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Samsung Galaxy S21 · Photo source

Samsung Galaxy S21
Photo 1 of 73

Samsung Galaxy S21 · Photo source

Samsung · Galaxy S

Galaxy S21

Released January 2021

The Galaxy S21 is the smallest of Samsung's 2021 Galaxy S phones, sold in the UK as a 5G phone with the 5 nm Exynos 2100, a flat 6.2-inch 120 Hz Full HD+ screen and a 64 MP telephoto camera, suited to anyone comparing older compact Android flagships.

Model history · 12 models, 2010–2021
  1. 2010Galaxy SCompare
  2. 2011Galaxy S IICompare
  3. 2012Galaxy S IIICompare
  4. 2013Galaxy S4Compare
  5. 2014Galaxy S5Compare
  6. 2015Galaxy S6Compare
  7. 2016Galaxy S7Compare
  8. 2017Galaxy S8Compare
  9. 2018Galaxy S9Compare
  10. 2019Galaxy S10Compare
  11. 2020Galaxy S20Compare
  12. 2021Galaxy S21
Screen
6.2″
Display
OLED, 120 Hz
Chip
Exynos 2100
Memory
8 GB
Storage
128 GB – 256 GB
Main camera
12 MP
Zoom
1.1×
Battery
4,000 mAh
Weight
169 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers agree it is a refined, capable flagship at a lower price than the S20, with a smooth 120Hz screen, powerful performance and a versatile camera. The common complaints are the missing microSD slot and charger and the plastic back; Trusted Reviews also saw the lower screen resolution as a step down from the S20, and Tom's Guide noted some camera inconsistencies.

From trustedreviews.com, techradar.com and tomsguide.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Screen size
6.2″
Resolution
2400 × 1080
Sharpness
424 pixels per inch
Panel
OLED
Refresh rate
120 Hz
Display type
Flat FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display (2,400 × 1,080), HDR10+ certified; adaptive 120 Hz (48–120 Hz); 6.2 inches as a full rectangle, 6.1 inches with rounded corners
Pixel density
421 ppi
Brightness detail
1,300 nits peak
Screen protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus front
Display features
Eye Comfort Shield

Performance

Chip
Exynos 2100
Memory
8 GB
Storage
128 GB, 256 GB
CPU
5 nm, 64-bit octa-core, 2.9 GHz + 2.8 GHz + 2.2 GHz; 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM
Storage type
128 or 256 GB; no microSD slot

Cameras

Main camera
12 MP
Ultra wide camera
12 MP
Telephoto camera
64 MP
Optical zoom
1.1×
Front camera
10 MP
Main camera
12 MP wide-angle, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, 1.8 µm, 79°
Ultra wide camera
12 MP fixed focus, F2.2, 1.4 µm, 120°
Telephoto camera
64 MP, phase detection AF, OIS, F2.0, 0.8 µm, 76°; 1.1x optical zoom (MobileSyrup)
Front camera
10 MP Dual Pixel AF, F2.2, 1.22 µm, 80°
Zoom
3x Hybrid Optic Zoom; 30x Space Zoom
Video recording
8K at 24 fps; 4K at 60 fps

Battery and charging

Battery
4,000 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim)
Up to 20 hours
Wired charging
Up to 25 W
Wireless charging
Up to 15 W
Battery life detail
4,000 mAh typical, 3,880 mAh rated; wireless video playback up to 20 hours; internet use up to 14 hours (LTE) or 15 hours (Wi-Fi); talk time up to 33 hours (4G)
Wired charging
USB PD 3.0 (PPS) fast charging, AFC and QC2.0 compatible; up to 25 W
Wireless charging
Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (WPC); up to 15 W
Charges other devices
Wireless PowerShare

Design

Type
Standard
Weight
169 g
Thickness
7.9 mm
Height × width
151.7 × 71.2 mm
Water and dust resistance
IP68
Materials
Metal frame with Contour Cut camera housing; Deluxe Frosted Haze matte finish
Colours
Phantom Violet, Phantom Grey, Phantom Pink, Phantom White
Water resistance detail
IP68, up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes; not advised for beach or pool use
Biometrics
Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, face recognition
Sensors
Ultrasonic fingerprint, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, Hall, proximity, ambient light
Speakers
Stereo speakers; UHQ 32-bit and DSD64/128 playback

Software

Operating system
Android
Software at launch
Android 11

Connectivity

Mobile network
5G (NSA, SA), Sub6
SIM
Nano-SIM and eSIM
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHz, HE80, MIMO, 1024-QAM
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC
Yes
USB
USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1; DisplayPort output up to 4K at 60 fps
Positioning
GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou

Storage options

Storage
128 GB
256 GB

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Flat 6.2-inch screen with adaptive 48–120 Hz refresh
  • 5 nm Exynos 2100 processor
  • 169 g and 7.9 mm thick

Cons

  • Full HD+ screen, where the Galaxy S20 had Quad HD+
  • Plastic back (Tom's Guide), where the S21+ and S21 Ultra have glass
  • No microSD slot, unlike the Galaxy S20

Closest rivals

Model
ScreenDisplayChipMemoryStorageMain cameraZoomBatteryWeightReleased
SonyXperia 5 III
6.1″OLED, 120 HzSnapdragon 888 5G8 GB128 GB12 MP–4,500 mAh168 gSept 2021
GooglePixel 6
6.4″OLED, 90 HzTensor8 GB128 GB50 MP–4,614 mAh207 gOct 2021
vivoV21 5G
6.44″OLED, 90 HzMediaTek Dimensity 800U8 GB128 GB – 256 GB64 MP–4,000 mAh176 gMay 2021

Previous model: Galaxy S20. Newer model: Galaxy S22.

Sources

  1. samsung.com/uk/business/smartphones/galaxy-s/galaxy-s21-5g-phantom-gray-128gb-s…
  2. news.samsung.com/uk/make-every-day-epic-with-samsung-galaxy-s21-5g-and-galaxy-s…
  3. samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/what-is-the-difference-between-the-galaxy…
  4. image-us.samsung.com/SamsungUS/samsungbusiness/pdfs/datasheet/Galaxy_S21_Series…
  5. corning.com/gorillaglass/worldwide/en/products-with-gorilla-glass/smartphones/s…
  6. mobilesyrup.com/2021/02/12/samsung-galaxy-s21-review
  7. tomsguide.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s21
  8. notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-S21-smartphone-review-The-most-affordable-high…

Photo: images.samsung.com

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