Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) camera review: Exynos front
We've already tested the camera of the Exynos-powered international version of Samsung's new S-series flagship, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. In this review, we take a close look...
12/10/2021
We have already tested the camera of the
international version powered by Exynos
of Samsung's new S-series flagship, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. In this review, we take a close look at the S21 Ultra 5G version that uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset and is marketed primarily in North America and China.
Chipsets aside, the Exynos and Snapdragon versions are identical, with both supporting the S-Pen stylus and a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, 3200x resolution 1440-
pixel
,
and flexible
frame
rate up to 120 Hz.
For the camera, both models combine two dedicated telephoto lenses (72- and 240mm equivalent) with a standard wide and ultra-wide camera. It's an interesting change from last year's S20 Ultra, which came with a single 103mm-equivalent periscope telephoto lens.
Let's see how the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) compares to its cousin Exynos and some major rivals from competing brands.
Key camera specs:
Main: 108MP 1/1.33″ sensor, 0.8μm, 24mm f/1.8- equivalent
opening
goal,
OIS
,
Ultra-wide: 12MP 1/2.55″ sensor, 1.4μm, 13mm f/2.2 equivalent-
opening
objective, double-
pixel
AF
Tele 1: 1/3.24″ 10MP sensor, 1.22μm lens equivalent to 72mm f/2.4 aperture, Dual Pixel AF,
OIS
Tele2: 10MP 1/3.24″ sensor, 1.22μm 240mm equivalent f/4.9 aperture lens, Dual Pixel AF, OIS
LED flash
Video: 4320p/24fps, 2160p/60/30fps (2160p/60fps tested), HDR10+
About DXOMARK Camera Tests:
For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera tests, DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 3000 te first images and over 2.5 hours of video both in controlled laboratory environments and in indoor and outdoor natural scenes, using default camera settings. This article is designed to highlight the most important results of our testing. For more information on the DXOMARK camera test protocol,
Click here.
More details on how we rate smartphone cameras are available
here
.
Summary of the test
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (snapdragon)
123
camera
129
photo
78
zoom
102
video
With an Overall DXOMARK Camera Score of 123, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) scores two points higher than the Exynos model but is still far from the current best-in-class models and does not feature in our ranking current top ten .
Its photo score of 129 is one point higher than that of the Exynos device. This is mainly based on a better
texture
and
noise
as well as a slightly better preview image. However, autofocus performance is a bit worse with the Snapdragon chipset.
The Snapdragon model also scores two more points for Zoom, with slightly better results in the tele and wide categories. The score is four points higher for video, with the Snapdragon-powered camera delivering better results for autofocus, texture, and stabilization. On the other hand, the noise is a little worse than on the international Exynos version.
The S21 Ultra 5G with Snapdragon chipset produces pleasing images with vivid colors, natural skin tones and good levels of detail.
Stills captured on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) show good exposure in most conditions, and a fairly wide
dynamic range
means the camera handles difficult high-contrast scenes well. That said, highlight clipping
can often be seen in backlit conditions, and exposure may be unstable between shots, especially when shooting in
HDR
terms.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (snapdragon), good target exposure on face, highlight clipping in background
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, good target exposure, better background highlight retention
The camera delivers vivid colors and pleasing skin tones with color rendition
global
which is similar to the Exynos model, but there are more
white balance
casts in low light. In terms of texture/noise, the Snapdragon model is an improvement over the Exynos variant, with better detail rendering and lower noise levels. Fine detail is well preserved and noise is mostly only visible in low light.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (snapdragon) interior texture
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (snapdragon), crop, good details
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), interior texture
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), cropping: a little less detail
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, interior texture
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, cropping: a little less detail
The difference between the Snapdragon version and the Exynos-powered international version is even more noticeable in low light. In this scene, the Snapdragon device produces significantly lower noise levels than the Exynos version.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), low light texture and noise
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G ( Snapdragon), cropping: a little noise
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), low light texture and noise
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), cropping: loud noise p>
Images
artifacts
are reasonably well controlled, yet powerful
aliasing
as well as
colored fringes
and
ghost images
can be found in some images captured under bright light outdoors.
Autofocus is one area where Snapdragon device performance drops slightly behind the Exynos-powered model, with occasional autofocus failures and noticeably slow focus in high contrast conditions. In this graph, you can see that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) takes almost a second to capture an image after the
shutter
was pressed in daylight conditions. That's slower than the Exynos phone (which also doesn't offer zero shutter lag so isn't the fastest either).
Comparison of autofocus in daylight conditions (1000 lux) with 2
< p>EV VariationImages captured in simulation mode
bokeh
show a slight lack of detail, and there is some variation between shots in terms of the strength of the
vague
applied to the background as well as the shape of the spotlights in the background.
Bokeh simulation, slight lack of detail
Ultra-wide, good exposure, wide dynamic range
The preview image of the phone is very similar to that of the Exynos version, with very good zooming fluidity and exposure similar to the final capture.
The tele-zoom image quality is quite good across a wide range of zoom factors, but not quite on par with the best devices in this class, despite Samsung's dual-tele approach. In this close-range (about 2x) studio shot, the Snapdragon device does a better job of preserving fine detail than its Exynos counterpart. However, the two Samsung phones can't quite keep up with the Huawei Mate 40 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), short-range TV
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), crop: good detail
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), short-range TV
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), cropping: lack of details
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, short-range TV
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, crop: excellent detail
At medium range (around 3x), both Samsungs offer good detail but noise is visible too. The Huawei captures a noticeably sharper image.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), mid-range TV
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), crop: good details, noise
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), mid-range TV
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), crop: good details, noise
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, mid-range TV
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, crop, good details, low noise
At long range (around 12x) things change and the S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) delivers the best result, making the Samsung a good option for those shooting a lot of images at max tele settings.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), long range TV
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), crop: better detail than comparison devices
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), long-range TV
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), cropping: lack of detail
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, long-range TV
Huawei Mate 40 Pro, cropping: strong lack of detail
Like the Exynos version, we tested the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) in 4K resolution
and 60 frames per second. Video clips recorded on the Samsung in decent lighting conditions show good exposure but can be underexposed in low light. Dynamic range is good but not on par with the best in class.
As for still images, video color rendering is quite close to the Exynos version. However, our testers noticed unnatural skin tones on the Snapdragon device, caused by bluish white balance in indoor lighting, and slight color casts when shooting outdoors in bright light.
On the other hand, video autofocus works better than on the Exynos device and is one of the camera's strengths, thanks to good tracking and stability. However, the level of detail could be better for 4K recording and is far from the best devices in this category. A
excessive ringing
, more visible along high-contrast edges, also reduced texture quality.
Noise remains a weakness, as it is visible in all lighting conditions. In low light,
luminance noise
becomes more intrusive and coarse, and some chroma noise is thrown into the mix as well.
On the plus side, 60fps recording means smooth motion and the video stabilization is quite effective and counteracts camera shake well. Jello effects and
frame shifts
are better controlled than on the Exynos version as well, but a
sharpness
difference between frames can be quite noticeable, especially when recording in indoor conditions.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon), outdoor video
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), outdoor video p>
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, outdoor video
Conclusion
When we reviewed the Exynos version of the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, we said that given the high-end specs of the device, we would have expected a higher camera score. The same goes for the Snapdragon version sold in North America, China, and a few other markets.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon) is capable of capturing great photos and videos in most situations. It's also marginally better than its Exynos counterpart in almost every test area, but still lags behind most direct competitors from competing brands.
Advantages
Accurate exposure and fairly wide dynamic range
Good detail in outdoor and indoor shots and videos
Vibrant color and lovely skin tones
Good image quality with the ultra-wide camera
< p>Fast autofocus with good tracking in videosEffective video stabilization
A high frame rate
provides smooth videos. p>
Disadvantages
Occasional autofocus failures, slow AF in HDR conditions
Noise in low light
Exposure instabilities under HDR conditions
< p>Noise in videos at all lighting levels, including chroma and coarse luminance noise in low lightOccasional underexposure in video, especially in low light or backlit portrait scenes
White balance fits videos, with occasional skin tones
inaccuracies
In the press
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review
23april2021
Summary of the test
Conclusion