Samsung’s “Ultra” phones are meant to be the absolute pinnacle of the company’s (non-folding) mobile technology. And so the Galaxy S21 Ultra — the third Ultra phone after the S20 and Note 20 Ultras — spares very few expenses. The price is lower than before, starting at $1,199.99, but the phone itself is a perfect example of what happens when Samsung goes all-out.
It’s also a perfect example of how Samsung often whiffs on its first attempt at something but presses on anyway, eventually achieving the original vision it couldn’t the first time. The original Galaxy S20 Ultra from last year promised much more than its parts could achieve. The Note 20 Ultra fixed the worst bugs but didn’t improve image quality. Thus far, the “ultra” line hasn’t been especially ultra.
This year, I’m hard pressed to find major faults with the Galaxy S21’s hardware. (Software, unfortunately, is another story.) The S21 Ultra is a huge phone and an expensive one, so it won’t appeal to many — but if you’re okay with those qualities, then it is also the best Android phone right now.
I guess third time’s the charm.
Verge Score 8.5 out of 10 
Good Stuff
- Excellent camera system
- Beautiful screen with high refresh rate
- Great battery life
Bad Stuff
- Ads in Samsung software
- No expandable storage
- Bixby
-The Verge
