Updated : Apr 30, 2025, 10:59 AM

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Specs

Released

Jan 29, 2021

Display

6.8-inch
3200 x 1440 px

Camera

108 MP Main
40 MP Selfie

Battery

5000 mAh

Storage

128GB

Hardware

Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
12GB RAM

OS

Android 14
One UI

Description

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the headliner of the S21 series. It's the first S series phone to support Samsung's S Pen. Specifications are top-notch including Snapdragon 888 chipset, 5G capability, up to 16gigs of RAM, and 512GB of storage. A 5000mAh battery keeps the lights on for this powerhouse. In the camera department, a quad-camera setup is presented with two telephoto sensors. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra starting price is $1200.

This device is also known as Samsung SM-G998U1

9.1

PhoneArena Score

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review

8.6

User Score (8 reviews)

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Popular Comparisons

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is most commonly compared with these phones:

Specs

Display Benchmarks
Size	6.8-inch
Resolution	3200 x 1440 px, 20:9 ratio, 516 PPI
Technology	Dynamic AMOLED
Refresh rate	120Hz (adaptable)
Screen-to-body	89.33 %
Peak brightness	1500 cd/m2 (nit)
Features	HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware Benchmarks
System chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SM8350 (5 nm)
Processor	Octa-core, 1x 2.84GHz Kryo 680 + 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680 + 4x 1.80GHz Kryo 680, 64-bit
GPU	Adreno 660
RAM	12GB (LPDDR5)
Internal storage	128GB (UFS 3.1), not expandable
OS	Android (14, 13, 12, 11), One UI
Device type	Smartphone
This device has different variants: View all

Battery
Capacity	5000 mAh
Type	Li - Polymer, Not user replaceable
Charging	Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, USB Power Delivery, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Qi and Powermat wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging
Max charge speed	Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W

PhoneArena Battery Test
Battery Life Estimate:	6h 15min
Browsing:	14h 43min
Gaming:	8h 40min
Video:	8h 52min
Find out more details about battery and charging for all phones we have tested on our PhoneArena Battery Score page.

Camera
Rear	Quad camera
Main camera	108 MP (OIS, Laser and PDAF) Specifications: Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.33" Pixel size: 0.8 μm
Second camera	10 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Specifications: Optical zoom: 10.0x Aperture size: F4.9 Focal Length: 240 mm Sensor size: 1/3.2" Pixel size: 1.22 μm
Third camera	10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Specifications: Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 70 mm Sensor size: 1/3.2" Pixel size: 1.22 μm
Fourth camera	12 MP (Ultra-wide, PDAF) Specifications: Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm
Flash	LED
Video recording	7680x4320 (8K UHD) (24 fps), 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps) Features: OIS, HDR, Hyperlapse, Video light, EIS
Front	40 MP (PDAF, HDR), Video capture: 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps)

Design
Dimensions	6.50 x 2.98 x 0.35 inches (165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm) thickness with camera 0.37 inches (9.4 mm)
Weight	8.04 oz(229.0 g)
Materials	Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus) Frame: Aluminum
Resistance	Water, Dust; IP68
Biometrics	2D Face unlock, Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint
Keys	Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key
Colors	Phantom black, Silver
This device has different variants: View all

Cellular
5G	Bands n2, n5, n12, n25, n41, n66, n71, n77, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave
4G (FDD)	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 14(700 PS), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3), 71(600)
4G (TDD)	Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46, 48(3600)
3G	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900)
Data Speed	LTE-A Pro Cat 20 (2000/150 Mbit/s)
SIM type	Nano SIM
This device has different variants: View all

Multimedia
Headphones	No 3.5mm jack
Speakers	Earpiece, Multiple speakers
Features	32-Bit DAC, Dolby Atmos, aptX, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Screen mirroring	Wireless screen share
Radio	FM, Stereo, RDS
Additional microphone(s)	Noise cancellation, Video recording

Connectivity & Features
Bluetooth	5.1
Wi-Fi	802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,ax(Wi-Fi 6),dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB	Type-C (reversible), USB 3.2, Features: Charging, Headphones port, OTG, Video out
Hearing aid compatible	M3/T3
Location	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer
Other	NFC, ANT+

Regulatory Approval
FCC approval	Date approved: Dec 22, 2020 FCC ID value: A3LSMG998U
Measured SAR	Head: 0.77 W/kg Body: 1.02 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.59 W/kg Wireless Router: 1.16 W/kg Phablet: 3.15 W/kg
This device has different variants: View all

Buyers information
MSRP	$ 1200 / € 1399
In The Box	C to C Data Cable, Ejection Pin
This device has different variants: View all

Availability
Officially announced	Jan 14, 2021

Despite our efforts to provide full and correct Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specifications, there is always a possibility of admitting a mistake. If you see any wrong or incomplete data, please

LET US KNOW.

If you are interested in using our specs commercially, check out our Phone specs database licensing page.

Alternative variants

with 256GB storage

Differences from the main variant:
Internal storage	256GB
Colors	Phantom black
MSRP	$ 1250

with 512GB storage

Differences from the main variant:
RAM	16GB
Internal storage	512GB
Colors	Phantom black
MSRP	$ 1380

for Europe

Differences from the main variant:
System chip	Samsung Exynos 2100 (5 nm)
Processor	Octa-core, 1x 2.91GHz Cortex-X1 + 3x 2.81GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x 2.2GHz Cortex-A55, 64-bit
GPU	Mali G78 MP14
Weight	8.01 oz(227.0 g)
5G	Bands SA, NSA, Sub-6
FCC approval	Date approved: Dec 22, 2020 FCC ID value: A3LSMG998B
Measured SAR	Head: 0.16 W/kg Body: 0.72 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.59 W/kg Wireless Router: 1.34 W/kg Phablet: 3.86 W/kg

Carrier Availability

Discontinued

T-Mobile
U.S. Cellular

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Should you buy the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2023 - a comprehensive review

Links

Overall User Rating

(8 reviews)

8.6

1 person recommends this phone.

Build quality

8.9

Camera quality

8.4

Performance

9.4

Display

9.6

Battery life and charging

8.3

Value for money

zeeslikethat

Arena Apprentice

Solid phone

Posted: Aug 10, 2024, 9:02 AM

Phone owned for more than a year

I have had this phone as a daily since January 2022, will be replacing the battery. Overall, I had an excellent experience with it. It feels so premium, solid frame, has got some weight to it (which is good for me), still good as a daily in 2024.

Build quality

Camera quality

Performance

Display

Battery life and charging

Value for money

zeeslikethat recommends this phone.

What I like

Build quality
Weight
Resistance to shock

What I don't like

Battery life
Heat

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HelloThere21

Arena Apprentice

2021's best flagship is 2022's great option; what I think after one year of usage.

Edited: Feb 16, 2022, 3:20 PM

Phone owned for more than a year

I originally switched from iPhone to Samsung in 2020. I was getting bored of iPhones and thought I'd try the Galaxy S20+. That phone was awesome, so when I saw the trade-in values on the Samsung site, I had to get the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

To summarize this device; It's Ultra. Everything about it is what you'd expect, and more. I've never been consistently impressed with a phone, especially after the novelty wares off. It's also improved a lot since launch, from better camera processing and shutter speed, to longer battery life. Overall, what we have here is one of the greatest Galaxies, and one of the greatest phones avaliable.

Build quality

Camera quality

Performance

Display

Battery life and charging

What I like

Versatile camera
Insane display
Great software
Ready for 2022

What I don't like

Battery life could be better
Lack of a MicroSD card slot
Lack of a headphone jack
Can be quite large

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TonyTostones

Arena Apprentice

Good but not worth the price tag.

Posted: Oct 05, 2021, 4:41 PM

Phone owned for less than a year

Been using this Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for 6 months and hace found its to be a good handset but just not worth the price tag. The phone is too large to use singlehandedly. I chose the Ultra over the plus for the upgraded camera. Six months in the camera has been somewhat disappointing. There's a S21+ in our household and the photos between them are not very different. The telephoto lenses on the ultra are a cool addition theoretically, but in use the super zoom is pretty unusable and grainy.