Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Codename	Unbound
Brand	Samsung Galaxy
Manufacturer	Samsung Electronics
Slogan	Everyday Epic
Series	Galaxy S
Model	International models: SM-G991x (S21) SM-G996x (S21+) SM-G998x (S21 Ultra) (Last letter varies by carrier and international models) Japanese models: SCG09 (au, S21 5G) SC-51B (NTT Docomo, S21 5G) SCG10 (au, S21+ 5G) SC-52B (NTT Docomo, S21 Ultra 5G)
Compatible networks	2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
First released	January 14, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-01-14)
Availability by region	January 29, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-01-29)
Predecessor	Samsung Galaxy S20 Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Related	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Type	Phone
Form factor	Slate
Dimensions	S21: 151.7 mm (5.97 in) H 71.2 mm (2.80 in) W 7.9 mm (0.31 in) D S21+: 161.5 mm (6.36 in) H 75.6 mm (2.98 in) W 7.8 mm (0.31 in) D S21 Ultra: 165.1 mm (6.50 in) H 75.6 mm (2.98 in) W 8.9 mm (0.35 in) D
Mass	S21: 169 g (6.0 oz) S21+: 200 g (7.1 oz) S21 Ultra: 227 g (8.0 oz)
Operating system	Original: Android 11 with One UI 3.1 Upgradable: Android 12 with One UI 4
System-on-chip	International: Samsung Exynos 2100 United States, Canada, China, Japan: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
CPU	Exynos: Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1, 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) Snapdragon: Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz, 3x2.42 GHz and 4x1.80 GHz) Kryo 680
GPU	Exynos: Mali-G78 MP14 Snapdragon: Adreno 660
Memory	S21/S21+: 8 GB RAM S21 Ultra: 12/16 GB RAM
Storage	S21/S21+: 128/256 GB UFS 3.1 S21 Ultra: 128/256/512 GB UFS 3.1
Removable storage	None
SIM	nanoSIM, eSIM Single SIM or Hybrid Dual SIM in dual stand-by
Battery	S21: 4000 mAh Lithium polymer S21+: 4800 mAh Lithium polymer S21 Ultra: 5000 mAh Lithium polymer
Charging	25 W fast charging 15 W QI wireless 4.5 W Reverse wireless
Display	Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O capacitive touchscreen, 11Hz-120 Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, HDR10+ S21: 6.2 in (160 mm) 1080 × 2400 (2.5 MP) (421 ppi) 1300 nits, ~87.2% screen-to-body ratio S21+: 6.7 in (170 mm) 1080 × 2400 (394 ppi) 1300 nits, ~88.3% screen-to-body ratio S21 Ultra: 6.8 in (170 mm) 1440 × 3200 (4.6 MP) (515 ppi) 1600 nits, ~89.8% screen-to-body ratio
External display	Always on
Sound	Dolby Atmos stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Rear camera	All: Features: LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS S21 and S21+: 64 MP, f/1.8, 26 mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 28 mm (telephoto), 1/1.76", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical, 3x hybrid 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm 120° (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video S21 Ultra: 108 MP (2nd gen), f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Front camera	S21 and S21+: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF S21 Ultra: 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6(e)
Data inputs	USB-C 3.2 Sensors: Accelerometer Barometer Fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) Pressure sensor Magnetometer Gyroscope Hall sensor Proximity sensor RGB Light Sensor
Water resistance	IP68 water/dust resistance, up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes
SAR	S21: 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) EU: 0.46 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) S21+: 0.65 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) EU: 0.54 W/kg (head) 1.33 W/kg (body) S21 Ultra: 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 (body) EU: 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body)
Website	S21 and S21+ S21 Ultra
References	[1][2][3]

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a series of Android-based smartphones designed, developed, marketed, and manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the Galaxy S20 series.

History

The lineup was unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 14 January 2021.^[4] The phones were released on 29 January 2021.^[5]

Lineup

The lineup comprises three devices, with the Galaxy S21 being the least expensive with a smaller screen size and a (plastic) polycarbonate back. In contrast to the Galaxy S20+, the Galaxy S21+ is very similar to the S21 spec-wise, with the exception of a larger display, higher battery capacity, and back glass instead of plastic. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has an even larger screen size, battery, and a host of other improvements over the other models, including a more advanced camera setup highlighted by its 108 MP main sensor with laser auto-focus and a higher resolution 1440p display.^[6] The S21 Ultra is also the first phone in the Galaxy S series to support the S Pen, albeit sold separately and with limited functionality.^[7]

Design

The Galaxy S21 series has a design similar to its predecessor, with an Infinity-O display containing a circular cutout in the top center for the front selfie camera. The S21's back panel is reinforced poly-carbonate (plastic) similar to the S20 FE and Note 20, while the S21+ and S21 Ultra use Gorilla Glass Victus.^[8] The rear camera array has been integrated into the phone body and has a metallic surround; the S21 Ultra has a carbon fiber camera surround for exclusive colors.

Galaxy S21			Galaxy S21+			Galaxy S21 Ultra
Color	Name	Online exclusive	Color	Name	Online exclusive	Color	Name	Online exclusive
	Phantom White			Phantom Silver			Phantom Silver
	Phantom Gray			Phantom Black			Phantom Black
	Phantom Violet			Phantom Violet			Phantom Titanium
	Phantom Pink			Phantom Gold			Phantom Navy
				Phantom Red			Phantom Brown

Specifications

Hardware

Chipsets(SoC)

The S21 line comprises three models with various hardware specifications. International and Korea models of the S21 utilize the Exynos 2100 SoC, while the U.S., Canadian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Japanese models utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.^[9]

Display

The S21 series feature "Dynamic AMOLED 2X" displays with HDR10+ support and "dynamic tone mapping" technology. All models utilize a second-generation ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor. The S21 Ultra is also now able to use 120 Hz at 1440p unlike its predecessor(which was limited to 120Hz at only 1080p).^[10]

Storage

The S21 and S21+ offer 8 GB of RAM with 128 GB and 256 GB options for internal storage. The S21 Ultra has 12 GB of RAM with 128 GB and 256 GB options as well as a 16 GB option with 512 GB of internal storage. All three models lack a microSD card slot, which was present on the S20 series.^[11]

Batteries

The S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra contain non-removable 4000 mAh, 4800 mAh, and 5000 mAh Li-Po batteries respectively.^[12] All three models support wired charging over USB-C at up to 25W (using USB Power Delivery) as well as Qi inductive charging up to 15W. The phones also have the ability to charge other Qi-compatible devices from the S21's own battery power, which is branded as "Wireless PowerShare," at up to 4.5W.^[13]

Connectivity

All three phones support 5G SA/NSA networks, The Galaxy S21 and S21+ support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The S21+ and S21 Ultra models also support Ultra Wideband (UWB) for short-range communications similar to NFC (not to be confused with 5G mmWave, which is marketed as Ultra Wideband by Verizon). Samsung uses this technology for their new "SmartThings Find" feature and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+.^[14]

Cameras

The S21 and S21+ have similar camera setups to their predecessors but benefit from improved software and image processing. Both have a 12 MP wide sensor, a 64 MP telephoto sensor with 3x hybrid zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The S21 Ultra has a new HM3 108 MP sensor with several enhancements over the previous HM1 108 MP sensor, including 12-bit HDR. It also has two 10 MP telephoto sensors with 3x and 10x optical zoom as well as a 12 MP ultrawide sensor.^[15] The front-facing camera uses a 10 MP sensor on the S21 and S21+ and a 40 MP sensor on the S21 Ultra. 4K@60 recording is supported on the ultrawide camera on the S21 and S21+ and all cameras on the S21 Ultra. All cameras are Samsung except 12MP Ultra Wide on S21 Ultra and 10MP front on S21 and S21+, which are both made by Sony.

The Galaxy S21 series can record HDR10+ video and support HEIF.^[10]

Supported video modes

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series supports the following video modes:^[10]

• 8K@24fps (possibly up to 30fps on S21 Ultra)^[16]
• 4K@30/60fps
• 1080p@30/60/240fps
• 720p@960fps (480fps is interpolated to 960fps on the S21 Ultra)^[17][18]

Still frames extracted from high resolution footage can act as standalone photographs.^[19]

Software

All three S21 phones were released with Android 11 (One UI 3.1) and Google mobile services, with Samsung's One UI software.^[20] They all use Samsung Knox for enhanced device security, and a separate version exist for enterprise use.^[21] The S21 series was updated to Android 12 and One UI 4 on 15th November, 2021.^[22]

Reception

The Verge's review, by Dieter Bohn, praised the S21 Ultra's punchy display, fast performance, long-lasting battery life and the general improvements to the camera system, likening the latter to that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max's; however, Bohn did note that the phone's glass back is slightly more susceptible to minor scratches.^[23] Android Authority's review by David Imel noted the Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra "is a powerhouse smartphone" and that "the camera system in Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the best you can get on Android".^[24] Matt Sweder at Techradar gave a positive review noting its "mesmerizing design" calling it "Samsung’s best-looking phone ever" and how "phenomenally powerful" the camera is, but also went on to criticize the price and lack of microSD card slot, and questioning the stylus support, which is a separate purchase, with nowhere to put the S Pen on the phone itself.^[25]

Criticism has been aimed at the lack of a charger and memory card-expandable storage, the latter of which existed on the preceding Galaxy S20.^[26] In 2018, Samsung made fun of iPhone's lack of the same features and an audio connector port in a series of commercials for the Galaxy S9 named "Ingenious", where unhappy iPhone customers confront an Apple Store employee over the lack of functionality that the Galaxy S9 was equipped with, a feature which has since been removed from all Galaxy phones.^[27]

Removal of charger and headphones

Following Apple, Samsung decided to remove both the wall charger and earphones from the scope of delivery of the Galaxy S21 series of smartphones, the reasoning being that "Samsung believes the removal of earphones and charger plugs from our in-box device packaging can help address the growing e-waste problem and unnecessary duplication of these items". However, reaching the highest charging rate possibly requires a new charger with separate packaging and shipping with standalone environmental footprint.^[28]

See also

• Comparison of Samsung Galaxy S smartphones
• Exynos
• List of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors
• AMOLED
• Samsung CMOS

References

Template:Android smartphones