Skip to main content

Before you buy a Galaxy S21, take a look at Samsung’s gorgeous exclusive colors

Forget the depressing days when you could only get the Galaxy S20 Ultra in Boring Black or Battleship Gray — Samsung has really upped its style game for the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, before you run off and buy the Phantom Violet or Phantom Black models, head over to Samsung’s own online store and check out the exclusive colors only available there. We think you’ll be sorely tempted.

Galaxy S21 Series: Exclusive Samsung.com Colorways | Samsung

There are five options in total, two for the Galaxy S21 Plus and three for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Galaxy S21 Plus’s exclusive colors are much, much brighter than those for the S21 Ultra, consisting of Phantom Gold and Phantom Red. The Phantom Gold version speaks for itself, with a matte gold rear panel matched to a gold metal chassis, but the Phantom Red mixes it up with a bright red rear panel matched to the same gold chassis.

It’s a very eye-catching combination, although we still think it’s tough to beat the Phantom Violet Galaxy S21 Ultra for beauty. The two exclusives join the Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver colors for the middle Galaxy S21 phone, and still come with a choice of either 128GB or 256GB storage space.

If you want the top Galaxy S21 Ultra, you can choose between the Phantom Black or Phantom Silver standard models — and the Phantom Black does look surprisingly good in real life — or the Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, or Phantom Brown special editions. The Phantom Titanium model is suave, while the Phantom Navy reminds us of the Galaxy S20 FE’s blue color, and the Phantom Brown looks to be a beautiful evolution of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s Mystic Bronze.

One thing to note when opting for a custom Galaxy S21 Ultra version is the carbon fiber effect added to the camera module. While it doesn’t extend along the rest of the chassis, it may put off as many people as it attracts. We’d have liked to see the option not to add the carbon finish.

Samsung

Buying through Samsung means selecting an unlocked version of the phone. The exclusive colors can’t be purchased with a carrier, but buying unlocked if you can is always advisable. You have control over which carrier to choose, how long to stay with them, and when you can sell and upgrade your phone, too. Also, while phones in the standard colors will ship for the January 27 release date, you will have to wait between four and five weeks (or two and four in the U.K.) for delivery with one of the custom versions. Samsung makes each one to order, which takes longer.

We welcome Samsung’s decision to sell the exclusive colors directly, rather than limiting them to certain carriers, and best of all there’s no difference in price. You also still get Samsung’s generous pre-order package, which includes a $200 Samsung gift card (or the Galaxy Buds Pro in the U.K.), the SmartTag location tracker, and four months of free YouTube Premium. If you’re prepared to wait a while longer for delivery, these special editions will definitely make your Galaxy S21 Plus and S21 Ultra stand out from the crowd.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Samsung just announced 3 new Android tablets. Here’s a first look
Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus.

Samsung has a fresh portfolio of tablets to take on the iPad lineup. These flagship Android slates span three size formats and price points. The new Galaxy Tab S9 trio is nearly identical in heft and footprint to the Galaxy Tab S8 series, save for a minor design tweak, a new chip, and fresh color options.

The pill-shaped camera island is gone, and we now have a floating lens look that's similar to that of the Galaxy S23 series phones. Plus, there’s an eye-pleasing beige color option to pick from this year. The rest of the package is a modest iterative upgrade at best.
Galaxy Tab S9 series: specs and features

Read more
This tiny Android phone almost ruined the Galaxy S23 Ultra for me
The back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Zenfone 10.

Ahead of going away for a few days, I decided to swap from the phone I’d just finished reviewing to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, ensuring I had a great camera with me while on my break. Nothing odd about that, right? Usually, no, except I was coming from the diminutive Asus Zenfone 10, and picking up the S23 Ultra afterward felt like I'd chosen to take a 12.9-inch iPad Pro as my replacement device.

For a short while, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's enormous dimensions bordered on the laughably unmanageable. But then, it redeemed itself in the best way possible.
A truly massive size difference

Read more
I’m glad the Samsung Galaxy Note died when it did
samsung galaxy note 20 ultra review rear

The Samsung Galaxy Note changed the mobile industry when it arrived, and it became a firm favorite with a lot of people. Its committed, passionate fanbase is perhaps only rivaled by those who love the iPhone.

But all that was a long time ago, and now in mid-2023, I’m very glad Samsung killed the Note when it did.
The Samsung Galaxy Note needed to die
Galaxy Note 10 Plus (left) and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (right) Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Read more