Skip to content 
Is The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Discontinued? Kind of…
The Samsung Galaxy S22 range is here. But what does that mean for the Galaxy S21 Ultra? Is the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Discontinued? Here’s what you need to know…
When new phones land, older models die. This is just the way of things. And now that the Samsung Galaxy S22 series is here, there are inevitable changes to access to Samsung’s older models – models like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Phone companies do this for a very specific reason: if you’re going to buy a flagship model, they want you to buy the latest one – in this context, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Apple does exactly the same thing as soon as a new iPhone series is launched: it always kills off the Pro Max and Pro models of the outgoing series.
Can You Still Buy The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
Samsung has officially stopped selling the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra inside its official sales channels. Samsung removed the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra from its US, UK, and European stores just before the launch of the Galaxy S22, indicating it no longer plans on selling the model.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus will remain, however, so that’s something. But this is annoying if you like to wait 12 months after the release of a phone to pick it up at a discounted price. You can still do this, of course, but you’ll have to go the refurbished route. And that’s fine too because you’ll save even more money – around 40%.
Is The Galaxy S21 Ultra Worth Buying In 2022?
If you want a banging phone and you don’t mind running a slightly older model, buying the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2022 makes a lot of sense. It has plenty of power, an amazing camera, 5G support, S-Pen support, and it looks stunning. Add in the fact that you can now pick up the Galaxy S21 Ultra for better than half the price of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the phone is an easy recommendation for 2022 and beyond.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is still a very good buy in 2022. It has masses of power, 5G, it supports S-Pen, and it looks as good as ever. If you want to save some money, get 2021’s flagship model over the S22 Ultra.
- S-Pen Support
- 40% Cheaper
- 5G Connectivity
- Amazing Camera
- Outstanding Performance
Even with respect to overall specs and performance, there isn’t too much to separate the Galaxy S21 Ultra from the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Sure, there are updates to the CPU and camera module, but it isn’t anything major – the update, in my opinion, is fairly incremental. The main thing with the S22 Ultra is that it comes with an embedded S-Pen. But the S21 Ultra does support the S-Pen too.
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | Galaxy S22 Plus | Galaxy S22 | |
| Price | $1,199 | $999 | $799 |
| Android version | 12, One UI 4 | 12, One UI 4 | 12, One UI 4 |
| Display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED QHD+ | 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED FHD+ | 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED FHD+ |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 10-120Hz | 10-120Hz |
| CPU | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB |
| Rear cameras | 108MP (f/2.2) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 10x telephoto, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto | 50MP (f/1.8) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto | 50MP (f/1.8) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto |
| Front camera | 40MP (f/2.2) | 10MP (f/2.2) | 10MP (f/2.2) |
| Video | Up to 8K 24 fps | Up to 8K 24 fps | Up to 8K 24 fps |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 3,700 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired, 15W wireless | 45W wired, 15W wireless | 25W wired, 15W wireless |
| Size | 3.1 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches | 3 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches | 2.8 x 5.7 x 0.3 inches |
| Weight | 8.1 ounces | 6.9 ounces | 5.9 ounces |
| Connectivity | Embedded S Pen, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB, 5G (mmWave/sub6) | Wi-Fi 6E, UWB, 5G (mmWave/Sub6) | Wi-Fi 6E, UWB, 5G (mmWave/Sub6) |
| Colors | Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Burgundy | Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Pink Gold | Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Pink Gold |
If I were in the market for a new Samsung phone, I would get the Galaxy S21 Ultra. And the reason? It has everything I need – 5G, masses of power, loads of RAM, a great camera, and a gorgeous screen – and it costs around half the price of the Galaxy S22 Ultra (if you get it refurbished, which I usually tend to do because they’re always as good as a new phone).
I can live without an embedded S-Pen, minor bumps in performance, and a few updates to the camera. I’m more concerned about overall performance, in this regard the two are very similar; the camera module, the S21 Ultra’s is still excellent by comparison; and, the design of the phone, which, again, is very similar. Both phones have great battery life too. But one is WAY cheaper.
Put in this context, it’s a no-brainer: buying the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2022 gets you WAY more value for money. This is why I usually always buy refurbished phones when I update my phone. You just get a better deal, so long as you’re not the type of person to get suckered in by marketing departments at Samsung and/or Apple.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is still a very good buy in 2022. It has masses of power, 5G, it supports S-Pen, and it looks as good as ever. If you want to save some money, get 2021’s flagship model over the S22 Ultra.
- S-Pen Support
- 40% Cheaper
- 5G Connectivity
- Amazing Camera
- Outstanding Performance