Samsung Galaxy S21 (PREVIEW): New design and improvements everywhere you look
• Author: Editorial staff
The year 2021 has only just begun and the first flagship mobile phone has already arrived. Well, actually there are three new models in the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S21 series. The South Korean giant unveiled the Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and S21 Ultra 5G at their traditional Galaxy Unpacked event, which took place completely online this year. Samsung has also prepared new Galaxy Buds Pro earphones and the Galaxy SmartTag location tracker. So, what about the new offer? When will they be available and how much will they cost?
Samsung Galaxy S21 (PREVIEW) - CONTENTS
- The Galaxy S21 series features three new models
- Galaxy S21 - new camera housing design
- The Galaxy S21 Ultra gets a fractionally smaller display
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has six cameras
- Will the new Samsung S21 be top of the performance charts?
- Samsung Galaxy S21 - price and availability
- Samsung Galaxy S21 series - Table of parameters
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and SmartTag
The Galaxy S21 series features three new models
It wasn't so long ago that Samsung added the S20 FE model to its flagship Samsung Galaxy S20 range, and now the brand new Samsung Galaxy S21 series here. As was the case with last year's launch, Samsung has released three new phones— the Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and the S21 Ultra 5G.
The main differences from last year's models include the display, camera and battery. However, there is one stand-out feature with the Galaxy S21 Ultra—it is the first-ever S-series smartphone that supports the S Pen, which is sold for Galaxy Note phones and Samsung tablets. Unlike these series, the S Pen does not come as part of the package, so if you want to use the S Pen with the S21 Ultra, you have to buy it separately.
Galaxy S21—new camera housing design
The design of the Galaxy S phones, unlike competing iPhones, has changed regularly over the years, and this year will be no exception. The biggest design change in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series is the "Contour Cut" camera housing. This creates a relatively innovative design element, which the Korean manufacturer is counting on to make this year's phones a success.
With regards to the front of the phones, as expected, not much is happening. Again, we see large displays with a small cutout in the middle. The entire trio has passed the IP68 certification test, so users can once again look forward to excellent endurance in dusty environments and significant protection from water.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra gets a fractionally smaller display
While the last Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra model came with a huge 6.9" diagonal, this year Samsung will not continue the trend of ever-larger displays. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a slightly smaller diagonal of 6.8". The screens of the other models remain at the same sizes as the models from 2020—the S21 has a 6.2" display and the middle S21+ has a 6.7" screen. There is also a difference in the design of displays. While the Ultra model has a curved display, the S21 and S21+'s screens are flat.
It is no surprise to discover that the S21 Ultra 5G has the superior display. It is the only model with WQHD+ resolution (3200×1440p), which ensures a significantly higher ppi value (pixels per inch). In hard numbers, the S21 Ultra 5G boasts 515 ppi compared to its siblings' 421 ppi. This results in sharper and easier-to-read images.
All three phones boast an AMOLED panel with a dynamic refresh rate, which we know from the Note 20 Ultra. The frequency range is 48-120Hz for the S21 and S21, and even 10-120Hz for the Ultra model. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is slightly more battery-friendly for less demanding tasks.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has six cameras
The camera hardware of the S21 and S21+ models does not differ much from the S20 series on paper. After all, the triple camera housing looks great, so why change a winning team? Once again you can get snap happy on a main 12Mpx camera backed up by a wide-angle lens, and a 64Mpx telephoto zoom sensor.
However, when we examine the Ultra model's photo equipment, we can see some significant changes. Like the S20 Ultra, the 2021 edition receives a 108Mpx main sensor and, as with the rest of the series, a 12Mpx wide-angle lens. The changes are coming with telephoto lenses—yes, that's right, there are two of them. The first 10Mpx sensor offers 3× optical zoom while the second camera, also 10Mpx, is a 10× periscope camera, which Samsung first used in the S20 Ultra. The 10× digital zoom and 10× optical zoom work together to enable Samsung's 100× Space Zoom. The Time of Flight (ToF) is concealed behind the last lens.
As for the front cameras, you may have heard of the new technology that Samsung came up with. We are talking about cameras hidden directly under the display, so the phones don't have to concern themselves with design cutouts, sliding cameras, etc. Unfortunately, Samsung did not have time to develop these cameras for the S21 series, so we will have to settle for a cut in the middle, perhaps for the last time. Like last year, the S21 Ultra has a 40Mpx sensor at the front. Samsung gave the rest of the series a more modest 10Mpx camera.
Will the new Samsung S21 be top of the performance charts?
As you probably know, in most cases, Samsung uses Qualcomm Snapdragon processors only in the US and implements its Exynos processors in global versions. The Exynos chipsets always lagged slightly behind the Snapdragons, which was a shame. And when it looked like Exynos was finally going to push ahead, disappointment came. The latest Exynos 2100 was supposed to surpass the latest Snapdragon 888. However, the latest benchmarks show the opposite—still a final verdict will not be reached until after the reviews. In any case, the Exynos 2100 is a high-performance processor with 5G support and differs only marginally from the Snapdragon 888. This means that a regular user is unlikely to notice any difference.
Of course, there are other key parameters, such as the battery and storage. The battery gets bigger as you go through the series. The S21 receives a battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh, the S21+ comes with 4800 mAh, and the Ultra packs 5000mAh. Of course, there is also fast charging, specifically 25W via cable and 15W wirelessly. All models support reverse charging.
In terms of storage, the basic model and S21+ come with 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of internal storage. With the S21 Ultra, the manufacturer went to the maximum. Variants with 12GB RAM and 128 or 256GB memory are available. The most demanding users can look forward to a model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage.
Samsung Galaxy S21 - price and availability
All phones from the Samsung Galaxy S21 series are on sale and the price tags are similar to the previous series. They are as follows:
- Price Samsung Galaxy S21 5G - from 784.90 GBP
- Price Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G - from 976.90 GBP
- Price Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G - from 1,168.90 GBP
Samsung Galaxy S21 series - table of parameters
The parameters of all Galaxy S21 phones are summarised in the table.
| Parameter/Model | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
Samsung Galaxy S21+ |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.2" – straight |
6.7"- straight |
6.8" - curved |
| 2400×1080p (421ppi) |
2400×1080p (421ppi) |
3200×1440p (515ppi) | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 48-120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 48-120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 10-120Hz | |
| Rear cameras | main: 12Mpx, f 18, OIS |
main: 12Mpx, f/1.8, OIS |
main: 108Mpx, f/1.8, OIS, laser focus |
| widescreen: 12Mpx, f/2.2, 120° |
widescreen: 12Mpx, f/2.2, 120° |
widescreen: 12Mpx, f/2.2, 120° | |
| telephoto lens: 64Mpx, f/2.0, 3× hybrid zoom |
telephoto lens: 64Mpx, f/2.0, 3× hybrid zoom |
telephoto lens: 10Mpx, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS | |
| - | - | telephoto lens: 10Mpx, f/4.9, 10× hybrid zoom, OIS | |
| - | - | ToF sensor | |
| Front camera | 10Mpx, f/2.2 |
10Mpx, f/2.2 |
40Mpx, f/2.2 |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G78 | ARM Mali-G78 | ARM Mali-G78 |
| RAM | 8GB |
8GB |
12/16GB |
| Internal storage | 128/256 GB |
128/256GB |
128/256/512GB |
| Operating system | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 11 |
| 5G support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Battery | 4000mAh | 4800mAh | 5000mAh |
| fast charging/wireless charging: 25W/15W | fast charging/wireless charging: 25W/15W | fast charging/wireless charging: 25W/15W | |
| USB-C | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.5mm jack | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| IP Protection | IP68 |
IP68 |
IP68 |
| Audio | stereo, Dolby Atmos |
stereo, Dolby Atmos |
stereo, Dolby Atmos |
| Dimensions | 151.7 × 71.2 × 7.9mm | 161.4 × 75.6 × 7.8mm |
165.1 × 75.6 × 8.9mm |
| Weight | 171g | 202g |
228g |
| Price | from 784.90 GBP |
from 976.90 GBP |
from 1,168.90 GBP |
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and SmartTag
At the Galaxy Unpacked event, we witnessed not only the new Samsung flagship phones, but also accessories in the form of new earphones and a label that will let you know the location of your belongings.
According to the manufacturer, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are a new generation of earphones. The two-way speakers are accompanied by adjustable ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) technology. The Buds Pro last for up to eight hours from a single charge (20 hours in their charging case) and can survive underwater at a depth of one metre for 30 minutes. You can read more about Buds Pro in the article Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro headphones offer ANC, flash charging and great sound.
An interesting new product is the Galaxy SmartTag. This is a device that you can attach to items you need and lose on a regular basis, such as keys, your wallet or handbag. The Galaxy SmartTag works with Bluetooth to continuously display the SmartTag's position. You can read more in the article Samsung Galaxy SmartTag will help you find lost things.
The new Samsung Galaxy S21 series looks very powerful. Top-class performance, excellent cameras on paper, and an unobtrusive design that will undoubtedly captivate many customers. Moreover, the price is the same as last year, so we expect this series to be highly popular.
Samsung Galaxy S21 SamsungA little recap ...
The Galaxy S21 series consists of the three usual models
As in the case of the S20 series, we will see three models—Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra. The main differences include the display, camera and batteries. However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra model will probably offer one new feature—the S Pen, which is sold for Galaxy Note phones and Samsung tablets. Unlike this series, however, we will not find S Pen alongside the phone or in the package. You will need to buy it separately.
A new camera housing design
Since Samsung has already released official images of all S21 phones, we already know what they will look like. And it is clear to see that the design will play an interesting role in the Samsung Galaxy S21. In previous models, we saw that the metal frame was reaching for the control buttons. This year it got to the cameras. This creates a relatively innovative design element, which the Korean manufacturer is hoping will be this year's unique selling point. Not a lot has changed with the fronts of the devices. Again large displays with a small cutout in the middle.
The material can be a bit disappointing. In addition to the metal frame, the S21 model—the cheapest of the three—should have a plastic back. Judging by the Note 20 series, it is possible that we can find plastic in the S21+ as well, but still, we wait to see. In the case of the S21 Ultra model, it will be glass. It should be noted that the plastic material that Samsung uses on the backs of its smartphones is pleasant to hold and has been welcomed quite warmly by the community in the past.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra gets a marginally smaller display
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra came with a huge 6.9" display, but this year it looks like Samsung will not continue the trend of ever-increasing screen sizes. According to leaks, the Galaxy S21 Ultra should have a slightly smaller 6.8" diagonal. The screens of other models should remain at the same sizes as the 2020 models. The basic S21 will therefore have a 6.2" display and the S21+ will have 6.7".
We also know that, unsurprisingly, the Ultra will have the superior display. It is the only phone in the series with WQHD+ resolution (3200×1440p) and it should be the only one to have an adaptive 120Hz display, which we've seen on the Note 20 Ultra. But the other two models will not be bad either. They will go into battle for customers with classic 120Hz displays and Full HD+ resolution.
Cameras Unchanged on the S21 and S21+ while the Ultra boasts six cameras
The photographic equipment of the S21 and S21+ models should be similar to the S20 series. After all, the triple camera works great, so why change your favourite recipe? Once again you can get snap happy on a main 12Mpx camera backed up by a wide-angle lens, and a 64Mpx telephoto zoom sensor.
However, when we examine the Ultra model's photo equipment, we can see some significant changes. Like the S20 Ultra, the 2021 edition receives a 108Mpx main sensor and, as with the rest of the series, a 12Mpx wide-angle lens. The changes are coming with telephoto lenses—yes, that's right, there are two of them. The first 10Mpx sensor offers 3× optical zoom while the second camera, also 10Mpx, is a 10× periscope camera, which Samsung first used in the S20 Ultra. The 10× digital zoom and 10× optical zoom work together to enable Samsung's 100× Space Zoom. The Time of Flight (ToF) is concealed behind the last lens.
As for the front cameras, you may have heard of the new technology that Samsung came up with. We are talking about cameras hidden directly under the display, so the phones don't have to concern themselves with design cutouts, sliding cameras, etc. Unfortunately, Samsung did not have time to develop these cameras for the S21 series, so we will have to settle for a cut in the middle, perhaps for the last time. Like last year, the S21 Ultra has a 40Mpx sensor at the front. For the rest of the series, the parameters are still unknown
Will the new Samsung S21 dominate the performance charts?
As you probably know, in most cases, Samsung uses Qualcomm Snapdragon processors only in the US and implements its Exynos processors in global versions. The Exynos chipsets always lagged slightly behind the Snapdragons, which was a shame. And when it looked like Exynos was finally going to push ahead, disappointment came. The latest Exynos 2100 was supposed to surpass the latest Snapdragon 888. However, the latest benchmarks show the opposite—still a final verdict will not be reached until after the reviews. All three models will come with either a Snapdragon 88 or Exynos 2100. We expect that the latter will be inside phones sent to the Czech Republic
The final info we have is on the battery and storage. The battery gets bigger as you go through the series. The S21 receives a battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh, the S21+ comes with 4800 mAh, and the Ultra packs 5000mAh. Of course, there is also fast charging, specifically 25W via cable and 15W wirelessly. In terms of storage, the Ultra variant should offer 12GB of RAM and 128, 256 or 512GB of storage. Other models should be 8/128GB and 8/256GB.
Samsung Galaxy S21 - price and availability
Although 2020's flagship models were released on February 11, the Galaxy S21 series will probably come a little earlier. Samsung allegedly started production two months earlier than usual. Even leaker Jon Prosser says that we should look forward to getting our hands on the phones sooner. Announcements and pre-orders should arrive on January 14, followed by a launch two weeks later on January 29. Base prices should be around 22000 CZK for the S21, 27000 CZK for S21+, and 36000CZK for the S21 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series - table of parameters
The parameters of all Galaxy S21 phones are summarised in the table.
| Parameter/Model | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
Samsung Galaxy S21+ |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.2" – straight |
6.7"- straight |
6.8" - curved |
| 2400×1080p (421ppi) |
2400×1080p (421ppi) |
3200×1440p (515ppi) | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 48-120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 48-120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 10-120Hz | |
| Rear cameras | main: 12Mpx, f 18, OIS |
main: 12Mpx, f/1.8, OIS |
main: 108Mpx, f/1.8, OIS, laser focus |
| widescreen: 12Mpx, f/2.2, 120° |
widescreen: 12Mpx, f/2.2, 120° |
widescreen: 12Mpx, f/2.2, 120° | |
| telephoto lens: 64Mpx, f/2.0, 3× hybrid zoom |
telephoto lens: 64Mpx, f/2.0, 3× hybrid zoom |
telephoto lens: 10Mpx, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS | |
| - | - | telephoto lens: 10Mpx, f/4.9, 10× hybrid zoom, OIS | |
| - | - | ToF sensor | |
| Front camera | 10Mpx, f/2.2 |
10Mpx, f/2.2 |
40Mpx, f/2.2 |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G78 | ARM Mali-G78 | ARM Mali-G78 |
| RAM | 8GB |
8GB |
12/16GB |
| Internal storage | 128/256 GB |
128/256GB |
128/256/512GB |
| Operating system | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 11 |
| 5G support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Battery | 4000mAh | 4800mAh | 5000mAh |
| fast charging/wireless charging: 25W/15W | fast charging/wireless charging: 25W/15W | fast charging/wireless charging: 25W/15W | |
| USB-C | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.5mm jack | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| IP Protection | IP68 |
IP68 |
IP68 |
| Audio | stereo, Dolby Atmos |
stereo, Dolby Atmos |
stereo, Dolby Atmos |
| Dimensions | 151.7 × 71.2 × 7.9mm | 161.4 × 75.6 × 7.8mm |
165.1 × 75.6 × 8.9mm |
| Weight | 171g | 202g |
228g |
| Price | from 22499 CZK |
from 27999 CZK |
from 33499 CZK |
- Samsung Galaxy S20 (PREVIEW): a beast with breathtaking parameters
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G (REVIEWS): top equipment in a luxurious body
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (PREVIEW): beautiful lid with a flexible display
- Apple iPhone 12 (PREVIEW): four models, new design and 5G
- OnePlus 8T (PREVIEW): improved display, camera and friendly price
- The most powerful mobile phones 2020
- The best phones
- The best photo cars
- OnePlus Nord (REVIEWS): Powerful elegant with 5G crushes middle class
- Realme 7 and 7 Pro have lightning-fast charging and nice performance, the price is competitive
- Xiaomi Mi 10T (PREVIEW): 3 powerful models in an elegant jacket
- More articles in the Mobiles category
The new Samsung Galaxy S21 series still looks exceptionally strong. Top-quality performance, a very good camera(on paper) and an unobtrusive design will surely captivate many customers. In addition to unknown parameters, the final price tag will also be decisive.
Samsung phones Mobile phones