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Marques Brownlee - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Impressions: Redemption Time!

Thumbnail of the video “Marques Brownlee - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Impressions: Redemption Time!”
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Author: Marques Brownlee
Categories: Science
Tags: science
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:10 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is positioned as the redemption of Samsung's Ultra line after the S20 Ultra's camera focus issues, and is presented as the best-of-everything flagship for those willing to spend $1,200. The reviewer's first impressions are that the design, cameras, and display are strong, while the optional S Pen is less compelling than the Galaxy Note.

Key Points

  • The S21 Ultra starts at $1,200 and is framed as Samsung's best high-end offering, correcting the S20 Ultra, which was hard to recommend because of camera focus problems and its price.
  • The new design uses a contour-cut camera housing with a matte back and shiny sides; the reviewer finds it more futuristic over time, though not yet clearly loved.
  • The camera system has four rear lenses: a 108-megapixel second-gen main camera with OIS at f/1.8, a 12-megapixel 120-degree ultrawide, a 3x telephoto, and a 10x periscope telephoto, with the periscope taking over for zoom beyond 3x.
  • The 6.8-inch Quad HD OLED display runs at up to 120 Hz with an adaptive refresh rate that switches between 10 and 120 Hz to potentially save battery, and it peaks at 1,500 nits.
  • The S Pen is positioned as an optional $40 accessory with passive, low-latency writing and no Bluetooth or gesture controls, so the Galaxy Note remains the better stylus choice.
  • The phone drops expandable storage and omits the charger and headphones from the box, reflecting an industry trend.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: To check the display refresh behavior, open Settings and set motion smoothness to Adaptive, which allows up to 120 Hz; the reviewer notes this is set to 1440p resolution in the settings shown.
  • Concrete instructions: For zoom, use the camera app's zoom buttons to move from 3x to 10x, where digital zoom fills the gap between the two lenses; beyond 10x, Space Zoom uses the periscope lens and reaches up to 100x.
  • Concrete instructions: If you want a stylus on the S21 Ultra, expect to pay about $40 for the S Pen and about $70 more for a case with a rubber slot that holds it.
  • Storage options are 128, 256, or 512 GB, with 12 GB of RAM on the first two and 16 GB on the 512 GB model; microSD expansion is no longer available.
  • The phone uses 15-watt wireless charging with reverse wireless charging, has IP68 water resistance, and runs the Snapdragon 888 in the US, with a 5-nanometer Exynos chip in other regions, which he notes he's curious to test for battery performance.
  • The S21 and S21 Plus launch alongside it on January 29th, and Samsung also launched SmartTags and Galaxy Buds Pro at the same time.

Bottom Line

The S21 Ultra looks like a strong comeback for Samsung's Ultra line on paper and in early hands-on time, but the reviewer reserves a full verdict for later testing of camera performance, battery life, and display efficiency.