Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Galaxy S21 Ultra Review

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra offers a 100th-percentile camera and 97th-percentile battery life for under $400. It's a former flagship that still outperforms most new mid-range phones. The main trade-offs are its age, starting with Android 11, and the lack of included S Pen.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a phone that doesn't just compete, it dominates in the areas that matter most. With a camera system sitting in the 100th percentile, a battery life in the 97th, and overall performance in the 95th, this isn't just a good phone—it's a benchmark. For a device you can now find for between $305 and $399, you're getting flagship-tier specs that still hold up remarkably well years after its release. It's packing a 6.8-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a Snapdragon 888 processor, and 12GB of RAM, which means it feels fast and fluid even by today's standards. The real story, though, is in the numbers that put it at the very top of our charts.

Let's talk about what '95th percentile performance' actually means. The Snapdragon 888 and 12GB of RAM combo handles multitasking and demanding apps without breaking a sweat. It's not the absolute latest chip, but in our testing, it still outpaces the vast majority of phones in our database. The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate on that stunning 1440p display makes everything feel buttery smooth. And that 5000mAh battery? It's not just big on paper. Landing in the 97th percentile for battery life means you're getting endurance that shames many newer models. You can easily push through a full day of heavy use and still have juice left over.

Here's the kicker: this former $1200 flagship is now floating between $305 and $399. That price-to-performance ratio is insane. You're getting camera, battery, and display capabilities that are still better than most mid-range phones launching today, all for a mid-range price. It's one of the best values in the unlocked phone market right now if your priorities are top-notch optics and all-day battery life without paying a grand.

Stacked against its listed competitors, the S21 Ultra's strengths are clear. It utterly demolishes budget options like the Moto G in camera and display quality. Compared to newer mid-range models like the Galaxy S25 FE or OnePlus 15, the S21 Ultra often wins on pure specs—like its higher-resolution display and more advanced camera array—though you trade some software update longevity. Against the Google Pixel 10, you're choosing between Samsung's hardware versatility and Google's computational photography and cleaner software. For the Apple iPhone 16e buyer, it's the classic Android vs. iOS debate, but the S21 Ultra offers more hardware for the money, especially in zoom and battery life.

Skip this phone if you need something rugged—its build quality is great but it scores only in the 53rd percentile for ruggedness, so it's not built for extreme conditions. Also, look elsewhere if you demand the latest software out of the box or need tons of internal storage without relying on the cloud, as 128GB is the only option and it ships with an older Android version.

If you want a no-compromise camera phone and a battery that won't quit, and you're okay with a slightly older software starting point, the S21 Ultra is a phenomenal buy. The data doesn't lie: 100th percentile camera, 97th percentile battery, and 95th percentile performance for a third of its original price is a steal. Just be ready to charge it with a cable you already own, and maybe buy a microSD card if 128GB isn't enough.