Fresh design with Gorilla Glass 7 in front and back; huge 10x optical zoom cam; great battery life; brilliant high-refresh rate display; bigger and faster fingerprint sensor; built-in stylus support

Base storage a bit low; 4K and 8K video sometimes looks oversharpened; no more microSD card slot; still no headphone jack; not cheap

It's big, powerful and very capable. If you're after the very best Samsung Galaxy S21 model and money is no object, the Ultra is the one for you. It's a big upgrade over the S20 Ultra, fixing the focus issues and improving battery life.

Great screen thanks to WQHD+ and 120Hz; Much-improved design with an attractive finish; Far more versatile camera than the iPhone 12 Pro Max

Expensive; with many cheaper phones offering the same features; Big and heavy; No charger included

An Android that earns its “ultra” title with an incredible camera array allowing you to capture moments other phones will simply miss

Awesome camera zoom capability; Smooth; ultra-bright screen; Supports the S-Pen like a Galaxy Note

No charger: a cheap move; Some alternatives last longer between charges; UK Exynos version not as powerful as upcoming Snapdragon phones

Samsung shifted its annual Galaxy S series launch about a month to the left this year, and given the challenges we all faced in 2020, it is nice to see 2021 start off with some fresh phones from Samsung with a significant price drop.

Lovely design with matte finish back; 5G support for all bands; Advanced multiple cameras; S Pen support; Competive pricing; High end internal specifications

No MST support

It was always going to be tough for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to follow the fantastic phone that is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, at least as far as the experience is concerned. Yet, Samsung clearly has taken pains to find those specific points on the spec sheet, which needed an upgrade.

The S21 Ultra is a good phone for those who want an Android flagship that does everything and does everything better than everyone else. It is also a phone for those who need a camera that can capture those great selfies as well as the tiger in the bush during a Ranthambore safari.

Samsung has addressed many of the pain points that last year’s S series Ultra model had and made key improvements to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to refine the overall experience. There are also a ton of value-added features that make it a more well-rounded device.

In many ways, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a by-the-book upgrade — it’s faster, its cameras are more polished, and its software is a little cleaner. Calling it a thrill would be a stretch.

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra is more affordable than last year’s flagship, has more cameras, and adds an S Pen: on paper, at least, what’s not to love? Setting the bar for smartphones in 2021, the daddy of the currently three-strong Galaxy S21 family promises more of that monstrously effective Samsung...

Fantastic 120Hz display makes no resolution compromise; 108MP camera is capable of great photos; More affordable than last year's flagship phone; Potent performance and long battery life; S Pen functionality is a welcome addition from Galaxy Note

No microSD; no Samsung Pay MST; and slower charging than the S20 Ultra; 100x Space Zoom still feels like a gimmick; S Pen implementation feels half-hearted

Samsung’s “Ultra” phones are meant to be the absolute pinnacle of the company’s (non-folding) mobile technology. And so the Galaxy S21 Ultra — the third Ultra phone after the S20 and Note 20 Ultras — spares very few expenses.

Excellent camera system; Beautiful screen with high refresh rate; Great battery life

Ads in Samsung software; No expandable storage; Bixby