The Samsung Galaxy S21 range is now out in the open, after being officially unveiled during CES 2021 at Samsung Unpacked.
The range includes the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and right here you can get our official first impressions of the new range, as well as all the Galaxy S21 price, release date, specs, camera and battery information.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 review video below also reveals the differences between each new phone and explains the differences in terms of what you get in the box, too. Simply click the video below to start watching.
Samsung Galaxy S21 review video
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In the video, Global Editor-in-Chief of T3's sister title Tom's Guide talks through the new Samsung Galaxy S21 range, while TechRadar's Managing Editor, Matt Swider, goes hands on with the new phones. Up first, in the video, is the fact that the prices are $200 cheaper across the board.
In terms of Samsung Galaxy S21 release date, each model in the new range goes on sale on January 29th, 2021, with pre-orders opening on January 14th.
The Samsung Galaxy S21's price is $799/AUD$1,249, the Galaxy S21 Plus' price is $999/AUD$1,549, while the range-topping S21 Ultra's price is $1199/AUD$1,849. Each of these phones is cheaper than its equivalent in the Samsung Galaxy S20 range.
In terms of design, the big change this year is that each Samsung Galaxy S21 handset has a contoured cut design, meaning it blends into the each device's frame more smoothly. The camera array is less pronounced as a result when compared to last year's range.
Another improvement this year across the Samsung Galaxy S21 range is in the fingerprint scanner, which is 1.7x larger than last year. However, this improvement is not carried through to the phone's screen and backplate, which are now plastic rather than glass – this is almost certainly a contributing factor to the range's lower prices.
As for colorways, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is available in Phantom White, Gray, Violet and Pink, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus can be picked up in Black, White and Violet. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra meanwhile is available in Black and Silver colorways.
Each Galaxy S21 phone's display is capable of a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes for smoother scrolling and video playback / gaming, however each screen is identical. The Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with a QHD resolution screen, while the S21 Plus and S21 come with 1080p displays.
In terms of camera system, the S21 range comes with an improved Night Mode and Portrait Mode, the latter utilising advanced AI to better separate the subject from the background.
In terms of camera zoom functionality, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra leads the charge with dual telephoto lenses, one of which delivers 3x optical zoom and the other 10x. Up to 100x Space Zoom is capable with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy 21 and S21 Plus, meanwhile, has a 3x Optical Zoom and 30x Space Zoom function.
A notable new camera feature that all phones share is 'Director's Mode', which allows both the front and rear cameras to record simultaneously, which is great for vlogging. And the Single Take mode has been improved also – this mode takes numerous shots every time the trigger is pulled, making it easy to capture the ideal shot of the subject.
Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra now comes with S Pen functionality, and when an optional extra phone case that stores the S Pen is bought, the phone can act just like a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
There's plenty more improvements in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, too, so if you want to learn even more be sure to watch our hands on review video above.
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