MY TWO weeks with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra feels almost wasted. Here is this powerful device I received for review during the midst of another movement control order (MCO) period, when I was largely at home.
I couldn’t use it to capture the distinctive architecture of Putrajaya, or even impress relatives during Chinese New Year (which was effectively cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The smartphone stayed largely on my desk like a caged bear, restrained and unrealised.
It feels like a waste, because the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a smartphone for creators. It has a highly versatile camera system that is packed into a powerful device that is suitable for work, play, and whatever you need smartphones for. It has features you need, and features that feel extraneous.
It is, in principle, a Galaxy S device in all of its pomp and excess. It also feels familiar: More of a refinement of last year’s S20 line-up rather than an innovative outing. I do, however, consider this a good thing.
By polishing the rough edges of the S20 Ultra and adding in its own sheen, the S21 Ultra sparkles on its own. As far as expensive, wallet-bleeding flagships go, it hardly disappoints.
Yet at the same time, the refinements only serve to highlight the things that are missing on the S21 Ultra. There is no microSD slot, no wired charger and headphones included in the box.
Perhaps these are minor problems in the grand scheme things. But for a device that costs more than US$1,200 (RM5,000), what’s missing can feel magnified.
[RM1 = US$0.242]
The premium feel
At the very least, the S21 Ultra feels like a RM5,000 device. The smartphone features an aluminum frame with a Gorilla Glass Victus back, and it feels appropriately solid and tough. It’s also rather weighty, which combined with the relative bulkiness of the build, makes the S21 Ultra a hefty smartphone.
It’s not the slimmest flagship, but it does look pretty good. I rather liked the sleek industrial look, and the black version I had looks fairly suave. The glass back, which is now matte, feels good to the touch. The smartphone is rather slippery though.
The camera island has grown even bigger, with very distinctive lenses. Some may find it awkward. I think it’s a genuinely fine attempt at accentuating the camera system rather than hide it. The S21 Ultra is already an ostentatious phone, at any rate. The large camera island only sells it more, IMHO.
The front is a lot more magical. The Galaxy S21 Ultra sports a Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, which is as premium as it gets. This is a 6.8-inch 1,440p OLED with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, which means that you can set the S21 Ultra to display at 120Hz at all times you’re touching the phone, dropping to 60Hz a couple of seconds after your last interaction.
It has a gorgeous screen, displaying expectedly sharp, colourful and bright images that is visible even under direct sunlight. The 120Hz refresh rate and HDR+ support makes it great for videos and gaming.
The original S20 Ultra had a limitation where the 120Hz refresh rate only works at 1,080p resolution. Here, on the S21 Ultra, it works on 1,440p.
The S21 Ultra features a stereo speaker setup. It works well – it’s loud, the vocals are clear, and it has just-right amount of bass.
Adding S Pen functionality to the S21 Ultra is just icing on a very tall cake. This tall cake also costs a pretty RM5,899 for the 512GB variant. As mentioned, the S21 Ultra doesn’t support microSD storage expansion, and there’s no charger included.
The good news is that there are multiple charging options available: there’s 10W+ wireless charging, and the phone also has Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to charge other devices wirelessly. But seeing the small fortune you pay for the device, these little omissions stand out tremendously.
But I suppose they are minor losses in the ultra-scheme of things. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is a proper flagship device – powerful, versatile, and will likely last you years into the 5G near-future. It’s hard to see smartphones as 'investments,' seeing how quickly each iteration outstrips one another.
I’d say, however, that the S21 Ultra is a sound investment for the times ahead.
