The Samsung S21 lineup consists of the S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra models launched several flagship generations ago.
As usually Exynos-based processors are sold in Europe, while Snapdragon-powered ones are in USA.
The storage subsystem got a minor upgrade to UFS 3.1 from last year's UFS 3.0, but for the price of an external MicroSD card slot, which is not supported anymore.
The entire line runs on the Android 11 operating system with the updated One UI 3.1 shell which can be updated to version Android 13 and One UI 5.0 respectively.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at the specs, reviews, and prices of the Samsung S21 lineup and see what sets it apart from its predecessors.
If you are choosing between generations, compare this page with the Galaxy S22 lineup and the best camera phones guide.
Samsung S21
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The Samsung S21 is the next iteration of the popular S20 lineup. It builds on the foundations of the S20, with a sleek and stylish design, featuring a 6.2-inch display. This year Samsung decided that 12GB of RAM is not needed in the base model and instead offered less RAM and more storage option: 8/256GB.
Compared to the S20, the S21 is slightly heavier and has slightly different dimensions, but keeps the same screen size.
Samsung S21+
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The Samsung S21+ is a bigger brother version of the standard Samsung S21. It has a slightly larger 6.7" screen, compared to the 6.2", which is allowed to use a 4800 mAh battery, while S21 has only 4000 mAh battery capacity due to its smaller phone size.
When comparing the Samsung S21+ to the previous year’s Samsung S20+, there is only a difference in battery capacity. As already mentioned S21+ uses a slightly bigger 4800 mAh battery, compared to the 4500 mAh battery in the S20+. Overall, the S21+ is a slight upgrade from the S20+ with improved battery and storage capabilities.
Samsung S21 Ultra
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The Samsung S21 Ultra is a top-of-the-line company flagship. When comparing the Samsung S21 Ultra to the Samsung S21+, there are several key differences to take note of. Firstly, the S21 Ultra features a larger 6.8" display, compared to the S21+ which has a 6.7" screen. Additionally, the S21 Ultra has a more advanced camera system, including a quad-camera setup with 100x Space Zoom capability, while the S21+ only has a triple-camera setup with a lesser zoom capability. Another difference is the S21 Ultra has an option for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while the S21+ has a max configuration of 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
If we compare Samsung S21 Ultra to the previous year’s Samsung S20 Ultra, the biggest difference is the camera system. The S21 Ultra features a more advanced camera system, including a quad-camera setup with 100x Space Zoom capability, while the S20 Ultra only has a triple-camera setup with a lesser zoom capability. Additionally, the S21 Ultra has a slightly more compact design, with a 6.8" display compared to the S20 Ultra’s 6.9" screen.
Samsung S21 FE
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The Samsung S21 FE is a more budget-friendly version of the high-end Galaxy S21 series. It has a 6.4" display, while the S21 has a slightly smaller 6.2" one. The bigger phone size allowed to use larger 4500mAh battery, compared to the 4000mAh battery in the S21.
When comparing the Samsung S21 FE with the Samsung S20 FE, the only difference is a bit smaller 6.4" screen, compared to the 6.5" used before.