Our Final Verdict: How good is the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone?

As a longtime Samsung user (since the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 series), I have always been more attracted to the Note series over the S series – where the main decider was the S Pen. As a creative content creator, the S Pen is an indispensable tool in my arsenal especially when it comes to photography, video editing and more.

But with the new Galaxy S21 Ultra, the bridge has finally connected as the S21 Utra (this is not available for the regular S21 and S21 plus) now supports the connectivity and functions of the S Pen stylus. So this makes one of the major turning points for a Note user like me to hop onto the S train.

One thing to take note on this is the S Pen comes as a separate purchase from your S21 Ultra and the phone itself does not have a built-in slot like the Note models to keep the S Pen, but rest assured, Samsung has already launched a series on phone cases that has a slot for you to keep your S Pen.

From note taking to drawing and even editing videos, the pen glides seamlessly on the screen with minimal delay and feels almost like a real ball point pen. It is also a seamless experience to access everything with the pen, thanks to the help of its signature side button.

Like all its predecessors, the S21 series boasts the smartest and most advanced camera technology that Samsung has to offer right now. First let us bring you through the full specs of its camera.

FOr the S21 Ultra, there is a 12 MP ultra wide camera, 108 MP wide-angle camera, and two 10MP telephone cameras - completing its rear-quad camera combo. With the new technology infused, the 100x zoom feature makes a big comeback where photos turn out clearer, more detailed and sharper than its S20 edition. While it is still not 100% perfect, the upgrade and improvements are definitely noteworthy.

Zoom aside (which is a feature I hardly use on a daily basis), the low-light photography has advanced leaps and bounds, making even a photo taken in a dim hallway look like it was taken directly under the sun.

Thanks to its AI technology and advanced super-resolution image processing, the colours of the imagesalso retain its vibrancy and crispness.

Another great thing about the new camera is the video quality it produces – up to 8K, which is the highest quality available to the smartphone. The best part? You can still take stunning snapshots of the video you are filming in HD quality (up to 33 MP) with the 8K VIdeo Snap feature.

Add that with the Super Steady and Super Smooth 60fps Video to the mix and our fashion week qualms have been solved. Say goodbye to constantly swapping between photo and video functtion and say hello to stunning videos that you can snap stills after the show!

And last but not least, let's talk about viewing pleasures with the S21 Ultra's Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which is a A+ for me for its outstanding quality and performance – even when I am watching YouTube.

As a big K-Pop fan, watching my favourite music videos in Ultra HD is a must, which I used to only opt to watch with my TV but with the new S21, it is a great alternative with the WQHD+ screen resolution feature. Sound wise, it is also top notch and we recommend the new Galaxy Buds Pro to make the experience even more epic.

The last thing to take note with the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the gaming experience. Yes, I am a gamer too – from Mobile Legend to Dragalia Lost and PUBG –, I have dabbled in countless mobile , the phone has proven its worth to maintain speed and latency well enough even with heavy graphics. 

So, my final verdict? The phone is worth every penny I am investing for (which starts from RM 5,299). While I cannot say it is a full 10/10 experience, what I have on my hand right now is definitely one of the superior and leading contenders of the smartphones launched so far in 2021. You should definitely test it out yourself to see it!