The Samsung Galaxy S21 range has three different smartphones, but don’t think your choices begin and end with which one you should buy, because the main device and the S21 Plus and S21 Ultra all come in a range of different colors too.
The color options aren’t the same for each phone either, as while there are some crossovers, there are lots of shades that only come with one certain phone.
Some of the options are exclusive to retailers in certain regions too, so you might have to shop around to find your chosen phone in your favorite color.
We’ll run you through all the different shades of all three phones below, so you don’t need to open hundreds of tabs just to work it all out.
Samsung Galaxy S21 colors
The $799 / £769 / AU$1,249 Samsung Galaxy S21 comes in four main colors: violet, pink, gray and white. Notably missing from the Galaxy S20 is a blue option, as well as a black option, but the new gray fills in for the black, and blue has been totally replaced by the purple.
Samsung Galaxy S21 in violet
Technically called Phantom Violet, this version of the phone has a pastel violet rear but a gold camera bump, reminiscent of the main Galaxy Note 20 color option. This is the only shade for the phone where the camera bump and rear are noticeably different colors.
This is also an option for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S21 in gray
Is this gray or black? Well according to Samsung it’s Phantom Gray, but if you’re looking for a black Galaxy S21, it’s really the choice for you (though the S21 Plus and Ultra come in an even blacker shade).
Samsung Galaxy S21 in white
Samsung has fans of white phones covered with this version of the handset. It has a silver camera bump but it fits with the white back well. This phone might show up marks or stains more than the others though.
Samsung Galaxy S21 in pink
Finally we meet the Phantom Pink Galaxy S21, which has the same gold camera bump as the violet model, though with a quick glance it might look different (due to the different backs, it’s a bit of an optical illusion).
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus colors
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus comes in five colors – there’s the Phantom Violet one, as detailed above, and four more that you’ll find below. Two of them are exclusive to Samsung’s website. You can pick the phone up starting from $999 / £949 / AU$1,549.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in black
Move over ‘Phantom Gray’, this Phantom Black color of phone is the real black handset you can pick up. It’s a lot darker than the gray phone but is the only dark shade available for the Plus model.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also comes in this shade.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in silver
Is the Phantom Silver version of the Galaxy S21 Plus different to the white option of the S21? Yes, but it’s not a million miles off either. It has the same silver camera bump, but the rest of the rear is that same shade too.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also comes in this shade.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in gold
This regal shade is very similar to the Galaxy Note 20’s Mystic Gold, but this time it’s called Phantom Gold. It looks pretty similar to the pink S21, at least in pictures, but a little darker.
The Phantom Gold Galaxy S21 Plus is exclusive to Samsung’s website.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in red
While most Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus colors use pastel hues and calm color options, this Phantom Red is a big change from that. It’s vibrant, and sticks out from its siblings as a result. This is also exclusive to Samsung’s site.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra colors
Finally we come to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and its colors. Two of them, Phantom Silver and Phantom Black, we’ve already explored, but the following three are all exclusive to Samsung’s website.
This phone costs $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849, so it’s the priciest Galaxy S21-line device, and also the biggest – that means there’s more real estate to show off the color of choice.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in titanium
The Phantom Titanium model of Galaxy S21 Ultra is just gray by another name, but it’s slightly paler than the Phantom Gray shade we saw earlier. The camera bump is black, the same as the Phantom Black one.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in navy
Another Galaxy S21 Ultra color, or spoilers for Pirates of the Caribbean? The Phantom Navy version of the Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t look too dissimilar to the various gray models we’ve seen before, but it has a definite blue tint.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in brown
Finally we come to Phantom Brown, which makes the handset look a little like it’s made of wood, or clad in leather. As a result it’s arguably the most premium-looking of the phone shades, but that’s really up to you to decide.