Every time there’s a Samsung UNPACKED event, it’s bound to titillate, provoke. This round still delivers the goods. With the focus on 5G-capable phones, if you’re the sort that peddles in the falsehood of 5G signal towers, sod off. For the rest of you, pull up a seat, stay as I bend your ears on what Samsung has in store with regards to the Galaxy S21 series.
You have three models—the S21 Ultra; S21+ and the S21—to cater to consumers with different price points. The heart of the S21 series is the Snapdragon 888 chipset; all are IP68 water and dust certified, boast 5G-capabilities, stronger Gorilla Glass and the Contour Cut Camera housing, which blends into the devices’ metal frame. In our handling of the phones, we didn’t detect any protrusions or seams in the chassis.
Consider the S21 and S21+ as your basic tier of the series with the former having a 6.2-inch display and the latter, with a 6.7-inch display. The S21 and S21+ have Full HD+ resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates.
Samsung's Galaxy S21 and S21+ retail for SGD1,248 and SGD1,498 respectively.
Galaxy S21 Ultra
We begin with the S21 Ultra, the largest smartphone of the S21 series (6.8-inch display). With a Quad HD+ resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, which adjusts from 10Hz to 120Hz according to the content you’re viewing. Compared to the rest of the S21 models, the Ultra has a 50 percent improved contrast ratio that still delivers crystal-clear images even when you’re outside.
The camera has an upgrade: the quad rear camera system (consisting of ultra-wide, wide and dual tele-lenses modes) has a 108MP pro sensor. That means studio-quality images in various lighting settings.
Also, this is the first for a Galaxy smartphone that you can film in 4K at 60 fps across all the lenses (front and back) thus retaining the same sort of quality when you switch perspectives.
Soon, night shoots shouldn’t be an issue. With the improved Bright Night sensor, Night Mode and 12MP Non-binning tech (basically pixel binning, which reduces noise and soups up the signal-to-noise ratio and frame rate), you can capture details even in a dimly-lit room or an evening landscape.
The Ultra is the only device in the S21 range to have an S Pen Pro. Drawing, note-taking, signing, adding naughty pics on the foreheads of your passed-out friends, you can use an existing S Pen from a Galaxy Note or Tab or get a new S Pen separately.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra will retail at SGD1,798 (256GB) and SGD1,998 (512GB).
Galaxy Buds Pro
These audio accessories were announced as well. Coupled with an 11mm woofer and 6.5mm tweeter for that deep bass and clear treble, the Buds Pro also have an intelligent ANC that adapts to your environment without you being aware that you needed it. For example: the Buds Pro knows when you're speaking so and will adjust accordingly—cancelling nearby sounds or amplifying them.
Housed within the Buds Pro are three microphones and a Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) so that when you speak, you'll be heard as clearly as possible. There's also a new Wind Shield tech inserted into the Galaxy Buds Pro to filters out wind interference.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro retails for SGD308.
The Samsung S21 series is available for pre-orders at the Samsung Online Store; local telcos, selected Consumer Electronics & IT Stores online stores; Samsung Official Store in Lazada and Shopee and at KrisShop Online Store.
