Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S21 Plus vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra

Choosing to buy a Samsung Galaxy S21 is a good decision, but it’s not the only one. The S21 is actually a series of three phones, which have varying specifications and are priced from $ 800 to $ 1,300. With this big difference, it’s important to determine which one is right for you.

As this guide will show, the base Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus are identical except for the screen size and battery. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, however, sits in a class of its own with some of the best specs we’ve seen on a phone yet.

These are of course not the only flagship phones from Samsung that you can choose from. While there isn’t a Samsung Galaxy Note 21 this year and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is probably overpriced and unusual to consider, there is the Galaxy Z Flip 3 that you might want to consider as well, as its price is similar to that of Galaxy S21 Plus and S21. Ultra.

Current rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and Samsung Galaxy S22, the company’s next two expected flagship phones, are a bit confused at the moment. We might see the S21 FE appear in January, but before the Galaxy S22, which was the phone we expected Samsung to launch in 2022. Either way, these two devices could be worth the money. be kept if you are not convinced by what the Galaxy S21 series offers.

Assuming you want to keep things Galaxy S and don’t want to wait, here’s our guide to all the differences between the current S21 family members.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: price

The lowest price you’ll pay for a Galaxy S21 is $ 799 for the standard S21. The S21 Plus starts at $ 999, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $ 1,299. You can spend more on all three models if you want extra storage, or extra RAM and storage capacity in the Ultra’s case.

Specifically, add $ 50 if you want the 256GB model of one of the three new Galaxy S21 phones. So the 256GB Galaxy S21 would cost $ 849, for example. As for the 512GB Galaxy S21 Ultra, it costs $ 1,379, which is still $ 20 cheaper than what the Galaxy S20 Ultra debuted last year.

All versions launched on January 29 and are available from all major mobile carriers, as well as unlocked from other retailers.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Design

All three Galaxy S21 models share the new streamlined rear camera bump design, as well as the familiar screen with a center punch hole camera up front. However, the main difference here is the size, with the Galaxy S21’s screen measuring 6.2 inches, the Galaxy S21 Plus measuring 6.7 inches, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra 6.8 inches. The Ultra also has a larger camera bump to accommodate the additional sensors.

The display is also slightly different on the S21 Ultra. It has curved edges unlike the flatter S21 and S21 Plus which means the wider handset will fit your hand better.

On the back, the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra use Gorilla Glass Victus, the strongest glass that can currently be found on smartphones. The Galaxy S21 instead has a polycarbonate back, aka the dreaded plastic back we saw on the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 FE.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Display

As stated, the Galaxy S21 has a 6.2 inch display, the Galaxy S21 Plus has a 6.7 inch display, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8 inch display. This is the main difference between the three panels, but not the only thing you should consider.

The S21 and S21 Plus both have FHD resolution displays, while the S21 Ultra has QHD resolution. This means you’ll see more detail on the S21 Ultra than on the cheaper models.

As mentioned above, the S21 Ultra’s screen is curved on the left and right edges, while the 2.5D screens of the S21 and S21 Plus are only slightly curved. While curved screens make the phones fit better in your hand, they can also make it more difficult to use because it’s easier to accidentally touch an active part of the screen.

One thing all panels have in common is a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. However, the ability of the display to change this rate is greater on the S21 Ultra. The Ultra can change its display refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, while the S21 and S21 Plus can go between 48Hz and 120Hz.

The lower the refresh rate, the lower the screen power consumption, so this feature allows phones to lower their refresh rate when not needed to help conserve battery capacity. . All three phones dynamically adjust this refresh rate based on the activity you’re using the phone for.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: camera

You get the same three cameras on the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus. This trio is made up of a 12 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 64 MP telephoto lens. On the front there is also a 10MP selfie camera.

The S21 Ultra, on the other hand, offers a lot more camera potential. Instead, it uses a 108 MP main camera, 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and two 10 MP telephoto lenses, one capable of 3x zoom and the other capable of 10x zoom. There’s also an autofocus laser sensor to help the S21 Ultra track the subjects in your photos. While the main differences are on the back, the only selfie camera on the front is also replaced by a 40MP sensor.

All three phones, however, use the same camera software, which offers modes such as Single shot, 8K video recording, Director’s View video recording, and photographic staples like portrait mode, image stabilization, and night mode. The Galaxy S21 Ultra benefits from an improved Bright Night sensor, so low light photography should be better with this phone.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: performance

Every model of the S21 that you can buy in the US will have the Snapdragon 888 chipset inside. Outside of the United States, Samsung offers the S21 with its own Exynos 2100 chipset.

The Snapdragon 888 is said to offer a 20% increase in CPU power and a 30% increase in GPU power compared to the Snapdragon 865 chips in the S20 series. The Exynos 2100 offers either 10% more power or 20% more efficiency compared to the previous Exynos 9000 chip. We’ll have to wait for the benchmark results to see which is the better chip, but both being using the latest 5nm process technology to cram more power into the same chunk of silicon, and both featuring built-in 5G modems. , there won’t be a huge difference in performance.

Now when it comes to memory, the S21 and S21 Plus both have 8GB of RAM only, with either 128GB or 256GB storage. The S21 Plus has a choice of 12GB or 16GB RAM and options 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB storage.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: battery and charge

The size of the battery increases with the price of the different S21 models. The Galaxy S21 has a battery capacity of 4000 mAh, the Galaxy S21 Plus of 4800 mAh and the Galaxy S21 Ultra of 5000 mAh.

All models can charge up to 25W over a wired connection. They can also charge at 15W via a wireless connection and reverse the wireless charging of other phones and accessories at 4.5W. Keep in mind, however, that none of the Galaxy S21 models will be sold with a charger in the box. box, so you will have to buy one yourself or use a charger you already have.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: 5G and connectivity

This is one of the few places where all phones are completely the same. No matter which S21 you buy, you get 5G built-in through the chipset, with both below 6GHz and mmWave compatibility. Unlike last year’s S20, there is no S21 4G edition available, too bad as it was around $ 100 cheaper than the 5G version.

The S21 Plus and S21 Ultra both feature Ultrawide Band (UWB) chips. This is a new hands-free control method, which you’ll find useful for finding Samsung’s new SmartTag trackers or for unlocking your car.

There’s even more to explore with the S21 Ultra. Samsung is also given its leading S21 WiFi 6E compatibility the fastest and lowest latency standard for WiFi connections to date.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is also the first Galaxy phone in the S series to work with an S Pen. This is, however, a separate device, rather than the built-in accessory like on the Galaxy Note 20, which you can get by purchasing certain phone cases made by Samsung. The S Pen costs $ 40, and cases are listed at $ 69.99. An S Pen Pro with Bluetooth connectivity will arrive later this year.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Outlook

If you want the best of the Galaxy S21 range, you should go for the S21 Ultra. Of course, it’s the most expensive of the bunch, but it also offers the biggest and highest quality screen, biggest battery, most number of highest resolution cameras, larger RAM and storage capacity and better connectivity options.

Between the S21 and the S21 Plus, the main difference is the size of the handset. There are more subtle differences, however, as the S21 Plus improves upon the S21 by featuring a premium glass-back construction, ultra-wideband chip, and greater battery capacity. If you can afford the extra $ 200, the S21 Plus offers a significant amount of cool extras, but the base S21 is still a good choice if you want to save money or prefer your smaller phones.

Of course, don’t forget that we should be getting the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22 (but not the Galaxy Note 21) soon, which is also worth your attention if you look at the two cheaper S21 models here. If you’ve got the cash to spend, you might also want to take a look at one of Samsung’s new foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3.