Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Smartphone
Product Gallery
Product Overview
Samsung Galaxy S21 is a high-end 5G smartphone that features a 5nm octa-core processors, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, and three rear-facing cameras.
Compared to the Galaxy S20 from 2020, the Galaxy S21 removes the micro-SD card slot and reduces the resolution of the display. It also uses plastic rear cover.
As a tradeoff, the new 5nm processors promise increased power efficiency as well as speed. Samsung has also endowed the S21 a new, stylish design.
Alongside the Galaxy S21, Samsung also unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2021 the large Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra as well as the sleek true wireless headphones, the Galaxy Buds Pro.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Great performance
- Good battery life
- Fast SoC
- Good cameras
Cons
- S-Pen not supported on Galaxy S21+
What external reviewers found***
External score 81% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Great display
- Good camera performance
- Superb battery life
- Fantastic performance
Cons
- Slow Wi-Fi
- One UI 3 is frustrating to use
- No aptX codec support
- Slow charging
- No wireless charging
Price Comparison
Specifications
| International | USA / China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connectivity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ports | USB-C 3.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5, NFC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery | Capacity | 4000 mAh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Front | 10MP Dual Pixel AF, FOV 80°, F2.2, 1.22µm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Rear | Telephoto | 64MP Phase Detection AF, Hybrid Optic 3X, FOV 76°, OIS F2.0, 0.8µm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Rear | Ultra-Wide | 12MP FF, FOV 120° F2.2, 1.4µm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Rear | Wide | 12MP Dual Pixel AF, FOV 79°, OIS, F1.8, 1.8µm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colors | Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy and Cloud White | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Depth | 7.9 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Height | 151.7 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Width | 71.2 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 169 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Display | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Diagonal | 6.2 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X (OLED) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pixel Density | 421 ppi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resolution | FHD+, 1080×2400 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Function | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audio | UHQ 32-bit &DSD64/128 support; PCM: Up to 32 bits, DSD: DSD64/128 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chipset | Exynos 2100 (5nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (5nm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fast Charging | USB PD 3.0 (PPS) certified Fast Charging | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GPS | GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou, A-GPS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics | Mali-G78 MP14 | Adreno 660 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HDR | HDR10+ certified | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating System | Android 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Processor | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Security | Ultrasonic Fingerprint, Face recognition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensor | Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor Proximity sensor, Ambient Light Sensor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SIM | Single or dual Nano SIM, 5G | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Variable Framerate | 48~120Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weather Resistance | IP68 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Capacity | 8 GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Type | LPDDR5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Storage | 128 or 256 GB UFS 3.X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | 2021-01-14 (Galaxy Unpacked 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Related Products
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G Smartphone
83% External
Samsung Galaxy S21+ is a high-end 5G smartphone that features a 5nm octa-core processors, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, and three rear-facing cameras. It shares much of the same features with the S21, but the S21+ comes with a bigger battery and a larger ...
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Smartphone
82% External
Galaxy S20 Ultra is the ultimate Android smartphone by Samsung. Equipped with 5G, the Galaxy S20 Ultra supports both sub-6 and mmWave. It sports a 108MP camera for the ultimate stills and videos performance.
Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Smartphone
58% External
Galaxy A51 5G is one of a pair of the first smartphones in the Galaxy A series with 5G connectivity. It sports a large 6.5-in Super AMOLED Infitinity-O display, four cameras, and a long-lasting battery, among other industry-leading features.
Samsung Galaxy A71 5G Smartphone
68% External
Galaxy A71 5G is one of a pair of the first smartphones in the Galaxy A series with 5G connectivity. It sports a large 6.7-in Super AMOLED Infitinity-O display, four cameras, and a long-lasting battery, among other industry-leading features.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G Foldable Smartphone
72% External
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G pairs the lightning-fast speeds of 5G with the company's statement-making Galaxy Z Flip. Now with 5G, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G brings blazing-fast speeds to the palm-sized foldable device, making it easier than ever to stay con...
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Smartphone
74% External
Samsung Galaxy Note20 is part of Samsung's late-2020 flagship Galaxy Note-series "phablet" smartphones. It comes with 4300mAh battery, tri-camera setup, and a gorgeous Infinity-O OLED display. This time, deeper relationship with Samsung’s l...
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 Foldable Smartphone
77% External
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is the company's second-generation flagship foldable smartphone. Packed with all the refinements and innovations that Samsung has to offer, the Galaxy Z Fold2 features a larger Cover Screen and massive Main Screen. The 6.2-in...
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (5G) Smartphones
86% External
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) is a flagship-level smartphone at a more accessible price point. It packs features of the Galaxy S20 series, such as 120Hz FHD+ Super AMOLED display, AI-powered camera, advanced chipset, WiFi 6 support, and all day b...
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Smartphone
86% External
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a flagship 5G smartphone that features a 5nm octa-core processors, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, and four rear-facing cameras. It shares much of the same features with the S21+, including the height and width, but the S21 Ultra...
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Smartphone
88% External
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra is the flagship smartphone in Samsung's late-2020 Galaxy lineup. Compared to the base Note20, it adds a larger, 6.9-inch QHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate, 12GB LPDDR5 memory, and 4500mAh battery. For the first time in th...
Samsung Galaxy A52 (5G) Smartphone
69% External
Samsung Galaxy A52 is an affordable alternative to the South Korean company's 2021 Galaxy S21: Fronted with a 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED display, the A52 has a design similar to that of the S21 / S21 Plus, trading compromises with additional features. In terms...
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G Foldable Smartphone (2021)
76% External
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is the company's third-generation flagship foldable smartphone. It is marginally smaller than its predecessor from 2020, while retaining the same general design. While displays of similar sizes (at 7.6" and 6.2" respe...
Launch Comparison
Clear List
Related Articles
Samsung Expands 0.7-micron-Pixel ISOCELL Image Sensor Lineup for Mobile Devices with 32, 48, 64, and 108 MP Offerings
Samsung is introducing 0.7-micron ISOCELL image sensors for mobile devices, with 32, 48,64, and 108MP applications.
News · 15 Sep 2020
3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
digitaltrends[1]
Reviewer score 68%The Galaxy S21 is a fine phone, it just isn't one that's particularly desirable or exciting. You can argue about the decision to use a plastic back, or remove the SD card slot, but even with those two decisions, there's nothing wrong with the S21. Samsung doesn't skimp on specs, the display is excellent, and the nice-to-have features are all here.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Great display
- Good battery life
- Good cameras
Cons
- Plastic back isn’t as good as last year’s S21
- Camera quality is still not great
nextpit[2]
Reviewer score 77%The Galaxy S21+'s camera delivers a good performance, but it probably still lags behind the S21 Ultra. It is probably left further behind the likes of the Mate 40 Pro(+), the Huawei P40(+) and also the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The new fingerprint sensor does a very good job, as I've mentioned.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Bright 120 Hertz display
- Long battery life
- Good camera performance
Cons
- Slow charging
- No aptX codec support
- Slow Wi-Fi
notebookcheck[3]
Reviewer score 76%With its high-end hardware, the Galaxy S21 is naturally able to run modern games smoothly. However, the smartphone has to put the brakes on the SoC repeatedly, so it can't use its high performance on a long-term basis. Wireless connectivity is possible via Bluetooth 5.0, which supports the SBC, AAC, aptX, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. With its 4,000 mAh battery, the phone has the smallest battery in the S21 lineup.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Bright 120 Hz display
- Fast SoC
- Good battery life
Cons
- No microSD slot
- No 3.5 mm audio jack
pcmag[4]
Reviewer score 79%The Galaxy S21, like its siblings, has the new Qualcomm X60 modem. These are the first Samsung phones to support C-band, the new 5G airwaves wireless carriers just spent more than $80 billion for. At this moment, the S21 performs just like the S20 series and the iPhone 12 on the US 5G networks.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Small and light
- Good battery life
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- No headphone jack
- No wireless charging
pcworld[5]
Reviewer score 82%The Galaxy S21 ships with One UI 3.1 based on Android 11, making it the earliest phone Samsung has shipped with the latest version of Android. It has the same 12MP wide and ultrawide lenses and a 30X hybrid optical Space Zoom telephoto lens. Like Apple and Google, Samsung has done work behind the scenes to boost the quality.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Beautiful, high-contrast display
- Good battery life
- Excellent cameras
Cons
- No microSD card slot
- Mediocre cameras
techradar[6]
Reviewer score 83%The Samsung Galaxy S21 runs Android 11 with Samsung's One UI 3.0 skin. It may be nearly a year before you see Android 12 on this phone, even if Google releases the update in August. Recharging the S21 is easy, using the company's 25W fast-charging tech via the phone's USB-C port. It's also compatible with Qi wireless charging, but we found that to be slow.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Fantastic performance
- Good battery life
Cons
- No microSD support
- No 5G in 2021
tomsguide[7]
Reviewer score 81%The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a fantastic display and powerful cameras. Fast charging is on offer over the USB-C PD standard, juicing up the battery to 55% in 30 minutes in our testing. The lack of any hardware upgrades for the cameras was a little disappointing, but then they still produce flagship-grade results.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Fantastic display
- Great cameras
- Great battery life
Cons
- One UI is a mess
- No hardware upgrades
trustedreviews[8]
Reviewer score 92%The 12MP ultra wide camera is one of the best I've reviewed. It's capable of capturing large amounts of detail, with very little blurring at the edges and nice colours. There’s a good 10MP selfie camera that produces far more realistic and natural images than previous Samsung attempts. You can shoot video at 8K 24fps if you want to show off the power of the internals, or you can drop down to 4K60/30 for something more manageable.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Superb battery life
- Great ultra-wide camera
- Great value for money
Cons
- No wireless charging
- No headphone jack
whathifi[9]
Reviewer score 91%The Samsung Galaxy S21 shuffles the S series along nicely with camera enhancements, aesthetic improvements and some modest functionality boosts. It sacrifices some screen spec, premium build and accessories in order to a lower price, but there is still an excellent balance between performance and value. The S21’s luscious colour capture makes the Sonys' seem washed out in comparison, while the Samsung takes the spoils when it comes to sharpness and clarity.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Top-notch performance
- Excellent battery life
- Excellent camera performance
Cons
- No IP68 rating
- No wireless charging
User Reviews
Comments
Please login before adding comments.
References
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 5G review: Right recipe, wrong ingredients. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cell-phone-reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21-review/. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21+ review: It's gorgeous! But is the beauty just skin deep?. [nextpit]. https://www.nextpit.com/samsung-galaxy-s21-plus-review. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone review: The most affordable high-end Galaxy. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-S21-smartphone-review-The-most-affordable-high-end-Galaxy.522690.0.html. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21. 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 review: A premium phone that's a great value. [pcworld]. https://www.pcworld.com/article/3605050/samsung-galaxy-s21-review.html. 2021-01-29. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21-review. 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21. 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 Review. [trustedreviews]. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Samsung Galaxy S21 review. [whathifi]. https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
The MSRP provided on this page may not apply to all regions equally. For the current price, please refer to the Price Comparison section.
This page contains affiliate links to third-party merchants such as Amazon, eBay, and Rakuten. When you make a purchase using the supplied links, we will receive a commission.
These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
<
>
x