To S21 Ultra or not to?

[Hermes Hidayat]

So the specs are out... But first i want to thank Samsung for the almost identical design xD so if i do change my wife wouldnt know... But the problem is that in Indonesia it costs USD$285 less than the iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB... For me it isnt a big difference and its just crazy. Trying to be like Apple...

Few things i like about the S21 Ultra is the 2nd gen 108MP camera module, 10X Optical Zoom, the 5000mAh battery, the 16GB RAM variant 512GB ROM varian and the ability to use 120Hz even with WQHD+...

But my N20U is only 3 months old... And i dont seem to have an issue with it other than the very slow updates. Im still on A10... Should i get the S21U or wait for the N21U? As im never an S Series fan... Never had an S series last longer than 2 months... The shape really isnt my liking... XD

 

[bkeaver]

If the ergo isn't your style then why not just wait till the note drops later this year??

 

[Hermes Hidayat]

If the ergo isn't your style then why not just wait till the note drops later this year??

Yo Bkeaver. How are you. Yeah thats what i thought. But the "Note is discontinued" rumor is still going quite strong in Indonesia.

 

[donm527]

The S21U looks nice. I wasn't a big fan of the early renders but I like it. Like the matte options. I imagine the 2nd gen 108 camera system is going to be better, like the idea of the 2nd FPS. REALLY love the flatter screen. But not interested enough for me to move away from the N20U.

I don't mind the chunky look but I'm still loving the thinner more squared profile. Especially the thinness. Most people probably won't notice the difference because they rock thicker cases but love my LaterCase being able to keep the thin profile and given me enough protection for me.

I don't have any issues with the FPS so 2nd gen is nice but probably won't be a major reason.

The S20U had a 5000mah battery so nothing new there and I just spent the week flying and traveling for work texting all day, using GMaps daily to get me around an unfamiliar state and gets me back at the hotel at night with battery left... and I'm usually a 80-90% to 30-20% charge kinda guy (90 to 20 when I'm traveling to make sure even though I keep a battery pack).

Our N20U has the same 12gn RAM the "base" S21U has so not missing anything and I wouldn't go 512. I think I'm running the same 128GB SD that I had on my N8 but if I want more memory I could easily have more than 512GB with a sim swap that the S21U can't.

Don't run my phone at 120hz at WQHD+ anyways so not a big deal. I went back for weeks 120 on and off and WQHD+ and lower and honestly I don't notice enough difference so I keep the lower settings to save battery. Now it our N20Us CAN run 120 @ WQHD+ (on the SDragons) if Samsung wanted to and gave us an update. They didn't because the Exynos can't so didn't to keep things "even." I'd like them to give us an update so we have the option... but Idon't think Samsung works that way and rather try to push you to the newer phone.

Anyways, I think those are a few reasons, for me, I am not interested in to moving away from the N20U. I'm committed to stay with this phone the next few years but if I were to move, I'd wait to see if there was a N21U or S22U.

One more reason... for those that really use the S-Pen on the N20U (I haven't really), the S-Pen on the N20U is still on another level better than the S21U... and fits nicely in a silo. AND has that addictive clicky thing at the end.

So the specs are out... But first i want to thank Samsung for the almost identical design xD so if i do change my wife wouldnt know... But the problem is that in Indonesia it costs USD$285 less than the iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB... For me it isnt a big difference and its just crazy. Trying to be like Apple...

Few things i like about the S21 Ultra is the 2nd gen 108MP camera module, 10X Optical Zoom, the 5000mAh battery, the 16GB RAM variant 512GB ROM varian and the ability to use 120Hz even with WQHD+...

But my N20U is only 3 months old... And i dont seem to have an issue with it other than the very slow updates. Im still on A10... Should i get the S21U or wait for the N21U? As im never an S Series fan... Never had an S series last longer than 2 months... The shape really isnt my liking... XD

 

[felloffthetruck]

I would love to get the new flat black Ultra but I'm too buried in last years tech at the moment

 

[Morty2264]

It's a hard choice to make, especially with top-notch specs like those! If you are still satisfied with your current phone, maybe wait a little while to see if any new sales or promos come out? You never know what may happen! Let us know what you decide!

 

[kolyan2k]

I am getting $380 price with my Note trade in, plus $250 in accessories, but still not sure if it's worth it. Can't even get much for that 250, I just need 1 case and already have everything else

 

[bigsmoke79]

Personally I'd wait it out another 6/7 months and see if the Note 21 Ultra arrives, by then the S21 Ultra will be reduced and you'll be able to make a more informed choice.

If your anything like me you'd buy the S21 ultra and then want the Note 21 Ultra if/when they show it off later in the year lol

 

[kolyan2k]

Looks like tmobile is offering S21 for free via billing credits with Pixel 4 tradein ($800 tradein value). Maybe I'll jump on that.....

 

[donm527]

Looks like tmobile is offering S21 for free via billing credits with Pixel 4 tradein ($800 tradein value). Maybe I'll jump on that.....

What model Note are you coming from?? Are you going from a N20U??

If so then I wonder why?? S21... plastic back, non QHD display, No MST, No SD slot, No SPen if into that with Bluetooth or gesture functions, 4000 mah battery...

If you didn't have a N20U, I'd get an N20U over the S21.

 

[jimd1050]

The ONLY thing that interested me in the "Unpacked Event" was the Camera set up... very slick and much more powerful than ours. The rest of the phone... egh!

 

[bkeaver]

Yo Bkeaver. How are you. Yeah thats what i thought. But the "Note is discontinued" rumor is still going quite strong in Indonesia.

Yeah I'm not putting much merit in that rumor personally.

 

[kolyan2k]

What model Note are you coming from?? Are you going from a N20U??

If so then I wonder why?? S21... plastic back, non QHD display, No MST, No SD slot, No SPen if into that with Bluetooth or gesture functions, 4000 mah battery...

If you didn't have a N20U, I'd get an N20U over the S21.

I have Note 20 Ultra and Pixel 4. I am keeping Note 20 and figured maybe tradein Pixel 4 for S21

 

[donm527]

I have Note 20 Ultra and Pixel 4. I am keeping Note 20 and figured maybe tradein Pixel 4 for S21

Oh Ok, you were mentioning a 380 price with Note trade in so was curious. Pixel 4 I guess but I personally wouldn't trade a N20U for an S21... S21U maybe but not the lower spec one.

 

[Dagr]

Personally annoyed that my purchase from only a couple months ago is already outdated. The cost to upgrade to the s21u is just too much. Camera, processor, and wqhd 120hz are speaking to me.. but at loss of built in pen, sd card... And a bunch of cash lol. Our camera is good, and honestly fhd 120 is very nice... Plus the better s pen experience and sd card... So it's not all a loss.

 

[buzzy3970]

Just because a new device released it doesn't make your phone outdated. It's just not the newest model that's all. Pricing has pretty much stayed the same for the Note 20's and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Personally annoyed that my purchase from only a couple months ago is already outdated. The cost to upgrade to the s21u is just too much. Camera, processor, and wqhd 120hz are speaking to me.. but at loss of built in pen, sd card... And a bunch of cash lol. Our camera is good, and honestly fhd 120 is very nice... Plus the better s pen experience and sd card... So it's not all a loss.

 

[Dagr]

Just because a new device released it doesn't make your phone outdated. It's just not the newest model that's all. Pricing has pretty much stayed the same for the Note 20's and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Yeah... I know that intellectually... . That said, I'm really hoping that OneUi 3.1 makes it's way to the note 20u. The Google discovery feed natively to the left is the main thing keeping me on custom launchers.

 

[buzzy3970]

Agreed. I too was mostly excited by the software features I saw during the presentation. Looks like they've really stepped up the AI.

Yeah... I know that intellectually... . That said, I'm really hoping that OneUi 3.1 makes it's way to the note 20u. The Google discovery feed natively to the left is the main thing keeping me on custom launchers.

 

[monsieurms]

Personally annoyed that my purchase from only a couple months ago is already outdated.

that is what they would like you to think. The concept that something as good as the s20 is already outdated is nonsense. I guarantee that upgrading won't make a huge difference in anyone's life. That's not to say there won't be minor improvements, but they don't dictate upgrading every year.

 

[1814]

I've been using the galaxy s8 for 3 yrs, love my phone but it has started to act differently and probably needs a factory reset but will wait. Once income tax comes in next month will get the Note 20 Ultra, I figure that will be 100% difference in every area compared to the s8. I've looked at all the video's on you tube and read on the S21 Ultra, I don't like the no sd card slot, no s pen, and I like the screen shape of the Note best. Photos seem to be more accurate and less bright with the Note compared with S21 for me.