Product Reviews
Samsung Galaxy S21 buyer’s guide: Everything you need to know
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series represents the latest-and-greatest from the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer. Last year, Samsung tried to mostly appeal just to the ultra-premium buyer, but the Galaxy S21 series is a bit more well-rounded.
That being said, there are still three models in the line and each one has different pros and cons. Don’t worry, though: we’re here to help you navigate the series and find the phone that’s best for you (and your wallet). We’ve compiled all the info you could ever want to know about the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Editor’s note: This Samsung Galaxy S21 buyer’s guide is current as of January 2021. We will update it with new content regularly.
Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra at a glance
Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 series on January 14, 2021. That’s a much earlier date than usual for a Galaxy S launch. This is perhaps partly because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Pre-orders for the three phones in the series opened on January 14, and the devices hit store shelves on Friday, January 29, 2021, in the US and across Europe.
If you want the most powerful phone in the series, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is for you. It comes with the largest display at 6.8-inches, the biggest battery at 5,000mAh, and the best camera setup with a primary 108MP sensor. It also comes with as much as 16GB of RAM. However, it’s also the most expensive with a starting price of $1,199 (€1,249/£1,149).
The Galaxy S21 Plus is the middle child. It features a slightly smaller 6.7-inch display and a 4,800mAh battery. It has three rear cameras instead of five and only 8GB of RAM. However, because you’re losing out on some of those high-end features, the entry-level price comes down significantly to $999 (€1,049/£949).
Finally, the vanilla Galaxy S21 is the smallest and weakest of the three. On the plus side, you do get a more palm-friendly 6.2-inch display and basically the same specs as the Galaxy S21 Plus. You do need to sacrifice battery capacity by a bit, though, as the Galaxy S21 only has a 4,000mAh cell. The rear is also made out of “Glasstic” rather than true glass. Your wallet will be happy, however, because the starting price of the phone is just $799 (€849/£769).
Are the Galaxy S21 phones worth buying?
Like clockwork, a Galaxy S phone always ends up in the running for one of the best phones in the year of its launch. Objectively, there won’t be many phones launched in 2021 that will offer the speed, power, and reliability of a Galaxy S21 smartphone.
If all you do with your smartphone is browse the web, answer email, check Instagram, and send a few texts, any of these Galaxy S21 phones will be overkill. You may be better off saving a ton of cash and grabbing a budget Android phone, which will do everything you need without issue. It’s a different story for power users, people who absolutely need 5G access, and those buyers for whom price isn’t a barrier.
People who use their phones for processer-intensive tasks and have a need for the best-of-the-best would likely benefit from owning a Galaxy S21 phone. The phones all feature the latest flagship silicon (the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 in certain countries and the Exynos 2100 everywhere else). They also have plenty of RAM and internal storage space which power users will no doubt appreciate.
If you’re a shutterbug, the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup all capture some great images. The second-gen 108MP sensor on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, in particular, is a powerhouse for both stills and videos. That being said, it’s become quite rare for Samsung to beat out other players for the best camera of the year. Check out our 2020 roundup for more info.
"Phones in the Galaxy S series have always been a rock-solid investment for power users."
Also, do keep in mind that Samsung has committed to eventually launching more Fan Edition models of its flagships following the success of the Galaxy S20 FE — the device that walked away with Android Authority‘s 2020 Editor’s Choice award. The seemingly inevitable Galaxy S21 FE will probably offer many of the core specs of the Galaxy S21 phones but with a price that’s hundreds-of-dollars less. If you want to save some cash and can wait until the summer for a new phone, you might want to hold for the Galaxy S21 FE.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series specs
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD+ 2,400 x 1,080 at 421ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified | 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD+ 2,400 x 1,080 at 394ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED Curved WQHD+ 3,200 x 1,440 at 515ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 12 or 16GB |
| Storage | 128 or 256GB | 128 or 256GB | 128, 256, or 512GB |
| MicroSD | No | No | No |
| Battery | 4,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging | 4,800mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging | 5,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging |
| Cameras | Rear: - Wide-angle: 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF - Telephoto: 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF - Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with 120-degree FoV 3x hybrid optical/digital zoom 30x "Space Zoom" Front: - 10MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.22µm, with dual-pixel AF | Rear: - Wide-angle: 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF - Telephoto: 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF - Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with 120-degree FoV 3x hybrid optical/digital zoom 30x "Space Zoom" Front: - 10MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.22µm, with dual-pixel AF | Rear: - Wide-angle: 108MP, ƒ/1.8, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF - Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/2.4, 1.22µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF, and 3x optical zoom - Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/4.9, 1.22µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF, and 10x optical zoom - Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with dual-pixel AF and a 120-degree FoV - Laser AF sensor 10x optical zoom 100x "Space Zoom" Front: - 40MP, ƒ/2.2, 0.7µm, with phase-detection AF |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support Bluetooth 5.0 | 4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support Bluetooth 5.0 | 4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support Bluetooth 5.2 |
| S Pen support | No | No | Yes |
| Operating System | One UI 3.1 Android 11 | One UI 3.1 Android 11 | One UI 3.1 Android 11 |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Security | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock |
| Color | 128GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White 256GB only in Phantom Gray Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red | 128GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Black 256GB only in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red | 128 GB in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black 256 and 512GB in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown |
| Dimensions and weight | 71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9mm 171g | 75.6 x 161.5 x 7.8mm 202g | 75.6 x 165.1 x 8.9mm 229g |
What AA readers think of the Galaxy S21 phones
Since the Samsung Galaxy S21 series is so new, we don’t have a ton of user-generated data on them yet. However, we do have one chart that might be of interest to prospective buyers.
In October of last year, we saw our first leaked renders of the Galaxy S21 phones. We ran a poll asking our readers what they thought of those designs. Check out the results below:
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