Samsung unveils the Galaxy S21 Ultra at Unpacked 2021

Along with the Galaxy S21 and S21+, Samsung has also revealed the high-end version of its flagship smartphone, the S21 Ultra.

First and foremost, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is available in ‘Phantom Black’ and ‘Phantom Silver’ (colours are important, okay?). The 128GB variant of the handset costs $1,649.99, the 256GB variant is priced at $1,719.99 and lastly, the 512GB variant that’s only available in Phantom Black, costs $1,889.

Unlike the S21 and S21+, the S21 Ultra features very few compromises and is similar to the S20 Ultra in several ways. This includes the same 5,000mAh battery, WQHD+ display and compatibility with the Note’s and Tab’s S Pen stylus. However, it’s worth noting that the S Pen is available separately and those interested will need to buy one or use the stylus from another Samsung device they already purchased.

Samsung Canada says it has plans to sell the S20 Ultra Case S Pen case and stylus together as a package. That said, it’s unclear when the accessory will be available or how much it will cost. Further, the S20 Ultra won’t be compatible with Bluetooth specific S Pen features like ‘Air Gestures.’

One of the most notable upgrades to the smartphone is its adaptive 120Hz refresh display that works when the handset is set to the higher WQHD+ resolution. No previous Samsung device has offered this functionality.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Display

6.8-inch Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 1,440 x 3,200 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz display, HDR10+

6.9-inch Curved Dynamic AMOLED, 3,200 x 1,440 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz display

Processor

Snapdragon 888

Snapdragon 865

RAM

12GB of RAM, 16GB of RAM

12GB of RAM, 16GB of RAM

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 512GB

Dimensions

165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm

167 x 76 x 8.8mm

Weight

228g

221g

Rear Facing Camera

108-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS wide) + 10-megapixel (f/4.9, 10x zoom, OIS), 10-megapixel (f/2.4, 3x zoom, OIS)+ 12-megapixel (f/2.2, 120-degree FOV, ultrawide)

108-megapixel (wide) + 48-megapixel (telephoto) + 12-megapixel (ultra-wide angle) + TOF depth sensor

Front Facing Camera

40-megapixel (f/2.2)

40-megapixel

OS

Android 11, One UI 3.1

Android 10

Battery

5,000mAh

5,000mAh

Network Connectivity

GSM/HSPA/LTE/5G

GSM/HSPA/LTE/5G

Sensors

Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass

Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass

SIM Type

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Launch Date

January 14, 2021

March 6, 2020

Misc

Colours: Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, 120Hz @ WQHD+, S Pen compatibility, ultra wideband

Colours: Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black | 120Hz display, 240Hz touch sample rate

Other specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB or 16GB of RAM and either 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage.

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra will be available at Samsung Experience Stores and participating carriers on January 29th. Pre-orders for the smartphone are available on January 14th. If you pre-order this device, you’ll also get a free Galaxy Buds Pro and a Galaxy SmartTag. The Samsung Experience Store also offers custom colours like Phantom Brown, Phantom Navy and Phantom Titanium.

For more on the Galaxy S21 and S21+, follow this link.