- How would you make the best smartphone?

If money was no object, what would it look like?

Would it have more cameras, better cameras,

a bigger and brighter screen,

faster processors, more RAM, more storage, a stylus?

Well, Samsung thinks it has the answer.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra.

A phone that imagines what it would look like

if you didn't have to make any compromises.

It's a phone that shows

what the best of Samsung hardware

and Android software can look like.

If you're willing to pay for it.

(bouncy synth music)

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung's latest

superlatively named smartphone.

It's the successor to last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra

and it shares a lot in common with that phone.

Giant OLED display,

an 108-megapixel camera, the works.

But the Galaxy S21 Ultra

is a refined version of last year's model.

One that looks to smooth out

some of the sharp edges of the S20 Ultra.

Literally in some cases

thanks to the new rounded design language

that Samsung is using here.

And looking at the spec sheet,

the S21 Ultra does sound

like a top of line Android wishlist come to life.

There's a 6.8 inch 3,200 by 1,440 OLED display

with refresh rates that go up to 120 hertz,

and unlike last year's model,

you'll actually be able to run that 120 Hertz refresh rate

at full resolution.

Although it is an adaptive refresh rate,

so Samsung's software will control

where and when that's ramping up.

It also has 12 gigabytes of RAM,

Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 processor,

up to 512 gigabytes of storage,

and a massive 5,000 milliamp power battery.

It also fully supports 5G

with support for both sub six gigahertz

and millimeter wave 5G,

and it also has an ultra wide band radio

which will work with Samsung's new Galaxy tags.

It's honestly hard to imagine

Samsung cramming anything else in here.

Of course,

just because Samsung can't physically fit it in the phone

doesn't mean they're done adding features.

This year's Galaxy S21 Ultra

will be the first Galaxy S phone

to support Samsung's S Pen stylus,

which clips on to optional cases.

Unfortunately, that stylus isn't included in the box.

Instead, you'll have to shell out

another $40 for the stylist itself

or buy it in a $70 bundle that includes a case,

either one that flips out or just clips onto the side.

You might say that it's a bit S-pensive.

(smooth hop hop music)

Pricing aside though,

the S Pen on the S21 Ultra

does work pretty similar to the Galaxy Note.

You'll be able to use it to write down notes,

navigate around the operating system,

and convert handwriting to text.

If you do really like the S Pen on the Galaxy Note,

you'll probably like this a lot.

Although it does add even more bulk

to what already is a giant phone by almost any metric,

so it is something you'll want to think about.

And then there's the cameras.

Now last year's S20 ultra shot for the moon, literally.

Samsung's tech demo was showing

how it could zoom and take pictures of the moon.

But despite Samsung's lofty ambitions,

there were some issues.

The original S20 ultra suffered

from problems with auto focus among other photographic bugs.

The S21 Ultra though promises a better experience.

There's a new laser auto focus system

which Samsung says

should help with a lot of the focusing issues,

especially when you're zoomed all the way in

using that wild 100x zoom feature.

There's also support for 12-bit color depth,

a better de-mosiacing process,

and refinements to how Samsung is handling AI things

and especially smoothing.

That said, we're gonna have to wait

for a lot more comprehensive testing

before we see if Samsung

has actually elevated the S21 Ultra's camera

from a cool tech demo into a camera contender.

Now the S21 Ultra isn't just about

that 108 megapixel sensor though.

There's also another three additional cameras on the back.

Just for fun.

There's a 12 megapixel ultra-wide for getting wide shots

and two separate telephoto cameras.

One that goes up to 3x zoom

and one that goes up to 10x zoom.

Now both of those telephotos shoot at 10 megapixels

and offer optical image stabilization.

Now, the reason why

there are two separate telephoto lenses

is for more versatility.

It lets users have a little more control

and offers a little better options

in terms of zooming at different lengths

Now, all four of those cameras,

along with the laser auto focus system and the flash,

are all located in the new giant camera bump

that's on the back of the phone.

But like the smaller S21s,

this is where Samsung's new design

really comes to play here,

which is that the camera bump

isn't this weird oblong squircle anymore

that's just ruining the back of your phone.

Samsung has melded it with the aluminum frame

for a much nicer look.

It just kind of flows together now.

Which is much better.

That said, there's still a whole bunch of stuff

that Samsung needs to fit in that array,

so it doesn't look quite as nice as the three cameras

on the S21 and S21+.

That ever so slightly bit of awkwardness

is a pretty common trend on the S21 Ultra.

It's just a bit bigger than the S21+

which just makes it a bit harder to hold in your hands,

it's a bit heavier.

Now, again, none of that's a bad thing.

You are getting a lot more

for that extra bit of size and weight.

You're getting the better cameras,

the better screen resolution, more RAM,

the S Pen support.

But those differences do add up,

especially when you factor in the fact

that this phone costs $300 more at its base price

than the S21+.

As you might expect from a 2021 flagship phone,

there is only one port, which is a USB-C port.

Buttons on the side are also pretty standard.

There is a power button and a volume rocker.

There is no Bixby button.

Rest in peace.

One are the other big differences

between the S21 Ultra and the S21 and S21+

is the shape of the display.

The S21 ans S21+ have shifted over to a flat panel.

but the S21 Ultra, with that higher resolution,

is still sticking with that classic

gently curved Samsung display that you know and love

from years past.

As for that screen, it looks great.

Samsung is one of the best

when it comes to making OLED panels that just shine.

It is almost eye-searingly bright,

the resolution looks crisp,

and the 120 hertz scrolling is incredibly smooth.

It is just a wonderful screen.

The galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $1,299,

so the price goes up as you add storage,

with pre-orders starting on January 14th

and shipping on January 29th.

It is a different kind of phone

than Samsung's other things flagships.

This is the creme de la creme.

This is the phone that you get

when you want the absolute best

when money is not a factor.

I don't think the S21 Ultra

is going to be the phone for everyone.

But if you want

the absolute best Android phone that you can buy,

or the best smartphone that you can buy, honestly,

well, I think the galaxy S21

is going to make a really compelling case

that it is that phone.

Thanks so much for watching.

We will have a lot more on the new Galaxy S20 lineup

in the coming days.

Check out our other video if you want to hear more

about the S21 and S21+,

Samsung's cheaper options,

and like and subscribe for more great videos like this.