Samsung Galaxy S21 256GB
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5 years ago
Review: Samsung's Galaxy S21 is the no-brainer upgrade phone
Samsung's made some wise choices to get the price down on the Galaxy S21. Here's what we think of the new 5G phone. The Galaxy S21 lineup is now available. Before you buy one, the biggest takeaway you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, along with the Galaxy S21 Plus 5G and Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, is that Samsung cut the US price of each by $200 (the savings are less in other countries). Clearly this wasn't done out of generosity and Samsung's made trade-offs to hit that lower price on the Galaxy S21: The wall charger and headphones don't come in the box, the phone doesn't have a microSD card slot for expanded storage and it has 4GB of RAM less than the S20. Samsung also removed half of the pixels from the screen and replaced the Gorilla Glass from the back with polycarbonate, which is a nice way of saying plastic.
Pros:
- Lower price
- Design
- Android 11/OneUI 3.1
- High refresh rate screen
Cons:
- Less RAM
- Display is only HD
- Gets warm when using it
- Lacks a microSD slot
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
It has certainly been a minute since we’ve made device-related videos, but with the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Ultra finally in house, we get to do just that. Tim has already unboxed the Galaxy S21 Ultra, leaving me with the “First 10 Things” duties. Ahhh, fresh videos. In this lengthy video, you...
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
Pros:
- More durable
- lightweight design
- improved image processing
- tons of premium features
- IP68 water resistance
- upgraded in-screen fingerprint sensor
- variable 120Hz refresh rate
- full 5G connectivity
Cons:
- Samsung killed the microSD slot
- no headphone jack
- power brick doesn't come included
- battery life could be a bit better
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
Aside from a rejuvenated design and the obligatory spec bump, the Galaxy S21 does little to improve upon or surpass its predecessor (and in some areas steps backwards). That said, as ever this year's S21 has everything you'll likely want and need in a high-end 2021 smartphone, without pushing the...
Pros:
- Improved battery life
- Superb performance
- Decent software
- Nice design
Cons:
- Cameras are relatively unchanged
- Some downgrades from S20
- No charger may irk some
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
There's a lift in design for the Galaxy S21, resulting in a phone that looks fresh and exciting, and a great display, offering adaptive refresh rates. While there's plenty of power - and a flagship performance - the camera doesn't reach the highs that you get from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, leaving this...
Pros:
- Distinctive design
- Waterproofing
- Great display
- Smooth and powerful performance
- Decent battery life
Cons:
- No microSD card slot
- Camera performance could be better
- Easily undercut by the S20 FE
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
We take a deep dive with the Samsung Galaxy S21
Pros:
- Great look
- Fast and snappy performance
- Full of features to explore
- Good camera quality
- Speakers are improved over last gen
Cons:
- Plastic back is a no-no at $800
- The plethora of features can be overwhelming
- take it slow
- The UI looks a bit flat and tacky
- Bye
- bye
- microSD card slot
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
This is the Exynos model, as well as the International model of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. It is the direct successor to the Exynos model of S20 of last year, and come in a 6.2-inches display with Full-HD+ resolution. The screen panel is Dynamic AMOLED 2X with upto 120Hz refresh rate.
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
I use my smartphones as work tools so I personally focus my attention on the high-end flagships. This year Samsung is making a competitive pitch to also consider the entry level flagship Galaxy S21 5G with a starting price $200 less than last years Galaxy S20.
Pros:
- Small size in a sea of large slabs
- Lovely design with matte finish back
- 5G support for all bands
- Highly capable rear cameras
- Competitive pricing
- High-end internal specifications
Cons:
- No charger in the box
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (256GB, Grey) - Excellent review
The first of 2021’s phones, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is a nice phone with some decent features, but it’s not one that we’ve exactly fallen in love with. Samsung owners will be happy with what’s on offer, delivering a Galaxy that is clearly strong, and feels great, too.
Pros:
- Lovely design, Big screen that takes up much of the front, Great specs, Supports 5G regardless of model or variation, Water resistant
Cons:
- Battery life is not good at all, Phone can get super hot, Camera can feel a little slow, Scene Optimiser camera can be far too saturated for our liking, Samsung has removed the microSD slot, a shame given it's been a part of most Samsung phone designs
5 years ago
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Phantom Violet SM-G991BZVGXNZ review
The Samsung Galaxy S21 packs plenty of power into its small stature and sets the stage for better 5G phone performance in the future.
Pros:
- Hand-friendly form factor
- Bright
- colorful screen
- Better Night photo mode than previous Samsung phones
- Supports future 5G network features
Cons:
- 5G battery life is just on the edge of acceptable
- Future network features don't exist yet
4.2
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