Samsung Galaxy A21s review

Wrap-up

The Galaxy A21s seems like a reasonable offer - the large 6.5" screen, the very good quad-camera, and the beefy battery that scored a very high endurance rating. The phone costs about €170 for its 32GB version, which is a budget-friendly price as far as Samsungs go.

Unfortunately, the entry-level market is oversaturated with offers and has to offer some impressive bang for the buck bundles. And the Galaxy A21s often looks inadequate when compared to many of the affordable phones that are available right now on the shelves.

Alternatives

Realme is selling the 6i model in Europe for the same price as the Galaxy A21s. It is quite the match to the A21s - it has the same screen (though brighter), same quad-camera, and same battery, but trumps it with faster processor and graphics, and the best part - you'd be getting it with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Then there is the Redmi 9, which costs €40 less than the Galaxy and yet offers a much better and high-res display, a faster processor, plus it can also brag with a wire-free FM radio reception.

Or you can find the Redmi Note 9S for as low as €185. It improves on literally everything. The 9S has a water-repellent coating and one larger, brighter, and higher-res screen. Naturally, the 9S has faster hardware and more storage. This is quite the upgrade for just €15. The Redmi Note 9S omits NFC support though, which maybe a deal-breaker for some.

The Huawei P40 Lite is quite cheap already, in fact, it cost just €190. If you can live without the Google stuff, then you will enjoy the most powerful phone in this price bracket, with an excellent camera and top-notch battery life.

Then there is the Galaxy A41 by Samsung. It's an AMOLED-packing phone with more powerful hardware, more storage, and better selfies. It is a compact phone, yes, but you do get the high-quality screen and selfies for as little as €220.

Realme 6i • Xiaomi Redmi 9 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S • Huawei P40 lite • Samsung Galaxy A41

The biggest blow to the Galaxy A21s comes from Samsung itself, unfortunately. The 2019's Galaxy A20 - the one to spawn the A20s, A21, and A21s, is still available, and you can buy it for €170 - same as the A21s. And this particular Samsung features a Super AMOLED screen and a much more powerful processor and GPU. The tradeoff is the macro and depth shooters, but it is a tradeoff we will make in a heartbeat.

Samsung Galaxy A20

The verdict

So, yes, the Galaxy A21s is not a bad phone per se, but the competition often has to offer better for the same cash. And that will be the biggest turnoff for many. Even Samsung is ready to sell you a better device at that price!

Still, being a good phone often means that it will be noticed one day, probably in the upcoming months. The Galaxy A21s needs only one thing to become a good offer, and that's a proper price drop. Once that comes to pass, it may as well find a place in our buyer's guide. Until then, the Galaxy A20 will get to keep its spot in there for yet another couple of months.

Pros

• Large and wide display with small notch
• Excellent battery life
• Latest Android and One UI
• Versatile camera with great photos and videos for the class
• NFC, microSD, 3.5mm jack, FM radio

Cons

• Inadequate processor performance
• Washed-out screen colors
• The selfies could have been better
• Somewhat slow charging