That's right, time for a new phone from Samsung! And guess what: it's gorgeous!
To the galaxy and beyond!
The South Korean smartphone manufacturer has just released their brand new product: the ever-popular Samsung Galaxy S21 series.Same like last year's version, this year's Galaxy S21 series comes in three different sizes: the Samsung Galaxy S21 (6.2-inch), the Samsung Galaxy S21+ (6.7-inch) and the big boy, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (6.8-inch).
All three feature a brand new (and neater) camera cutout at the back, a gorgeous Infinity-O dynamic AMOLED display with a speedy 120hz display.
The Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+ boast three rear cameras (a 64MP Telephoto Camera, a 12MP Wide-angle Camera and a 12MP Ultra Wide Camera) and the Galaxy S21 Ultra has four (a 108MP Wide-angle Camera, a 12MP Ultra Wide Camera and two 10MP Telephoto Cameras).
You can find out more about the specs for the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+ here, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra here.
To let us have a taste of this year's offerings, Samsung Malaysia sent over a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for us to review.
A full review is coming, but we figured that we would let you have a peek of that gorgeous hardware through an unboxing and let you know our first impression of the brand new smartphone.
Here we go:
Unboxing
Right out of the box (heh, pun unintended), you'll notice that the box that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra came in is noticably thinner and lighter. It is so slim, you can carry it comfortably with one hand, just like carrying a clutch.
That's because like some of its competitors, Samsung has decided not to ship a travel adapter with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series this year.
Speaking of things you won't find in the box, you also won't find a pair of AKG headset in this year's box, which is a shame, TBH, because we kinda liked the earphones they included in the box prior to this.
When you open the box, you'll find the phone, a charging cable, some paperwork and a SIM card ejector tool. That's it; nothing more.
We have a love-hate relationship with Samsung's new packaging. We love that the box is now slimmer, so it makes it easier to store it because it doesn't take up too much space.
On the other hand, we can't help but feel like we've been cheated because after spending almost close to RM6,000 on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, we do not even get a free pair of earphones or a travel adapter.
First impressions
Thankfully, we don't feel the same way about the phone because my god, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one gorgeous hardware.The biggest change on this year's phone is that Samsung polished up the camera set up at the back real good.
Instead of a huge protuding box located in the middle of nowehere on last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra, the five cameras on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is now clustered together in a 'casing' on the top left hand corner of the phone.
We love how this camera casing bleedss into the aluminium side of the phone. It looks extremely classy, and we lay the phone flat on a surface, we also noticed that it doesn't rock as much as before.
We love this new look. Well done, Samsung.
Speaking of the look of the phone, we are also in love with the colour of our unit. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra comes in two colours: Phantom Black and Phantom Silver.
While Phantom Black would be the safe choice, we recommend that you go for the Phantom Silver, just because it's so pretty to look at, especially under sunlight.
Unlike the muted colours of last year's phone, this one has a polished metal shine to it, and depending on the angle you look at the phone, the light that reflects on the surface gives the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra an iridescent colour scheme.
Trust us, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Silver will give you a dilemma: to slap on a casing or not.
Compared to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy S21 Ultra looks and feels really premium to hold.
Despite made using the same material as its predecessor -- Gorilla Glass back and aluminium frame -- the Galaxy S21 Ultra somehow feels better to the touch. It has a nice, flagship-worthy weight to it, and holding it in your hand gives you a sense that you are indeed holding something really premium.
But having said that, the Galaxy S21 Ultra does feel really heavy. It weighs in at a hefty 227g, which is 5g heavier than the S20 Ultra.
You definitely do not want this phone to drop on your face, that's for sure.
We haven't really got the chance to play with the phone yet (stay tuned for our review), but in our one hour test run, we are generally pretty impressed with the performance of the phone.
The AMOLED screen is still really bright, vibrant and sharp, still gorgeous to look at, and the 120hz display makes everything on screen look smoother.
Opening and closing apps, as well as switching between them, is still snappy, and we did not experience any lag at all.
That's a pretty good start, right?
What do you guys think? Do you like what you see so far? Are you a fan of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra's features so far?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series is now available for pre-order in Malaysia, so head on over to Samsung's official website for more information.