Drew Evans/CNET
Samsung’s trio of phones that make up its flagship S21 lineup have arrived — and the higher-end S21 Plus and S21 Ultra come packed with all the trappings you’d expect from a premium Android phone. All three are available to preorder now, and will ship on Jan. 29.
If you’re in the market for something fancier than the base model, it’s probably a good time to take a closer look at how Samsung’s pro phones, the S21 Plus and the S21 Ultra, compare with each other, and how they differ from their predecessors.
The standout change to the S21 is the price tag. Following lackluster sales of the S20 family, the South Korean company slashed prices by $200 across the S21 line, with the S21 Plus and S21 Ultra starting at $1,000 (£949, AU$ 1,549) and $1,200 (£1,329, AU$1,849) respectively.
The S21 Pro and S21 Ultra also have the expected incremental upgrades working in their favor: Processors are speedier, the displays have been upgraded and the cameras have been improved to take crisper photos and videos. The S21 Ultra now also supports Samsung’s stylus, the S Pen (sold separately), which blurs the line between the S series and the more professional Note series.
Watch this:
We unbox and go hands-on with the Galaxy S21 and S21…
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Samsung has also packed some refinements into the S21 Ultra’s camera system, but it hasn’t updated headline features such as 8K resolution and the phone’s 108-megapixel shooter. If you’re an avid photographer, you’ll likely care that the S21 Ultra comes equipped with two telephoto lenses (as opposed to one in the S20 Ultra) that offer 3x and 10x optical zoom, instead of digital zoom. Plus the main image sensor is apparently larger, which will allow it to capture photographs with improved dynamic range.
It’s also important to highlight the features Samsung removed to allow it to start at those lower prices. Because Samsung slashed prices of all three of S21 phones, it needed to save on costs by eliminating expandable storage entirely and ditching the in-box charger and earphones. The pricier S20 Pro and Ultra meanwhile, let you add up to 1TB storage and include those bundled accessories.
For more details on the differences between the S21 Ultra, S21 Pro, S20 Ultra and S20 Pro, take a look at our specs chart below.
Galaxy S21 Pro vs. S21 Ultra vs. S20 Pro vs. S20 Ultra
| Galaxy S21 Plus | Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.7-inch Flat FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2,400×1,080 pixels) | 6.8-inch Edge WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (3,200×1,440 pixels), | 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Pixel density | 394 ppi | 515 ppi | 525ppi | 511ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 2.97×6.35×0.30 in | 2.97×6.50×0.35 in | 2.9×6.37×0.30 in | 2.99×6.57×0.35 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 75.6×161.5×7.8 mm | 75.6×165.1×8.9 mm | 73.7×161.9×7.8 mm | 76.0×166.9×8.8 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 7.12 oz; 202g | 8.07 oz; 229 g | 6.56 oz; 186g | 7.76 oz; 220g |
| Mobile software | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Camera | 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide) | 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 10-megapixel (telephoto), 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera | 108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), time-of-flight camera |
| Front-facing camera | 10-megapixel | 40-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 40-megapixel |
| Video capture | 8K | 8K | 8K | 8K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888 or 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.8GHz (Max 2.4GHz +1.8GHz) | Snapdragon 888 or 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.8GHz (Max 2.4GHz +1.8GHz) | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2.0 GHz) | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2.0 GHz) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB | 128GB/256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 512GB | 128GB, 512GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB, 16GB | 12GB (5G), 8GB (LTE) | 12GB, 16GB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB |
| Battery | 4,800 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen |
| Headphone jack | No | No | No | No |
| Special features | IP68 rating, 5G-enabled, 30X Space Zoom, 10W wireless charging, | IP68 rating, 5G-enabled, 100X Space Zoom, 10W wireless charging, 10x optical zoom | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; water resistant (IP68) | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; 100X zoom; water resistant (IP68) |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $1,000 (128 GB) | $1,200 (128 GB) | $1,199 (128 GB) , $1,349 (512GB) | $1,399 (128GB), $1,599 (512GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £949 | £1,329 | £999 (5G) | £1,199 (128GB), £1,399 (512GB) |
| Price (AUD) | AU$1,549 | AU$1,849 | AU$1,499 (4G), AU$1,649 (128GB), AU$1,899 (512GB) | AU$1,999 (128GB), AU$2,249 (512GB) |
