Galaxy S21 Lineup Official, Launch January 29 Starting at $799

Samsung announced its Galaxy S21 lineup this morning, consisting of the Galaxy 21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Launching later this month, the family of S21 devices are priced starting at $799 and going all the way up to $1,199 for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. There are a few big changes internally and externally for this lineup, so we’ll go over everything that’s new.

What’s New

As you’d expect, Samsung has packed the Galaxy S21 lineup with all of the top specs you want in 2021. There are high refresh rate displays with high amounts of resolution, the latest Qualcomm silicon, and plenty of rear-facing camera glass with a lot of megapixels.

The Galaxy S21, starting at $799, features a 6.2-inch flat FHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 888 processor, 8GB RAM (LPDDR5), a base of 128GB storage, 4,000mAh battery, three rear cameras, fast wireless charging, 5G connectivity, ultrasonic fingerprint reader, IP68 rating, and Android 11. The larger Galaxy S21+ (starting price of $999) features mostly the same specifications, though there is a slightly larger 6.7-inch flat FHD+ display and 4,800mAh battery.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the mega beast, coming in with a price of $1,199. It features a 6.8-inch Edge WQHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 888 processor, base option of 12GB RAM (LPDDR5), 5,000mAh battery, WiFi 6E support (not available on S21 and S21+), and quad rear camera array.

For cameras, both the S21 and S21+ feature the same rear-camera setup. It consists of a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens (120°, F2.2, 1.4µm), 12MP standard lens with Dual Pixel auto focus and OIS (F1.8, 1.8µm), and 64MP telephoto lens with phase detection auto focus (F2.0, 0.8µm, 30X Space Zoom). The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s quad camera setup features a 12MP ultra-wide lens with Dual Pixel AF (120°, F2.2, 1.4µm), 108MP wide-angle lens with phase detection AF and OIS (F1.8, 0.8µm) as well as Nona binning at 12MP (2.4µm), and two 10MP telephoto lenses with OIS and varying magnification factors (F2.4, 1.22µm and F4.9, 1.22µm).

Features wise, Samsung details that Galaxy S21 buyers can look forward to an upgraded camera experience, thanks to the three rear cameras on the Galaxy S21 and S21+, and the four rear cameras on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. New features for the cameras include 8K Snap, which lets you grab clear images from 8K video footage, Super Steady video at an improved 60FPS, Director’s View that lets you preview feeds from different lenses, Vlogger View that lets users capture both rear and front camera video simultaneously, plus the ability to preview or change the angle, zoom, or go wide with Live Thumbnails.

Galaxy S21 Ultra specific advancements include a variable refresh between 10Hz and 120Hz, allowing for improved power efficiency. And speaking of the display, when compared to last year’s Galaxy S20, the S21 Ultra offers 25% brighter picture at 1,500nits of peak brightness, as well as 50% improved contrast ratio. Samsung also states that all three models feature Eye Comfort Shield to help reduce eye fatigue. Fans of the Galaxy Note line will also appreciate that the S21 Ultra supports the S Pen, a first for a Galaxy S device. You’ll have to purchase the S Pen separately, though, S Pen devices from recent Samsung devices are compatible with the S21 Ultra should you already own one.

As for what’s not included, do make note that Samsung is not including a charging adapter with any of the Galaxy S21 models. You can take that as either an earth-saving measure or to simply cut costs. Either way, that’s the new reality for many high-end devices it seems. Also, no Galaxy S20 model features expandable storage. I know a few folks here will take that as a personal insult, especially when we consider that the base storage is a mere 128GB and not 256GB. Seriously, at $1,200 the Galaxy S21 Ultra only has 128GB of storage. Not ideal.

Pricing and Availability

The entire Galaxy S21 lineup is available for pre-order starting today at 11:00 am ET (8am PT), January 14, through both carriers and big box retailers. The official launch date is set for January 29.

Pricing starts at $799 for the Galaxy S21, $999 for the Galaxy S21+, and $1,199 for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. As usual, Samsung is hosting a pre-order event that can save you plenty of money should you have a decent trade-in device. Also, consumers who pre-order can get $100 Samsung Credit with a Samsung Galaxy S21 and $150 Samsung Credit with a Galaxy S21+, and lastly, all pre-orders will also include a free Galaxy SmartTag that helps you keep track of whatever you attach it to.

For colors, the Galaxy S21 is available in Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White. The Galaxy S21+ will be available in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Black, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra will be available in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black, as well as more colors exclusive to Samsung’s website. Additionally, Samsung notes that exclusive colors that include Phantom Gold and Phantom Red may also be available in select regions.

Pre-Order Link

Galaxy S21 Lineup Specs