S21 Ultra Camera and Video - TRASH. Exynos, ABU98

[Bobolinho]

First Samsung phone so went for the big one. So disappointed in many ways, but the camera and Video quality is soooo bad I can't quite believe it. 

Video quality is worse than an iphone 8Plus, colors are laughable and it's all so grainy.

Some decent shots with the camera but it doesn't focus properly, switched between camera randomly and faces look terrible.

I'm sure most of this can be fixed with software updates but I'm not going to be waiting for that. 

Can't believe a flagship phone can come out with this many issues. Really really bad. How disappointing.

[peterriley3]

All phones come out with issues, you just need to give them a chance. Everything can later be improved, if you're looking to resolve these issues or report them you may go to the "Explore" tab via this app and tap the "+" in the lower right and speak to a Samsung Expert or report errors there.

Hope this helps,
Peter

[Kimble2415]

I've got the ultra on order as it's an exclusive colour all these problems don't fill me with confidence when it costs so much!

[Babishko]

Yes Bobolinho like you I was really really disappointed at the video quality in particular of my 512Gb Exynos S21 Ultra. I bought the phone to replace my beloved Note 9. It was the 512Gb version of the Note 9 and I shot over 150 5 minute long 4k 60fps (HDR) videos on it because it recorded such stunning video in all conditions and enabled me to capture all life's special moments irrespective of lighting conditions. I loved this phone and could not wait for it's new completely superior in every way replacement with it's best ever camera performance. ESPECIALLY it's video. I was gutted to see how poor the low light quality on recorded 4k 60 fps (HDR) was on my new phone when I first used it. It was noisy and grainy and muddy and a total embarrassment. My phones photo quality though was bloody stunning I have to say to balance things out. The zoom was a revelation but the wide angle lens was my favourite thing as my Note 9 didn't have one and this has macro capabilities also. I have used the video camera as often as I could to get the system optimizing along with two camera performance inclusive software updates and yes the video quality is improving quite a lot now for me but I KNOW that the problems are nothing to do with the hardware of the cameras and all about the software and that in a short (hopefully) while the video performance will be matching the photo performance and be the best quality video that Samsung has ever built into any phone. It must be said though that if my phones photo taking abilities were not as they were I may have taken my phone back and replaced it for another S21 Ultra which may have performed worse!. The safest course would have been to buy one around late Summer or Autumn when all these bugs should have been ironed out and the phone should be performing brilliantly as it should; but I wanted the bloody thing NOW as many of us did!.. LOL!.. Oh and just let me state that the camera gets much too warm for my liking. My faithful Note 9 does not even get warm when shooting one 4k 60 video after another!. I hope that you get complete satisfaction one way or the other Bobolinho. I really do. Good luck mate. 👍👍

[Babishko]

Good luck Kimble!. You are wise to be in the Samsung community section even before your phone arrives so you know what problems may arise but don't let this put you off what is a very good phone already but has the potential to be a truly great one. 👍👍

[Bobolinho]

I wish you all the best for the phone and decent software updates should sort a lot of it. I’m impatient however and remain surprised it’s so far from the mark as it is. Software patches should be about refining.

I took some really nice photo, but outside in good light which the phone seemed to like. And I have to say the night mode photos were good for balance, but how often you’ll use I don’t know. But anything in mid range light  or slight shade or anything similar looked naff, and I haven’t taken one good video. 

peace out. 

[QXtaRAir]

I just got it shipped from US so i could get Snapdragon😂

[Ratul]

how much did you pay for taxes and import fees?

[smiley]

I hope you did your checking that the phone will work in the UK bands for 5G that you have bought from the US ?  

I was thinking the same as this a month ago, but it is highly likely that the 5G bands and regional differences would cause problems in the UK, so I avoided.   

In fact the SD888 version in Asia market would be less problematic and others look at ordering from Hong Kong.  

I hope that the US version works for you, but I would have been cautious !   See my previous post asking questions on here...  Hopefully you have considered all the issues...

https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/galaxy-s21-series/regional-differences-in-costs-for-the-same-s21...

[SmallFish]

Got to say that accepting rubbish from the top of the range is unreasonable to me. This phone isn't cheap. It's not 'new' in that most of it is just an evolution of existing tech. It only serves to encourage the hope that the next model might actually live up to way over-hyped marketting trash.

But hey, buy buy buy. Keeps Samsung happy. The world can take it. Climate change doesn't exist. Unicorns are conspiring against us to take over our biscuits. It's the Samsung Unicorns you need to always keep your eyes fixed on otherwise their horns extend x100 and trip you up. Pesky Samsung.