Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra: Samsung Undid Its Own! (video)

Anton D. Nagy contributed to this post.

So, you navigate to the store, see the new Galaxy, and think, “yeah this is the one I really want”. But if we’re honest, last year’s phone is almost the same phone, so why pay more, right?

Well, this is one of those rare cases where it’s not that simple. Right now if you want to buy last year’s Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the price has actually *dropped* to match the new S21 Ultra. I know! It makes no common sense, but it’s been the usual trend where the Note has always been more expensive than the S because of the added features. I even read a few of your comments in my review stating that this new Ultra wasn’t a worthy upgrade when compared to last year’s Note. A statement I’ve historically agreed on for at least five years, given how much Samsung blurred the lines between both lineups.

So, instead of going back to its roots, what happens when Samsung decides to blend them even more than before, but this time, without the price gap? This is Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra.

If we’re honest, this is the first time this comparison has ever been worth considering, which is the reason I’ve never done one before. It’s always been hard to objectively compare the Note to anything because the added capabilities simply made it a better phone. It’s not until now that the Galaxy S gets a piece of that pie that this video makes sense, but let me just start by saying this might be the first comparison the Note will ever lose. 

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

Hardware

A lot of the design cues that have separated these lineups remain since the Note has always been boxier than the S, almost to mimic the feel of a notepad. It was first to adopt a matte back that the S21 now borrows, which helps both of these phones look crazy elegant in the hand. Seriously there is no way you’ll go unnoticed if you carry either. The glass is not completely free of smudges, but it does a better job than most, and each carries the same Gorilla Glass Victus protecting both panels. The footprint of each is then more of a mixed bag where the Note is 2 millimeters wider, but then the S21 is a hair taller and thicker, plus around 20 grams heavier. If I were to pick, I’d say I prefer the looks of the contour design on the S21 given how the camera hump protrudes less and is designed to blend, while on the Note it’s as if the massive stove is a necessary evil.

The main difference for the weight difference is that we have a larger battery on the S21, though you might not notice much of a difference in weight distribution. That said, the S21 has a newer processor with more modern architecture, though other essentials like RAM and the starting storage are relatively the same, but then the Note swings back with an option to expand it. They both offer the same dual flavors of 5G, though the S21 has a newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Standard. And then other specs like reverse wireless charging speeds and water-resistance are pretty much comparable.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

Their displays are another spot where the S21 Ultra is superior. Technically they share the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X Technology at the same Quad HD+ resolution and variable refresh rate up to 120hz, but only the S21 Ultra can handle those peak speeds at maximum resolution. It also offers a slightly brighter panel that’s less curved if you look at it from the sides, but then the Note has a tiny bit smaller bezels, allowing for almost a 92% screen to body ratio vs 90%. I know, not that much of a difference, which is the same way I feel about speaker performance. If content consumption is your thing, both phones sound just as well.

This is about that moment where I tell you that the reason why the Note wins is because of the WACOM digitizer, but nope. Even here Samsung has finally helped the S21 own its Ultra title. Point is, if you’ve ever wanted a more modern Galaxy Note earlier in the year to take advantage of the latest chip, the S21 Ultra should be your phone. Just keep in mind that as opposed to the Note, the S Pen on the S21 is optional. Now, no worries, pretty much any old S Pen or some third-party accessories will work fine. My only advice is that you don’t buy Samsung’s silicone case with S Pen. It’s too expensive, the quality is just not worth the money, and this particular Pen which has a taller form factor is sold separately. Spigen’s new Liquid Air Pen Edition is a third of the cost of Samsung’s case, is made of far better materials, fits the phone better, and even if you add the cost of the S Pen, you’re still saving money.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

Software

The software is also not that much different. Unless you care about the Bluetooth Air Gestures or remote shutter from the S Pen, which I don’t. Having the S21 Ultra is exactly the same as the Note20 Ultra. Same Air Command when the phone senses proximity, same Smart Select, Screen Write and other tricks exclusive to the S Pen, same screen off memos, and my favorite reason to even care, which is the integration with the Microsoft Office Suite. To simply be able to highlight and doddle on OneNote is enough for me to use the S Pen every single day.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

In everything else, the experience is nearly the same. Yes, I did see the announcement of OneUI 3.1 for last year’s phones, and I did wait a bit before doing this video, but it only helps me prove a point. Unless you pick the latest phone, waiting longer for updates is kind of normal in the Samsung world. Regardless, version 3.1 has probably been my favorite ever given its blend of Samsung and Google services. I’m seriously hoping this update on the Note also allows for the Google Feed on the left of the launcher, even if Samsung Free’s TV channels can be cool every now and then. Still, I don’t think any company does phablet software better than Samsung, with the edge menus for quick shortcuts, or app pairs for your favorite multi-tasking combos. As much as people complain about this not being stock Android, I still feel that if what you want is a Galaxy Note or the Note’s functionality, Google’s approach is not better than Samsung’s.

And guys, having both devices set to 120Hz makes the UI feel faster and more fluid, and even with heavy use on Verizon’s 5G network, I’d say you’ll end the day just fine on both, and still have battery power to spare. I can’t say the S21 Ultra has dramatically better battery life, but it does last a bit longer, and this is even with the screen set to maximum resolution and refresh rate.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

Camera

So far the Galaxy S21 Ultra has won almost everything. Really the last thing left to compare is the cameras, and I’m gonna make this easy for you. Yes, the S has a newer primary sensor, a new dual ISP on the chip, a better selfie camera, and more additional cameras, which allows for a smarter dual approach to the telephoto. It definitely is the better camera phone in numbers and specs, but I think the results should do the talking.

During the day, the only difference you’ll see is that the S21 Ultra is slightly warmer, but the difference is so negligible you really have to nitpick even up to the ultra-wide. I seriously see very little difference unless you do close-ups where the crispy bokeh is shared, but then the S21 Ultra has a faster shutter for things like moving flowers. Now, switch to the Telephotos, and I’ll drift more to the S21. I find 3X optical more useful for street photography than the 5X on the Note, and I prefer the detail on the 10X optical over any sort of digital crop from the Note.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

I also feel that the software and the new ISP on the chip allow for things that just obliterate the Note, like in trying to take photos of the moon. It’s clear that the S21 Ultra is not playing around for complicated scenarios, even if the 100X on it is as useless as the 50X on the Note20 Ultra.

And since we started, at night the results are nearly the same as well, though an opposite story in white balance with the S21 being cooler than the Note20, even if I wouldn’t recommend either for anything other than photos taken from the primary. There is a night mode for the rest of the sensors, but only the ultra-wide is optical, while the telephotos are all just digital crops. So yeah, not worth it.

In standard portraits, you’ll have a hard time telling either apart, but once you jump into selfies, I’ll give them to the S21. I notice far more detail in the skin tones, even if the dynamic range and separation from subjects on both are pretty awesome.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

When comparing 4K videos, the results are nearly identical depending on how much of a critical eye you have. I’m the guy that will notice that there is less moiré coming out of the S21 in the tougher situations, but everything else from the stabilization to the minor grain in the shadows is the same. Switch to selfie video, and you might think the results are exactly the same as well, but I’m also the guy that notices a slightly better depth of field coming from the S21 Ultra.

Overall the pattern is evident, everything is almost the same, with the S21 Ultra being only slightly better in most things, but then the king in telephoto performance.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra

Conclusion

To conclude, I think the day has finally come. This is the first time that a Samsung Galaxy Note loses a comparison. If anyone had any doubts that Samsung is planning to either kill the Note lineup or evolve it into a different form factor, the strategy behind the S21 Ultra is proof.

I think I don’t need to even state the obvious, the S21 Ultra has a more refined design, better internals, newer software, a better camera system, and the S Pen is optional in case you don’t care about it. Once you consider the fact that they are both now priced exactly the same, but that Samsung offers better trade-in deals for the S21, and it’s as if the Note20 Ultra was shot down by its own sibling just months later.

Unless you’re nostalgic and want to grab what could probably be the last Galaxy Note, there is simply no reason to consider it over the Galaxy S21 Ultra. For the last five years, I’ve always been the guy that reviews the new S and then goes back to the Note, but in 2021, the only device that would pull me away from the S21 Ultra is a foldable Galaxy Note… Dear Samsung, it’s about time the Note returned to its vanguard status.

The post Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy Note20 Ultra: Samsung Undid Its Own! (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: You’d be Shocked! (video)

Anton D. Nagy contributed to this post.

Suum cuique, or as we locally say: “to each his own…” That typical phrase we use to clarify that other people are free to like different things. It’s probably the best way to understand how it’s possible that the flagships of two different companies, can cost the exact same money, but then offer a completely different approach to the ideal flagship, and be just as successful.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

On one corner we have Samsung which adequately calls its phone the Ultra. This is not just a case of More is Better. Instead, consider this as the Extreme that the name embodies. On the other, we have Apple, which also properly names its phone the Max. It’s the maximum amount of iPhone you can get, but which is also a contradiction since Apple favors the principle of “less is more.”

Right now these are the two most powerful phones, from the two most popular companies in the industry. Calling out a winner is about more than just a comparison of numbers.

Design

It’s funny how I always feel the need to clarify that this is NOT a comparison between Android and iOS. It just completely ignores the bigger picture. We’re talking about differences in capabilities, features, and even ecosystems, where to each, its own. Both platforms have matured in such a way that even quantity is not as important as the quality of the implementation.

Visually I think these are the two best-looking phones right now, even if design choices vary. Each device is made of the strongest glass they could secure from Corning, with the Ultra going Victus on both panels, while Max offers Ceramic Shield just at the front. There’s an Aluminum frame on the Galaxy versus stronger stainless steel on the iPhone, even if neither is exempt from scratches given their glossy side rails. Samsung has also chosen a more contour approach to have the camera hump blend with the chassis, while Apple uses a stepped approach to draw less attention to the footprint. The Ultra is also 5mm taller, and a bit more than a millimeter thicker, but then the iPhone is 3mm wider and a gram heavier. Frankly, I’m more of a fan of how the Galaxy feels in the hand given the curves, and I really like the badass look of this Phantom Black finish, but you can’t deny that the flat iPhone in silver is kinda hot.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

Visually I think these are the two best-looking phones right now, even if design choices vary. Each device is made of the strongest glass they could secure from Corning, with the Ultra going Victus on both panels, while Max offers Ceramic Shield just at the front. There’s an Aluminum frame on the Galaxy versus stronger stainless steel on the iPhone, even if neither is exempt from scratches given their glossy side rails. Samsung has also chosen a more contour approach to have the camera hump blend with the chassis, while Apple uses a stepped approach to draw less attention to the footprint. The Ultra is also 5mm taller, and a bit more than a millimeter thicker, but then the iPhone is 3mm wider and a gram heavier. Frankly, I’m more of a fan of how the Galaxy feels in the hand given the curves, and I really like the badass look of this Phantom Black finish, but you can’t deny that the flat iPhone in silver is kinda hot.

Specs

Internally things start to tip a bit towards Samsung. They’re both powered by modern 5nm chips and also start at the same amount of non-expandable storage since Samsung decided to follow on another controversial move. Now, the Galaxy has double the RAM or even more depending on the variant you pick, but we know iOS doesn’t need much, and it’s the same story if we measured battery size differences. But then the Galaxy has an edge with more modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth specs, and its wireless charging is also reversible. 5G though is the same across the board, with both flavors where available.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

Once you flip to the displays, technically Samsung wins but depending on how much you care about the reasons why. They’re both almost as large, have our favorite AMOLED technology, and it’s hard not to praise Apple’s Super Retina XDR for its color accuracy and just how elegant this flat panel looks… but that’s it. Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X reaches a higher peak brightness, offers more pixel density and screen to body ratio on nearly the same footprint in addition to supporting more standards. 2020’s pandemic has also made Apple’s Notch useless in public, while Samsung solves this with a less intrusive punch-hole and a new and faster Ultra Sonic fingerprint scanner. (Speaker test Galaxy) You won’t notice much of a difference in the quality of their speakers (Speaker test iPhone), but it’s clear that the whole package favors Samsung as a better option for content consumption.

Features

Now, if we’re honest, specs and visuals are just part of the story. At this price, for most people, it’s either a question of how much of a status symbol a product is, which both devices check, or which one is more capable. This is another area where I feel Samsung wins in most things, but not all. See, the biggest problem with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, is that in almost everything, it’s just a bloated iPhone. Seriously if you were to use a 12 mini or a 12 Pro Max, the experience only varies in how much more visible the text is, or how separated the icons are. This leads to a lot of wasted space on the 12 Pro Max, along with missed opportunities in multi-tasking. I will praise iOS 14 for finally taking a leap into a more cohesive design language. We now have widgets, and there’s more flexibility in the services you can choose by default.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

By contrast, the size of this particular Ultra actually serves a purpose, now that Samsung has bestowed it with a WACOM digitizer. This is pretty much a more modern Galaxy Note, even if the S Pen here is a separate purchase. The ability to use your phone as your digital note pad provides a ton of added value, from screen off memos, to the functionality it provides to the Microsoft Office Suite to name a few. And then there’s the fact that  OneUI 3.1 offers a more dense approach to apps, widgets, and even the inclusion of the Google Feed on the launcher. Android 11 now stacks notifications in a smarter way, prioritizing notifications and alerts, in addition to giving you an easier way to control your home devices. You have edge menus to easily call on contacts and apps, and then my favorite feature, which is to launch app pairs for split window multitasking. The Ultra is just a smarter solution for a large canvas if size matters to you.

Software

Really the only reason why iOS is a better investment over time is because Apple is still king of software updates, where even the five-year-old iPhone 6S gets immediate access. Samsung has gotten better at supporting devices for longer, now committing to up to 3 years, but just keep in mind that historically, it’s been proven that the older your phone is, the longer it takes to get them.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

Apple’s ecosystem also plays a huge role in the lock-in that most users have, but Samsung has also improved its offering dramatically. We now have an experience that’s on par with how Apple’s products talk to each other and handoff connections seamlessly. The difference is that Samsung’s ecosystem is much larger, including TVs and other appliances. You could also say that Samsung won the race in being the first to launch its own smart tags, but only time will tell if Apple’s solution goes beyond just giving you a way to track your valuables.

But as for the rest of the user experience, you gotta hand it to both companies for how well these phones handle endurance. I’d say the Ultra can last a bit longer, but that doesn’t mean both can’t go beyond a day of constant use, and this is all while connected to Verizon’s 5G network.

Cameras

What’s left to discuss is cameras, but here numbers can be deceiving. Yes, the Max innovates with IBIS and offers a better primary than other iPhones, but if you do the math, that sensor is more of a match to the S21+. The Ultra takes cameras so far beyond what the iPhone can do that it’s hard to even compare. The question left is if the results speak as highly as the numbers.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

While outdoors, I tend to drift more to the iPhone photos because of the balance in the dynamic range where the Galaxy tends to be a bit brighter, even if it still preserves the details. But yeah, once you punch into 10X, the Galaxy just slays the iPhone. I don’t use zoom photography all the time, but the Ultra just makes that compelling, given how much detail it can provide up to 30X digital, though yeah, forget about 100X here too. As for the iPhone, stick to 2.5. While indoors and when doing closeups, the opposite happens mostly, with the Galaxy providing better dynamic range, though bokeh seems to be a very close call, even with the sensor differences, and yes, RAW photography is available on both for extra flexibility in post.

At night I’ll drift to prefer the Galaxy because it handles lens reflections better. Not a fan of how either phone performs in anything other than the primary, but clearly Samsung’s hardware is doing a superior job.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

Selfies are a mixed bag though, where I prefer the detail on the Galaxy so long as you don’t have too much light or the crop in the portraits, but where Apple’s Deep Fusion can really balance photos better in all scenarios.

Now in video, I hate to say this, but the iPhone still wins. Through the primary, both do a comparable job in stabilization, and the Galaxy’s video is good, but the iPhone’s dynamic range is just too good. It handles shadows and highlights far better, which results in far less grain being shown. I’d say it’s a closer call if we measured selfie video, with the Galaxy going closer in brightness, but not enough to hide the grain it’s showing, while the iPhone adapts to lighting in ways that are still hard for others to compete.

Conclusion

To conclude, I think it’s easy to see which phone came out on top. Samsung wins the hardware, it provides a ton of added functionality in the software, and in everything but video, it also owns the camera comparison. Maybe what’s interesting to consider, is that not by much though.

Galaxy S21 Ultra iPhone 12 Pro Max

Even with all the added camera hardware on the Ultra, the iPhone’s results were comparable in everything but zoom photography. Even if Samsung’s display is superior in features, unless you care about 120hz or a stylus, the rest is pretty much on par. Even if Android has a denser user interface, iOS 14 is seriously making flexibility a close call between them. So, if they both last all day, have the latest 5G, lack accessories in the box, and are priced the same, really the rest is Suum Cuique, or as we say, a matter of taste.

If it were up to me to choose only one, I’d pick the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s such a great phone in everything that matters, and what I would consider to be the better value. That said, I wouldn’t blame you if you picked the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Hey, I carry two phones, and the Max is the other. I feel both companies have stopped drinking their own Kool-Aid so much, that they’re finally listening to consumers, and upgrading where it counts.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review: FINALLY memorable

Anton D. Nagy contributed to this post.

There is a simple way for a company to spare a product from being forgettable, and that’s to actually walk the talk. If you’re gonna call your phone Ultra, price it like a MacBook Pro, and paint 100X zoom on the camera hump, you’re automatically setting the bar really high for when testing begins.

I’m not gonna call the Galaxy S20 Ultra a bad phone, but its flaws made it quickly forgettable. It was full of nice ideas, but sadly, the implementation made it really hard to recommend. I even felt it was ahead of its time, and the proof was seen with how well the Note 20 Ultra came to save face. It shows how second-generation products are always a better investment.

Now, what happens when you get to the third generation? What if the idea matured to where there is no more need to boast numbers on a chassis, fan-favorite features are finally added, and the price dropped in such a way that you can almost forgive the other important features that were removed.

Well, this is the Galaxy S21 Ultra, what Samsung calls an Ultra that easily lives up to its name, which is actually a statement that I’m willing to agree on in almost everything. After about a week in a half of testing, there is a lot to Unpack.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

The opposite of the word forgettable is memorable, and by definition, to achieve that, a product has to be both special and unusual. I think the biggest problem with the S20 Ultra is that Function didn’t follow the Form. It was unusual, but couldn’t really nail the special part reliably. The massive phone, camera hump, and price intended to give you the best camera experience you could buy and fell short.

Hardware

The S21 Ultra intends to fix that. Unusual shouldn’t really mean ugly, and I’m just gonna say that I think this is the best looking Galaxy, ever. Samsung’s new contour design intends to be more cohesive. The camera hump is now less pronounced, and designed to sort of blend in with the aluminum side rail. And since the back is as matte as can be, it remains clean for longer, and the shiny border only helps that stand out. Yes, this is still a large and heavy two-handed phone, but there are some clear improvements in weight distribution. You’d assume this phone is lighter than the S20 Ultra, but in reality, it’s the other way around.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

Another welcomed change is that Samsung is no longer competing for the largest display on a phone, finally!  Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X continues to reign supreme as the standard to beat with its color reproduction and HDR10+ support, but at 6.8-inches diagonal, it’s a hair shorter than before, and also better in every other metric. It’s now brighter at up to 1500 nits, has additional improvements for eye strain management, we finally get a 120Hz refresh rate at QuadHD+ resolution, and given the minor bezels and loud dual speakers, it is a joy for content consumption.

By default, the screen is set to 120Hz at Full HD+, but after two weeks of testing, I have no problem in recommending that you max out the settings. Since the panel offers a variable refresh rate that switches between 10 and 120Hz depending on what you’re doing, this larger-than-average battery has lasted me at least a day and a half, every single time, and that’s with moderate to heavy use, and while on Verizon’s 5G speeds.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

A lot of the legwork for these results comes from the new set of internals. The 5nm process on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 is far more power-efficient. Other essentials like the RAM and Storage options, matched with the updated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even the multiple flavors of 5G are all the fastest in the industry. And sure, you also get the usual perks like water resistance, reverse wireless charging, and even Ultra-Wideband, but I suggest you choose your storage option wisely as it’s no longer expandable.

And that’s just one of the reasons why I use the word Almost Ultra at the beginning of this review. At this price, you’ll also have to invest in headphones and a charger that doesn’t come in the box. I’ll be sure to recommend some of my favorite options in the description.

Also, keep in mind that the Gorilla Glass Victus that surrounds this phone is not indestructible, or scratch-free.

Software

Now, I never thought I’d ever say this from a Samsung phone, but the main reason why I’ve switched to this as my primary Android phone is because of the experience using it, given some added perks in hardware, and very desired updates in the software. The first is that the new Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is significantly faster and far more convenient during this pandemic. The second is finally, S-Pen support.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

Not sure what took Samsung so long to bring a Wacom digitizer to the S Line, but this finally feels like an Ultra that envies nothing from last year’s Galaxy Note. Yes, you’ll have to buy one separately, and you’ll lose the Bluetooth Air Gestures, that I honestly never used. My advice is that you use an older S Pen, or choose from a bevy of third-party options. Sadly Samsung’s silicone case with S Pen is really bad quality. If anything, it keeps the taller S Pen included, cause it’s more convenient, but the flimsy material in the case is a lint magnet that subtracts from the phone’s badass finish.

In everything else, the S21 Ultra works and feels like a Galaxy Note. You can call on screen off memos, your Samsung Notes now sync even with Microsoft OneNote, and yes, this means the entire Microsoft Office Suite fully supports it. You can use it as a surrogate mouse, and pretty much every other trick the Note can do.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

And, as for the desired software updates, One UI 3.1 includes a few perks that last year’s Galaxy phones still don’t offer on version 3. For example, on this phone, you can now choose the Google Feed to the left of the launcher, finally! And hey, if you don’t want that, Samsung Free is pretty good. It actually ports the free TV Channels and entertainment that Samsung TV owners get. In everything else, from the new aesthetics to the faster navigation of the UI, to the edge menu for multi-tasking, to Android 11’s new way to stack notifications and home devices… If you’re gonna have a large phone, this is one of the few that can actually take advantage of the added canvas.

Camera

Now, Samsung’s definition of Ultra is mostly about what these cameras can do. The new array follows more of the Huawei P40 Pro Plus arrangement, with one massive primary sensor, an ultra-wide, and two telephotos at different focal lengths, all assisted by laser autofocus. You might think it’s overkill, but I seriously feel this is what allowed the module to be less prominent.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

As a result, pretty much everything but the color science that I praise from Leica and Huawei is seen here, but since Samsung has toned down its oversaturation and over-sharpening dramatically, the results during the day are fantastic. Switch to any of the 4 focal lengths and prepare to be mind-boggled by the amount of detail. I seriously prefer a jump to 3X for street photography instead of 5X like we had with the old Ultra. Optical 10X is just fabulous for skylines, and I’d say you can get perfectly usable photos up to 30X digital. So yeah, forget about the 100X option. There are tricks I disabled like Focus Assist for closeups, as I prefer the natural bokeh of the primary sensor. What it’s doing is actually switching to the Ultra-Wide for more detail overall if that’s your jam, but it’s also quite convenient for Macros.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

Night mode is available on all focal lengths, but I recommend you stick to the primary if you’re looking for detail, less motion blur, and just an overall better-balanced shot. The Ultra-wide does try hard but will be mostly grainy, and any zoom shots are really just a digital crop of the primary. Surprisingly though, the only exception I recommend is for taking photos of the moon, as the phone’s AI does a really good job at metering to catch it in all its glory.

Selfies are also crazy detailed after you switch off beautification, rendering some of my favorite results if you have enough light, though portraits can sometimes be hit or miss with my ears.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

When it comes to video, I see some dramatic improvements. In 4K we have far less warping, if any from the primary camera, fantastic stabilization even without super steady, and probably the best dynamic range I’ve seen come from an Android phone. In low light video the EIS you’ll still get some minor warping as you walk, but perfectly usable. I’m really just struggling with selfie video, which seems a bit less detailed than I’d like, a bit of grain even in brightly lit scenarios. It’s still perfectly usable, but it might not be your favorite choice for a stabilized shot as you walk.

I won’t bore you with gimmicks like Director’s View because I was seriously expecting all cameras to record simultaneously, instead of just giving me a choice for a picture in picture video, or birds-eye view of the others to switch. And sure, 8K is here, but still not a fan of the crop to be willing to recommend. Clearly, this is still just a work in progress.

Conclusion

To conclude, did anyone keep track of how many times I repeated the word Finally? I’ve counted six, and it’s not just because of this phone. This is clearly a new Samsung we’re talking about here. The frenzy of bigger is better, or the more the merrier has been toned down. The mentality of Samsung services versus Google services is now pretty much gone. It’s as if instead of just throwing everything they can do at you, they instead decided to listen to consumers.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review

If we focus on this phone, we can clearly see how three generations of Ultra has matured into a more desirable product. It’s my favorite design on an Android phone so far. It’s got the latest chip and network technology. It’s got the best display on a phone, that now gets S Pen support. The camera can do things most other phones can’t, and the software finally almost everything we want. Match to that the fact that it became $200 less expensive, and that even if you didn’t pre-order the phone, the amount of trade-in deals available right now is still pretty irresistible. You’ll compensate easily for the accessories that are not in the box, so I’ll be sure to link to all that in the description. 

Bottom line, all that’s holding this phone back from total dominance is timely software updates. In absolutely everything else, I think the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best Android phone you can buy right now. It doesn’t just pack the numbers for bragging rights. This time, it actually delivers on them so well, that I’d call it memorable.

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