Samsung’s new S21 Ultra is due to begin shipping on Friday following its official unveiling on 14 January. Those who have already ordered their new device can expect an abundance of features to land on their doorstep this weekend with early reviews promising this heavy hitter will be worth the wait for anyone snapping up the long-awaited handset when they went on sale a few weeks ago
So, exactly can those eagerly awaiting their S21 Ultra arrival expect when they finally unbox it on Friday?
The camera
In years past, it would be strange to talk about a smartphone’s camera before referring to the call quality and battery life. Not so today. In a sign of the times, Samsung has gone to town on the S21 Ultra’s picture capability, with no less than five (yes, five) cameras built-in. The handset has two telephoto cameras, 100x zoom, 108MP wide-angle camera, and a 40MP selfie-camera, meaning it easily outperforms some standalone digital cameras.
Samsung says, the handset is, “Designed with a unique contour-cut camera to create a revolution in photography — letting you capture cinematic 8K video and snap epic stills, all in one go.”
It’s a good bet many of those awaiting the arrival of their device will be creatives looking forward to taking the camera for a spin this weekend. The pro-grade camera offers the highest resolution images available on any smartphone, complete with Dual Zoom and Dual Lock for more flexibility and increased possibilities. The 8K video resolution is also the highest available on a smartphone, recording in 8k 24fps for footage that’s better than cinema quality with action cam stability. It also comes with an 8K Video Snap, which pulls a high-res photo (30 MP) from the video footage.
AI
For those serious about taking world-class images, taking an image on Portrait mode triggers AI, which will analyse details such as the subject’s face, lighting angles, and depth of field to deliver the ideal lighting for the image. Expect to see a good crop of images shot on the S21 Ultra cropping up all over Instagram from Friday.
5NM Processor
Away from the cameras, the S21 Ultra is powered by Samsung’s fastest ever Galaxy chip. The 5NM processor powers AI at twice the speed of its predecessor, provides a 20% faster CPU, 35% faster GPU, and up to 16 GB of RAM. According to Samsung, the 5NM processor, “…packs epic power and speed. This outstanding upgrade means faster learning and more intelligence in every aspect of Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.”
Battery Life
The battery has also been given a serious upgrade, with more juice and more stamina. Even when used on 5G, the new Intelligent Battery will last more than 24 hours, with some early reviews suggesting it maxes out at around 35 hours with heavy use. No doubt we’ll hear more on this as the days progress.
The 5000mAh is joined by a new power-efficient display, can be charged to 50% in just 30 minutes, can be used with fast wireless charging, and has Wireless Power Share, to share battery life with Samsung earbuds or other devices.
Other Features
There are a number of other features worth mentioning for anyone awaiting their delivery:
- HyperFast 5G means super-fast uploads and downloads
- The world’s first WiFi 6E powers fast and reliable connectivity
- Dual SIM
- Project the phone onto a TV with MotionMirror – follow an online workout and your own moves will appear alongside those of the instructor
- Compatibility with Galaxy SmartTag to track valuables such as a wallet or house keys
- Water-resistant with IP68 rated protection
- Knox Security platform offers more protection for data and safeguards biometric data
Have you ordered yours? Let us know in the comments or ask us questions over on Twitter @gadgetsboy
