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    Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review: Samsung’s premier phone is pretty badass

    The Galaxy S21 Ultra will get a contemporary design and sports activities a stunning black end.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, unveiled alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus telephones, proves that typically it’s a must to do one thing twice to get it proper. While simply as daring as final yr’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra is a refined second tackle the Ultra idea. There’s nonetheless the 100x Space Zoom, nevertheless it’s simpler to make use of. There continues to be the “big for the sake of being big” design, nevertheless it appears to be like far more interesting. And there’s nonetheless a excessive worth, however at $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) it prices $200 lower than the S20 Ultra within the US. The entire Galaxy S21 lineup is on the market to buy — this is how one can purchase one.If you need the very best specs and options, the S21 Ultra will undoubtedly appear interesting. The telephone can even entice digital camera nerds, because of the enhancements Samsung made to the cameras. And with the addition of S-Pen help — it is the primary Galaxy S telephone to make use of the stylus — the S21 Ultra will doubtless catch the attention of Galaxy Note customers searching for a distinct possibility. Read extra: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. S21 Plus vs. S21 Ultra

    LikeGorgeous phantom black finishTwo telephoto camerasThe display screen is spectacularS-Pen help

    Don’t LikeIt’s heavyLacks a microSD card slot$1,200 continues to be costly

    Last yr’s Ultra mannequin, then again, appeared prefer it got here out of nowhere. It was a telephone all about extra that, by sheer destiny, was launched at first of a world pandemic and recession. Its daring, behemoth tackle the Galaxy S line was undercut by its $1,400 (£1,199, AU$1,999) worth and points with its practically domino-sized digital camera system. Overall, the S21 Ultra is a serious replace each when it comes to {hardware} and software program options over the S20 Ultra. And if you consider a lower cost, all of it sort of is sensible.

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    We evaluate the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G and its bonkers cameras

    9:22

    The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the perfect black end I would not name the S21 Ultra’s design radically totally different, however my evaluate unit has the perfect black end I’ve ever seen on a telephone. It’s the stuff that goth goals are manufactured from. The colour is named phantom black, and if you see it in particular person you instantly perceive why Samsung made an almost 3-minute video explaining what went into making the blackest black. The S21 Ultra additionally is available in phantom silver and there are limited-edition phantom finishes in titanium, brown and navy, which may solely be discovered on Samsung’s web site. The digital camera bump is massive and melts into the edges of the telephone, that are shiny black. And whereas the common S21 and S21 Plus are snazzy of their two-tone colours, the all-black S21 Ultra appears to be like cool, elegant and badass all on the identical time. Read extra: Galaxy S21 drop check: It broke on the primary dropThe S21 Ultra is a bit heavier than final yr’s S20 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s the second heaviest telephone I’ve used previously yr, simply behind the Asus ROG Phone 3.

    The show is brighter and provides S-Pen help Around the entrance is among the most spectacular shows I’ve seen. It has a Wide Quad HD decision and a variable refresh price between 10 and 120Hz, which is set by what’s on the display screen. And simply to be clear, you’ll be able to have 120Hz and never take successful on decision just like the S20 Ultra did. The 6.8-inch show is vivid and the distinction is attractive. Covering the display screen, and the again. is Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus. Under the display screen is a bigger ultrasonic fingerprint reader which feels peppy. I had a tough time telling if it was truly quicker than the one on the S20 Ultra. The show additionally has S-Pen help. Support for the S-Pen means you’ll be able to draw, write, edit images and signal paperwork on the S21 Ultra.
    Sarah Tew/CNET
    I’ve all the time been tempted by the Galaxy Note line of telephones, however I wasn’t positive I’d use the S-Pen sufficient to justify getting one. But I just like the iPad Pro-Apple Pencil method Samsung took right here. Without an S-Pen, you will nonetheless take pleasure in utilizing the S21 Ultra. But when you’re S-Pen curious, you should buy a brand new one or discover an previous S-Pen. And there’s loads you are able to do, like draw, take notes and signal paperwork. I really like modifying images and making changes with the S-Pen. I ought to be aware there are a number of concerns. The S21 Ultra does not include an S-Pen and does not help Bluetooth or gesture performance. For instance, the S21 Ultra cannot ship you a notification when you depart your pen behind. Also the Ultra does not have a built-in slot to retailer an S-Pen, however Samsung might be promoting instances for it that embrace S-Pen storage.

    Discover the most recent information and greatest opinions in smartphones and carriers from CNET’s cell consultants.

    The S21 Ultra has 2 telephoto cameras The S21 Ultra’s digital camera system acquired a number of important updates. There are 4 rear cameras: one broad, one ultrawide and two telephoto cameras. The time-of-flight sensor is gone and instead there’s laser autofocus. The 108-megapixel sensor on the primary digital camera is new and it has higher autofocus for each images and movies. There’s even a brand new focus enhancer instrument that pops up onscreen to assist the telephone discover focus even quicker for images. The instrument appears to be like prefer it is likely to be switching to a wider view to take action. Read extra: S21 Ultra vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Pixel 5: Which telephone has the perfect night time mode?There are 4 rear cameras: broad, ultrawide and two telephotos.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    The dual-telephoto cameras are a primary on any telephone and add a number of advantages. One has 3x magnification and the opposite 10x. This means if you zoom in, there are two locations in your zoom vary the place the picture is not being cropped the place your picture could have higher picture high quality. Another profit is stability. The two cameras are paired collectively to assist make zooming in, even at 100x, simpler and extra regular. At 30x, a zoom information pops up that will help you discover the actual spot that you just’re zoomed in at. You can lock it so it does not transfer, which turns the information yellow. This works properly. Obviously you continue to must watch out to not transfer the digital camera round an excessive amount of, nevertheless it’s much less finicky and irritating than the S20 Ultra.
    Photos from the S21 Ultra are glorious, with good element and a large dynamic vary. There is a 108-megapixel mode, however I discovered the 12-megapixel images coming from pixel binning look constantly nice.Below are a number of images I took with the S21 Ultra. I took this with the primary digital camera set to 12 megapixels, which makes use of pixel binning to mix 9 pixels into one.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    One good thing about pixel binning is that it might carry out the small print in a photograph. Notice the totally different textures and particulars.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    I used single-take mode within the digital camera app to seize images and movies of this cute little canine. Here’s one of many photos my S21 Ultra selected.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    There’s a lot for the S21 Ultra to seize appropriately right here: The barren tree branches, the water and the white fluffy clouds within the blue sky.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    Here are three totally different images I took from the very same spot utilizing the broad 1x digital camera (left), the 3x telephoto digital camera (center) and the 10x telephoto digital camera (proper).
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    In low mild, night time mode is excellent. Flaring on the lens is minimized and images look vivid with out a bunch of picture noise or noise-reduction smearing. Below are a number of night time mode images I took: This was taken with night time mode and is likely to be my favourite picture of the bunch.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    Here’s one other night time mode seize. I like how the S21 Ultra introduced the colours within the sculpture out.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    You can use night time mode on any digital camera. I took this shot with the ultrawide digital camera in night time mode.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    For selfies there’s the identical 40-megapixel digital camera because the S20 Ultra. But you now have an possibility to alter the colour tone to both vivid or pure which is superb. Here is a selfie I took with the pure setting.
    Patrick Holland/CNET
    Samsung additionally added the flexibility to take uncooked 12-bit colour images. And there is a new video characteristic referred to as Director’s View, which supplies you a thumbnail preview of the video feeds coming from the entire cameras on the telephones. As you document, you’ll be able to swap between them. Within Director’s View there is a vlogger setup that provides you a side-by-side video view or a stacked one when you’re taking pictures vertically. This means you’ll be able to document your self with the selfie digital camera and present what you are seeing or reacting to from any of the rear cameras. On paper, Director’s View appeared like one thing I’d strive as soon as however not likely use. But after a while utilizing it, I can undoubtedly see some folks being into this characteristic. If there’s a draw back to Director’s View it is that the ultimate video is saved in HD as a substitute of 4K or 8K. I’d like to see this thumbnail preview interface when recording a daily 4K video.
    I’m excited to pit the S21 Ultra and its cameras towards the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Google Pixel 5. Each telephone takes a distinct method to images and every will enchantment to totally different folks. S21 Ultra has a Snapdragon 888 chip and 12 or 16GB of RAM Powering the S21 Ultra is the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, together with 12GB of RAM, or 16GB in the most costly mannequin with 512GB of storage (see the chart beneath for costs). In my benchmark checks, the S21 Ultra scored higher than final yr’s S20 Ultra. And in use, it dealt with the whole lot I threw at it, even taking part in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate video games on it. Supplying juice to the telephone is a 5,000-mAh battery. I’ve simply been averaging a day and a half on a single cost. That mentioned, I nonetheless have quite a lot of battery checks to place the S21 Ultra by way of. Please examine again to this evaluate for updates. You can use the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate app to play Xbox video games in your S21 Ultra.
    Sarah Tew/CNET
    Below are the outcomes of my benchmark checks for the S21 Ultra. 3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

    Note:
    Longer bars point out higher efficiency

    Geekbench v.5.0 single-core

    Note:
    Longer bars point out higher efficiency

    Geekbench v.5.0 multicore

    Note:
    Longer bars point out higher efficiency

    Android 11 and 5G helpThe Galaxy S21 Ultra runs Android 11 with Samsung’s OneUI 3.1 high layer. And I prefer it loads. I can now default to Google Pay or Google Discover News feed, as a substitute of Samsung’s variations. The search for the whole lot from settings to pop-up home windows is clear and modern. And with a telephone this large, OneUI helps make it simpler to make use of one-handed. Last, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 5G and helps each sub-6 and mmWave flavors of 5G. You should not get the Ultra for its 5G. But as 5G networks get higher, so will your 5G speeds and connection. And then we’ll actually have one thing to speak about. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specs vs. Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Note 20

    Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

    Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

    Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

    Samsung Galaxy Note 20

    Display dimension, decision

    6.8-inch AMOLED 2X, 3,200×1,440 pixels

    6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X

    6.9-inch; 3,088×1,440 pixels

    6.7-inch; 2,400×1,080 pixels

    Pixel density

    515 ppi

    511ppi

    496ppi

    393ppi

    Dimensions (Inches)

    2.97×6.5×0.35 in

    2.99×6.57×0.35 in

    6.49×3.04×0.31 in

    6.36×2.96×0.33 in

    Dimensions (Millimeters)

    75.6×165.1×8.9mm

    76.0×166.9×8.8mm

    164.8×77.2×8.1mm

    161.6×75.2×8.3 mm

    Weight (Ounces, Grams)

    8.07 oz; 229g

    7.76 oz; 220g

    7.33 oz, 208g

    6.84 oz, 194g

    Mobile software program

    Android 11

    Android 10

    Android 10

    Android 10

    Camera

    108-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 10-megapixel (10x telephoto)

    108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), time-of-flight digital camera

    12-megapixel (ultrawide), 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)

    12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (broad angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto)

    Front-facing digital camera

    40-megapixel

    40-megapixel

    10-megapixel

    10-megapixel

    Video seize

    8K

    8K

    8K

    8K

    Processor

    Snapdragon 888

    Snapdragon 865 Plus

    Snapdragon 865 Plus

    Snapdragon 865 Plus

    Storage

    128GB, 256GB, 512GB

    128GB, 512GB

    128GB, 512GB

    128GB

    RAM

    12GB, 16GB

    12GB, 16GB

    12GB

    8GB

    Expandable storage

    No

    Up to 1TB

    Up to 1TB

    No

    Battery

    5,000 mAh

    5,000 mAh

    4,500 mAh

    4,300 mAh

    Fingerprint sensor

    In-screen

    In-screen

    In-screen

    In-screen

    Headphone jack

    No

    No

    No

    No

    Special options

    IP68 ranking, 5G-enabled, 100x Space Zoom, 10W wi-fi charging, 10x optical zoom

    5G enabled; 120Hz refresh price; 100x zoom; water-resistant (IP68)

    120Hz display screen refresh price, 5x optical zoom, 120Hz show; UWB sharing, S Pen stylus; 5G connectivity; Wireless PowerShare; water-resistant (IP68)

    S Pen stylus; 5G connectivity; Wireless PowerShare; water-resistant (IP68)

    Price off-contract (USD)

    $1,200 (128GB), $1,250 (256GB), $1,380 (512GB)

    $1,399 (128GB), $1,599 (512GB)

    $1,300 (128GB), $1,450 (512GB)

    $1,000

    Price (GBP)

    £1,149 (128GB), £1,199 (256GB), £1,329 (512GB)

    £1,199 (128GB), £1,399 (512GB)

    £1,179

    £849 (4G) and £949 (5G)

    Price (AUD)

    AU$1,849 (128GB), AU$1,949 (256GB), AU$2,149 (512GB)

    AU$1,999 (128GB), AU$2,249 (512GB)

    AU$1,849 (4G) and $AU$1,999 (5G)

    AU$1,499 (4G) and AU$1,649 (5G)

    First printed Jan. 21.

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