Samsung Galaxy S21 Series: Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy S21 Plus, and S21 are Exceeding Expectations.
Yeah!! It is that time of the year when Samsung enthusiasts always look forward to the unveiling of the next Samsung Galaxy flagship S series. Just so you know, not everybody is in the iPhone cult, Yes! Are you surprised? Don’t be. In most cases, Samsung Galaxy S Series is their go-to alternative. So the Galaxy S21 Series launch early in 2021 is a huge deal.
Let me just give it to you straight, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Series is exceeding expectations in so many areas. Not just from design, but also the upgrades and new features, especially the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Samsung mainstream flagship phones in 2021 are the S21 series; the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy S21 Plus, and the S21. Launched together with the S21 series is the Galaxy Buds Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is the smallest with a 6.2” DIsplay. The Galaxy S21 Plus a 6.7” Display and the largest, S21 Ultra is a 6.8” Display. With a redesigned camera, blending the camera with the frame of the phone and making it less obtrusive, Matte finish, and color choices, the Galaxy S21 series is definitely more elegant than the Galaxy S20 series. In some way, the design reflects the good old days of the S9 series.
In Build, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and S21 Ultra both use Gorilla Glass back and front, with an aluminum frame, whereas the Galaxy S21 boasts a plastic back with a matte finish instead of a glass one.
Galaxy S21 Series New Features.
- S Pen support.
- The first phone with Wi-Fi 6E support, the next wireless internet standard. 6 times faster wifi.
Galaxy S21 Series major upgrades.
- The matte finish on the back and Colors
- A slight visual redesign
- 10Hz – 120Hz Refresh Rate Range
- Memory Up to 16GB in S21 Ultra
- A QHD+ at a 120Hz Refresh Rate.
- Improved Video Stability: Super Steady video
- Improved Camera Software
- Camera improvement: Director’s View and Single Take with Dynamic Slow-mo
- All 3 Phones Support 5G Connectivity
- First 108MP Camera capable of capturing 12-bit color.
Galaxy S21 Series Double Downs
- No MicroSD card slots.
Samsung Galaxy S21 specs Summary
- 6.2-inch Full-HD 48-120Hz AMOLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 chipset
- 8GB of RAM
- 128GB or 256GB storage
- 4,000mAh battery
- Android 11 and One UI 3.1
- 5G connectivity
Samsung Galaxy S21+ specs Summary
- 6.7-inch Full-HD 48-120Hz AMOLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 chipset
- 8GB of RAM
- 128GB or 256GB storage
- 4,800mAh battery
- Android 11 with One UI 3.1
- 5G connectivity
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specs Summary
- 6.8-inch QHD+ dynamic 10-120Hz AMOLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 chipset
- 12GB or 16GB of RAM
- 128GB or 256GB or 512GB storage
- 5,000mAh battery
- Android 11 with One UI 3.1
- S Pen support
- 5G connectivity
So what are the Differences in the Galaxy S21 Series: Galaxy S21 Ultra vs S21 Plus vs S21?
The S21 series also share certain similarities across the board. All the devices have a small bezel with an Infinity-O punch out. They all have Gorilla Glass Victus, Dynamic AMOLED Display, and a refresh rate of 120Hz. They share the same platform, that is the same OS, Chipset, CPU, and GPU.
The difference between the S21 series phones are mainly in the Cameras, SIze & Build Display, and Battery. A major chunk of the difference is in the internal specs rather than the outward design look and feel. However, the S21 Ultra is quite different compared to the S21 Plus and S21.
Summary of the Differences between Galaxy S21 Ultra vs S21 Plus and S21
| Galaxy S21 Ultra | Galaxy S21 Plus | Galaxy S21 | |
| Size | 6.8’ inch | 6.7’ inch | 6.2’ inch |
| Weight | 227g | 200g | 169g |
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Brightness | 1500 nits | 1300 nits | 1300 nits |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density) |
| Memory/Storage | 128GB 12GB RAM,
256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | 108MP + 12MP +
10MP + 10MP |
12MP + 64MP + 12MP | 12MP Wide + 64MP + 12MP |
| Selfie Camera | 40MP Wide | 10MP Wide | 10MP Wide |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
Let’s dig deep into the differences.
The first difference that is visible is the sizes, the Galaxy S21 Ultra being the largest at 6.8” Inch, followed by S21Plus at 6.7” inch, and the last S21 being smaller in size at 6.2” inch. Another visible difference is the Camera modules in S21 are kinda melting into the edges of the devices.
The S21 and S21 plus have a peak brightness of 1300 nits as opposed to the 1500 nits in S21 Ultra. 1300 nits is very good enough but 1500 will be better than it to view outdoors. The S21 Ultra has a Quad HD+ resolution while the S21 plus and S21 have a Full HD resolution. This is double down compared to the S20 series which all had the QHD+ resolutions. However, the S21 Ultra is able to maintain the QHD+ resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate, something the Galaxy S20 series was not able to.
Still at the resolution, the S21 Ultra can switch from 11Hz to 120Hz refresh rate as opposed to the 48Hz to 120Hz in both S21 plus and S21. Now another feature that the S21 Ultra has that is missing in the S21 plus and S21 is the curved display. The S21 Plus and S21 have a flat display. This is s feature that Samsung is kinda slowly moving away from, though it boils down to personal preference.
Moving on to the design and Build, The S21 devices, in my opinion, did a great job in the design and build. The phone gives a feel of a compact and durable build. Looking more like its note series and previous S series. One thing that draws your attention to the Camera modules design. Unlike the Galaxy S20 series, the camera modules are melting into the edges. All the devices have a metallic frame.
However, there are certain differences between the Samsung Galaxy S21 and the other S21 devices. The Galaxy S21 Ultra and S21 plus do have Glass panels on the back whereas the S21 has a plastic back so it might not be as premium as the two. Though if you like your device in a case, then this won’t be a problem.
All three devices have an IP68 dust/water resistance rating and they all have a matte finish. When it comes to Colors, you get some options. Samsung S21 comes in 4 color options, 3 color options for S21 plus, and two color options for S21 Ultra.
The major difference between the three phones is the Camera. From SIze, Design, and even number. The Camera modules in Galaxy S21 Ultra are much larger compared to the S21 plus and Galaxy S21. This is because it has more cameras and bigger lenses.
Starting with Galaxy S21 plus and S21, they have the same camera. You get a 12MP selfie camera and a triple rear-facing camera. You get a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 12MP main camera, and then a 64MP Telephoto Camera with up to 3X Optical Zoom. This is the same as what we have in the Galaxy S20 series.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Camera is where we have huge improvements. It features a new quad-camera system on the back with not one, but two separate telephoto lenses: a 3X zoom lens and then a periscope, 10X zoom lens that gives you more reach than on most other phones.
The 108MP primary camera sensor is the same as what is in Galaxy S20 Ultra but it is an improved sensor. It gives 3X more dynamic range and is capable of capturing 12-bit raw files. It has optical stabilization and uses the laser autofocus sensor to help it focus on subjects, something that was a challenge in S20 ultra.
Video in Galaxy S21 Ultra also has little improvement compared to the Galaxy S20 series. Another edge in S21 cameras is the software features, one being the Director View which gives you more camera features like previewing different lenses before switching to them.
In performance, the S21 devices have the same platform. The difference will be in the chipset your phone will have depending on your region. USA/China devices have Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 while International devices have Exynos 2100.
Moving on to the Batteries, the Galaxy S21 has the smallest at 4000 mAh followed by S21 plus at 4800 mAh. The S21 Ultra has the largest at 5000 mAh. All the devices support up to 25W fast charging and Upto 15W wireless fast charging. They also support reverse wireless charging. None of the devices come with charger earphones out of the box.
Now with this in mind, you might still wonder is it worth buying or upgrading to the new Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Here is our take, if you own the Galaxy S20 series, You should definitely go to the latest S21 series unless the price is an issue. If you already have the S20 series, unless you are compelled to have the latest devices in your possession you won’t miss a lot except for the 5G, slightly better cameras, and improved performance and battery life due to the new efficient processor.
If you are coming from the Samsung Galaxy S10 series and below, you will have more compelling reasons to upgrade. Check our detailed review of Samsung Galaxy S21 vs older Galaxy S phones: Should you upgrade?
The prices of Samsung Galaxy S21 Series in Kenya.
NB: These are expected prices since they have not hit the storer already. Due to the rise in Dollar value vs Shillings, the prices might be slightly higher.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra price in Kenya is expected to be Ksh. Ksh.154,999 for 12GB Ram 256GB Internal Storage and Ksh.170,000 for 16GB Ram 512GB Internal Storage .
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus price in Kenya is expected at Ksh.125,499 for 8GB Ram 256GB Internal Storage and Ksh.115,999 for 8GB Ram 128GB Internal Storage.
Samsung Galaxy S21 price in Kenya is expected at Ksh. 105,000 for 8GB Ram 256GB Internal Storage and Ksh. 99,999 for 8GB Ram 128GB Internal Storage.
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