(chill synth music)
- How would you make the best smartphone?
If money was no object, what would it look like?
Would it have more cameras, better cameras,
a bigger and brighter screen,
faster processors, more RAM, more storage, a stylus?
Well, Samsung thinks it has the answer.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra.
A phone that imagines what it would look like
if you didn't have to make any compromises.
It's a phone that shows
what the best of Samsung hardware
and Android software can look like.
If you're willing to pay for it.
(bouncy synth music)
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung's latest
superlatively named smartphone.
It's the successor to last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra
and it shares a lot in common with that phone.
Giant OLED display,
an 108-megapixel camera, the works.
But the Galaxy S21 Ultra
is a refined version of last year's model.
One that looks to smooth out
some of the sharp edges of the S20 Ultra.
Literally in some cases
thanks to the new rounded design language
that Samsung is using here.
And looking at the spec sheet,
the S21 Ultra does sound
like a top of line Android wishlist come to life.
There's a 6.8 inch 3,200 by 1,440 OLED display
with refresh rates that go up to 120 hertz,
and unlike last year's model,
you'll actually be able to run that 120 Hertz refresh rate
at full resolution.
Although it is an adaptive refresh rate,
so Samsung's software will control
where and when that's ramping up.
It also has 12 gigabytes of RAM,
Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 processor,
up to 512 gigabytes of storage,
and a massive 5,000 milliamp power battery.
It also fully supports 5G
with support for both sub six gigahertz
and millimeter wave 5G,
and it also has an ultra wide band radio
which will work with Samsung's new Galaxy tags.
It's honestly hard to imagine
Samsung cramming anything else in here.
Of course,
just because Samsung can't physically fit it in the phone
doesn't mean they're done adding features.
This year's Galaxy S21 Ultra
will be the first Galaxy S phone
to support Samsung's S Pen stylus,
which clips on to optional cases.
Unfortunately, that stylus isn't included in the box.
Instead, you'll have to shell out
another $40 for the stylist itself
or buy it in a $70 bundle that includes a case,
either one that flips out or just clips onto the side.
You might say that it's a bit S-pensive.
(smooth hop hop music)
Pricing aside though,
the S Pen on the S21 Ultra
does work pretty similar to the Galaxy Note.
You'll be able to use it to write down notes,
navigate around the operating system,
and convert handwriting to text.
If you do really like the S Pen on the Galaxy Note,
you'll probably like this a lot.
Although it does add even more bulk
to what already is a giant phone by almost any metric,
so it is something you'll want to think about.
And then there's the cameras.
Now last year's S20 ultra shot for the moon, literally.
Samsung's tech demo was showing
how it could zoom and take pictures of the moon.
But despite Samsung's lofty ambitions,
there were some issues.
The original S20 ultra suffered
from problems with auto focus among other photographic bugs.
The S21 Ultra though promises a better experience.
There's a new laser auto focus system
which Samsung says
should help with a lot of the focusing issues,
especially when you're zoomed all the way in
using that wild 100x zoom feature.
There's also support for 12-bit color depth,
a better de-mosiacing process,
and refinements to how Samsung is handling AI things
and especially smoothing.
That said, we're gonna have to wait
for a lot more comprehensive testing
before we see if Samsung
has actually elevated the S21 Ultra's camera
from a cool tech demo into a camera contender.
Now the S21 Ultra isn't just about
that 108 megapixel sensor though.
There's also another three additional cameras on the back.
Just for fun.
There's a 12 megapixel ultra-wide for getting wide shots
and two separate telephoto cameras.
One that goes up to 3x zoom
and one that goes up to 10x zoom.
Now both of those telephotos shoot at 10 megapixels
and offer optical image stabilization.
Now, the reason why
there are two separate telephoto lenses
is for more versatility.
It lets users have a little more control
and offers a little better options
in terms of zooming at different lengths
Now, all four of those cameras,
along with the laser auto focus system and the flash,
are all located in the new giant camera bump
that's on the back of the phone.
But like the smaller S21s,
this is where Samsung's new design
really comes to play here,
which is that the camera bump
isn't this weird oblong squircle anymore
that's just ruining the back of your phone.
Samsung has melded it with the aluminum frame
for a much nicer look.
It just kind of flows together now.
Which is much better.
That said, there's still a whole bunch of stuff
that Samsung needs to fit in that array,
so it doesn't look quite as nice as the three cameras
on the S21 and S21+.
That ever so slightly bit of awkwardness
is a pretty common trend on the S21 Ultra.
It's just a bit bigger than the S21+
which just makes it a bit harder to hold in your hands,
it's a bit heavier.
Now, again, none of that's a bad thing.
You are getting a lot more
for that extra bit of size and weight.
You're getting the better cameras,
the better screen resolution, more RAM,
the S Pen support.
But those differences do add up,
especially when you factor in the fact
that this phone costs $300 more at its base price
than the S21+.
As you might expect from a 2021 flagship phone,
there is only one port, which is a USB-C port.
Buttons on the side are also pretty standard.
There is a power button and a volume rocker.
There is no Bixby button.
Rest in peace.
One are the other big differences
between the S21 Ultra and the S21 and S21+
is the shape of the display.
The S21 ans S21+ have shifted over to a flat panel.
but the S21 Ultra, with that higher resolution,
is still sticking with that classic
gently curved Samsung display that you know and love
from years past.
As for that screen, it looks great.
Samsung is one of the best
when it comes to making OLED panels that just shine.
It is almost eye-searingly bright,
the resolution looks crisp,
and the 120 hertz scrolling is incredibly smooth.
It is just a wonderful screen.
The galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $1,299,
so the price goes up as you add storage,
with pre-orders starting on January 14th
and shipping on January 29th.
It is a different kind of phone
than Samsung's other things flagships.
This is the creme de la creme.
This is the phone that you get
when you want the absolute best
when money is not a factor.
I don't think the S21 Ultra
is going to be the phone for everyone.
But if you want
the absolute best Android phone that you can buy,
or the best smartphone that you can buy, honestly,
well, I think the galaxy S21
is going to make a really compelling case
that it is that phone.
Thanks so much for watching.
We will have a lot more on the new Galaxy S20 lineup
in the coming days.
Check out our other video if you want to hear more
about the S21 and S21+,
Samsung's cheaper options,
and like and subscribe for more great videos like this.