Is it worth upgrading to the Galaxy S21 Ultra from the S20 Ultra?

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Black
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Black (Image credit: Hayato Huseman / Android Central)

It goes without saying at this point that the Galaxy S21 Ultra is one beast of a smartphone. When you add together its 120Hz Quad HD display, breakneck performance, and downright stunning cameras, you end up with an easy contender for the best Android phone of the year.

Here's a question, though — how does all of that compare to last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra? The S20 Ultra is far from a perfect phone, but given that it does have a lot in common with the S21 Ultra, is it worth ditching for the new model?

A few of our AC forum members recently started talking about this, saying:

Unless you really need WQHD+ resolution at 120hz or an improved main camera, the other upgrades are rather incremental and don't really justify the cost IMO.

anon(10728938)

According to flossy Yes, if you want 100 zoom apparently that's better, camera is more embedded, that's good, but most cases took care of that, and it has better finish on back for color, less fingerprints, great if you don't put it in a case. The color finish is nice upgrade, but everyone uses cases anyway, and less of a curve screen. So, ask yourself if it's worth the cost for that. If it...

trucksmoveamerica#AC

I think it. came down to S pen was nice to have but not everybody used it all the time so now it's there for those who want it when they need it. Silicone case is the best bet for this I would say and while the case is more bulky it's big enough phone as it is

Notefan161

It's definitely worth if especially when using Samsung.com trade in... it's actually a no-brainer considering you probably never get $800 for the S20 ultra anywhere else.

shook187

What do you think? Is it worth upgrading to the Galaxy S21 Ultra from the S20 Ultra?

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Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.