S-Pen supportis now also standard on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, although you'll have to buy the accessory separately - no freebies here, unfortunately - at least upon release. Welcome amid an economic slowdown, the overhauled look and boost in performance haven't led to a price increase over last year’s S20 Ultra – Samsung has actually made this phone significantly cheaper. Granted, we felt like the first Ultra phone was overpriced, and the S21 Ultra is still mighty expensive – it’s more than the iPhone 12 Pro Max – but Samsung gives you a bit more for the extra cost: a larger, brighter and more capable curved screen, 10x optical camera zoom (vs 2.5x on the iPhone), and stylus support, something Apple has yet to offer on any iPhone. No matter the task, the powerful Exynos 2100 chip that comes with the S21 Ultra crushes it with ease. In addition, it is also more energy-efficient than the S20 Ultra's chip, so what you get with this 5,000 mAh capacity battery is nothing short of impressive. With approximately 5 hours of on-screen time, you get around 34 hours of battery life. This easily means nearly 2 days of use, which only a few smartphones on the market could claim to offer at this level of system performance. And finally, the phone supports 5G connectivity and expectedly still has the beloved USB-C port for fast charging and data transfers. S21 Ultra 5G: Price UK

Hang on to your power adapters. Neither the old USB-A nor the new USB-C chargers are included in the box, but you will get all-day battery life. (Image credit: Future) Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra battery life The Galaxy S21 series is faster for two reasons: it marks the debut of brand-new chipsets, and the software has been streamlined just a bit, with the ever-evolving OneUI 3.0 interface tied into Android 11. Samsung's Ultra series superphones are meant for the consumers that want the absolute best of the best in their phones and the S21 is providing just that kind of an exceptional experience with top-tier features and specs in all relevant areas imaginable. With an attractive new design, powerful the Exynos 2100 chip and a larger display, the S21 will not disappoint the power users. On top of all that, the price has been reduced too. Compared to the last year's S20 Ultra's launch price, the Ultra is more affordable to find its place in this troublesome global economy. Super-Smooth and Colour-Rich Display Terms and conditions apply. See www.samsung.com/sg/tradeup for details. Trade-in value may vary depending on the device condition. Samsung reserves the right to amend the list of eligible devices and their trade-in values at any time without prior notice. Samsung Trade Up Programme is provided by a Samsung-approved independent third-party vendor. The long-awaited verdict to having both? Meh – it’s the best of both worlds, sure, but you won’t see much of a difference between 1080p and Quad HD on a display of this size, and Quad HD will drain your battery faster.Unlike it's smaller siblings, who are dropping down to 8GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra retains its 12GB while still upping its processor significantly to the new Snapdragon 888. It's also now the only S21 model to feature a top-end 512GB capacity variant, which also has a hefty 16GB of RAM to boot. Another key upgrade is the screen tech in the Ultra - which is now fully capable of offering both 1440p resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. That's a refresh rate that's matched on the two other new devices, but only at a 1080p resolution. We have a whole article dedicated to Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S21 Ultra, as there are many differences. But here are the key things to know. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the highest resolution main camera (108MP vs 64MP for S21 and Plus), the most powerful zooms (100x vs 30x) and the sharpest display (QHD vs 1080p). Proximity Sensor, Hall Effect Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope Sensor, Accelerometer (G-Sensor), Fingerprint Sensor OS:Android 11 | Screen size:6.8-inch AMOLED, 120Hz| Resolution:1440 x 3200 | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Memory:12 / 16GB | Weight:172g | Storage:128 / 256 / 512| Battery:4,800mAh | Rear camera:108MP main/ultrawide/telephoto| Front camera:40MP

The biggest area where Samsung are consistently great at is the display. The 6.8-inch, Dynamic AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution (1.440 x 3.200) is certainly a sight to behold. It has vibrant colours, very high peak brightness, high pixel-per-inch count and a super-smooth refresh rate at 120 Hz. The refresh rate especially makes a massive difference in how responsive the device feels. Combined with the Exynos 2100 chip that powers the device, navigating the UI is just a breeze. The content on display is super sharp too. The 515-PPI display is perfect for high-res multimedia consumption. The Advanced Camera System In addition, the screen on the Ultra is more dynamic, as it can scale from 120Hz all the way down to 10Hz, while the panels on the regular S21 and S21 Plus go down to 48Hz. This helps save on battery life. And the S21 Ultra has the largest battery at 5,000 mAh, compared to the S21 (4,000 mAh) and S21 Plus (4,800 mAh). We noticed that the Galaxy S21 Ultra camera offers improved dynamic range in outdoor photos (see photos with a bright sky and darker buildings) over its predecessors, and Samsung now offers 12-bit raw files for greater flexibility when editing. The iPhone 12 Pro series still wins out for many non-zoomed photos, especially indoor and nighttime shots, but Samsung and its more finely tuned night mode (it doesn’t simply bump up the exposure) help close the gap. The Galaxy S21 Ultra also performs quite well in low light, thanks to a faster Bright Night sensor and 12MP nona-binning technology for reducing noise reduction.In this comparison you can make out more of the stones and bushes in the foreground in the S21 Ultra’s photo compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, although the iPhone’s colors look more natural.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra was the best Android phone yet — until the Galaxy S22 Ultra's arrival

While Samsung has modified something from what you'll find on a Pixel phone, you can read our Android 12 review to learn more about what you can expect with the update. For more, see our in-depth iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra face-off. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 3 That new processor should, if recent benchmarks are to be believed, give the Galaxy S21 Ultra a significant CPU performance boost of around 25% and a similar boost in power efficiency too. Key camera upgrades are also being offered in the form of an expanded housing, giving you access to four rear cameras - a 108MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and two 10MP telephoto lens with 3x and 10x zoom functions.

Our Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra face-off breaks down the differences. But if you're tired of the old smartphone design, then the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (or even Galaxy Z Flip 3) is worth looking at — bearing in mind that it's quite expensive. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Android 12 update

To obtain a reward, a qualifying product must be taken out. 1 membership per year. Rewards T&Cs apply.

Compare the Market is a trading name of Compare The Market Limited. Registered in England No. 10636682. Registered Office: Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YS. Compare The Market Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance distribution (Firm Reference Number: 778488). Energy and Digital products are not regulated by the FCA. I tested the camera out at a nearby store to capture a shot of produce, and the green peppers in the foreground look shiny and delicious. And you can make out a pretty amazing amount of detail when you zoom in.However, by comparison, the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s shot looks even more vibrant. We also tested the screen brightness of the Galaxy S20 Ultra outdoors, and it automatically amps up to a super-bright 1,500 nits when necessary. Other phones with AMOLED screens, including the S21 and S21 Plus, max out at 1,200 nits, and every little bit helps in direct sunlight.The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is Samsung's latest foldable, showcasing the company's prowess when it comes to display technology and hardware design. The Fold 3 is a big, powerful phone that Samsung has intended to succeed the venerable Galaxy Note line (RIP). The Galaxy S21 Ultra is also a great partner to have when you're outdoors. Take this photo of towering trees I took at a nearby park. You can make out fine detail in the bark, and the phone does a great job capturing the clouds against the blue sky even while dealing with all of the shadows in the foreground. I slightly prefer the S21 Ultra’s photo in this case to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but it’s really close.