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Overall, though, the S21 Ultra lags slightly behind the Snapdragon 888 (tested in the Xiaomi Mi 11) and is no match for the as-yet-unbeatable processing speeds of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t offer expandable storage via a microSD card. It comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB sizes. Does the Galaxy S21 Ultra come with a charger? This means you’ll need to invest in a fast – ideally 25W – plug to achieve good charging speeds. You can charge the handset wirelessly, too, and use the Ultra to charge other devices with Reverse Powershare. But be warned, based on our experience testing past Samsung phones, Powershare charge speeds are fairly slow.
As mentioned above, the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers a superior display compared to the cheaper models, and it’s the only one of the bunch to come sporting a slightly curved panel. The biggest area where Samsung are consistently great at is the display. The 6.8-inch, Dynamic AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution (1.440 x 3.200) is certainly a sight to behold. It has vibrant colours, very high peak brightness, high pixel-per-inch count and a super-smooth refresh rate at 120 Hz. The refresh rate especially makes a massive difference in how responsive the device feels. Combined with the Exynos 2100 chip that powers the device, navigating the UI is just a breeze. The content on display is super sharp too. The 515-PPI display is perfect for high-res multimedia consumption. The Advanced Camera System
Keep in mind that there’s no microSD card slot for expandable storage, so if you’re keen on taking lots of 4K 60fps or 8K 24fps video, you may want to look into the pricier 256GB or 512GB storage sizes – and the latter of those sizes also bumps up the RAM to 16GB. This is bad news for consumers who are looking to make the switch from iPhone to Samsung, since the Galaxy S21 Ultra charges via USB-C and thus doesn’t support Apple’s Lightning cable. Perhaps a more consumer-friendly tactic would be to provide a choice as to whether or not the charger was included, instead of removing it entirely. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review: Display Of course, with all non-essential shops currently closed in the UK, you’ll only be able to get these phones online right now. Part of the reason the S21 Ultra seems snappy is the fact that Samsung has further streamlined its software interface. With the OneUI 3.0 interface, menus now throw fewer unnecessary windows in your face before executing what you want to do. Turning on power save mode, for example, makes adjustments immediately.
The Galaxy S21 series is faster for two reasons: it marks the debut of brand-new chipsets, and the software has been streamlined just a bit, with the ever-evolving OneUI 3.0 interface tied into Android 11. As ambitious as it was at the time, the S20 Ultra didn’t have the skills to really make it one of the top phones of 2020. It was ugly, struggled to keep focus, and disappointed with its headline Space Zoom feature. For the ridiculously high asking price, Samsung missed the mark quite dramatically. That said, while that's the list price, many stores are now selling the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for less. You can expect the price to continue dropping over time. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the same Exynos 2100 chipset (it’s the Snapdragon 888 in the US) as the rest of the lineup. Unlike the other phones, however, you also get the option to upgrade from 12GB of RAM to a whopping 16GB, along with a choice of either 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of non-expandable storage. In my experience, 16GB of RAM is pretty much overkill for any smartphone – my MacBook Pro “only” has 8GB of RAM. Depending on your location, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s box will miss a couple of notable bits, namely a charging plug and headphones. Some regions will have these included (as many did for the iPhone 12) but this won’t be the case in the UK and US. The only item included in the box outside of the phone itself, is a USB-C to USB-C cable.With up to 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a 120Hz WQHD+ display, S Pen support and a 108-megapixel camera, this is Samsung’s no-compromise attempt at delivering the best Android phone ever made. Camera improvements include enhanced noise reduction in low-light conditions, as well as the ability to slow down multiple instances in a single slow-mo video. You can also grab a still image directly from 8K footage, and add virtual lighting in portrait pictures. The S Pen is a key change that could differentiate it from the competition. Previously reserved for the Note series, the S21 Ultra is fully compatible with Samsung’s excellent stylus for doodling, drawing or scrolling. While this won’t spell complete doom for the Note series, it certainly means that the Note 21 will need to offer something else to help differentiate it. No, you’ll need to source your own charger and earphones for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. What software does the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra run?
Proximity Sensor, Hall Effect Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope Sensor, Accelerometer (G-Sensor), Fingerprint Sensor Samsung says the phone is capable of capturing high-resolution footage from multiple cameras at the same time in what it calls Director’s View. You can also capture 12-bit files, which are better for professional editing. Samsung’s also claiming the Single Take feature, which takes photos and videos simultaneously, is far smarter thanks to the increased AI prowess of the phones new chipset. Hang on to your power adapters. Neither the old USB-A nor the new USB-C chargers are included in the box, but you will get all-day battery life. (Image credit: Future) Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra battery life Where the Galaxy S21 Ultra has seen the biggest improvement is in the graphics rendering department. With an average frame rate of 93fps in the GFXBench Manhattan on-screen test (at native WQHD resolution), the S21 Ultra’s GPU performance is almost double that of last year’s S20 Ultra. Drop the screen resolution down to FHD+ and the frame rate jumps to 118fps.Spin the phone around and you'll find a new triple rear camera which Samsung says should make it easy for everyone to get the perfect photos and videos. That's all thanks to some clever AI which makes sure things are set perfectly for different environments. Basically, you should just be able to point, shoot and let Galaxy S21 5G do the heavy lifting. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the S21 of choice for those wanting the “best” of everything. Even more so than last year, Samsung is pushing this handset as the true flagship we’ve all been waiting for. Model It should come as no surprise that the quality of the images that the Galaxy S21 Ultra is capable of capturing are nothing short of exceptional. As with other high-megapixel-count flagships, the S21 Ultra doesn’t capture 108MP images by default – although this can be enabled in the settings – instead taking 12MP pictures in the auto mode. This is still Samsung’s best screen, but for many other reasons. We found the 6.8-inch body to be easier to grasp than the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, and that’s in large part thanks to the curved display and overall narrowness of Samsung's device. The curved edges are subtle on the S21 Ultra, and not quite as pronounced as on past Samsung devices, and that means fewer errant presses. It’s paired with a duo of tele lenses to achieve the 100x Space Zoom tag; hopefully, it’s more successful this time. Last year, the S20 Ultra’s Space Zoom tech was a key let down, with it offering poor performance without a tripod during testing. The fourth camera is a more traditional 12-megapixel ultra-wide unit. Rounding the setup out, there’s a 40-megapixel sensor on the front.
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