The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best smartphone right now
A new entry at the top of our definitive list
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It’s rare that we crown a new winner of ourbest smartphonelist, but we’ve now updated our rankings and theSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultratakes the top title of the best phone.
TheSamsungGalaxy S21 Ultra is a premium tier handset with our review particularly highlighting a screen that wowed us, a phenomenal camera experience and a mesmerizing design.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra also supports theS Pen stylus, and we said this handset has the best camera zoom you can find on any smartphone in 2021. Overall, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate smartphone package.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the first handset from the company’s new ‘Ultra’ line of handsets that has taken the top spot in our list. Why is that? TheGalaxy S20 Ultrawasn’t up to scratch, and we preferred theGalaxy S20andGalaxy S20 Plusas they were cheaper and offered a better experience in most ways.
That’s not the case for Samsung’s 2021 S-series though. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is still a remarkably expensive smartphone, but it’s cheaper than its predecessor and it gets a lot more right including a better design, a smaller footprint so it’s easier to hold and a whole host of new features.
Some will be disappointed by the lack of microSD support - so you’ll be stuck with whatever internal storage you get when you first buy the handset - and the fact it doesn’t come with a charger in the box.
No smartphone is perfect though, so if those issues aren’t set to influence your decision in buying a new smartphone be sure to read our fullGalaxy S21 Ultra reviewto find out if it’s the perfect phone for you.
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Our best smartphone list takes into account the entire market of smartphones that you can buy today from theiPhone 12 Prothrough to theOnePlus 8 Pro. We take into account price, features, design, availability, camera, specs and much more when putting together our final rankings.
James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.
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