The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 + and S21 Ultra are officially launched. Less expensive, more design, more efficient, better in photography and enjoying better autonomy, the new flagships of the South Korean giant are out and they have everything to be a great success at the start of the year.
For a few months now, information concerning Galaxy s21 flee in all directions. While some are ultimately true, others are false or will have to wait for the next iteration of Samsung smartphones. But here we are: the South Korean brand has just made official its three new models, the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 + and Galaxy S21 Ultra! Do the expectations live up to expectations? We’ll let you judge, but here is a summary of all you need to remember about the new flagships from the Samsung brand. Go on the way, we’re already gone.
| Screen | 6.2 “FHD + 120hz 2400 x 1080 pixelsGorilla Glass 7 | 6.7 “FHD + 120hz 2400 x 1080 pixelsGorilla Glass 7 | 6.8 “WQHD + 120hz 3200 x 1440 pixelsGorilla Glass 7 |
| Chipset | Exynos 2100 / Snapdragon 888 | Exynos 2100 / Snapdragon 888 | Exynos 2100 / Snapdragon 888 |
| BONE | Android 11 + One UI 3.1 | Android 11 + One UI 3.1 | Android 11 + One UI 3.1 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | 12/16 GB |
| Storage | 128/256 GB | 128/256 GB | 128/256/512 GB |
| microSD | No | No | No |
| Main sensor | 12 MP wide angle f / 1.812 MP ultra wide angle f / 2.264 MP telephoto f / 2.0 | 12 MP wide angle f / 1.812 MP ultra wide angle f / 2.264 MP telephoto f / 2.0 | 108 MP wide angle f / 1,812 MP ultra wide angle f / 2,210 MP Telephoto Optical zoom X10 f / 2.410 MP Optical zoom X2 f / 1.8 Laser autofocus |
| Selfie sensor | 10 MP (f / 2.2) | 10 MP (f / 2.2) | 40 MP (f / 2.2) |
| Drums | 4000 mAh 25W recharge | 4,800 mAh 25W recharge | 5000 mAh 25W recharge |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biometrics | Ultrasonic impression scanner under the screen | Ultrasonic impression scanner under the screen | Ultrasonic impression scanner under the screen |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
Samsung galaxy s21
The S21 most likely represents the flagship of the range. It is the cheapest and most compact of the entire line with its 6.2 ″ screen size.. But one of the big novelties of the S21 concerns the screen: Samsung said goodbye to curved edges, which however made the heyday of the range since the S6 Edge. Well almost, since they are found on the S21 Ultra mentioned below. Something to please the most refractory of curved edges, who found that this technology resulted in too many handling errors (we quickly squeeze the edges when we take the phone in hand). Another novelty in terms of design: the S21 benefits from a new look at the rear. The photo sensors are housed in a small rectangular island with rounded edges, which stands out (visually speaking) from the rest of the back of the device.
The device has a 6.2 ″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display in FHD +. Like the models released last year, the S21 benefits from a 120Hz maximum refresh rate. But unlike the S20, which only allowed two possible speeds (60 or 120 Hz), it is possible here to go down to 48 Hz. And the good news is that this refresh rate is adaptive : it manages itself like a big one depending on the running application. Clearly, if you just check your emails or reply to your messages on Messenger, it will use a low speed. But as soon as you start a game like an FPS, the speed will be set to 120 Hz. Objective of the maneuver: reduce battery consumption.
The heart of the S21 beats using an Exynos 2100, Samsung’s first SoC engraved in 5 nm. The smartphone is also 5G compatible and, unlike the edition released last year, there is no cheaper 4G version. We are now waiting to have the opportunity to test the performance of this new processor which will be, we hope, as good as that of a Snapdragon 888 (at least this is what Samsung suggests). Remember that the latter equips the US version of the S21, but not the European version. Why such a disparity? The answers to this question can be found in our file devoted to the subject. Finally, the device has 8 GB RAM and of 128 or 256 GB storage space depending on the version chosen.
The autonomy of the S21 is ensured by a 4000 mAh battery. At this level, nothing has changed compared to the Galaxy S20 released last year. Samsung nevertheless promises better battery management via the trio “One UI 3.0 + Android 11 + adaptive refresh rate”. We hope that this will really be the case, the autonomy remaining one of the black spots of the previous editions of Galaxy S.
Finally, last point and not the least: on the photo side, the S21 benefits from 3 sensors on the back. We find there a main sensor of 12 MP, an ultra-wide angle of 12 MP also, and a telephoto of 64 MP. And at the front, we take advantage ofa 10 MP sensor for selfies.
Samsung Galaxy S21 +
The technical sheet of Galaxy s21 + is very close to that of the S21. The device also has an Exynos 2100 as SoC. It is therefore also 5G compatible and also benefits from 8 GB of RAM, and 128 or 256 GB of storage space. The part is also identical to that of the S21: 3 sensors at the rear (12 + 12 + 64 MP) and 1 at the front (10 MP).
Some differences are however to be noted. Firstly, the device is larger, since its screen measures 6.7 ″. And on the other hand, he takes advantage of a 4,800 mAh battery, which should ensure better longevity.
Finally, the device supports UWB technology (Ultra Wide Band), a short-range wireless communication protocol that operates over radio waves at very high frequencies. With it, it is possible to have “smart and seamless connections between devices that can meet a wide range of needs, from secure remote payments to locating a missing remote,” says Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Like last year, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the largest and most expensive model of the siblings. It is also the best endowed when it comes to photos and battery. And it is also the only one to have curved edges on the front. However, the edges are less pronounced than those of the S20 Ultra, Samsung having obviously decided to draw a line on the really curved edges.
On the display side, we take advantage of 6.8 ″ screen which benefits from a definition in WQHD + (3088 x 1400 pixels). Another small difference compared to the other two models: the S21 Ultra is capable of lower its refresh rate to 11 Hz . The 120 Hz is there, as on the other models. The speed is also adaptive, as on the S21 and S21 +, the Ultra model should also benefit from better management of autonomy.
If the S21 Ultra also benefits from an Exynos 2100, it is even better off in memory than its little brothers: it takes advantage of 12 or 16 GB of RAM depending on the model selected, while its storage capacity ranges from 128 to 512 GB. Its battery is not left out, since we are entitled to a 5000 mAh.
As for the photo part, the S21 Ultra also serves as a champion in any category. The device benefits froma wide-angle sensor of 108 MP, an ultra-wide-angle of 12 MP and 2 teleosbjectives: both are 10 MP each, but one has an f / 2.4 aperture when the other is f / 4.9. And one benefits from an optical zoom in 3x, while that of the other operates in 10x. Finally, the device allows film in 4K at 60 Hz on all sensors.
Latest news: the S20 Ultra is compatible with the Samsung S Pen. Until then reserved for the Note range, the small stylus landed on the flagship. Note, however, that the S Pen does not fit “in” the phone, but in the shell of the device.
Galaxy S21, S21 + and S21 Ultra price and launch date
All models of S21 will be available from 29 january. The price of S21 starts at € 859, when that of S21 + starts at € 1,059. As to S21 Ultra, you can imagine, this is the most expensive model in the range since it is displayed starting from 1259 €. While it is now possible to pre-order the Galaxy S21, the lucky ones will have the opportunity to receive a colors specially marketed during the pre-order period.
