After months of leaks, the Galaxy S21 series is now official. Like last year, there are three models in the series — the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra — with the biggest upgrades reserved for the Ultra variant. What is interesting this time is that the regular S21 starts off at $800, $200 less than what the Galaxy S20 launched at last year. That's the case for the rest of the models as well: the S21+ debuts at $1,000, and the S21 Ultra is $1,200, which means we're looking at a few new additions to the best Samsung phones in 2021.
What's the caveat, you ask? The S21 and S21+ now feature an FHD+ AMOLED screen instead of the QHD+ resolution that was standard across the range last year. That said, the FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED panel should still be one of the best around, and it has 120Hz refresh rate — just like last year. The S21 Ultra is getting a QHD+ panel, and it offers dynamic refresh rate that scales from 11Hz all the way to 120Hz.
There's a lot to like here, but Samsung is ditching the MicroSD slot this year.
There's a lot to be excited about on the hardware side of things: all three Galaxy S21 models are powered by the 5nm Snapdragon 888, with Qualcomm's 2021 flagship chipset delivering massive performance gains and better 5G connectivity. The global versions of the Galaxy S21 feature the Exynos 2100, and Samsung overhauled the design of its chipset to ensure it is on par with Qualcomm.
All three Galaxy S21 models also have IP68 dust and water resistance, stereo speakers, DeX, 5G connectivity over both Sub-6 and mmWave bands, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, and an updated fingerprint sensor that should be faster than what we've seen on the S20 series.
Oh, and Samsung is adding S Pen compatibility to the S21 Ultra, so if you are a fan of Samsung's stylus, you can now use it with the phone. The phone also has a 108MP main camera, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and a 40MP camera at the front. The S21+ and S21 Ultra also have UWB connectivity, making things that much more interesting.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series specs
| Category | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21+ | Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Android 11 One UI 3.0 | Android 11 One UI 3.0 | Android 11 One UI 3.0 |
| Display | 6.2-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2400x1080 (20:9) HDR10+ Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.7-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2400x1080 (20:9) HDR10+ Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.8-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 3088x1440 (20:9) HDR10+ Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Chipset (NA) | Snapdragon 888 1 x 2.84GHz X1 3 x 2.42GHz A78 4 x 1.80GHz A55 Adreno 660 5nm | Snapdragon 888 1 x 2.84GHz X1 3 x 2.42GHz A78 4 x 1.80GHz A55 Adreno 660 5nm | Snapdragon 888 1 x 2.84GHz X1 3 x 2.42GHz A78 4 x 1.80GHz A55 Adreno 660 5nm |
| Chipset (Global) | Exynos 2100 1 x 2.9GHz Cortex X1 3 2.8GHz A78 4 x 2.2GHz A55 Mali-G78 MP14 5nm | Exynos 2100 1 x 2.9GHz Cortex X1 3 2.8GHz A78 4 x 2.2GHz A55 Mali-G78 MP14 5nm | Exynos 2100 1 x 2.9GHz Cortex X1 3 2.8GHz A78 4 x 2.2GHz A55 Mali-G78 MP14 5nm |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 8GB LPDDR5 | 12GB/16GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS3.1 | 128GB/256GB UFS3.1 | 128GB/256GB/512GB UFS3.1 |
| MicroSD slot | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Rear camera 1 | 12MP f/1.8, OIS 8K at 30fps 4K at 60fps | 12MP f/1.8, OIS 8K at 30fps 4K at 60fps | 108MP f/1.8, OIS 8K at 24fps 4K at 60fps |
| Rear camera 2 | 12MP, f/2.2 wide-angle | 12MP, f/2.2 wide-angle | 12MP, f/2.2 wide-angle |
| Rear camera 3 | 64MP, f/3.0 telephoto, OIS 3x optical zoom | 64MP, f/3.0 telephoto, OIS 3x optical zoom | 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, OIS 3x optical zoom |
| Rear camera 4 | ❌ | ❌ | 10MP f/4.9 telephoto, OIS 10x optical zoom |
| Front camera | 10MP f/1.7 auto focus | 10MP f/1.7 auto focus | 40MP auto focus |
| Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6 and mmWave) Wi-Fi 6 MU-MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS | 5G (Sub-6 and mmWave) UWB, Wi-Fi 6 MU-MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS | 5G (Sub-6 and mmWave) UWB, Wi-Fi 6E MU-MIMO Bluetooth 5.1 LE, NFC, GPS |
| Audio | USB-C Stereo speakers | USB-C Stereo speakers | USB-C Stereo speakers |
| Battery | 4000mAh Non-removable | 4800mAh Non-removable | 5000mAh Non-removable |
| Charging | USB-C PD3.0 Fast charge (25W) Wireless charging | USB-C PD3.0 Fast charge (25W) Wireless charging | USB-C PD3.0 Fast charge (25W) Wireless charging |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Security | In-display fingerprint sensor Face unlock | In-display fingerprint sensor Face unlock | In-display fingerprint sensor Face unlock |
| Dimensions | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm 172g | 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8mm 202g | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm 228g |
| Colors | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver |
The Galaxy S21 series is now up for pre-order, and Samsung is offering $200 credit and a free SmartTag for customers buying any of the new models. Interested in learning more about the S21 series? Make sure to read our Galaxy S21 preview for all the details, and be sure to check out our roundups of the best Galaxy S21 cases and best Galaxy S21 screen protectors to fully outfit your new device.
Everything you could want in a phone
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate flagship phone, delivering the latest hardware innovations along with four incredible cameras, outstanding AMOLED panel, and One UI 3.0 based on Android 11 out of the box. If you're in the market for the best 2021 flagship, you will need to get your hands on this phone.
