Rear Camera | 12MP 12MP Ultra-Wide 64MP Telephoto | 12MP 12MP Ultra-Wide 64MP Telephoto | 108MP 12MP Ultra-Wide 10MP Telephoto 3x 10MP Telephoto 10x |
| Front Camera | 10MP | 10MP | 40MP |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,800mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 USB-C Wireless PowerShare | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 USB-C Wireless PowerShare | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 USB-C Wireless PowerShare |
| Connectivity | 5G Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.0 | 5G Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.0 Ultra-Wide Band | 5G Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.2 Ultra-Wide Band |
| Audio | Speakers by AKG | Speakers by AKG | Speakers by AKG |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| S Pen Compatible | No | No | Yes |
Pricing
The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at $799/£769 with the S21+ beginning at $999/£949. At the top end, the S21 Ultra is starting at $1,199/£1,149 and goes up to $1,379/£1,329.
That means each of the three models are around $200/£200 cheaper than the previous S20 Series, yet still have sufficient upgrades!
