That’s it, Samsung presented its Galaxy S21 on January 14, 2021. For the first time, Samsung is accompanying one of the models, the S21 Ultra, with an S-Pen stylus. Release date, price, technical sheet … we tell you everything you need to know about these next smartphones.
After the mixed success of its Galaxy S20s, Samsung introduced their successors, the Galaxy S21, S21 + and S21 Ultra. For the first time in the history of the range, one of them, the S21 Ultra, is equipped with an S-Pen stylus.
📆 What is the Galaxy S21 release date?
The Galaxy S21, S21 + and S21 Ultra were presented at Samsung’s traditional Unpacked event on January 14, 2021. They are available for purchase from January 29, 2021.
đź’° What is the price of the Galaxy S21?
Find the best price for each of the Galaxy S21:
- Galaxy S21 128 GB: 859 €
- Galaxy S21 256 GB: € 909
- Galaxy S21 + 128 GB: 1059 €
- Galaxy S21 + 256 GB: € 1109
- Galaxy S21 Ultra 128 GB: € 1,259
- Galaxy S21 Ultra 256 GB: € 1309
- Galaxy S21 Ultra 512 GB: € 1,439
Samsung has therefore revised all prices down on the S21 generation. On the other hand, we are far from the 200 € difference announced in some leaks. On average, the Galaxy S21 is $ 100 cheaper than the 5G versions of the S20.
Samsung Galaxy S21 (128 GB)
These prices were updated on 01/22/2021 by All4affiliates. They are listed in ascending order and excluding delivery costs. Only the prices displayed at the merchants are valid.
Samsung Galaxy S21 (256 GB)
These prices were updated on 01/22/2021 by All4affiliates. They are listed in ascending order and excluding delivery costs. Only the prices displayed at the merchants are valid.
Samsung Galaxy S21 + (128 GB)
These prices were updated on 01/22/2021 by All4affiliates. They are listed in ascending order and excluding delivery costs. Only the prices displayed at the merchants are valid.
Samsung Galaxy S21 + (256 GB)
These prices were updated on 01/22/2021 by All4affiliates. They are listed in ascending order and excluding delivery costs. Only the prices displayed at the merchants are valid.
Also read: Galaxy S21, S21 + and S21 Ultra – what are the differences between the 3 smartphones from Samsung?
📱 What is the design of the Galaxy S21?
The design of the Galaxy S21 resembles that of the previous generation. Only its photo unit of a new kind, which extends over the edges of the smartphone, distinguishes it from the Galaxy S20. We would have liked Samsung to finally offer us a front face which is only a screen, without border, notch or punch. It won’t be this time. The manufacturer is working well on a photo sensor technology under the screen which would make it invisible, as it has already been done with fingerprint readers, but only the Galaxy Z Fold 3 expected in the second half of 2021, is expected to be equipped with the technology.
The S21 + and S21 Ultra benefit from an aluminum frame and glass back, with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection as on the Note 20. The S21 + is also slightly larger than the S20 +. For his part, the standard S21 is content with plastic, like the Note 20. All three smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. The first teardowns have also shown that the smartphone is relatively easy to repair. Samsung has improved the layout of its components, especially compared to the S20 Ultra, to facilitate their access.
For what it is about the colors, the Galaxy S21 is available in gray, pink, purple, and white. The Galaxy S21 Plus is offered in pink, purple, silver and black. As for the Galaxy S21 Ultra, it only exists black and silver. Samsung will decline the S21 in other colors in the months following the release. A total of 11 colors will be offered, including brown, titanium, navy blue, gold and red.
đź“ł What screen is fitted to the Galaxy S21?
It exists three screen sizes : 6.2 inches for the S21, 6.7 inches for the S21 + and 6.8 inches for the S21 Ultra. Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology is back on all three S21 models.
The Galaxy S21 and S21 + are equipped with an FHD + screen, while the S21 ultra has a WQHD + screen. All three offer image refreshment up to 120 Hz, while you had to choose between the two on the previous generation (FHD + in 120 Hz or QHD + in 60 Hz).
To reduce the energy impact, Samsung includes LPTO technology in its screen. Already used in Apple Watch, LTPO technology is reserved for the touch screen of the S21 Ultra. Functionality Always-On is of course there to always see the time, the battery level and notifications even at rest.
Also, not all of those screens which have uniform bezels on all four sides have curved edges like on the previous generation Galaxy. The Galaxy S21 and S21 + have a fully flat AMOLED display.
đź› What is the technical sheet of Galaxy S21?
| 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 |
The S21 generation marks a turning point, as they are equipped with a SoC engraved in 5 nm, and no longer in 7 nm (or 8 nm). However, like every year two different chips are used depending on the market. In Europe, and therefore in France, the Galaxy S21 are equipped with an Exynos 2100 SoC, while the United States and other markets opt for a Snapdragon 888 chip.
For several years, there has been a performance gap between the Exynos and Snapdragon smartphones. Since the abandonment of the R&D division of Exynos, we could hope for a little more “normal” performance in tones of what Qualcomm offers. The first benchmarks have already fallen and are not really encouraging. The S21 Ultra, with an Exynos 2100, is indeed well below the iPhone 12 and its A14 Bionic chip.
A comparative AnTuTu benchmark of the S21 + Snapdragon 888 vs iPhone 12 Pro Max suggests equivalent performance. This year Samsung seems to “believe it”: the firm presented its Exynos 2100 on the sidelines of CES 2021 on January 12, 2021.
This year, none of the three models is equipped with a microSD port. It is therefore necessary to choose the amount of storage space from the start on the cheapest models. The advantage lies in the memory technology which allows particularly high read and write speeds and therefore better performance. However, this decision did not fail to disappoint users, with some even refusing to buy the smartphone for this reason.
In addition, the S21s benefit from Qualcomm’s latest ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, the 3D Sonic Sensonr Gen 2, which is 77% larger and 50% faster. Finally, like all smartphones since the Galaxy S6, they have Samsung Pay, but this one loses an ultra-practical feature, Magnetic Secure Transmission.
🔋 What autonomy for the Galaxy S21?
The standard S21 has a 4000 mAh battery, like the S20. The S21 + is entitled to a 4800 mAh battery, with a capacity slightly higher than what we had on the S20 +. No change for the Ultra version, it is the same 5000 mAh battery of the S20 Ultra that is on this model. Nevertheless, thanks to the improvements of the Exynos 2100, the S21 offer a much better range than the S20.
Galaxy S21 Ultra has 45 Watts fast charging. On the other hand, the fast charging of the Galaxy S21 does not change: it is still 25 Watts, like the S20. Samsung does like Apple and takes the charger and headphones out of the S21’s box. You will therefore have to buy a suitable brick according to your model.The three mobiles are compatible with wireless charging as well as “powerbank” function Allows you to use the smartphone battery to charge a third-party device, such as wireless headphones.
📸 Is the Galaxy S21 good in photos?
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is equipped with a 108 megapixel sensor. This is not the ISOCELL Bright HM1 module found on the Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra but a improved version of it.
Samsung is therefore betting for its Galaxy S21 Ultra on a quadruple photo sensor with 108 megapixel main lens, a 10 megapixel telephoto lens with 10x zoom, a 12 megapixel module and a 10 megapixel telephoto lens with x3 zoom. Samsung explains in detail what makes the S21 Ultra’s photo sensors so special in this article.
The S21 and S21 + are entitled to a triple photo sensor with 12 megapixel main lens, 12 megapixel ultra wide angle sensor and 64 megapixel telephoto module. In the hole in the screen, Samsung would put a 40-megapixel photo sensor on all models. The three Galaxy S21 also allow you to shoot in 8K at 30fps.
đź–‹ Does the Galaxy S21 have an S-Pen stylus?
The S21 Ultra comes with the S-Pen, with features hitherto exclusive to the Note range. The S-Pen is sold separately for the sum of 40 € with a shell equipped with a storage drawer for the accessory.
🤖 Which Android version for the Galaxy S21?
The three models of Galaxy S21 are natively under Android 11. Samsung has promised three years of software support on its flagships, so they will receive an update to the next three major versions of Android: Android 12, Android 13 and Android 14.
We find of course for the occasion a brand new version of the One UI home overlay, one of the best Android interfaces on the market. Samsung directly integrates One UI 3.1 into its Galaxy S21. As usual, the firm skips version 3.0 of its interface.
One of the new features is greater integration of Google services to the detriment of Bixby and Samsung services. With the S-Pen, the Galaxy S21 Ultra represents many features related to the stylus available on the latest Galaxy Note.
Galaxy S21: are there technical issues?
For now, users are not reporting any major issues with this generation. We can nevertheless note a somewhat unfortunate design choice: the design of the SIM drawer, now on the lower edge of the Galaxy S21. This can lead some users to insert the pin to open the SIM drawer in the wrong hole by mistake, causing accidental damage to the microphone almost right out of the box.
