A closer look at the Samsung Galaxy S21 series
Update: Samsung has recently launched its latest flagship Galaxy S23 Series consisting of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Buy your S23 phone today!
We’ve got the scoop on the exciting new S21 series 5G from Samsung and let us tell you, you should all be stoked.
Well, we’re only a few months into 2021 and we’ve already had a big phone launch for the year, the Galaxy S21 series 5G. And what a doozy to start on. The S21 series 5G jams all the good stuff into three new Android phones. From its outrageous camera lenses to its sleek design, these three models really pack a punch. So, without further ado, let’s have a closer look at Samsung’s latest creations.
The S21 Ultra 5G
Samsung S Pen sold separately. Not available from Optus.
This is Samsung’s ‘all-in’ phone. As the premium version of the three (and the most expensive), it’s got all the gadgets and toys you’d need in a mobile, particularly if you’re a content creator. What do we mean by that? Glad you asked, to start the S21 Ultra 5G has five impressive cameras in its arsenal, yes that’s right five. You’ve got the Samsung’s 108MP camera , two 10MP telephoto cameras, a 12MP ultra-wide camera and lastly the front-facing camera. The two telephoto cameras and the 108MP camera can capture larger pixels than their S20 predecessors did (click through to read more about different camera lenses and what they mean).
The ‘wow factor’ from our hands-on experience with the S21 Ultra 5G was the impeccably clear 100x space zoom. With the addition of the Tripod Lock feature, which helps to prevent the viewfinder from moving around, making those shaky zoom-in shots a thing of the past.
But wait, there’s more. What really solidifies this phone as a content creator’s dream is the added features like Single Take mode and Director’s View. Single Take mode, which was first debuted in the S20 series allows the user to capture videos and photos all at once utilising all cameras from a short video sequence. Super useful for all the wildlife photographers out there .
Lastly, Director’s View which allows the user to take video from both the front and back camera simultaneously is something that is reasonably new to the phone game. Aside from all that goodness, we’d also like to highlight its impressive 120Hz Quad HD display, which is beautifully zippy and smooth and its ability to support the S Pen.
The low down: • Display Size (in inches) + Type + (Pixel Density): 6.8” Infinity-O Display, Quad HD+ (3200 x 1440), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Adaptive 120Hz Refresh • Processor Speed (in MHz/GHz) and Core Count: Exynos 2100, Octa core • RAM: 12GB / 16GB • Internal Memory + Accessible Space: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB • Main Camera Resolution (in MP): 108MP (Wide, F1.8), 10MP (Telephoto, F2.4), 10MP (Telephoto, F4.9), 12MP (Ultra-Wide, F2.2) • Video Capture (Resolution @ Frame Rate): UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) | @24fps • S Pen support • 5G enabled
The S21+ 5G
Next in line is the S21+ 5G. Not as impressive as it’s big sister the S21 Ultra 5G, it’s still a solid phone if you’re looking for a change. While not much has deviated from last year’s model the S20+ 5G, what has changed is super important. Let’s begin with the design. Beautifully smooth and finished with premium looking matte finish, the S21+ 5G has that designer touch we’re all looking for in a phone. The back of the phone has also had a little face-lift, instead of that chunky camera block you’d see in the S20 range, the block has been designed to be more subtle and merges into the body of the phone.
Alright, enough about the façade of the phone, after all, it’s what’s inside that counts, right? So, let’s take a closer look at the S21+ 5G processor, the Exynos 2100. Powering the whole range of S21s, this chip is certainly something to look forward to. Often playing second fiddle to Qualcomm’s chips (read more about Snapdragon 888 here) Samsung announced at their launch event that this new processor was made in-house at Samsung and is on par with America’s Snapdragon equivalent .
One more thing that we love about the S21+ 5G is its battery life because honestly, is there anything more annoying than short, unpredictable battery life? We don’t think so. That’s why S21+ 5G battery capacity is so exciting. The 4,800Ah combined with the new processor we mentioned above means a good battery life.
The lowdown: • Display Size (in inches) + Type + (Pixel Density): 6.7” Infinity-O Display, Full HD+ (2400 x 1080), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Adaptive 120Hz Refresh • Processor Speed (in MHz/GHz) and Core Count: Exynos 2100, Octa core • RAM: 8GB • Internal Memory + Accessible Space: 128GB, 256GB • Main Camera Resolution (in MP): 12MP (Wide, F1.8), 64MP (Telephoto, F2.0), 12MP (Ultra Wide, F2.2) • Video Capture (Resolution @ Frame Rate): UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) | @24fps • 5G enabled
The S21 5G
Looking for some bang for your buck or perhaps you’re shopping around for a first phone? Well, your search is over, the S21 5G is here and honestly, it’s a steal. Significantly cheaper than last year’s S20 5G at launch, this little (not so little) powerhouse is a real gem. Look, it may not be as flash-bang as the S21 Ultra 5G but for a way better price than the previous iteration (S20) you get much better internal specs and 6.2-inch display.
The lowdown: • Display Size (in inches) + Type + (Pixel Density): 6.2” Infinity-O Display, Full HD+ (2400 x 1080), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Adaptive 120Hz Refresh • Processor Speed (in MHz/GHz) and Core Count: Exynos 2100, Octa core (3GHz,2.8GHz,2.2GHz) • RAM: 8GB • Internal Memory: 128GB / 256GB • Main Camera Resolution (in MP): 12MP (Wide, F1.8), 64MP (Telephoto, F2.0), 12MP (Ultra-Wide, F2.2) • Video Recording: UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) @ 30fps • 5G enabled