What a difference a spec makes. The entry-level handset in the new Samsung Galaxy S21 range costs R16,999, a R1,000 less than the equivalent phone in the S20 range released less than a year ago, marking a sudden halt to the ever-escalating prices of flagship phones.
The other phones in the new range, the S21+ and S21 Ultra, both cost a little more than last year’s equivalents, at R21,499 and R27,999 – respectively R500 and R1000 higher than the previous price tags.
For once, the exchange rate can’t be blamed for higher costs – a dollar cost around R15,15 at the time of the S20 launch, much the same as it has been over the past week. Given that the price of the base model has fallen by $200 in the USA, one may have expected an even greater price drop, but the complexities of pandemic supply chains have conspired against bargains.
It was widely anticipated that Samsung would bring down the prices of all three models as a result of lukewarm sales last year. The question was, what would be sacrificed to this cause?
The S21 delivers the answer in its screen resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, more than a quarter of the S20’s 1440 x 3200 pixels. However, the average user would find it a challenge telling the difference, usually relying on a spec sheet to tell them the numbers have changed. Those ever-expanding spec sheets have, until now, been sacred to manufacturers, who use them both for bragging rights and marketing. Samsung’s willingness to downgrade this spec speaks volumes of the maturing of smartphone positioning.
For the rest, the specs are remarkably similar to the previous edition, aside from one significant jump: the processor powering the device.
For most markets outside the USA, Samsung will use its own Exynos 2100 mobile processor, built using a 5nm fabrication process, meaning it is thinner than any chip previously made, yet integrates a 5G modem. The S20 range ran on the older Exynos 990, built with a 7nm process. Such leaps in processor technology are usually the justification for upping the price, but the screen resolution
As Samsung puts it on its website, the 5nm processor packs “more speed, more power and more intelligence”.
The new range runs on Android 11, overlaid by Samsung’s custom Android skin, One UI, upgraded from version 2.5 to 3.1. The new version is simpler and more elegant, with better widget functionality on the lock screen, It is also available as a software upgrade for on the S20 range, meaning that it isn’t part of the price change equation.
“We are living in a mobile-first world, and with so many of us working remotely and spending more time at home, we wanted to deliver a smartphone experience that meets the rigorous multimedia demands of our continuously changing routines,” said TM Roh, president and head of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics yesterday.
This means that, while the phones are designed to target a range of wallet capabilities, they are also each targeted at specific markets or user profiles. Samsung summed it up in its product announcements:
- “Galaxy S21 was designed for those who want a light design and compact 6.2-inch display.
- “Galaxy S21+ sports an expanded 6.7-inch display and a larger battery, perfect for marathon gamers and binge-watchers.
- “Galaxy S21 Ultra is the largest member of the Galaxy S21 series with a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display … Ultra users expect the flagship smartphone experience to take creative expression and productivity to the next level.”
Go to the next page to read about the remarkable camera system in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The S21 Ultra, unsurprisingly, has just become the dream machine of smartphones. Primarily, that is thanks to absurdly good camera specs. Samsung calls it “our most advanced pro-grade camera system”, with a toolbox of new AI-powered features.
The quad rear camera features ultra-wide, wide and dual tele-lenses, headlined by a 108-megapixel pro sensor, from which one can capture photos with 64 times richer colour data and more than three times wider dynamic range than the S20 Ultra – which in itself had stunning camera specs. For the first time on a Galaxy smartphone, says Samsung, one can shoot in 4K at 60fps across all lenses, including front and rear four lenses.
The dual-tele lens system features one optical 3x zoom lens and one optical 10x lens, along with 100x digital zoom – equivalent to magnifying an image, and adding up to make this the most powerful zoom camera yet on a smartphone.
An improved Bright Night sensor enhances low-light photography, with improved Night Mode, noise reduction and Nona-binning technology, which combines 9 individual pixels into one pixel, allowing the light from 9 pixels to be pulled into one pixel. The result, in dimly-lit conditions, seems like magic.
The technology was first introduced in the S20 range, but taken to new levels with the camera array of the S21 Ultra. When science fiction visionary Arthur C Clarke once said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, he could easily have been forecasting the camera power of the S21 Ultra.
Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on @art2gee
Go to the next page to read the full specs of the Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra
| S21 Ultra 5G | S21+ 5G | S21 5G | |
| Display | 6.8 inch QHD+ screen with HDR10+ | 6.7 inch FHD+ at 120Hz | 6.2 inch FHD+ at 120Hz |
| Weight | 227g | 200g | 169g |
| Front camera | 40MP, FOV 80°, F2.2, 0.7 µm | 10MP, FOV 80°, F2.2, 1.22µm | 10MP, FOV 80°, F2.2, 1.22µm |
| Rear cameras | Ultra Wide: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, FOV 120°, F2.2, 1.4µm Wide-angle: 108MP Phase Detection AF, FOV 83°, OIS, F1.8, 0.8µm Telephoto 1: 10MP Dual Pixel AF, Optical 3x, FOV 35°,OIS, F2.4, 1.22µm Telephoto 2: 10MP Dual Pixel AF, Optical 10x (100x Space Zoom), FOV 10°,OIS, F4.9, 1.22µm Laser AF Sensor | Ultra Wide: 12MP FF, FOV 120°, F2.2, 1.4µm Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, FOV 79°, OIS, F1.8, 1.8µm Telephoto: 64MP Phase Detection AF, Hybrid Optic 3X, FOV 76°, OIS, F2.0, 0.8µm | Ultra Wide: 12MP FF, FOV 120°, F2.2, 1.4µm Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, FOV 79°, OIS, F1.8, 1.8µm Telephoto: 64MP Phase Detection AF, Hybrid Optic 3X, FOV 76°, OIS, F2.0, 0.8µm |
| Processor | 5nm 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.9GHz (Maximum Clock Speed) + 2.8GHz +2.2GHz | 5nm 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.9GHz (Maximum Clock Speed) + 2.8GHz +2.2GHz | 5nm 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.9GHz (Maximum Clock Speed) + 2.8GHz +2.2GHz |
| Memory | 16GB RAM with 128/256/512GB internal storage | 8GB RAM with 128/256GB internal storage | 8GB RAM with 128/256GB internal storage |
| Battery | 5000mAh | 4800mAh | 4000mAh |
| Connectivity | 5G NSA/SA Wi-Fi 6E Ultra Wideband | 5G NSA/SA Wi-Fi 6E Ultra Wideband | 5G NSA/SA Wi-Fi 6E Ultra Wideband |
| Sensors | Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient Light Sensor | Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient Light Sensor | Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient Light Sensor |