Samsung Galaxy S21 5G 128GB Review

The 3-Minute Samsung Galaxy S21 Review

By Rachel Hutson | January 2020

The Specifics

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series is officially here and it brings all the great features as expected. Samsung has reversed courses, being up to $200 cheaper than last year’s flagships and the new Samsung Galaxy S21 is a little bit more advanced as well which includes the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor which is even faster than last year’s flagships. However, there have been a few changes to make the base Samsung S21 more affordable. Instead of the Aluminum rear cover, it features a polycarbonate plastic cover instead and a flat panel screen instead of the curved-screen that Samsung has been using for years.

Both screen panels of the Samsung S1 and S21 have got a lower screen resolution than last year’s Samsung models, down to 2400x1080 instead of 3200x1440. However, it still has an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate which the entire new iPhone 12 series does not have. Samsung has also knocked down its RAM from 12GB to 8GB, which is still higher than the average smartphone. To power up all this impressive hardware, the Samsung S21 packs a good-lasting 4000mAh battery.

Features & Design: 3/5 | Performance: 4/5 | Value: 4/5 | Battery Life: 4/5

The Best

Compared to last year’s models, Samsung has made a few changes and improvements to their cameras this year and they’ve restyled the protruding camera bump. The Samsung Galaxy S21 features a 12MP ultrawide camera, 12MP wide camera, a 64MP telephoto camera on the rear and a 10MP selfie camera on the front. Samsung has restyled the protrusive camera bump to look sleeker and smoother with a great framework design that extends around the 3 rear cameras.

The Bugs

The Samsung S21 definitely feels a little bit lighter than the previous models, probably because it doesn’t include the glass panel on the back of the phone anymore, but it also makes the phone feel a lot cheaper, especially with the polycarbonate plastic rear cover. The Samsung S21 is the only smartphone in Samsung’s S21 range that has a plastic rear cover. As for the ports, it is exactly what you would expect from a 2021 smartphone which features a USB type C port and no 3,5mm audio jack.

Is it for you?

If you are a fan of Samsung, the Galaxy S21 would be an excellent phone for the average user. Its processor is fast. It has a 120Hz refresh rate which is great for gaming and even though it has a lower amount of RAM, it is still adequate enough.

What we like

We like the new stylish camera bump design which makes the smartphone stand out above the rest. The camera quality is really good if you are interested in photography and the Samsung S21 is also 5G compatible with support from both sub-6Ghz and Wave 5G thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor.

What we don’t like

The entire Samsung S21 series has changed in one of the worst ways for us which lacks SD card expandable memory and marks the end of expandable memory for Samsung smartphones.

Should you buy it?

It seems that Samsung has taken on a great outlook, by adjusting their range to make such a powerful device more affordable for the consumer. If you are looking for a good affordable smartphone then the base Samsung Galaxy S21 would be well worth its price tag.