Is it worth it to dump my Note 20 Ultra for the S21 Ultra?

[1814]

I have both and am deciding on whether I'll actually trade in my Note 20 Ultra and keep the S21 Ultra. I've had the S21 since last Thursday and I'm leaning toward keeping it and trading in the Note.

Just curious how do you like the screen difference on your S 21 Ultra? I've played you tube movie at best buy with each phone side to side, like the size and shape of the Note, do you see a significant difference having both for awhile? I'm still contemplating on which one to upgrade to from my S 8.

 

[Beachboy63]

I like the boxy screen on the Note as well and it's a little wider. I like the screen on the S21 Ultra because it's a little less curved on the edges, which I prefer. So both have advantages for me and both screens are excellent. The S21 Ultra seems a hair smaller (I like big screens) but not enough to make a difference to me.

 

[donm527]

I was at BB the other day and finally saw the S21U in person and got to hold it and play with it a bit and...

It's a really nice phone. Spec-wise if you factor out the SD-card slot by getting the storage size you want and factor out the S-Pen, no doubt it's an improved phone over the Note... newer CPU, FPS, display, improved camera.... better spec'd like a newer phone should be. Love the matte black finish too. They hit a home-run this year with the S21U compared to the S20U.

It is a little thicker/chunkier. A little heavier. 6.8" screen over the Notes 6.9"... But I have always mentioned I actually prefer a smaller footprint and wish the Note was smaller like the Note 20 without it being reduced in specs. Really nice looking phone and impressive specs. But I walked out not really wanting or caring to get one. Mainly because I am still enjoying my N20U so much that 6 months in the newness hasn't worn out.

Did a side by side and my screen looked dull compared to the new... but I max out the brightness, change the color from natural to vibrant and it looked pretty much the same to me (maybe the S21U a little cooler/whites a tad whiter)... and my screen is larger so for now I'll enjoy the bigger phone (But I do hope my next phone will be smaller)... but I really love how slim my phone is and prefer how that slim profile looks over the S21U, especially with my Latercase. AND... I get to pull a cool looking pen out of a slick designed silo and get to click the pen when I'm fidgeting.

If I didn't have a N20U already, I'd probably go with the newer phone and enjoy the newer specs.. enjoy the thinner, smaller dimensions. But I already have a N20U and the specs are no slouch and doubt anyone would noticed a real world difference in performance so I'll save my money and look forward to the possibilities of a S22U... or possible S23U.

I DID get a chance to play with the Fold 2 there more while I was there... Will be interesting if they can make it more thinner in next couple of generations... I may consider a Fold by then cause it does look like a lot of fun to hold, use and play with daily if they get the dimensions down.

If you're a person that gets bored with their devices easily and want the newest look then more power to ya... S21U nice phone!

 

[donm527]

Another reason I’m gonna hold on to my N20U for a while... I am still LOVING the Mystic White and Silver setup and knocks me over every time I look at it. Looks alone it’s worth holding onto and rocking for a little while longer

 

[Evilguppy]

NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I love my N20U, I'm keeping it until it craps out on me.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!

I know I've said no on this post already, but I looked at them at best buy yesterday, and I can say I would feel like a ***** if I traded in my note 20 ultra for the S21. It's all in the mind that new is better if you trade the note for that. And for those that think the display is noticable between the s21+ and ultra, well keep telling yourself that you can tell. The Samsung rep even chuckled when I said people claim they can tell, he then even said most people turn the display quality down to the s21+ level to save battery. Hold onto your note 20 ultra, it's a better phone, new isn't always better.

I bought a s21+ for my father in law and got chastised for it that I am abusing him for not stepping up to the ultra since a 68 year old man would be able to see such a difference in display. He wouldn't notice nor would he care, he would rather keep $200+ in the bank. I have tried and tried to get him in a note 20ultra, but I can't get the price down to where the s21+ is right now, again he would rather keep the momtin the bank. He would never use the Spen, but the note is a better phone.

Keep your note 20's, save your money. If you feel you must spend your money, send it to me, I have a gun I would like to buy, much better investment then the S21 any model. Here's a picture of the gun that money can buy me. Please send me that S21 money, it will go for a better cause.

 

[Teddy Anzar]

i was in dilemma for like 10 days whether to buy note 20 ultra or s21+ which cost 100 usd. in the end i decided to buy note 20 ultra for better camera n storage

 

[kolyan2k]

Another reason I’m gonna hold on to my N20U for a while... I am still LOVING the Mystic White and Silver setup and knocks me over every time I look at it. Looks alone it’s worth holding onto and rocking for a little while longer

Which carbon fiber case is that?

 

[Dagr]

Which carbon fiber case is that?

He has the lattercase. We were just discussing in another thread.

 

[kolyan2k]

He has the lattercase. We were just discussing in another thread.

That looks nice....not sure if I want to spend $40 bucks though ) never paid more then $15 for my cases

 

[donm527]

That looks nice....not sure if I want to spend $40 bucks though ) never paid more then $15 for my cases

Yeah, $40 is definitely on the premium end now-a-days. I remember the day paying around $60 for a Speck case for my phones and then companies like Ringke and Spigen changed all that and usually never spend more than around $15??

But if you want Kevlar, then you gotta pay. I was going to go with the Pitaka but really like the covered camera module and I've put that phone down on most surfaces and barely a scuff on it in last 4 months. Going with the Pitaka will set you back $60 so $40 sounds better and I'll probably be rocking this case the life of the phone. I just can't go with a thicker case at this point.

Still have my clear Spigen and an unopened Neo Hybrid around here somewhere in case I do change up. Recommend both if you want more protection and drop your phone once in a while.

https://www.ipitaka.com/products/air-case-for-samsung-galaxy-note20

https://latercase.com/products/galaxy-note-20-ultra-thin-case

 

[kolyan2k]

Yeah I usually buy Spigen or get something free with Samsung accessories credit, but I always wanted carbon fiber so maybe I'll buy it

 

[corvette72778]

That flat black S21 Ultra is calling me

Just can't decide if I should dump my 512GB Note 20 Ultra for it.

Flat back doesn't matter when you put a case on it. The gutted S21 sucks. I usually upgrade to Every Note every year but I'll be holding my Note 20 Ultra for many years because Samsung removed MST and micro SD. Screw you Samsung!

 

[consultant1027]

Short answer IMHO: NO. I have an S20+ and am contemplating the same thing. I don't do gaming or watch videos, the cameras are really the main thing for me as I'm a photography enthusiast that doesn't like to always bring my APS-C Sony compact around with me. I'm also an IT Professional of 25 years and understand the O/S and how it uses RAM. As another poster pointed out, you rarely would ever need even more than 8GB of CPU RAM. 12GB is PLENTY.

The S20+ and S21 Ultra are very similar as far what you are getting overall. People tend to get hung up on minute differences in specs to justify their upgrade. If people want to spend (waste) their money to make sure they can flaunt the latest greatest despite whether it brings any significant practical benefits, that's people's freedom of choice. I'm about getting almost the latest technology at the best bang for the buck.

A side note on trade in. Always check the Ebay selling price for the Sold auctions for your phone and subtract 10% to see what you could sell it yourself for. If (after deducting 10%) it's more than 10% higher than the trade price they are giving you, then just sell it, don't trade it. To me avoiding the inconvenience of selling on Ebay is worth a 10% difference.

The only reason to get the S21 Ultra over the S20 Plus or the S20 Ultra is to get the better cameras. Period. You can talk about all the other differences until the cows come home but they are relatively minute compared to the difference in cameras, especially with the S20+. If camera performance isn't a huge factor for you (the S20+ has better cameras than probably 90% of the Android phones out there) then keep your S20+.

Some things about the S21 people might tout:

- S21 Ultra has Gorilla Glass Victus instead of 6 on the S20 Plus. Scratch tests show Victus has no real significant difference in scratch/drop protection than Gorilla Glass 6. It's hype. Keep your case on.

- S21 slightly better display, and dynamic variable refresh rate to save battery. No real-life significant benefit over S20+ and S20-Ultra both have fantastic screens.

The main benefits of the S21 over S20+ or S20 Ultra:

- Two OPTICAL zoom cameras at 3X and 10X. The zoom camera is WAY better than the S20+ and a lot better than the S20 Ultra. BUT, I can tell you, most people in 99% of their photo taking situations don't need more than 3-5X zoom so this is a bit of hype to engage in the camera spec wars (sort of like the digital camera increasing megapixel marketing hype wars of years past).

- Laser Autofocus. The Achilles heel of the S20 Ultra was in didn't have great focus performance. The S21 fixes that. (The S20+ doesn't have the focus issue.)

These are the downsides of the S21 Ultra that you will lose going from an S20 Plus:

- No expandable memory (no micro SD card slot making it easier to move files around and you can expand your memory as needed)

- Big and heavy. To some, this is a minus, to others, if they look at their phone as a way to show off their "bling" then bigger and more noticeable the better. For your average size hands with case, the S20+ in my opinion is getting to about the max size for ergonomics. Not to say S21 is pain to handle and carry but it IS considerably heavier and chunkier.

If you read the reviews for the S21 Ultra on the Amazon listing page, the first most popular review really says a lot. Notice he doesn't go into camera details. As the bottom line is, unless you absolutely are starving for a 10X optical zoom, the S21 Ultra is a waste of money coming from the S20 Plus/Ultra. You'd be better off getting a Note 20 Ultra that has 5X optical zoom, SD card slot and big 6.9" screen rather than getting the S21 Ultra.

Read the review (usually the first) "So much promise and anticipation only to be let down, not without advancements at a cost."

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Elec...0&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6922991#customerReviews

Some excerpts:

"I found myself missing the S20 Plus, and more the S10 Plus, even with the new upgrades. I've lost enthusiasm and confidence in Samsung. The S21 Ultra's weight and size is not for me, I found myself with hand fatigue and not really enjoying using the S21 Ultra. The Note 20 Plus is actually the better phone than the S21 Ultra if you want productivity and comfort."

"If you still own the S10 Plus, keep it, if you own the S20 Plus, keep it. The S21 Ultra, in my humble opinion is Samsung reducing itself to become the villain. It's harsh and it's my opinion."

 

[donm527]

Flat back doesn't matter when you put a case on it. The gutted S21 sucks. I usually upgrade to Every Note every year but I'll be holding my Note 20 Ultra for many years because Samsung removed MST and micro SD. Screw you Samsung!

I was at a Jo-Ann's Fabric store yesterday in Tampa with my daughter and at the register to pay and I actually had to fall back to Samsung pay and use MST for the first time in a very long time because their credit card readers didn't have NFC.

I close my Google Play and open up my Samsung pay and bring my phone up to the card reader, my daughter tries to remind me that the cashier said it doesn't have NFC and then I told her just watch...viola it went through. LOL.

Always good to have as backup. MST and the note 20 Ultra for the win!

 

[consultant1027]

This article sums up why MST is going bye bye. The percentage of terminals that don't support NFC has dwindled and continues to do so especially since most other phones out there (iPhones, Pixels) never supported it. But, it hasn't dwindled as much as I thought. Most all chains support NFC now but there's a couple notable ones in my area that don't including Fred Meyer Self Checkout. Seems I run into no NFC about 1 in 8 places I shop at. I'm sure a year from now it will probably be like 1 in 20. What's strange is the Note 20 Ultra costs so much more than an S20 Plus with the SPen, MST, and the 5x optical zoom being the main things you're paying extra for as the phones are otherwise very similar spec wise. Just wasn't $250 more (5 months ago) worth it to me to get the Note. I'll be looking probably to upgrade to an S22+ and skip the S21 Ultra.

https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-p...eature-no-longer-beats-why-i-made-the-switch/

 

[Mike Dee]

This article sums up why MST is going bye bye. The percentage of terminals that don't support NFC has dwindled and continues to do so especially since most other phones out there (iPhones, Pixels) never supported it. But, it hasn't dwindled as much as I thought. Most all chains support NFC now but there's a couple notable ones in my area that don't including Fred Meyer Self Checkout. Seems I run into no NFC about 1 in 8 places I shop at. I'm sure a year from now it will probably be like 1 in 20. What's strange is the Note 20 Ultra costs so much more than an S20 Plus with the SPen, MST, and the 5x optical zoom being the main things you're paying extra for as the phones are otherwise very similar spec wise. Just wasn't $250 more (5 months ago) worth it to me to get the Note. I'll be looking probably to upgrade to an S22+ and skip the S21 Ultra.

https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-p...eature-no-longer-beats-why-i-made-the-switch/

US post offices still don't support NFC....at least not in New York.

 

[amrovi2014]

I enjoy the Note 20 Ultra very much and I don't feel the S21 is worth the upgrade.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

I was at a Jo-Ann's Fabric store yesterday in Tampa with my daughter and at the register to pay and I actually had to fall back to Samsung pay and use MST for the first time in a very long time because their credit card readers didn't have NFC.

I close my Google Play and open up my Samsung pay and bring my phone up to the card reader, my daughter tries to remind me that the cashier said it doesn't have NFC and then I told her just watch...viola it went through. LOL.

Always good to have as backup. MST and the note 20 Ultra for the win!

For the records, Tampa area rocks....

 

[consultant1027]

If I recall right, first, the Note 20 Ultra didn't have the focus issues of the S20 Ultra. So it's safe to say the cameras and/or processing is better on the Note 20 Ultra vs S20 Ultra. Now saying that, go look at the comparisons showing the S21 Ultra vs S20 Ultra in this test.

https://www.dxomark.com/samsung-gal...a-review-dual-tele-with-room-for-improvement/

Unless the larger fingerprint sensor and the dynamic refresh rate is SUPER important to you, S21 is 1 step forward on marketable camera hardware specs and 2 steps back on image processing.