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

It was always going to be tough for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to follow the fantastic phone that is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, at least as far as the experience is concerned. Yet, Samsung clearly has taken pains to find those specific points on the spec sheet, which needed an upgrade.

Samsung has addressed many of the pain points that last year’s S series Ultra model had and made key improvements to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to refine the overall experience. There are also a ton of value-added features that make it a more well-rounded device.

At $1,199 / £1,149, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra needs to be excellent, and it is. Powerful internals, a class-leading 10x zoom and a number of fun value adds, not least of all S Pen support give it some standout charm.

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.

In many ways, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a by-the-book upgrade — it’s faster, its cameras are more polished, and its software is a little cleaner. Calling it a thrill would be a stretch.

The clear flagship in the S21 family - and a better performer than the smaller S21 and S21+ models, thanks to its better cameras - the Ultra is the pick for those who want all the best that Samsung offers. Its great display, stacks of power and performance, is only tempered slightly by battery life that's quick to drain when put under pressure.

Great new finish and improved design; Powerful internal hardware; Adaptive refresh rate; S Pen stylus support; Camera performance; Stands apart from rest of S21 range;

No microSD card slot; Undeniably expensive; Camera setup more confusing than it needs to be; Battery life isn't great under pressure;

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.