S20 Ultra vs S21 Ultra

[gray2018]

Hello all. I am possibly considering purchasing a new device as Samsung does really good with their trade in programs. I was possibly thinking either the S20 Ultra, which would be a little over 500 after trade in and discounts. The S21 Ultra (256 GB version) would be around 800 with trade in and discounts.

I would really love to have a phone with a very high end camera. A few thoughts...

the S20 Ultra, has a great camera but has issues. It is cheaper however and also offers micro SD card support.
S21 Ultra has the better camera from what I understand, but is more expensive and offers no card support.

What to do?

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Primary improvements of the S21 Ultra are better autofocus, especially in low light, and zoom.

The 108mp sensor doesn't support dual pixel auto focus like previous Samsung phones since the S7 and as a result the S20 Ultra had focus issues and was slow to focus. Samsung fixed this by adding laser autofocus, still not as good as the dual pixel was but significantly better than the S20 Ultra.

For zoom the S20 Ultra used a 48mp camera and cropped in to create digital zoom while the S21 Ultra has 2 telephoto lenses for 3x and 10x optical zoom. The S21 Ultra provides much better results here.

 

[gray2018]

So I am guessing your answer is the S21 Ultra? Lol

 

[Morty2264]

Do you usually keep your phones for a year or so, and upgrade when there's a trade-in program for a device you like? If you know you'll be keeping the device for a while, and that you'll get your money's worth, then go for the S21 Ultra if price is the only thing holding you back!

Do you know which is more important to you: SD card support or camera? That may help you decide. Of course, Samsung often trickles down camera features and improvements to older iterations (ie, camera modes for S20 came to the S10 line), so that may be something to consider.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

 

[L0n3N1nja]

So I am guessing your answer is the S21 Ultra? Lol

I'm not sure the price difference right now but if the camera is really important to you I would get the S21 Ultra.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

I wouldn't buy the 20 Ultra. I think you would regret it.

 

[gray2018]

The camera is important to me, but honestly, the SD card support is more important. I have only had a device once that had no card support and I swore I would never do another device like that again.

Honestly, I tried out the S20+ recently as I got it from Samsung for only 300 dollars. Besides some camera flaws, it's a pretty good device for only 300 bucks. Might be a better bargain than the S20 Ultra. If it didn't have camera flaws, it would probably be a near perfect device IMO.

 

[Morty2264]

The camera is important to me, but honestly, the SD card support is more important. I have only had a device once that had no card support and I swore I would never do another device like that again.

Honestly, I tried out the S20+ recently as I got it from Samsung for only 300 dollars. Besides some camera flaws, it's a pretty good device for only 300 bucks. Might be a better bargain than the S20 Ultra. If it didn't have camera flaws, it would probably be a near perfect device IMO.

If you feel like SD card support is more important to you, I'd go with your gut on that and choose a device that would have that support.

I was in a similar situation. I loved my S10 but the camera did not meet my expectations - otherwise, it was a phenomenal device. For my next upgrade, I swore I'd get a phone with a camera I could trust.

I guess what I'm saying is, do what you know will make you happy in the long run! That sounds like a great deal you got on the S20+!

 

[martinezi]

I have had the S20 Ultra since the beginning and I am more than satisfied with the device. Both the battery life, the performance, and the camera are very important to me. I had the chance to also test the S21 Ultra and for me, the S20 Ultra feels a little bit quicker (more "snappy"). Closing and opening apps just feel better on S20 ultra.
Here is also a good comparison https://productz.com/en/samsung-galaxy-s20-ultra-5g-vs-samsung-galaxy-s21-ultra-5g/v/2g51E-MzN4P so you can see all the differences between those two.

 

[gray2018]

I have recently come into this situation again as I have found myself choosing between the S20U and S21U for an upgrade coming from my Note 10+. I am pretty sure I will probably go with the S21 Ultra as it's just such a joy to use.

I got a 256gb S21 Ultra on Ebay refurbished for 600. So far, the S21U is better in almost every way compared to the S20U. Better camera, better and brighter screen, S pen support, longer updates, the ability to use WQHD at 120 refresh rate. Now the biggest downside obviously for me is no SD card support, and the battery life doesn't seem to be as good as the S20U.

S21U cost 600 from Ebay but also comes with a one year warranty

S20U cost 380 from Amazon but only a 90 day warranty/return period

I suppose for an extra couple hundred bucks for a one year warranty and a much better camera is kind of worth it because honestly, the camera on the S20U compared to the S21U for me is complete garbage. I have my fears about what happens if my S20U from Amazon stops working or has issues after the 90 days as I am pretty much on my own. Having a one year warranty is a good piece of mind for me.

 

[angiejones720]

Hi, I've actually had my S20 Ultra (from new) for 2 and a bit years now, and I haven't regretted it at all. The only problem I had, was when I updated my phone to one Ui 5, (android 13) yesterday. I had to do a factory reset, because it was stuck in a boot loop, but it's fine now!