The good news from Samsung continues to roll in with the announcement of its new Galaxy S21 Series smartphones. While the Galaxy S21 lineup feels a lot like the Galaxy S20 phones that came before it, there are a number of improvements to absorb — particularly with the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. That being said, even the Galaxy S215G and S21 Plus 5G introduce a lot of new enhancements including a dynamically refreshing display and improved processor, plus plenty of new photo features. Samsung has included Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 chip to power all three models.
From S Pen support to dual telephoto lenses, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G packs in a number of features to stake its claim as Samsung’s premier flagship. The Ultra is the first non-Galaxy Note phone to add S Pen support, though the pen will have to be purchased separately. You will also need a case for storing the S Pen, as there is no slot for it on the S21 Ultra 5G like there is on the latest Galaxy Note models. If you like to zoom in while shooting photos, the S21 Ultra 5G offers a pair of zoom lenses — one capable of 10x optical zoom and the other delivering a 3x optical zoom. Zoom Lock is available here, too, and it will really come in handy with the Space Zoom feature which leverages those two telephoto lenses for a 100x zoom. In addition to the pair of telephoto lenses, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G sports a 108MP main camera along with a 12MP ultrawide shooter. A laser autofocus sensor helps keep photos looking sharp.
The S21 5G and S21 Plus 5G share an identical look with flat edges and a camera array that is designed to blend into the metal frame around the phone. Samsung calls this the Contour Cut camera housing, and it really sets the camera array apart, particularly on the Phantom Violet models where the array is a different color from the rest of the phone. There is one difference of note between the Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21 Plus. The former of these two models features what Samsung describes as a specially reinforced polycarbonate material on its back which is the “glasstic” material the company has used in the past. It helps explain why you can pick up a Galaxy S21 5G for $200 less than any other model in this lineup. All models are available now to preorder and will hit stores on January 29th.
For more news in the smartphone world, check out the Apple iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max.