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The big boy is here – the 5G-capable Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the latest and greatest flagship smartphone from the South Korean giant.
We’ve seen the S21 previously which was a charming little device that is packed with the latest features.
READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy S21: A Great Compact Phone For 2021 [Showcase]
The difference between the S21 and the S21 Ultra is the size of the screen as S21 Ultra has a 6.8 inch display – compared to 6.2 inch (S21).
The S21 Ultra is also packed with the same specs as the S21 and S21+ but it has a few more tricks up its sleeve such as more camera lenses, which includes the massive 108 Megapixel sensor and bigger battery.
It comes in two colours – Phantom Black and Phantom Silver – and it retails at RM5,299 for the 256GB version but if you want the 512GB, that’ll be RM5,899.
How does it stack up? Below is the review of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
It’s one of the prettiest phones of this year
I have to admit, the S21 Ultra – the Phantom Black version – is one best looking phones I’ve ever seen and it feels solid when you hold it in the hand.
The low down is, the S21 Ultra feels really premium – with matte finish on the back panel that curves slightly at the sides of the phone which sits nicely on my hand regardless whether I’m typing messages or watching videos.
It has a great display
If you binge on a lot of video content like Netflix or YouTube on your phone, then you should consider getting the S21 Ultra.
The 6.8 inch screen is one of the best that you can get right now with its vivid colours, the high refresh rate which makes everything look buttery smooth and the brightness which is handy, especially under direct sunlight.
But the best thing about it is that although phone has a big screen, Samsung actually made the phone narrower so it doesn’t feel like a big phone. It actually feels smaller in the hand compared to my Samsung Galaxy Note10+ which also has a 6.8 inch screen.
The camera is great too
S21 Ultra packs has a bunch of cameras that is able to take great photos and video up to 8K whether you’re in direct sunlight or in low light situations.
It has a wide angle, a telephoto, periscope telephoto and ultrawide lens which sounds like a lot but it’s great to have these options if you’re into taking pictures with your smartphone.
The camera app even detects the subject that you are focusing on and suggests modes for your next shot like “food mode” where it blurs out the edges and focuses more on your food – a handy feature if you don’t want tinker with the settings.
The 108MP sensor in the S21 Ultra is a beast and takes great photos, but do bear in mind that the pictures it takes might be around 30 Megabytes (MBs), which is way bigger than 4-5MBs or so if you take with the other sensors, so it might eat up on your storage, which is non-expandable.
Credit: TRP
Its no slouch when it comes to gaming
If you want a good gaming phone that looks great and doesn’t look as flashy as some other gaming phones, then you should give this phone a look as it has the same processor and a bit more RAM than the S21, which can run graphic-intensive games well.
I played some Call of Duty on the device and found that the overall experience is enjoyable while on Wi-Fi or cellular with no noticeable lags.
Games do look stunning on the S21 Ultra’s 6.8 inch screen, especially for titles with like Asphalt 9 as the bright colours of that racing game look vibrant on this device. It also helps that the phone runs on a high refresh rate which means games do look smooth.
Credit: TRP
If you want the latest and greatest
As a flagship Android device, there’s probably nothing on the market that can beat the Samsung S21 Ultra right now.
It has a huge battery that can last you a full day with fast charging if you’re running low, a high refresh rate, great camera and the phone’s construction feels very premium when you hold it – making it a well-rounded package.
The only downsides that I could see was the lack of a charging brick in the box (the same as the S21 and the S21+) and the lack of micro SD card slot might be a downside to some due to the high quality pictures that it takes.
The camera bulge is also pretty noticeable if you put it on a table and the phone is pretty hefty, especially if you compare it to a phone which has the same screen size as the S21 Ultra like the Note10+.
But overall, if you’re okay with these decisions made by Samsung that pretty much everybody has a charging brick and photos can be stored in the cloud and you have the cash to drop for this phone then this should be on your radar, especially the stunning Phantom Black version because it really does looks gorgeous.
By the way, if you want a smaller phone than the S21 Ultra, you can read our Samsung Galaxy S21 review and if you’re into accessories, we also have the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review up on the site as well.
However, if you don’t want to splash the cash on a mobile phone, check out the Samsung Galaxy A52 review instead which is great value for money.
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