Description
The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G are officially here. Samsung has brought new specs, better designs, the likes. But the biggest thing about this year’s new phones isn’t actually the phones themselves but that they start for less than last year’s Galaxy S20 models. Now that’s a big change despite the fact that these phones are actually more advanced in some ways like the new Snapdragon processor.
Notable differences
For starters, the base Samsung Galaxy S21 5G’s back is made out of polycarbonate plastic instead of aluminum. It has shifted from the curved screens that Samsung has been using for years down to a flat panel. There are a couple of bigger changes to the specs that Samsung has made here. Both panels are lower resolution than last year’s now down to 2,400 x 1080 resolution instead of 3,200 x 1440. They also come with less RAM, 8 gigabytes instead of 12. Of course, there are still a lot of new things to like there’s the new design, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 / Exynos 2100 processor, and there are improvements to the already really good cameras from last year.
Design
If you’re getting the base Samsung Galaxy S21, you’ll have a choice of four colors, Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, or Phantom Pink. The biggest design change on the Samsung Galaxy S21 models is the camera bump. Flip it over and you’ll see some differences. Gone is the back piece of glass. Now it’s just either aluminum (Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G) or polycarbonate (Samsung Galaxy S21 5G).
Now for years, we’ve been stuck with big ugly protruding camera bumps. Last year’s S20 lineup was particularly egregious with that massive thing that just stuck out of that otherwise beautiful glass back. Now, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and the S21 Plus still have a camera, right? But instead of jetting out, Samsung has made it this seamless piece of metal that smoothly flows from the metal rails of the phone onto the back.
Cameras
As for those three cameras, on Samsung Galaxy S21 5G there’s a 12 megapixel wide, a 12 megapixel ultra-wide, and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens along with a 10-megapixel selfie camera in that whole punch on the front display. Now, if those sounded a little familiar to you, it’s because these are virtually identical, at least hardware-wise to the cameras on last year’s Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus. That said, Samsung says that it has made improvements to things like AI processing and added some new camera features. So there are some things to look forward to.
5G support
Samsung Galaxy S21 fully supports 5G with support for both sub six and millimeter-wave 5g, thanks to the integrated Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 / Exynos 2100 processor. It should work with whichever phone network you have (but 5G was not yet in Kenya at the time of this review).
Battery
The complaint on battery life is quickly silenced at the mention of S21’s Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable battery. The same supports fast charging 25W, fast Qi/PMA wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging 4.5W. There is wireless charging if you need another way to charge your phone.
One thing that is not included in the box is a charging adapter just like with a new iPhone. If you don’t have an adapter at home, you’ll have to buy one. But there is support for up to 25-watt charging as well as fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. The battery life itself should be good though.
Preference
Of the two (Galaxy S21 Plus), many might prefer the Samsung Galaxy S21’s size. But, that plastic back just has it feeling cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus (a subjective opinion I must add. Utterly personal). The Galaxy S21 5G phone is also surprisingly light. Possibly because there’s no slab of glass on the back. There’s a USB-C port. There’s also a power button and volume buttons, no weird Bixby buttons here, and no headphone jacks.
