Samsung Galaxy S21 5G review

Competition

Galaxies like to compete with iPhones but with the ever-growing Apple lineup, which is the correct counterpart? Let's say you like the smallest S21 for its size in particular - then perhaps the iPhone 12 mini could be even better being a full 2cm shorter and 30+ grams lighter, not to mention actually cheaper (by $70/€50/£70 for base storage).

Too diminutive? Then the iPhone 12 proper, at virtually the same size and weight as the S21, is a bit more expensive (€50/£30, actually the same price in the US). Now, at these prices, the iPhones will come with half the storage and one rear camera short but with a more powerful chipset. For most other things, it'll be a toss-up.

Which is where the 12 Pro comes in, adding a zoom camera and matching the Galaxy for base storage. There's but a nominal price premium to be paid over the Galaxy, to the tune of $200/€300/£230 - nah, we didn't think so either.

Apple iPhone 12 mini • Apple iPhone 12 • Apple iPhone 12 Pro

Galaxy S21 money can buy you a OnePlus 8 Pro, and that's looking like a solid deal if you can live with the added bulk - the OP is a full-size offering. Going that way, you'll obviously get a bigger display, but also a superior ultra-wide camera and blazing fast charging (with adapter in the box too) and you really won't be sacrificing anything.

OnePlus 8 Pro

Normally, around this time of the year, we'd be advising that you wait for whatever P-series handset Huawei might have in store, but at the present time, it's telephona-non-grata in the Western world, so that's a no-go. Google practically exited the smartphone master race with the Pixel 5, which is pretty much LG's standing too.

That's not really the end of the list, though. We'd argue that at this point, a Galaxy S20, not S21, is the one to get. A year older chipset is still easily powerful enough, the cameras are virtually the same, and its display is, in a way, better. The S20 got the latest Android/OneUI combo too, so it's not trailing in this respect. It's better in other ways, too - it's got a microSD slot and a non-plastic back. Perhaps in day-to-day use, the S21 could return marginally better battery life, but the S20 comes with a charger, doesn't it? Ah, it also comes with a 15-20% lower price tag, maybe even cheaper depending on where you are and how lucky you get.

Samsung Galaxy S20

Verdict

S21 proper, the S-series Galaxy for compact phone lovers is predictably a very nice package. It's got a display that's hard not to love, battery life that won't keep you tied to an outlet, and cameras that capture great images, all of it packaged in what's Samsung's most daring design lately. Seemingly, however, that's no longer enough.

It's not that we don't like the Galaxy S21. On the contrary, we're quite fond of its looks, and there's proven substance beneath them. But maybe that's the issue - it's a little too proven. Last year's S20 is in many ways superior, and even though the S21 launches at a lower MSRP, the year-old S20 can still be found for less while arguably offering more.

Pros

• Nice color options, standout design, IP68 rating.
• A fairly compact high-end device, not too many of those out there.
• Bright AMOLED display with adaptive refresh rate handling.
• Very good battery life.
• Versatile triple camera setup (though essentially the same as last year's).
• Improved selfie camera performance.

Cons

• Scant retail package - no charger or headphones.
• Plastic back is at odds with the upmarket position.
• Flat screen and thicker bezels lack a premium vibe, though some of you may find ergonomic benefits in them.
• Benchmark numbers from the new chipset leave us wondering, we'll need a 2021 Snapdragon for context.
• No generational advancements in the camera department - lack of AF on the ultra wide stands out in particular, since the S21 Ultra has that.