Update: The S21 Ultra did not in fact come out of the durability test unscathed. A few days after the water test, the camera lenses fogged up from the inside, ruining the camera system 😢 as such, the final durability rating is 5, not 10.

@jamesgana3837

7 ай бұрын

Ur 1st assessment was still correct. Yes it's an IP 68 but as the saying goes,you can't cheat mother nature. Regardless of an IP rating, a phone should be be dried immediately after being submerged for such a while.

@mkab007

7 ай бұрын

leave phone at least 1 day in rice box. it will dry itself

@reyashvishwa

7 ай бұрын

the way i like to use tech i'd like to see S20 Ultra still perform well, as i like upgrading every 4-5 years not that i have one though

@SWITHELLE

7 ай бұрын

The Adhesive isn't effective same with mine. It's easy to removed without heating. Maybe because Exynos Variant is hot during a Sunny day.

@BloodBite

6 ай бұрын

Mine has superfast charging. i get to 4 to 85% in 30m :)

I'm trying to convince myself it's time to retire my s21 ultra, 12gb ram 250 storage. This video is a reality check. The s21 ultra is still perfect for my needs and I can't really justify the upgrade to the s23 ultra. I'll wait at least till the s24 ultra.

@MarkSpurrell

8 ай бұрын

If I didn't test phones for a living, I would still be using the S21 Ultra, no question about it.

@hokayson6518

8 ай бұрын

I'm in exactly the same boat, it feels like it should be time to upgrade, but...why? The S21 Ultra is still a great top end phone.

@user-bj7rp9kc7y

8 ай бұрын

What about the S21+? Is it worth upgrading to the s23 ultra or should I wait?

@orlando21

8 ай бұрын

@@user-bj7rp9kc7y I would pull the trigger on the upgrade from the S21+ to the s23 ultra. There's a big difference on the ultra models.

@ZyraFuzzy

8 ай бұрын

It's suitable for live streaming.have issue for battery drained or quick hot ?

The S21 Ultra in my opinion is the peak of modern smartphone design

@pauladrianradulescu7762

3 ай бұрын

Same bro

Galaxy Note 9 was the phone to beat then this came along. Now im keeping this till 2026. I always buy unlocked and largest memory available.

@marklower007

7 ай бұрын

I just bought a pestine condition refurbished 21U after having note 9 as well. Note 9 such a great phone even today

@robinstaboyy

7 ай бұрын

same here ! my Note 9 was losing it's buttons after 5 whole years of active usage, so I got myself a refurbished S21U in Phantom Brown as definitive replacement a few weeks ago :D

@apmoy70

6 ай бұрын

I just bought an S22 Ultra after using a Note 9 for 5 years. A huge technological leap for me, but I still believe the Note 9 is the best ever Samsung device

@MyFriendlyPup

6 ай бұрын

S10 Note + was the phone to beat.

@alphagames8737

6 ай бұрын

Facts

I still have the Galaxy S21 Ultra. What I can say is that it's been a wonderful experience, I've never liked a phone so much in my life. The cameras, the screen and even the battery life are impeccable. The One Ui software is fantastic and has lots of tricks, customization, you can basically play around with the One Ui. I'm very proud to be a Samsung user and be the owner of this model 🙌.

@alphagames8737

6 ай бұрын

Same

@karolyn4gy

6 ай бұрын

I'm looking for a new phone right now, and I looked the S21 Ultra and the Iphone 12. What's your thoughts? Which one is the better option?

@apetru9895

6 ай бұрын

​@@karolyn4gy choose the Samsung, you wouldn't want to stay stuck with 60hz while having the blind illusion which apple gives you by making you believe you have a better product

@calyxl43

4 ай бұрын

​@@karolyn4gy the s21 ultra is about equal to an iPhone 13 pro

@molhamjamalo6496

3 ай бұрын

I'm looking to buying one and I have been seeing people talking about green line after security updates did your phone got a green line?

S21 ultra owner here, its been an amazing experience owning this phone, I can honestly say its never failed me in any way, everything I want it to do it does, for me its music & photography, I posess a canon slr which I have rarely touched since I bought the s21 ultra, I have won awards & recognition for my photos but some were taken with the samsung. One award was from the beatles museum Liverpool for photos taken that they used for their advertising & even universities have contacted me for permission to use samsung images. The only reason for me to want the s25 ultra is for the 200mp quality, but what will the s26 have?.

@Bearlifefitness

7 ай бұрын

Woooow, my first time trying S21 ultra but my photos and videos doesn't look amazing on the s21, it has this kind of unnatural look

@Vanish785

6 ай бұрын

Is yours the exynos one or the snapdragon one?

@parmanusirji

Ай бұрын

Truely ... this is the Honest review. I also have S21U Feeling same as You.. Also used S24U But Not Much Differences are there.

Still using mine to this very day after 2.5 years. I opted for the phantom black with 16gb of ram and 512gb HD. I have a quad lock case I use with my motorcycle. Still like new underneath it all. Still a beast, won't get rid of it unless I see it slowing down, but not yet!

@CristoColaDigitaal

7 ай бұрын

I have the 16 GB version too and it is still a beast for me too. Absolutely nos igns of slowing down and I doubt if there will be any in the next 2 years at least. The best phone I have had so far. I do not see any major reason to update to S23 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max. In addition to that the 16 GB version is quite rarer than the other versions.

@ReubenBuenes

2 ай бұрын

Had the 512 phantom black model since release day. Still using it. No slowing here yet gentlemen.

Iam using s21 ultra 512gb 16gb ram( exynos)variant from past 2 years. I can say it is still the best phone to me. Amazing display, awesome camera, good battery life. Getting around 5hrs screen on time now.

I loved my s21 Ultra, the camera array was pretty awesome!

Love this series. And great approach with scores. Keep up the awesome work!

Your criminally underrated ! Keep up the good work man, love your videos.

I will rock my 21 ultra till 26 ultra :) Perfect phone , perfect performence , exellent camera , outstanting display . Lets go !

The S21 Ultra might actually be the first flagship that could be first turned on 5 years later and still feel like a beast. The lines separating flagships get thinner every year and for an overall package the S21 Ultra is the perfect phone for 9 people out of 10. Also, water resistance wears down through the years so any phone with any IP rating would not be as resistant as the first months of use.

@alphagames8737

6 ай бұрын

Facts

@Ethereal_dust

5 ай бұрын

Whats your thought on buying a review unit version now?

The S21 Ultra is the best phone in history... period

I bought the S21 Ultra (with Exynos since I live in Europe), and I still have it and it is still fast and snappy and works like a charm. Even though it will reach it 2 years mark since I got it in September I will keep it for likely another year if the S24 Ultra will have some great feature or comes at a great price but it is a fantastic phone. Also, your content is great so keep it up!

@nikhil199029

6 ай бұрын

Not sure why we get shifty deal in Europe and India.

@SayaViking

6 ай бұрын

​@@nikhil199029 Yeah it really sucks to get that deal when comparing with what we could have gotten. Even though I don't "suffer" because of Exynos, I would have liked the Snapdragon for sure.

I got a 2nd hand S21 Ultra at a very good price of $320 last month. The phone was well taken cared by its user. It looks new, no scratches, battery life was still around 80% ( lasted me whole day no problem) . I am very happy with everything. The camera can take awesome pictures. I have no complaint at all. Not sure if i can get better brand new phone at this price. Hopefully this S21 ultra will last for some years to come

@patz668

4 ай бұрын

how would you know its battery health? I just also had my second hand samsung s21 ultra almost a week ago

@SodaQuasar

4 ай бұрын

@patz668 i installed battery monitoring app to give rough battery health est. Now my battery still last me a full day w no charging on normal usage. Usually i would still have around 30% by bedtime. That is good enough for me. If i play game it will drain the battery faster of course. Its a wonderful phone w great camera. Enjoy!

@patz668

4 ай бұрын

I think mine has a battery health problem already, it drops the percentage even though when not in use.

@SodaQuasar

4 ай бұрын

@@patz668 so sorry to hear that. You might want to consider getting its battery replaced if it is too bad. How long does the battery last in ur day to day uses?

@patz668

4 ай бұрын

@@SodaQuasar it won't last a day if it's in use most of the time like it will just last for 8-9 hours

One point to note mark. My friend has this phone and recently got a green line after updating it. The service centre says the display needs to be replaced.

Love the new background and intro!

Purchased a refurbished silver S21 ultra a couple of months ago, 1 yr warranty and paid about £230 for it, fairly happy with it. Snappy, fast, decent cameras and got the latest operating system, cant complain.

S21 Ultra really looks gorgeous to date!

Thanks for your wonderful review ❤

The quality of this series has absolutely taken off this year, feels like I'm watching G4 Tech TV or something. Nice work!

S21 Ultra was my first smartphone that lasted 2 full years. I’m easily bored with gadgets and have soft spot for newer, shinier ones, especially those with better cameras. It is a testament of S21U’s cameras prowess and overall usability that I enjoyed using it for 24 months before upgrading to S23U.

@Deez_Nutz510

7 ай бұрын

Same here! Just recently upgraded to a Fold 5. Traded in my S10+. Gonna trade in the S21u for the S24u next year.

@billybrooks1

7 ай бұрын

I'm still using my Note 8. Maybe it's time to upgrade

No kidding just got one today, went up on yt and see this. Can't wait to watch it

I was just thinking about getting this phone and this amazing review pops up

I'm almost hitting the 2 year mark on my s21u exynos, and it still holds pretty well. And just for curiosity i did ran geekbench and it showed similar results (1472 single/3721 multi) Exynos variant is not as bad as some say.

This video was extremely useful. Thank you

I still love this masterpiece 💜 can you give me link for that wallpaper 😢

Mines just died outside of missing expandable micro SD this phone was a beast. It really came to life when I got the stylus case it felt more like a note series.

Thanks for an awesome review. Looking to buy this phone 😊

Great review series. Not everyone needs or wants a brand new flagship every year

The best designed ever in Galaxy S history

I love my s21 ultra. I would say maybe the battery has dipped slightly? I can pretty much have 8 hours of screen on time watching KZread and Hulu still. So I'm not disappointed at all, especially since i was expecting it to be a lot worse. My phone is just as fast as the day I bought it and there's no difference. Cameras have gone down a little, but honestly they are still really good. The only reason they have gone down (I believe) is due to the amount of times I've dropped this phone...its still takes solid pictures. I would disagree with you on the speaker and charging side. My speakers are still flawless and sound very good. Idk why you knocked it off on charging because at the time 25w was huge....as long as it still charges at that speed like it's supposed too without any issues, it should 100% get a 10. We shouldn't compare it to new phones with faster charging, we are testing to see whether this phone has held up well in the several years its been out. I love my s21u and it's the best phone I've ever had. A close second is the s10+. I'm ready for a new phone though. Ready for even better cameras, speakers, charging, screen, s spen, and a non cracked screen lololol. Otherwise I thought your review was spot on! Thanks!

How convenient, as i was thinking of the phone , u put a video about

I had this when it first came out I got rid of my 12pm to get this and I was very impressed that camera design is beautiful

I had this phone 📱 it was amazing i loved the camera, design,speakers,display ,battery this phone was a beast tho now i got the s23 ultra

Great video 💯💯

Another S21 Ultra user here. I'm still very satified with it, the build quality and the design is still amazing to me, also the battery hasn't lost a lot or at all as it seems. I have the 16GB/512GB-Exynos version.

Ive had it for almost 2.5 years and i can tell u its awesome. The only problem that appeared last month is that its overheating.

Massively enjoyed my S21 Ultra 5G (512GB storage, 16GB RAM) since 2021, and remains amongst my favourite Galaxy phones I ever used, beating previous S10+ from 2019. Been using my S21U with both S Pen for S21 Ultra and S Pen Pro. However, though I still have my S21U, I'm enjoying my new Galaxy Z Fold5 immensely, and using folding phones might be my preferred choice of phone for the foreseeable future. Should I ever need to, I can always go back to my ol' reliable S21 Ultra 😊

When this phone was announced I preordered it despite just getting the S20 Ultra. It was the same phone but with the bugs and kind ironed out. Its served me well and I don't plan on upgrading until sometime after security updates stop. :D Edit, Battery is the same of that came with it, battery life is good, although I might have to turn off battery protection as 85% has been not enough for some days with heavier usage. I've only been charging it up to 85% for two years lol. all original parts minus the display that was replaced by Samsung. (I dropped it in a parking lot and despite not breaking the glass screen protector or the glass display it still broke the pixels underneath, figures.)

Fantastic video! Can’t believe I fell upon it, I sold my iPhone 13 Pro Max and just bought the S21 Ultra on Amazon for $354! I’m tired of buying an iPhone every year, and getting the same phone. My fault, not Apples. Had a Samsung Note 20 Ultra and look forward to android again, just so darn board with Apple, and if I like the S21 Ultra, I’ll buy an S24 Ultra in February ‘24. You should have 2M Subscribers, you’re very good.

@nadamedec1577

8 ай бұрын

Pl s21 ultra better or note 20 ultra?

@Cantendo

7 ай бұрын

How is it?

great video, getting one by the weekend

Great video bro, can you do one for the S20 fe

I am using this mobile at the moment 21 ultra its a fantastic mobile samsung introduced 👌 I loved it. Still learning lots in this mobile..

you should do a tech rewind for the note 20 ultra too

Paid 220 for it. A bit beat up and some cracks on the back. But im planning on replacing the back glass eventually. So far its been great

I still use mine till today and i still my favorite.. I had battery issues at 1st but then a update fixed it and has been amazing to me since. 💯. I got the phantom silver and looks beautiful

@RIZZTENDO

2 ай бұрын

Phantom silver owner too (best one)

thx for the update. I usually buy top end phones a couple years after their release brand new. Last one I got was the s9+ in 2019 sept, 4 years later tomorrow I am getting this phone Samsung s21 Ultra 5G

@HomieCV

7 ай бұрын

Where and how much

Great phone indeed. But after the Android 13 update, I'm worried about the green line isuue that we are facing in the south asia region. The replacement display cost around 300$!!! I'll go for a pixel 6 pro or 7 in this price range.

Very Nice review. I'm going to look for a good used one.

Just got in one from Amazon today. Got the best condition. Excellent. I must say it looks brand new. Other than a few tiny scratches around the charging port, it's perfect. ❤

I found the snapdragon version for 280 dollars in a local store, with phantom brown color, and only has a few small scratches. Amazing deal.

i love this phone still a beast😀

Hey Mark, Enjoy watching your videos. I have to ask, were you on NFimports back in the day? I am sure I know you from that....

S21 ultra is still a beast going into 2024, s24 ultra is barely an upgrade, actually want samsung to give me a good reason to upgrade!

Hi mate! What game controller have you used with the 21 Ultra? I'm just getting mixed reviews on various controllers. I've been thinking of the Gamesir X2 Pro Xbox edition. What do you reckon?

Keeping my S21 Ultra until it runs out of security updates (or it dies on me). I love the design of the 22 and 23 Ultras, but no point giving up my 21 ultra while it's still working great.

@lorddoma6637

8 ай бұрын

Smart choice. Many people these days waste money on yearly upgrades with minimal improvements.

@kanestalin7246

7 ай бұрын

Wait until it dies

Nice video 😊 Watching this on my S20 FE 2022 😇

Love the tech rewinds!!!!! Great videos as always! Would love to see a rewind on the pixel 6 pro. I don’t believe you’ve done that yet. Thanks for your consideration!!!!

Still got mine... still runs great😎

old is always gold like s 21 many people are still using it yesterday i have purchased from OLX in 35000 indian rupees

I really love the wallpapers on the phones u talk about in your vids. Where could I download these, especially the wallpaper on this one?

@funnyhevman

7 ай бұрын

i think most of them are included by default on the phone

@tenseshield

7 ай бұрын

@funnyhevman No, actually, none of the wallpapers in his videos are default wallpapers

@funnyhevman

7 ай бұрын

@@tenseshield oh, my bad

Posting this from my S21U and it's all amazes me. I broke my display and paid 300 to replace it texture m rather than buying a new S23U. Though I was just getting a display by they replace the battery and frame rails as well. BTW no problems with my speakers they are just as rich and full as the day I bought it. I might kri it for another couple years and free the S25u or S26... patiently waiting for the 1 inch camera sensor

Thank you so much for this review! It helped me in my decision to buy a S21 ultra this month, November 2023 for my daily use. Thanks! ❤😊

Bought a refurbed model. Works really great out of the box. Even after all this time.

Got this as a second phone 2 weeks ago and I primarily use an iPhone 14 Pro. It was around $400 Korean refurb. It's overall better aside from the video quality (pro mode is a different story). I just made it my main phone after using it for my work and business. I mean, type c alone is a big win to me. Gonna keep this until the last major update or until there's a dramatic change in the Galaxy series.

@camonly849

8 ай бұрын

It's a real solid phone! I'm gonna get the s24u when it comes out. Hopefully it's a better s23u.

This is one of the finest phones Samsung has ever produced and also an icon. This was the last original S series before the Note merger

@filbao8113

7 ай бұрын

Yap

Hi mark, Can we use s pen from s 22 ultra on s 21 ultra, the answer is yes, but will all the blutooth function will work. Lastly how to charge s pen of s 22 uktra if you have lost the phone and left with s 21 uktra and s pen of s 22 uktra

I still have my 512GB S21 Ultra that i pre-ordered new and got in March of 2021. It's been flawless. Like totally amazing. I've used it 24/7 - filming, pics, video, etc. I'm tall and have dropped it dozens of times and nothing. It's been in for 1 screen repair at no fault of the phones (just 2+ years of abuse) and i have 0 plans of ever upgrading. Like why would i?

Can you do a video on google pixel 6? im curious to see how pixel 6 would score.

I am S21 Ultra user. I don't plan to change until a major upgrade happens, they have been using same design for S21-S24 ...hope S25 Ultra does something different.

Still have my s21 ultra now. Over two years... still going strong. I think im going to pull the trigger and upgrade to the s24 ultra June 2024 tho

Can you link the wallpaper?

I agree with most of what you are saying but really only giving it a 6 for software support when it is one of the best updates phones in the Android ecosystem even to this day?

The latest security patch update disable the developer option for smartview and hence the second screen option too😢 Why????

I bought this phone in 2021 and it still is a beast! I use it alongside the 15 pro max, since I'm just stuck in the Apple ecosystem for work, but I still use this phone to watch netflix etc. 😁

Thanks for making this video. Recently decided to pass on the s23 ultra realizing that this damn phone is just still so good. That said, if the s24 ultra has a flat display as rumored, I'll be upgrading.

Just got my s21 ultra in prestine condition for 350 in the mail today. Amazing phone

I think it is supported with 45wts chrg like the note10plus and s20U

Where can I order the game keyboard you use???

How about the pixel 4a?

Still got mine,still a beast

Can you do s21fe next for tech rewind!?

Just ordered cant wait to get it. Retiring my s9+

Can you please test the honor 90

Okay, Amazing phone, still one of the best Samsung you can get today (no different from the 22U or 23U) I have mine for 2 years now. Picked it up mine after the letdown of my S20+, so got it from the start just at the release. After a year I made a mistake, dropped the phone, badly damaged, so got it repaired (worst experience with customer support 5 weeks to get the phone repaired with Samsung Care +). The now repaired phone for 2022 was very underwhelming, the phone was lacking in the photo processing lots of slow down while processing the picture, but non the less I did 2 travel with it since, and very consistent phone through them. Today as I approch the third year anniversary of my phone, I find it more and more hard to just finish the afternoon on the battery charge from the night. So maybe I'm missing out on something but I really doubt people can get more than a day of battery life out of their S21U (mine is an Exynos since I live in Europe). So for me it's the end of the road with this phone, I'll be switching to the 15 Pro Max next year to see if the grass is greener on the other side.

Still awesome phone till now.

Two years going on mine. Ibwas curious how it measures up today.

Hopefully s22ultra in the coming months Curious how 8gen1 fares with updates

Well explained , I hope to own that phone, samsung s21 ultra

What are you talking about with software update support? It should at least get an 8 for that. It is going to get android 15 and monthly payches until then. What more do you want?

It is a shame this phone has a software bug that Smasung hasn’t fixed yet the causes it to be bricked sometimes if you swap carriers. Only have seen it with T-mobile versions of the phone, but idk if it is a T-mobile caused issue. I worked at a Verizon service carrier and all these from team Pink never work.

@ENGLISHISBEST

7 ай бұрын

Never heard of this problem ?

@doomy_doomy2225

7 ай бұрын

@@ENGLISHISBEST never worked wireless then

i am using s21 ultra too..i admit that its a great phone..when i transfer another phone i am sure i will miss my s21 ultra

IPhone users be like "don't get a Samsung phone, it'll slow down in 6months." Yea ok. This isn't 2012

I currently have the a54 and I have the choice to take my dad's s21 ultra but I don't know if I should switch.

Does it overheat sir?

I think s21 line is the best budget android right now. Just bought one for $350 refurb

Please test the s21 plus because planning to get that in 2024 as i think its a good compromise between the s21 and s21 ultra. :)

In your battery test, was it on 1440p and 120 hertz? Plz confirm the settings the battery test was on. Considering buying it

@MarkSpurrell

3 ай бұрын

Yes.