Samsung Galaxy S21 Review: Nice For The Price

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a midrange phone with a flagship name. Rather than offer essentially the same top-tier phone at different sizes, Samsung has chosen to get aggressive on price this year. The Galaxy S21 starts at $799.99 for the smaller version with a 6.2-inch screen and $999.99 for the Plus version with a 6.7-inch display. Though in both cases, the smart move is to spend an extra $50 for the models with 256GB of storage.

It helps that the S21 happens to be a very good midrange phone. Nevertheless, Samsung’s choices this year mean if you want to get the very best phone Samsung has to offer right now, you have to buy the very biggest phone, the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

If the Ultra is too big or too expensive for your needs, there’s nothing wrong with the regular Galaxy S21. Samsung has managed to cut the price without major sacrifices in either the experience or the features of this phone. However, avoiding massive failure isn’t necessarily the same thing as achieving great success.

The phones that aim to give you the best of everything tend to cost more than a thousand dollars. Below that, there are more noticeable trade-offs as each phone picks its priority. For the Galaxy S21, Samsung put its big bet behind just one part: the processor, Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 888.

In some markets outside the US, Samsung is using its own Exynos processor, and though I’ve heard Samsung has significantly improved it over last year’s, I haven’t been able to test it myself.

On a basic level, prioritizing the processor means the S21 is a very fast phone with decent battery life. I am able to get through a full day with moderate to heavy use on the 4,000mAh battery, though with a little effort, I can drain it down. The bigger Galaxy S21 Plus — which I haven’t tested — has a 4,800mAh battery and presumably will last even longer despite its slightly larger screen. Both share the same resolution and features otherwise.

Just as importantly, the choice to go with the newest and best Qualcomm processor means the Galaxy S21 has a better chance of lasting you three or more years before the inevitable march of Android software bogs it down or leaves it behind. I’ve asked Samsung how many years of software updates it will guarantee for S21 users and will update this review if I hear back.

The Snapdragon 888 also means these phones support both kinds of 5G in the US. In my testing in the Bay Area, I still find that 5G often isn’t notably faster than LTE, and the mmWave version of 5G is still very difficult to find.

However, I can also see some improvements over last year. My take on 5G has therefore shifted a bit. I still think that you should not upgrade your phone just to get 5G. However, if you’re due for an upgrade anyway and you have the choice of getting a 5G phone, you probably should. The networks aren’t good enough yet, but if you’re keeping your phone for a while, you may regret not having it in the years to come. (It’ll be hard to buy a phone without 5G if you’re spending over $500 this year, anyway.)

Buy CaseMe Samsung Galaxy A72 5G Case: http://www.caseme-case.com/caseme-samsung-galaxy-a72-5g-case-c-217_346/

Buy CaseMe Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Case: http://www.caseme-case.com/caseme-samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-case-c-217_344/

Buy CaseMe Samsung Galaxy A52 5G Case: http://www.caseme-case.com/caseme-samsung-galaxy-a52-5g-case-c-217_345/

Author: CaseMe-Case.com

CaseMe was born out of a shared passion for good design and well-made products, Disenchanted by the nondescript, mass produced plastic that filled the mobile accessories market, We set out to offer a stylish alternative for the modern individual. By combining the finest materials, functional design, and considered details.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Review: Nice For The Price

Author: CaseMe-Case.com

CaseMe iPhone 14 Pro Max Case

CaseMe Samsung Galaxy S22 Case

CaseMe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 Case

CaseMe-Case.com

Recent Posts

Categories