The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, unveiled alongside Samsung's Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus phones, proves that sometimes you have to do something twice to get it right. While just as bold as last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra is a refined second take on the concept. There's still the 100x Space Zoom, but it's easier to use. There is still the "big for the sake of being big" design, but it looks more appealing. And there's still a high price, but at $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) it costs $200 less than the S20 Ultra in the US.

With an elegant design, lower price and S-Pen support, the second time's the charm for Samsung. The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G earns a CNET Editors' Choice Award.

Gorgeous phantom black finish; Two telephoto cameras; The screen is spectacular; S-Pen support;

It's heavy; Lacks a microSD card slot; $1,200 is still expensive;

As mentioned at the beginning, there’s a lot to like about the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Its sticker price is still the main reason why most people stay away, but if you’re a smartphone enthusiast looking for the best Samsung has to offer, this phone will definitely make you smile.

Great Display, Good Battery life, Amazing Cameras, Unique Design

Adriddled Software, Cheaper but still expensive

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.

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

Ads in Samsung software; No expandable storage; Bixby

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a well-made evolution of its predecessor with a great design refresh. The new OLED display is capable of supporting a high resolution and a high adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate at the same time, and it is also the brightest display that we have ever seen in a smartphone.

extremely bright OLED display; 120 Hz and WQHD+; high system performance; good camera setup; Wi-Fi 6E; dual SIM with 5G and eSIM; good call quality; S Pen support

storage not expandable; VHT160 Wi-Fi not particularly fast or stable; games are FPS-bound; missing Bluetooth audio codecs; 5G without mmWave

An Android that earns its “ultra” title with an incredible camera array allowing you to capture moments other phones will simply miss

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’s Galaxy S21 Ultra is more affordable than last year’s flagship, has more cameras, and adds an S Pen: on paper, at least, what’s not to love? Setting the bar for smartphones in 2021, the daddy of the currently three-strong Galaxy S21 family promises more of that monstrously effective Samsung...

Fantastic 120Hz display makes no resolution compromise; 108MP camera is capable of great photos; More affordable than last year's flagship phone; Potent performance and long battery life; S Pen functionality is a welcome addition from Galaxy Note

No microSD; no Samsung Pay MST; and slower charging than the S20 Ultra; 100x Space Zoom still feels like a gimmick; S Pen implementation feels half-hearted

The Galaxy S21 Ultra delivers a high-quality superzoom camera that truly works, supports Samsung's excellent S Pen, and sets the bar for smartphone features in 2021.

Beautiful design and solid build; Excellent photo quality at up to 10x zoom; Equipped for next-gen C-band and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity

Heavy; Expensive; Some of those next-gen networks don't exist yet

However sweet the new design is, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and S21+ 5G don’t have the spec sheet highlights we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s top S Series phones. To get that true S Series experience, you have to buy the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which goes all-out on power, screen, camera, and battery tech to satisfy hardcore fans. But at $1,200, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a considerable investment, certainly when compared to the $800 Galaxy S21 that we’ve already reviewed. Plus, it faces serious competition from both outside — the iPhone 12 Pro Max, for example — and inside (the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 2). I’m a week into living with the S21 Ultra, so consider this a very detailed early look rather than our definitive review at this stage. Both I and Mobile Editor Andrew Martonik will be adding our continued thoughts about the phone to this article over the coming weeks, building out our final review. But even after seven days, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s extraordinary abilities...

Highly capable, versatile camera; Beautiful AMOLED screen; Elegant new design; Long battery life; Latest software from Google and Samsung; Price is down from last year;

Shaky Wi-Fi connectivity; Intermittent charging problems; Top-heavy design affects balance; No MicroSD card slot;

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;

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;