It's now official, Samsung has three new handsets: the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. With three phones to choose from and even more variants, actually picking a device isn't easy. To help, we're taking a look at how the three compare.
Before we start, here's a look at how the three S21s stack up in terms of hardware:
Samsung Galaxy S21 specifications
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21+ | Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.2-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED | 6.8-inch OLED |
| Resolution | 1080p+ | 1080p+ | Quad HD |
| Rear Cameras | 12MP + 64MP + 12MP | 12MP + 64MP + 12MP | 108MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP |
| Front Camera | 10MP | 10MP | 40MP |
| Processor | Exynos 2100 | Exynos 2100 | Exynos 2100 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 12GB or 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB or 256GB | 128GB or 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,800mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Back | Plastic | Glass | Glass |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | From $1,249 | From $1,549 | From $1,849 |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Price
As always, price is a major differentiator between the models in the Galaxy S21 family. The Galaxy S21 is your cheapest option, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the most expensive.
Outright pricing for the Galaxy S21 devices available in Australia is as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy S21 (128GB): $1,249
- Samsung Galaxy S21 (256GB): $1,349
- Samsung Galaxy S21+ (128GB): $1,549
- Samsung Galaxy S21+ (256GB): $1,649
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (128GB): $1,849
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (256GB): $1,949
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (512GB): $2,149
This pricing is also reflected in phone plans. When you buy a phone on a plan, the outright price of the device is simply divided by 12, 24, or 36 (depending on how many months you'd like to pay your phone off over) and added on to the price of your base plan.
Every now and again, telcos offer discounts on handsets, but in short, the more expensive the outright price, the more expensive your phone plan will be. There's no sneaky way to get a Galaxy S21 Ultra for the same price as Galaxy S21.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Camera
Camera configuration is one of the key differences between the three devices. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ have an identical camera setup, with a 12MP primary lens, a 64MP telephoto lens capable of 3x hybrid-optical zoom, and a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens. On the front, both have a 10MP selfie camera.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has more cameras than you can shake a stick at. There's a massive 108MP primary lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 10MP 3x optical zoom lens, and a 10MP 10x optical zoom lens. These are paired with a laser auto-focus sensor. On the front, you'll find a 40MP selfie camera.
Of course, we'll need to wait until we get hands on with the new phones to see just how camera performance compares between the phones.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Design
While Samsung's flagship phones have typically had a similar design other than screen size, this isn't the case this year. Size is of course a major difference: the Galaxy S21 measures in at 6.2-inches, the Galaxy S21+ at 6.7-inches, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra at a massive 6.8-inches.
The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ have flat displays this time around - marking a major shift for Samsung - while the Galaxy S21 Ultra still has a curved screen.
The standard Galaxy S21 has a plastic back, but Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra both have matte glass on the rear. While plastic may seem less premium than glass, we couldn't tell much of a difference between the S21 and its less plastic siblings in an initial hands on. And hey, a plastic back is one less thing you can break, and it doesn't really matter if you're throwing a case on your phone anyway.
As with the Galaxy S20 family, all three S21 devices have 120Hz displays. A conventional smartphone has a 60Hz refresh rate. This means the panel on your average handset can display 60 images per second, versus 120 images per second on an S21. This makes motion on the phone look smoother - something that is especially noticeable when it comes to animations and scrolling through apps.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Performance
There isn't any real difference in performance between the three Galaxy S21 models. All three are powered by Samsung's new top-end processor - the Exynos 2100 - and are kitted out with a minimum of 8GB of RAM. The S21 Ultra has 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on how much storage you go with, but this shouldn't make much of a difference in terms of day-to-day performance.
All three S21 models have 5G out of the box - you don't have to pick between a 4G or 5G variant this year around.
Notably, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is compatible with an optional S Pen accessory, which might be enough to get stylus lovers over the line. The S Pen won't work with the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+. The S Pen will set you back an extra $59.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Battery
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the biggest battery out of the trio, with a capacity of 5,000mAh. For comparison, there's a 4,000mAh battery in the Galaxy S21, and a 4,800mAh battery in the Galaxy S20+.
While a 5,000mAh battery is massive, you can't judge battery from a spec sheet. Last year, we found the Galaxy S20 Ultra struggled to last an entire day if you had features like 5G and the 120Hz display turned on.
We're hoping the entire S21 family should last at least a day per charge, but we'll need to wait until we go hands on to get an idea of how battery performance between the three compares.
Fortunately, the S21s no longer use a separate 5G modem, with next generation connectivity now part of the phones' chipset. This should result in better battery efficiency, so we're hoping for longer lasting devices when compared to last year's models.
Which Galaxy S21 should I buy?
While it's hard to make a call this early, the entry-level Galaxy S21 seems like a good option for most. It's the most affordable phone out of the trio, but doesn't make too many compromises to keep the price down. The main thing you're missing out on is the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 10x optical zoom lens.
Of course, at this stage we're not quite sure just what the Galaxy S21 battery life will be like - it's possible the larger phones will perform better thanks to bigger cells, but at the same time, they also have bigger screens.
We'll be sure to provide an updated recommendation after we've had more hands on time with the devices.
Alex Choros
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