Galaxy S21 Ultra Review: Almost Perfect! By Taco Tech Talk

So this is Samsung's s21 ultra I've had the phone for well over a month now. Basically, since it came out in January, I'm going to spit some specs out for you real quick, so you know which model is I have here. So this is the snapdragon 888 version, 12 gigs of ram and 120 gigabytes of storage, and I also don't use case, or I do use the case 99 of the time, and I don't use a screen printer just so you guys know um. Sometimes they have a pre-installed one. This year they don't have one speaking of other things. They don't have this year, no headphones, no charging brake and no adapter in the box.

Not today, I've ever included it, but just things that maybe they should include next time because I'm coming from the s10 plus- and let me tell you, I'm not ready- or I am- I am ready, but like some people may not be ready to switch over to no headphone jack and may have headphones that require a headphone jack or some may not have a 4s charger yet, but luckily Samsung is depending on where you purchase your phone. Samsung is nice enough to give you some credit to get some stuff with the phone so that it can include a fast charger. Um, headphones, wireless, headphones and then other stuff, so they may have you covered, but still they should have just kept it in the box. Pretty, pretty big. If you ask me, but whatever it is, what it is so to start, let's go ahead and talk about the hardware and design about the phone, all right, so the big and obvious.

This phone is huge, and it's super heavy. In my opinion, a little too heavy and too big for my liking, um. If you're not used to huge phones, you're going to take some time to get used to it now, even for the big hands like I, I think I have pretty big hands like look. My phone is my hand. It's way bigger than this phone and even then I feel uncomfortable after a while holding it for such a long time, especially when you use a freaking case.

It makes it even heavier, especially when you use the s-pen case. Furthermore, it makes it heavier wider thicker like it just makes it much heavier, and it can get tiring after a while, I have to switch hands every once in a while, or else I will get tired. So that's something to know if you're, not a big fan of big phones, already yeah you're. Definitely not going to like this. One definitely steer away from this beast over here um, but yeah.

It's pretty big. It's thick, it's chunky, but you know it also feels premium with all that feeling how big it is, how thick it is and how heavy it is. Furthermore, it feels premium this. This son of a gun here feels super premium, like my s10 plus. It felt like a toy after using it for such a long time when I went to this, this felt like a heavy beast and a monster like it felt like you had the power in your hands, the power of the sun and the palm of my hands.

You know what I mean, but the SM plus. On the other hand, it wasn't cheap, no, but it felt like a little toy and just something to know, but they're, also negatives, which is its time after a while, but otherwise it's got matte black. You know everyone keeps talking about it. You know it's a matte black love, whatever yeah, it's nice, I will admit it. It's nice! That's why people keep talking about it because it really is nice.

Now, personally, I do like matte black. That's why I like it um and the matte feeling is also really nice. It is a little slippery, so just keep something in keep that in mind. You may have to use a skin or a case if you really want to protect it, but otherwise it's actually pretty comfortable the camera bump. Here, while it's actually pretty big, like it's big, I will admit it um it gives you a nice spot to rest your finger to be able to hold your phone properly and also the camera bump merges nicely with the sides here.

However, you want to call it well, it looks nice. It also looks kind of big and fat. In my opinion, like it looks like a thick camera bump from there- and I don't know if I like it- it's okay, it's not bad, but overall, the design is pretty nice. It's pretty nice um at the bottom here. This is where you have your USB and one firing speaker now.

First, I was like why didn't they just put two finance speakers, but then I thought about it. It makes a lot of sense. You know when you hold your phone like horizontally you're, going to cover up at least one of the one of those uh firing speakers. So if I had to it would cover up either you know the bottom one or top one. However, you hold your phone, so now it makes sense to always hold your phone horizontally with your finger, where there's no, no, no speaker, so you won't be covering up any speakers when you're watching video playing a game you'll be good.

So that's a perfect idea that they did there and in that spot, that's where the sim card goes. Oh yeah, the same card goes, I almost said micro SD card, because you know: there's no modern, freaking micro, SD card uh that that that really is like what the hell they should just keep it. So, if you're not ready to be able to or have other options or backups for when you run out of storage on your phone you're going to want to upgrade to a higher storage or just don't get this one at all, because if you don't already use cloud or having a backup like my backup, is transferring all my photos and videos to either my computer or my tablet, which has micro, SD card support, so I'll just store all those stuff over there, but um yeah. If you don't have a backup plan, or you don't use the cloud storage, I would steer away from this because there's no micro SD card support, which is a big bummer, so hey Samsung, bring it back next time. Please move on that's where the sim card goes, because there's no micro, SD card added to at the left hand, side nothing, flush, clean nice and then on the other side, you got your power button and your volume knocker button I like where they place the volume button.

I mean right, yeah the volume button and the power button, because it's nice, it's a nice spot. In my opinion, um when you're holding it with my right hand with some right-handed thumb, lands right perfectly on it every single time. No, I need to worry about where it is no need to stretch no gymnastics needed press here. Good and the volume button same thing just move up a little, and you can feel it and then there you go other side, no issues and then, even when you hold it with your left hand your one finger over here. What is this? Oh, your middle finger.

Your middle finger lands right on it and, depending on how you hold it at least how I hold it. It lands right on the power button and then the volume button same thing do a little gymnastics and there you go, but otherwise I like the button placement. That's pretty good. I like it at the top pretty clean. You got two.

I believe those are microphones so for studio. Recording, I don't know whatever you need those microphones for and on the back, the big ass freaking camera bumps. So you got a bunch of cameras there I'll talk about those later um and that's about it. As far as like the design here- and I guess we'll talk about the screen here, so the screen's got a little of curves just a little. They should have just made it flat, no reason to even bother putting a little of curves.

It doesn't make it look premium, make it feel premium. I guess, but just make it flat like you're already going back to what you used to have so might as well just go back the whole way right, and then you got that little punch hole display up here which isn't bad at all seriously. If it bothers you, then you're crazy, because it doesn't bother me at all, I'm it's way better than having a notch way better than having a little pill, hole, display or pill hole cut out. It's its! It's pretty good! Furthermore, it's symmetric! Furthermore, it's nice! Furthermore, it's not that bad! Furthermore, it's not that big! Furthermore, it's not that bad Jesus, but um yeah, it's pretty nice, I'm! I would still. Yes, I would love to see under the display, hopefully next year, fingers crossed or later this year.

You know fingers crossed, but not bad for now and that display, though that's nice, it's a nice display like this is a nice display. I know every year Samsung tops what they did last year as far as like, not just like the whole phone, but the display they always top themselves every single time, and they did it again this year and to be honest every year I feel like. I don't notice it that much, because I don't, I'm not I'm not super like knowledgeable of like oh, my god, I'm not gonna pixel peep. Here, like oh, my god, you can see this this this nah. Let me tell you this display is fantastic, whether you have a 1080p or 1440p.

This is going to treat you so well, but believe me, it is. It really is no need to complain. Of course, it's also Samsung, so on Samsung's flagship flagships, you're going to get the best display, and this time around, you also get variable refresh rate now. One thing about that. To note is uh, the variable refresh rate is kind of whack.

Sometimes it like goes down to some low refresh rate in the middle of an app or when you close an app and go back to the app it'll, be at a low refresh rate. Then you have then just wait. Give it a second it'll refresh faster. You know, make it smoother, but overall pretty good, pretty good. It's very, very, very smooth.

In my opinion, I, like it a lot um, also up here down more like down here, yeah a new fingerprint sensor. Now people say or are saying it's like something bigger and something faster personally coming from the s10 plus, I feel like it's the same speed I don't know like it might just be me, but I think it's a little. It's not a little slower, but it's about the same. Nothing special! It is a bit better in placement for sure, because before it was lower for me now it's more at a more comfortable spot. Whenever you place your finger, so that's something to note there, but I think the speed and the size it did.

It definitely didn't increase I've seen it in the light you can see uh in the sun, the actual sensor. You can see it under the display, and it does look bigger, but it's not by a ton, and I would love to see the whole display like the whole bottom display, be your fingerprint sensor, but you know that's, maybe in the future someday um but yeah that otherwise that wraps up pretty much the hardware design. I think this is good, but the end of the day. Let me tell you at the end of the day this is going the case and so no matter how beautiful how comfortable it is. Nude in the hand, this bad boy is going in the case, I'm protecting this boy, as you spend well over, probably well over a thousand.

Maybe you got it cheaper on a deal, but still you spend a lot of money on this phone and you have to protect this boy, so I'm putting in the case. Well, that's that let's move on to the day-to-day performance, okay! So as far as day-to-day performance, this one is fantastic, but first I want to talk about the durability so because that's part of the day-to-day use- and so far I felt like it's pretty good, like I mentioned already no screen protector, but then a case most of the time, and so that's led to like no issues no damage at all. Now, as far as micro scratches, I don't see, I don't see any big ones like I don't see like major scratches anywhere. I also don't feel like I see many micro scratches if at all, maybe one that's about it, but otherwise pretty good actually for over a month's use. It's pretty good, holding up pretty well, and I've put this in my pocket.

Put this on my gym bag and no issues at all. But besides that, durability is great, or it seems great, don't know what it would be like if I drop it by the case not going to find out, but the phone itself, the software, the specs, the hardware, everything tied together. This thing gives you a great package. It really does now to keep it in simple terms: I'm not a heavy user. So I feel like I do your basic stuff on here, which would be like YouTube.

A couple of games not non-intense games at least listen to music uh tax. You know Snapchat social media, all that kind of stuff internet. Whatever that's the basic stuff that I do. I don't push my phone to the limits. I don't think which you could say.

That's too much phone for you then yeah. This is uh. This could be a little too much phone for me, but that's okay. I still want the best of the best, but the thing is this: will have you backed up for years to come, then, because if you don't push this to the limits like as apps get updated and whatnot, and they need more out of your phone, this will have your back then. So the smart, the basic things this one has you covered.

It's got it's good at receiving calls. At least I feel like people can hear me. Well, I haven't asked them hey. Can you hear me? Well, I think they can. They haven't complained.

I haven't had any like um now this might be depending on your network as well, and your internet and Wi-Fi speeds everything seems fast. You know no issues, there no dropped calls, no nothing. It seems pretty good uh. I haven't had many connection issues, except for when the one time I put my phone in my locker and I didn't send a text, and I was like or not a text, then it's an email. I was like what the hell man but anyways.

That's a different story. That's just network issues, but that's okay. Otherwise, the phone gives you so much. The display is a great experience, whether again you have it at 1440p or 1080p, just don't put it on 60hz. Don't even do that.

Don't bother just leave it at 1440p, 1080, whatever you prefer or doesn't matter actually, because regardless it gives you a great experience. Everything feels smooth yeah, and it also looks fantastic, whether you're out in the blazing sun. You know sun directly, hitting your screen. You can still see perfectly. At least you know.

For the most part, you can still use it pretty normally, and you can also use it just fine in the dark. I mean I'm not going to test it super bright colors in the dark. You can do that if you want, but it looks fantastic in whichever environment you put it in, so sunlight, good, dark room, good, normally used good um. As far as the power and all that stuff, the phone runs fantastic seriously. I don't think I've had many issues at all any lag like at all.

I think I've had a couple apps close on me, but I think it's just the app itself being a versus the phone, it's phone being an um, and I did mention already but uh. There is a few times when the refresh rate does like go to a lower refresh rate. For some reason. I don't know why it does that, but it happens every once in a while um just something to note that it might drop on a rate every once in a while and then go back up to its refresh rate, the high refresh rate, because I don't know why it does that it's just a little out of whack um. The phone does warm up a little when you're using it intensely.

I used it for Fortnite, not many people play Fortnite, Allen think on their day-to-day usage, but I was like I should give it a shot. I'm sure it'll work just fine, and it does. It works just fine. But after like a round or two, it did warm up just a tad bit. Not enough to like to hurt you and bother you, but you'll feel it you're like.

Oh, my god. Why is it so warm but yeah? It's warm. I think any phone will warm up after a long intensive use, especially like a game like Fortnite that uses so many resources um. Otherwise, other games, like simple games, like I don't know Clash of Clans clash, royale work, great Pok?mon Go works great. I use that for a little, um no issues there, and I personally am a fan of Samsung's UI, especially with a phone like this, because this phone is big right and so Samsung UI, the UI 3.1. It's optimized for big phones so like when you open, apps, say messages.

You know you have this big black bar black space here so that you can easily handle this phone offhandedly, which is amazing. I love it and there are other features that Samsung provides that many people might not be aware of, for example, the edge. I'm not sure many people use it anymore, but I still use it on the day-to-day because I have it as a clear, transparent bar. So you can secretly have this little bar right here swipe. You got a bunch of abs and boom.

It's another quick way to access your apps. I use it all the time. I love it and also small things like, for example, before I used to do this manually with the good luck app, which I'll explain a little in a second but see how it's transparent. Furthermore, I just have to do that manually with one of the good, lock modules. Now it's just included in there, which is fantastic.

I love that and speaking of good luck, there's so many features already on the phone right. Good luck gives you way more features. So if you don't think, there's enough stuff on your phone to mess with and customize, you got another app to download my friend. If you don't feel like this, if you don't know about it, good luck get that there's a bunch of other customization things you can do on there. I don't have time to mess with it.

I used a couple of them, but if you have time go ahead, try it out. It's cool, gives you more options and more customization, it's crazy! How much Samsung gives you, and this one is also really great for multitasking. So when you're on a restroom like me, you can multitask like I watch a video while browsing Reddit boom multitasking like a boss, browse Reddit browse the internet, browse Instagram, while have a video as a mini player or half screen. However, you prefer and then boom, I'm a boss and also if you want to behave a bigger boss. This thing has s pen support.

Now I didn't use it very often. I used it just when I had my tablet out- and I was using my tablet and using my s pen on that. I would then transfer over or transition over to my phone and then boom use it there. Furthermore, I would. Furthermore, I do have the s-pen case and I did a review on it.

In short, don't get it unless you don't have the s-pen at all like if you don't have any access to any s-pen, get if it's a nice accessory. If you need it, I mean, if you want an s pen, all the time with you, I would consider a note, but if you don't and just want an accessory, it's a cool accessory, but yeah. This has that's pen support, so if you want to show off your length go ahead and get that s, pen, it'll be pretty cool, so yeah Samsung throws a bunch of stuff at you. It can be overwhelming at times, but it's better to have it than to not have it at all. One of my favorite features here is being able to use the galaxy bots pro between my tablet and my phone so seamlessly like it's like.

I don't know if I guess this is how iPhones work, but uh and apple products work but say I'm watching a video on my phone, and then I decided to listen to Spotify on my tablet. It'll automatically pause the video here and switch this my tablet and start playing music on there without having to go into the settings just magic like that. Sometimes it can be a little spotty because you're like watching a video hater, but you want to play music like in the background, and I'll, be like. Oh, what the hell are you doing you know and you have to like go into settings and change it manually. It's still pretty nice, though it's pretty nice, the galaxy, but it's doing that.

It's nice- and I don't know if, like all buds, can do that, but only galaxy butts pro can do that. I forgot to mention the pro part. It's the butts pro just you know, just you know um, but yeah whatever. However, your life is, if you're a gamer, this phone will have you covered. If you are a multitasking boss, this phone will have you covered.

If you need that s pen boom, this phone will have you covered this phone. Just can do pretty much everything you throw at it, so you really should won't have a bad experience as far as the performance on this on a day-to-day usage, you won't have a bad day unless, of course, you do something to it like you download some malware, maybe you're screwed, but otherwise this one's performance is perfect. Warehouse is perfect. This is back here the cameras, at least for the most part. So let's go ahead and talk about the cameras.

Okay. So, as far as using the cameras, I will say I'm not the most knowledgeable as far as like camera quality. You know that kind of stuff. I point I shoot, and I take a photo or video. That's how I use my camera.

So with that being said, I think photos and videos turn out pretty good, so in case you're curious about the quality and or like this type of cameras and lenses we have on here or sensors. I should say there you go in case, you need it, you got the ultrawide, you know you got your telephoto two telephotos and then get your main, so pretty good on your focus and your flash. But how does this all translate over to you know the real stuff, pretty good, pretty good, I would say um like I said, I'm not super eligible in the terms of what I should be using here. But let me tell you, photos. Look fantastic and videos.

Look fantastic for photos. This thing's got you covered, so you can zoom out as much as you need not as much as you need, but you know you can zoom out with the ultra-wide, and then you can start to zoom in bit bobby and be creepy level like. If you really want to be creeper level you can now. I will say that you know once you get to 100 times zoom. It is a little washed out, but it's pretty good, especially in the ideal conditions.

Perfect lighting, you will get pretty solid. You know, for the most part, interesting looking and kind of usable photos, um video, pretty much the same thing you get some great. You know it got. Furthermore, you covered ultra-wide, all the way to zooming in so pretty good on that, on my opinion, I think it looks pretty good so, and that also means that everything in between is pretty good, so like 30x for photos is pretty good and then 10x is pretty good for video. So I do like zooming in zooming out.

I don't think it's a gimmick. I think it's a nice feature because I don't know why, but I tend to zoom in zoom out when I use my or test phones like it's just something I naturally do like. Furthermore, I don't know why see how the quality looks, but yeah zooming into me out works fantastic on that stuff. Some things to note that I want to note here. I noticed that when you're trying to use 4k 60, you have to pick the lens before you start hit the shutter button, or else you can switch between um the different lenses.

So if you pick like the ultra-wide, any zooming in is gonna, be digital zoom. So when you use 4k 60 make sure you use the lens or pick the lens before you start recording so that you get the ideal, you know quality and uh. I guess frame lens whatever zoom, that you want in the ideal situation that you're trying to record so just something to note there um, but the big negative I've gotten out of this camera, just that this is a big negative. That kind of, like almost kills the whole camera, not really, but it is what I have to say. The phone in the camera warms up a lot, and I don't know why I don't know if it's software related or if it's hardware related, but it warms up a lot and that's something: that's kind of a concern.

So, if you're going to be using your camera a lot, I would be careful with this phone. I'm not sure if everyone's experience is going to be the same thing or if mine, it's just this one, if mine's the only one doing this, but that's something to remember or to know be careful if you have one already. Let me know if you're having experience with the overheating in your phone, especially up in this area, on the camera itself, if it's overheating too much other things on here, that I want to note 8k, 180, megapixels and then a bunch of new modes like the renter's view, and what else is there single take a bunch of new features? I don't use them they're there. If you need them again, Samsung throws so much at you that you can use on here whether you use it or not. It's up to you personally, I'm sticking to 4k 30 and then just regular photos because basic me basic move cameras.

So that's about it with cameras. So with all this going on, can the phone last can last you the whole day. Let's talk about that, okay, so the battery, I think it's pretty decent. Now, as I already mentioned, I'm not a heavy user, so I don't feel like I'm pushing my phone to the absolute limits. As far as the battery goes, I usually get about two to four hours of screen on time.

If that matters um, so I'm really not pushing the limits, I'm also not using intense apps all the time. I'm not video editing, I'm not editing pics, I'm not doing anything like that. I'm here not playing intense games. You know it's the basic stuff that I'm doing, so I'm not really pushing the battery to the limits like I said so, if you're a heavy user, I feel like you should be able to last pretty much the whole day you might have to charge up or top up a little up in the afternoon. I get about an estimated battery life of about a day to about an hour a day with a little over a day.

You know some around that time. So it's not bad, I would say at least so, usually with my routine. I will either charge this in the morning like an hour after I woke up or charge it overnight. So then that will lead me up until either the night or the next morning, when I have to charge again um. I don't force myself to charge overnight, if I don't have to, because sometimes I end the day with around 40 to maybe even 60 battery life.

If that's the case, yeah, I'm just gonna wait till the next morning and then charge, so I don't have to keep my phone plugged in the whole time or leave it on the wireless charger, the whole night, which is what I usually do so at night I'll charge. If I have to charge overnight I'll wirelessly charge at a slow rate. So you know it takes more time to charge and then, if I have to charge in the morning I'll use fast charging so that I use 25 watts of charging superfast charging and speaking of the charging um, the speed you get on here. So you have the option of you know regular charging, which I have no idea how long that takes 15 months of charging, which is fast charging. I think that's roughly maybe two hours of charging time, maybe a little more, and then you have 25 watts of charging so roughly about a little over an hour, so not the greatest as far as like innovative uh speeds.

As far as how fast your phone can charge in this department, so Samsung didn't really kick it up. This year they didn't include a 45 watt charge in the box, or they're, not gonna, give you 40 watts of charging of speed here, but still decent speed. So it's like the perfect. I think the perfect combo here so that your phone's longevity life lasts. You know a decent amount of time and also gives you a decent speed, but also not the greatest compared to like other companies that give you like superfast charging.

But overall I think it's not bad. The battery lasts me all day, um and then some sometimes um. Sometimes I feel like. If you really want to you, know, get long battery put a 1080, keeping a variable refresh rate, and you might be able to get about a day and a half um. I did try that actually I did 1080p with uh variable refreshment.

I was able to get to about, I think, halfway through the second day, so about like three a. m. In the afternoon I had to charge my phone. I went for 14 for that, and I did forget to mention that, but I do use 1440p, and I'm variable refresh rate with dark mode on this and that's how I get most of the day and again, I'm not really babying it to make sure I'm not using the phone too much or not using it enough and stuff like that. So I just go about my day, and it lasts me the whole day so if I say the battery is pretty good on here.

So now, let's move on to my final verdict. Overall, this phone is amazing. It really is and do I recommend it yeah. I definitely do as long as you're a power user as long as you can afford it just make sure you get the phone on a deal a discount or some trading deal because yeah paying 1200 for this just for the phone, not the best and also make sure you remember about the Samsung or the camera issue. So if you're, a heavy camera user, make sure you keep noting that because I might, that might be something you want to watch out for um, but yeah.

Overall, pretty good but remember no headphone jack, no micro, SD card support, no MST. I didn't mention that because I didn't use it uh, and they'll try to join a brick, so don't feel like you have to change your life just to be able to use this phone. If you already have a daily routine with a phone, you have buy something that has something similar to that or keep your phone because don't change your life just to be able to use this phone unless you want to it's up to you, but yeah hope you guys enjoyed peace.

Source : Taco Tech Talk