The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a flagship powerhouse

Samsung recently launched its new lineup of Galaxy S21 series smartphones, which includes the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The flagship device in this range is the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which boasts an overhauled camera system, 5G connectivity, dynamic refresh rate display, and exceptional battery life.

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 lineup is currently available for pre-order in South Africa at the following prices:

• Galaxy S21 – R17,999
• Galaxy S21+ – R21,499
• Galaxy S21 Ultra – R27,999

The devices will roll out on 29 January and are also available on contracts from major mobile networks.

Samsung provided us with a Galaxy S21 Ultra device ahead of the official rollout, and we were impressed by the smartphone’s extensive capabilities.

The 2021 Android benchmark

Thanks to its early launch this year, Samsung has set the precedent for high-end Android smartphones with its Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Like the recently-launched iPhone 12 range, the Galaxy S21 Ultra does not ship with a charging block or earphones and as a result, its packaging is much slimmer than that of previous-generation devices.

The smartphone itself is impressively large, however, and packs a 6.8-inch OLED display along with a massive 5,000mAh battery that guarantees all-day battery life.

Samsung’s biggest design change for this generation comes in the form of a camera system that wraps around the side of the new smartphones, which means they are slightly angled when resting face-up on a surface.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is also the first Galaxy S series device to support Samsung’s S-Pen stylus – a feature previously reserved for Galaxy Note smartphones.

Samsung calls its latest flagship smartphone “the ultimate smartphone experience, designed to be epic in every way”, and from our first impressions of the device, we can say they’ve succeeded.

Everything is “Ultra”

You would hard-pressed to find a feature of the new Galaxy S21 Ultra that isn’t engineered to offer capabilities that put last-generation flagships to shame.

From its smooth and crisp wraparound display to its cutting-edge camera system, the Galaxy S21 Ultra delivers all the features you need in a modern smartphone at the best performance possible.

Even its connectivity options push the boundaries of modern smartphone technology: the Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a built-in 5G modem, as well as support for the Wi-Fi 6E standard, which is reportedly twice as fast as normal Wi-Fi 6.

You will need a serious upgrade to your home router or mobile plan before you begin to test the limits of this phone’s connection speeds.

The same design philosophy applies to the quad-lens rear camera system, which can record 8K video and it boasts up to 100x digital and 10x optical zoom for photos.

It is powered by a Samsung Exynos 2100 chipset and 12GB of RAM with up to 512GB of storage – making it more powerful than most entry-level laptops.

The behemoth of a battery packed into the Galaxy S21 Ultra can not only stretch your smartphone’s single-charge usage to unprecedented levels, but it can also be recharged to 50% in only 30 minutes.

This combination of powerful hardware along with Samsung’s extensive software and accessibility features make the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra one of the most capable smartphones on the market.

It is also a pleasure to use. The 120Hz variable refresh rate OLED display makes every interaction with the smartphone smooth and precise, and its battery life has proven to be extremely impressive – no doubt thanks to the bevvy of power optimisation features embedded in the software and chipset as well as the 5,000mAh capacity of the battery itself.

Below are specifications and images of the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Specifications

Galaxy S21 Ultra

Now read: Samsung Galaxy S21 contract prices in South Africa