Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review: Android At Its Best
April 17, 2021Performance: Snapdragon 888 5G, 12GB RAM
Display: 6.8-inch (1080 x 2400)
Weight: 229g
Storage: 256GB
Battery: 5,000mAh
Features:8K, 4K, 1080p video recording
Rear Camera:12MP Ultra-Wide, 108MP wide-angle, 10MP Telephoto, 100x Space Zoom
Front Camera:40MP
Rating: 10/10
Price: RM 5,299.00
Last year’s S20 Ultra was considered a major departure from what we are used to seeing from Samsung. The phone had a gargantuan 6.9-inch display, thin bezels and a massive camera layout that occupied the entire top left portion of the phone. It made its predecessor the S10+ seem small and unworthy.
The major talking point was the 108MP wide camera sensor and the entertaining 100x zoom. It could take decent shots of far away objects, which aped the capabilities of the s10+, and made the phone feel lightyears ahead. So, how could Samsung top this?
It did this with the S21 Ultra, which looks and feels far more polished. Take the exterior for example, instead of the typical glossy, generic look of its predecessor, it has a subdued yet elegant matte finish. The camera array is enveloped in a similarly coloured case that not only amplifies the appeal but protects the lenses from bumps and scrapes.
Evidently, these design cues were borrowed from the Note20 Series released last year, and it’s a decision Samsung needs to be commended for. The S21 Ultra has a presence that its predecessors simply cannot match. It exudes class and persona that somewhat justifies the asking price. This is especially true of its qHD, 120Hz display.
It’s a really bright, crystal clear SuperAMOLED display that is second to none. It offers a buttery smooth experience, and responds instantly to touch input. This fluidity carries over into other aspects of the experience as well. Working together with the Exynos 2100 chipset, it allows users the experience of instant gratification.
It also supports stylus input. Now, the features are nowhere near that of an actual Galaxy Note, but there are enough of them to be considered useful. If you do choose to get one, then you’ll also need the dedicated phone case to store it. However, the relative bulk and inconvenience that this introduces, ruins the appeal.
The phone opens apps without hesitation and complies with every request instantly. Shuffling between them, while watching a YouTube video on the bottom half, is just as quick. The performance ceiling limit is significantly higher than any flagship preceding the S21 Ultra. Absolutely nothing bogs it down, because we threw everything but the kitchen sink at it.
This is what makes the DeX functionality just that much more valuable. The S21 Ultra’s performance prowess allow the phone to properly mimic a PC. Like the Galaxy S7+ we tested last year, the phone is able to offer an experience akin to a real PC, by making light work of office tasks related to spreadsheets and word documents.
Though most apps open in a ‘letterbox’ configuration, they work well, and no matter how many of them are opened or worked on simultaneously, performance isn’t affected. I believe that given enough time, Samsung could eventually get around the ‘letterbox’ problem. And this would effectively make any future Galaxy S, the ‘only device you will ever need’.
It’s possible for content creators to edit and publish videos on the S21 Ultra alone. The phone is capable of rendering complex video creations, but does get a little warm to the touch while doing this. But the experience isn’t uncomfortable. Samsung learnt its lesson with the S20 Ultra and made sure that this year’s phone had a cooling solution that dissipated heat efficiently.
The same is true while recording video. The S21 Ultra gets warm during operation but continues to soldier on without throttling computing performance. This is a welcomed improvement, and it’s one that will allow users to take advantage of the phone’s powerful camera hardware to create content or capture great footage.
There are cameras for this year. There’s the main 108MP Laser AF, OIS sensor, a 10MP periscope telephoto, 10MP telephoto and 12MP ultrawide one. Working together they help produce stunning imagery and videos. Even a novice, who has no prior knowledge on photography techniques, can capture ‘pro’ level shots.
Samsung’s clever camera software works hand in hand with the hardware to assess a setting, then fine-tunes the settings to produce the best image possible. All this happens in a matter of seconds, leading to the production of well lit and highly detailed shots that have a good amount of contrast. Images that are captured seem a little warm but with fairly accurate saturation.
Colors seem vivid and well exposed. The 100x and 10x zoom features are significantly better than what could be achieved with last year’s S20 Ultra. Pictures seem sharper and with improved exposure and contrast. This is best viewed with pictures taken of the moon, which most people will probably use said feature for.
In certain areas the results, especially of video footage, come quite close to DSLR territory. Now, calling the S21 Ultra a DSLR is a bit of a stretch. It doesn’t offer the same versatility, functions and depth that a dedicated SLR sensor can capture. But, the recipe is present, and with the right setting tweaks, the results can be similarly good.
The incredibly adept software and optical image stabilization help capture close to flawless videos. The colors, exposure and depth of field are spot on. There’s very little post-editing needed, because the phone has done the hard work for you. It takes the ‘pro’ part of recording out of the equation, which allows mere amateurs to capture great shots.
Several months ago, I covered my experience with the S21+.Though I said that, in terms of real world performance, there’s very little between them, that isn’t true of the cameras. The S21 Ultra wipes the floor with its lesser siblings. The fight isn’t even close. Its superior camera hardware and clever software produce far superior shots and videos.
Related Article: Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G Review: It’s The One You Want
Now, you could get either the 12GB variant or the 16GB one. Choosing between the two depends entirely on your workload. For most people 12GB is considered overkill, because the S21+’s 8GB RAM is more than enough for tackling 90% of tasks done on a smartphone. The rationale behind choosing the 16GB RAM version instead of the 12GB is video editing on a smartphone.
This becomes more apparent once you include DeX functionality into the mix. Leveraging Samsung’s pseudo-PC interface opens a world of possibilities in terms of workflow. Connecting the Ultra to a Monitor, grants you access to your entire photo and video library that can be edited and processed with better scrutiny.
In this regard, the S21 Ultra’s exorbitant price tag becomes somewhat justifiable. It isn’t just a smartphone, but a combination of three different devices. Instead of buying a powerful point-and-shoot camera and a home PC, the S21 Ultra combines these two machines into a sleek, portable slab that you can carry on your person.
It’s basically the only device you will ever need. Now, all we have to do is wait for Android developers to catch on and develop better apps for the platform. Once this becomes a reality, we could see more TVs, monitors and Laptop shells that support DeX capabilities. The advent of DeX wireless technology, will allow you the experience without the need for wires.
Sadly, very few will actually explore the full extent of the S21 Ultra’s capabilities. Consumers who can afford one, would also have the means to purchase a similarly powerful laptop that they can carry and sync with said phone. This is why such tech is completely lost on the affluent crowd.
The mid-range market is where this tech will be most beneficial. Instead of purchasing several different devices, consumers can have one that does everything that they need to do. If Samsung is able to bring DeX functionalities to the A52 and A72, that’s when we will see developers truly taking notice of the need for better compatibility.
The A52 and A72 are far superior to the phones they replace, which is saying a lot of their hardware performance and camera abilities. This coupled with DeX would make them extremely desirable to consumers who want to do more with less. Sadly, that won’t happen any time soon, but there’s no crime in hoping for the best.
Should I buy One
If you simply must have the best smartphone that Android has to offer, then the answer is a resounding, Yes! The S21 Ultra is a remarkable device that takes excellent photos and videos, edits them effortlessly, then spits them onto various social media platforms. It’s a Jack-Of-All-Trades and the master of all of them.
There have been only a handful of instances when I have been absolutely smitten by a smartphone. But the S21 Ultra is one of them, especially if you are a creator who is constantly on the move. However, if you don’t fall into this bracket, then this phone isn’t for you. It is simply unreasonable to justify its price tag.
This is because the S21+ can accomplish about 70% -80% of its abilities but at a cheaper price. Like the Galaxy phones preceding it, the S21 Ultra is ahead of its time but very few will truly be able to experience its vastly capable hardware and video production value.
