could be just different early batches maybe. funny how tom still bought another SD model just to see if he had a bad one lol
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Samsung Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra
- Thread starter kkh786
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Have you tried using excel on a phone screen as not everyone has MS Office on their laptop and if travelling or hotel TV's are restrictive its an easy alternative also for watching moves for those that use Android streaming boxes at home or on the move and gaming etc etc
Saves having to load bluestacks or other emulators, makes having multiple windowed phone apps easier as Your Phone app"" only allows one, can use your trackpad etc
I agree. I felt the same way when using my Mac with DeX, it kinda seems odd to use DeX on top an already established OS. I’m fully on board with DeX on a monitor… my current set up now.
But the only practical use case is to trade files between the phone and PC when using DeX, imo.
DeX - all my files are now on my Note20, always have the phone with me, backup or dump files to PC.
IF I was traveling or even just commuting, having access to files. In theory, if everything is on a cloud service, would not be needed.
My PC/Mac doesn't have Samsung Note or Internet browser. Using mobile MS Word and now able to have multiple files open (same Excel).
PC Companion is being pushed by the two, trying to compete with Apple.
Edge is getting closer to seeing tabs that are open on other devices, sharing Favorites, history, Collections... to be on parity with Apple Safari.
Apple wants iPad apps, iOS to run on m1 Macs. Continuum??
Blurring the line between desktop and mobile -- is about all i can see happening.
DeX has improved gradually since first saw it on Note 8.
IF I was traveling or even just commuting, having access to files. In theory, if everything is on a cloud service, would not be needed.
My PC/Mac doesn't have Samsung Note or Internet browser. Using mobile MS Word and now able to have multiple files open (same Excel).
PC Companion is being pushed by the two, trying to compete with Apple.
Edge is getting closer to seeing tabs that are open on other devices, sharing Favorites, history, Collections... to be on parity with Apple Safari.
Apple wants iPad apps, iOS to run on m1 Macs. Continuum??
Blurring the line between desktop and mobile -- is about all i can see happening.
DeX has improved gradually since first saw it on Note 8.
I thought about that too, but in truth, you don't need Dex for that, and adds the hassle of installing the software. If I'm transferring files, I could just connect a cable and copy the files over. So when I thought about the file transferring angle, I still can't make it make sense.
Not entirely sure what you mean.
But I gave up my Mac… primarily because I can get by with doing tasks on my iPad. And Dex on the Galaxy Fold just gives me a desktop experience. But I trade files or notes between the two with Google Drive and Google Keep.
I’m just giving you a practical use case for it. I tried Dex with my Mac… and the experience isn’t all that great.
DeX with a monitor is a much better experience. I think wireless DeX with a PC is a convenience factor more than anything.
That looks dope! I’m just anxious when Samsung really put more resources behind DeX. It’s cool… I just wish they add more features to it. Like being able to add widgets to the HomeScreen… incentivize developers to build for DeX.
Well it’s here. I worried because we didn’t get a chance to clear the crunchy mix of ice and snow off the little path to our front door. But our FedEx guy never uses that anyway he just trudges across our lawn, which is fine. I’ve got the included cable to transfer data between my S20 and my S21 Ultra.
I snipped the tag off the screen protector that’s not really a screen protector to protect the phone until I get a chance to install the real one I got from Spigen.
I put the black rugged case on instead of the purple silicone. I think I made the right call as I was attacked by a panther while setting up.
Lol look at my iPhone case in the reflection of the Ultra’s screen. I think it summons
demons.
The photo is a bit blurred because I was moving and trying to steady my phone with Knife Fingers Freddie Katger here. He’s not supposed to be up on the table like this but we usually just use this table for homework and I often allow cats to be present at unboxings. It’s fun to see what they try to steal out of the boxes.
I am actually holding the phone with one hand. No he didn’t scratch the phone or me. He’s a good boy and was caught in mid stretch.
I snipped the tag off the screen protector that’s not really a screen protector to protect the phone until I get a chance to install the real one I got from Spigen.
I put the black rugged case on instead of the purple silicone. I think I made the right call as I was attacked by a panther while setting up.
Lol look at my iPhone case in the reflection of the Ultra’s screen. I think it summons
demons.
The photo is a bit blurred because I was moving and trying to steady my phone with Knife Fingers Freddie Katger here. He’s not supposed to be up on the table like this but we usually just use this table for homework and I often allow cats to be present at unboxings. It’s fun to see what they try to steal out of the boxes.
I am actually holding the phone with one hand. No he didn’t scratch the phone or me. He’s a good boy and was caught in mid stretch.
lol my fingerprints actually work through this faux screen protector. It takes a few tries but they work.
Like @noobinator I definitely noticed and felt the pwm but went ahead and set the display to vivid. I have it maxed out to highest resolution and adaptive refresh. I'm home with access to chargers so conserving battery is not a priority.
I signed out of imessages and FaceTime on my 12 Pro Max and gave the secondary Sim to this beast. I can tell it's busy updating things. I'm having a little trouble focusing on the text due to the pwm. I am hoping I adjust. It is challenging going from the 12 Pro Max to the S21 Ultra and back and forth. Lol it's like I am messing with the calibration of my brain! Who knows, I probably am. So far it doesn't hurt me or cause my eyes to water like the display on my 12 mini does.
We will see how it goes. The display is excellent though. Even, with good viewing angles.
I'm off to play with the cameras with what little light is left. Oh and do laundry. Blech.
Like @noobinator I definitely noticed and felt the pwm but went ahead and set the display to vivid. I have it maxed out to highest resolution and adaptive refresh. I'm home with access to chargers so conserving battery is not a priority.
I signed out of imessages and FaceTime on my 12 Pro Max and gave the secondary Sim to this beast. I can tell it's busy updating things. I'm having a little trouble focusing on the text due to the pwm. I am hoping I adjust. It is challenging going from the 12 Pro Max to the S21 Ultra and back and forth. Lol it's like I am messing with the calibration of my brain! Who knows, I probably am. So far it doesn't hurt me or cause my eyes to water like the display on my 12 mini does.
We will see how it goes. The display is excellent though. Even, with good viewing angles.
I'm off to play with the cameras with what little light is left. Oh and do laundry. Blech.
Now that I've been using it awhile on natural colors (vs vivid) I can say I can still notice the PWM but I don't feel as bad as when it was on vivid. For all I know it might be in my head and I convinced myself it's easier on me, but who knows!
I'll be curious to how you make out on vivid. Keep us updated!
Andrei imo is one of the best reviewers out there
You're not imagining it. The display definitely has a more noticeable pwm impact than the one on my S20. The pwm is more straightforward on Android phones though. I dont know quite what Apple does but whatever they do, they're doing it with their LCD displays, too. I couldn't really enjoy my SE 2020 display at all. I honestly fare better on OLED.
Yeah I switched it to vivid and I like it so far. I guess I had the opposite reaction as you did. But I'm still testing and evaluating.
I just talked to my dad on the phone and I will not be putting my Sim back into the 12 Pro Max that's for sure. It was so good to be back on a Samsung for calls with him. I don't know why, but calls with my dad are always crystal clear on a Samsung but always a bit of struggle on an iPhone. Like the iPhone is just a hair slow to recover from one person talking and then the other taking their turn. I don't know if the term is latency? Not sure what it's called but calls are just smoother on a Samsung. At least on the connection between his landline and my smartphones.
This display seems to play nicer with my glasses, which I believe are polarized. I usually have my glasses off and the screen closer to my face especially with iPhones, but now I can leave my glasses on. It's so strange all the little adjustments that go into switching comfortably from one display to another.
I ended up spending a lot of time catching up with my dad then the laundry, so I didn't get to check out the cameras yet. My husband was kind enough to do all of the clothes laundry so I would be free today. But I still have those pesky bed linens to do.
So far the camera is perfection! They must have addressed something in updates since I tested my husband’s phone camera. I've got no complaints!
Agreed. By far the best camera experience I've had on a Samsung. Post processing is leaps above even the Note 20 Ultra.
For me there's still some slight lag on pressing the shutter vs when pic is snapped compared to iphone and pixel but it's pretty minor now.
I guess Hell has frozen over, because one of the most devoted iPhone users I know, just told me he bought the S21Ultra. He received it on Friday. I introduced him to Good Lock and Bixby routines, his mind is 100% blown. This is his first Android device.
Last edited:
I thought it was pretty cool when I saw it online...until I saw the price. I just don't think the price makes sense for what it is. I can't justify the cost for a shell of a laptop.
It definitely varies. In low light it's definitely longer than in well lot situations.
I'm still experimenting with the camera. Currently I have motion photos on. I never noticed they now include sound like Apple motion photos always did. I hadn't used that in a long time. It wasn't something I bothered with on Android. I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality.
With motion photos on in low light I get some weird artifacts but each motion frame looks fine. I'm talking about really dim light. I'm shocked I'm getting any photos at all. Even the iPhone is struggling to avoid motion blur and get details. I think in a contest between them now it's truly finally close enough for my indoor photos. The ability to instantly turn motion photos into gifs is cool. The camera software has so much versatility built in.
I had a weird issue with the fingerprint scanner. It was working fantastic even with the faux screen protector. Then I set the phone down to eat dinner. Then when I tried unlocking it, no luck. I had to re register my prints. I think my hands were too dry after washing my hands so many times with various chores. I couldn't even register new prints until Iicked my finger. Gross.
Well this plastic isn't meant to be a permanent screen protector. I'm just surprised it worked so great before and then stopped.
My phone was also sluggish and the camera also took a long while to come up. My husband had me reboot it. I would guess it was doing a lot of things in the background. I probably should have set it up as new and brought things over via the cloud instead of the cable transfer.
It's chomping through battery right now but I'm not even trying to manage power consumption.
So far it's ran cool. It's a snapdragon USA model.
With motion photos on in low light I get some weird artifacts but each motion frame looks fine. I'm talking about really dim light. I'm shocked I'm getting any photos at all. Even the iPhone is struggling to avoid motion blur and get details. I think in a contest between them now it's truly finally close enough for my indoor photos. The ability to instantly turn motion photos into gifs is cool. The camera software has so much versatility built in.
I had a weird issue with the fingerprint scanner. It was working fantastic even with the faux screen protector. Then I set the phone down to eat dinner. Then when I tried unlocking it, no luck. I had to re register my prints. I think my hands were too dry after washing my hands so many times with various chores. I couldn't even register new prints until Iicked my finger. Gross.
Well this plastic isn't meant to be a permanent screen protector. I'm just surprised it worked so great before and then stopped.
My phone was also sluggish and the camera also took a long while to come up. My husband had me reboot it. I would guess it was doing a lot of things in the background. I probably should have set it up as new and brought things over via the cloud instead of the cable transfer.
It's chomping through battery right now but I'm not even trying to manage power consumption.
So far it's ran cool. It's a snapdragon USA model.
When I first got this phone, I had some pretty solid battery life, but it was still "learning my usage pattern". I eventually got the message that said it determined what apps to put in deep sleep. About two days later it put those apps to deep sleep and it showed an estimated battery life instead of saying it was learning my usage pattern. At that point, my battery life took a jump. At this point, I can use my phone pretty much however I want, and not touch a charger all day.
Today something interesting happened. Now that my battery life has regularly started pushing the 24 hour mark, my phone has gone back into "learning my usage pattern", on it's own. Hopefully when it finishes again, I get another battery life jump lol.
On a side note: Today I ran the phone in QHD with adaptive on, and the battery life was still great. I talked a lot more than the 1 hour I did yesterday, but still got good screen time with it. 8 hours of battery and 4 hours of screen time, and got 21 hours of battery. Had I only talked 1 hour like yesterday, I'd have definitely gotten over 24 hours on a charge again.
Today something interesting happened. Now that my battery life has regularly started pushing the 24 hour mark, my phone has gone back into "learning my usage pattern", on it's own. Hopefully when it finishes again, I get another battery life jump lol.
On a side note: Today I ran the phone in QHD with adaptive on, and the battery life was still great. I talked a lot more than the 1 hour I did yesterday, but still got good screen time with it. 8 hours of battery and 4 hours of screen time, and got 21 hours of battery. Had I only talked 1 hour like yesterday, I'd have definitely gotten over 24 hours on a charge again.