With the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung is clearly aiming at buyers who want a well-rounded phone without too many compromises. Here is our take on what it brings to the table.
Design & Display
On the front you get a 6.2 inches, 94.1 cm 2 (~87.2% screen-to-body ratio) panel, pushing a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density), which is more than sharp enough for everyday use, streaming and a bit of gaming. In terms of design, the Samsung Galaxy S21 keeps things modern and comfortable to hold. You can pick it up in a few finishes, including Phantom Gray.
Performance & Software
At the heart of it sits the Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - International Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm), paired with 8GB of RAM. For the kind of tasks most of us throw at a phone, there is plenty of muscle here. It runs Android 11, up to 4 major OS updates, One UI 6.1 out of the box, so the software experience feels current.
Camera
The camera setup is one of the talking points here, with a 12 MP sensor doing the heavy lifting. Point-and-shoot results are reliable, and that is exactly what most buyers want.
Battery
Keeping the lights on is a Li-Ion 4000 mAh cell, and that is a healthy number that keeps range anxiety at bay.
Our Opinion
Coming to the important bit, our opinion on the Samsung Galaxy S21. Samsung has clearly gone for substance over gimmicks here, and we respect that approach. It gets the basics right, offering 5G connectivity, a dependable main camera, a crisp display, which is exactly what most buyers are really after. For someone who simply wants a dependable daily driver that will not let them down halfway through the day, this ticks a lot of boxes. There are rivals that beat it in one area or another, as is always the case in this segment. But taken as a whole, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is a sensible, well-judged choice that should keep most users happy for a good while. If you have used this device or are planning to pick one up, do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
