Samsung Galaxy S21


The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a series of high-end Android-based smartphones developed, marketed, and manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of its flagship Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the Galaxy S20 series. The first three smartphones were unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on January 14, 2021, while the Galaxy S21 FE was unveiled at Samsung's CES on January 4, 2022. The first three phones were released in the United States and Europe on January 29, 2021, while the Fan Edition was released globally on January 7, 2022.
The Galaxy S21 was succeeded by the Galaxy S22, which was announced on February 9, 2022.

Lineup

The line-up comprises four devices, with the Galaxy S21 initially being the least expensive with a smaller screen size and a polycarbonate back, which then is undercut later on by the Galaxy S21 FE with the same material minus the camera bump being also polycarbonate than metal. In contrast to the Galaxy S20+, the Galaxy S21+ is very similar to the S21 spec-wise, with the exception of a larger display, higher battery capacity, and glass back instead of plastic. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has an even larger screen size, battery, and a host of other improvements over the other models, including a more advanced camera setup highlighted by its 108 MP main sensor with laser auto-focus and a higher resolution 1440p display. The S21 Ultra is also the first phone in the Galaxy S series to support the S Pen, albeit sold separately and with limited functionality. It is the last phone of the Galaxy S series to use the former "SM-G9xx" model number format for the flagship device which had been in use since the Galaxy S5 as Samsung started to use the new "SM-S123X" model number format for future flagships starting with the Galaxy S22.

Design

The Galaxy S21 series has a design similar to its predecessor, with an Infinity-O display containing a circular cutout in the top center for the front selfie camera. The S21 and S21 FE's back panel is reinforced poly-carbonate similar to the S20 FE and Note 20, while the S21+ and S21 Ultra use Gorilla Glass Victus. The rear camera array has been integrated into the phone body except for the S21 FE which is made out of reinforced poly-carbonate integrated instead on the back cover and has a metallic surround; the S21 Ultra has a carbon fiber camera surround for exclusive colors.
Galaxy S21 FEGalaxy S21Galaxy S21+Galaxy S21 Ultra
Base colors
Online exclusive colors

Specifications

Hardware

Chipsets (SoC)

The S21 line comprises four models with various hardware specifications. International and Korean models of the S21 utilize the Exynos 2100 SoC, while the U.S., Canadian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Japanese models utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. The U.S., Canadian, Chinese, and international models of the S21 FE use the Snapdragon 888, while Korean, Indian, Brazilian and Australian markets use Exynos 2100.

Display

The S21 series features "Dynamic AMOLED 2X" displays with HDR10+ support and "dynamic tone mapping" technology. All models except the S21 FE utilize a second-generation ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor with the latter opting for an optical in-screen system instead. The S21 Ultra is also now able to use 120 Hz at 1440p unlike its predecessor.
ModelDisplay sizeDisplay resolutionMax refresh rateVariable refresh rateShape
S21 FE6.4"2340×1080120 Hz60 Hz /120 HzFlat sides
S216.2"2400×1080120 Hz48 Hz to 120 HzFlat sides
S21+6.7"2400×1080120 Hz48 Hz to 120 HzFlat sides
S21 Ultra6.8"3200×1440120 Hz10 Hz to 120 HzCurved sides

Storage

The S21 and S21+ offer 8 GB of RAM with 128 and 256 GB options for internal storage. The S21 Ultra has 12 GB of RAM with 128 and 256 GB options as well as a 16 GB option with 512 GB of internal storage. The S21 FE offers 6 and 8 GB of RAM with 128 and 256 GB options for internal storage. All four models lack a microSD card slot, which was present in the S20 series.

Batteries

The S21, S21 FE, S21+, and S21 Ultra contain non-removable 4000 mAh, 4,500 mAh, 4800 mAh, and 5000 mAh batteries respectively. All four models support wired charging over USB-C at up to 25W as well as Qi inductive charging up to 15W. The phones also can charge other Qi-compatible devices from the S21's battery power, which is branded as "Wireless PowerShare," at up to 4.5W.

Connectivity

All four phones support 5G SA/NSA networks, The Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 FE support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The S21+ and S21 Ultra models also support Ultra Wideband for short-range communications similar to NFC. Samsung uses this technology for their new "SmartThings Find" feature and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+.

Cameras

The S21 and S21+ have similar camera setups to their predecessors but benefit from improved software and image processing. Both have a 12 MP wide sensor, a 64 MP telephoto sensor with 3× hybrid zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The S21 FE also has a similar camera setup to its predecessor but benefits from improved software and image processing. It has a 12 MP wide sensor, an 8 MP telephoto sensor with 3× optical zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The S21 Ultra has a new HM3 108 MP sensor with several enhancements over the previous HM1 108 MP sensor, including 12-bit HDR. It also has two 10 MP telephoto sensors with 3× and 10× optical zoom and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The front-facing camera uses a 10 MP sensor on the S21 and S21+, 32 MP sensor on the S21 FE, and a 40 MP sensor on the S21 Ultra. 4K@60fps recording is supported on the ultrawide camera on the S21, S21+, and S21 FE and all cameras on the S21 Ultra. All cameras are Samsung except for 12 MP ultrawide on S21 Ultra and 10 MP front on S21 and S21+, which are both made by Sony, and the 8 MP Telephoto on the S21 FE which is made by SK Hynix.
The Galaxy S21 series can record HDR10+ video and support HEIF.
Moon photo controversy
Users discovered that the Scene Optimizer included with Samsung Galaxy S21 and later phones use artificial intelligence to identify the Moon and add details that the camera is not capable of capturing, based on a library of existing moon photos. However, this was disputed by Samsung, claiming that they have an AI enhancement algorithm that adds detail to the moon photos.
Supported video modes
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series supports the following video modes:
  • 8K@24fps
  • 4K@30/60fps
  • 1080p@30/60/240fps
  • 720p@960fps
Still frames extracted from high-resolution footage can act as standalone photographs.

Software

The first three S21 phones were released with Android 11, while the S21 FE had Android 12 instead. They all use Samsung Knox for enhanced device factory reset protection security, and a separate version exist for enterprise use.
The first three S21 series smartphones were updated to Android 12 and One UI 4 on 15 November 2021. Samsung added a "repair mode" to its Galaxy S21 on 28 July 2022, hiding users' data when they entrust an ailing device to a technician.
On 9 February 2022, Samsung published an event at the Galaxy Unpacked congress and announced that flagship devices sold in 2021 to 2023, and mid-range devices sold in 2022 to 2024, would be supported for four generations of Android OS updates, and five years of security updates, of which the Galaxy S21 series was included.
The One UI 5 update based on Android 13 began rolling out to S21 devices on 7 November 2022. In January 2024, the S21 devices had received the One UI 6 update based on Android 14.
On May 2025, the S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra models began receiving the Android 15 and One UI 7 update. This marks the fourth and final major Android version update for these devices, in line with Samsung's policy of providing four generations of OS upgrades for its flagship phones released before 2024. Due to its later release date with Android 12, the S21 FE is on a separate update schedule and is expected to receive one additional major OS update, with Samsung announcing in September 2025 that it would receive Android 16 and One UI 8.

Reception

The Verge's review, by Dieter Bohn, praised the S21 Ultra's punchy display, fast performance, long-lasting battery life and the general improvements to the camera system, likening the latter to that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max's; however, Bohn did note that the phone's glass back is slightly more susceptible to minor scratches. Android Authority's review by David Imel noted the Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra "is a powerhouse smartphone" and that "the camera system in Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the best you can get on Android". Matt Sweder at Techradar gave a positive review noting its "mesmerizing design" calling it "Samsung's best-looking phone ever" and how "phenomenally powerful" the camera is, but also went on to criticize the price and lack of microSD card slot, and questioning the stylus support, which is a separate purchase, with nowhere to put the S Pen on the phone itself.
Criticism has been aimed at the lack of a charger and memory card-expandable storage, the latter of which existed on the preceding Galaxy S20. In 2018, Samsung made fun of iPhone's lack of the same features and an audio connector port in a series of commercials for the Galaxy S9 named "Ingenious", where unhappy iPhone customers confront an Apple Store employee over the lack of functionality that the Galaxy S9 was equipped with, a feature which has since been removed from all Galaxy phones.
Following Apple, Samsung decided not to include a wall charger or earphones when selling the Galaxy S21 series of smartphones, the reasoning being that "Samsung believes the removal of earphones and charger plugs from our in-box device packaging can help address the growing e-waste problem and unnecessary duplication of these items". However, reaching the highest charging rate possibly requires a new charger with separate packaging and shipping with a standalone environmental footprint.