The Samsung Galaxy S21 has just been announced! I was able to get a bit of hands on time with the big daddy S21 Ultra. Here's my thoughts.

It’s big, powerful and very capable. If you’re after the very best Samsung Galaxy S21 model and money is no object, the Ultra is the one for you. It’s a big upgrade over the S20 Ultra, fixing the focus issues and improving battery life.

Great screen thanks to WQHD+ and 120Hz, Much-improved design with an attractive finish, Far more versatile camera than the iPhone 12 Pro Max

Expensive, with many cheaper phones offering the same features, Big and heavy, No charger included

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung’s latest big, heavy and expensive superphone that makes meaningful improvements to both the camera and general usability. All the usual top-quality elements are there.

Pros: big 120Hz screen, 5G, great and flexible camera, 3x and 10x optical zoom, dual sim, One UI, wireless charging and powershare, good performance, long battery, fast fingerprint scanner.

Cons: huge, heavy, very expensive, no headphone socket, only three-plus years of software updates.

This is the "Ultra" smartphone you've been looking for!

Big, bright & beautiful display, Camera bump is no longer obtrusive, Camera has seen huge improvements year-over-year, Space Zoom is less of a gimmick, 120Hz at Quad HD+ resolution, Battery life is very impressive, $200 cheaper than its predecessor, Much improved fingerprint sensor

Large phone is large, not suitable for everyone, No charger in the box, Doesn't support fast charging (25W max), S Pen supported, but not included in box, No MST with Samsung Pay, No micro SD card slot

More phone, less money

Excellent camera system, Beautiful screen with high refresh rate, Great battery life

Ads in Samsung software, No expandable storage, Bixby

The Galaxy S21 is a tank. It’s a big, heavy (8.04 ounces versus its predecessor’s 7.7), blunt instrument of a phone. It’s quintessential Samsung, really — the handset you purchase when too much isn’t quite enough.

Samsung goes extra with the Ultra

Awesome camera zoom capability, Smooth, ultra-bright screen, Supports the S-Pen like a Galaxy Note

No charger: a cheap move, Some alternatives last longer between charges, UK Exynos version not as powerful as upcoming Snapdragon phones

Samsung shifted its annual Galaxy S series launch about a month to the left this year, and given the challenges we all faced in 2020, it is nice to see 2021 start off with some fresh phones from Samsung with a significant price drop.

Lovely design with matte finish back, 5G support for all bands, Advanced multiple cameras, S Pen support, Competive pricing, High end internal specifications

No MST support

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G offers best in class specifications, an 8K video capable camera suite and a breathtakingly beautiful display. If money is no object and you want the best, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the gold standard in smartphones today.

The best WQHD 120Hz panel that money can buy, Excellent cameras, Great performance with Exynos 2100, Good battery life, IP68 dust and water resistance, Brilliant design

No microSD card slot, No 3.5mm audio jack, Expensive

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the mobile market's wildest monster mobile, which makes up for the sins of the past.

Impressive camera with great creative possibilities. Razor-sharp and bright screen with adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate combined with nice design and extremely high performance.

No charger supplied and battery life is not impressive.