CNET
Galaxy S21 review: The no-brainer upgrade phone
The Galaxy S21 along with the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra make up the 2021 S series lineup. In the US, Samsung was able to cut $200 off the price of all three phones. The company wisely moved the Galaxy S21 away from the uber-premium Galaxy S20 and closer to the Galaxy S20…
Sandi Hermana
January 21, 2021 at 6:23 pm
i want camera versus with the damn iphone 12💪
Antonio Lomeli
January 21, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Not a fair comparison since iPhone 12 is a 2020 phone and s21 is a 2021 phone but I would argue both cameras are great and it’s all up to personal choice
rcisneros310
January 21, 2021 at 6:33 pm
Lowered resolution screen: ✔
Plastic body instead of metal: ✔
Removed 3.5mm jack: ✔
Removed Gorilla Glass: ✔
Removed included buds: ✔
Removed SD CARD SLOT: ✔
REMOVED CHARGER: ✔
FVCK SAMSUNG.
Yvs
January 21, 2021 at 6:40 pm
BUT ITS CHEAP. lol.
The s10 costed the same when they launched the phone.
styllcantfeelmyface
January 21, 2021 at 6:41 pm
No microSD slot? That’s a turn off
Chris L
January 21, 2021 at 7:03 pm
Just ordered my S21!
Cata Torres
January 21, 2021 at 7:38 pm
Where did you get it?
AqUa Turtlez
January 21, 2021 at 8:07 pm
@Cata Torres I think he traded in his s20 for it. 700$ of the 800$ s21
Sascha R
January 21, 2021 at 9:10 pm
Me too 😁
Been Boyage
January 21, 2021 at 10:08 pm
Nice same
Tinostre
January 21, 2021 at 7:04 pm
HTC had that director’s view feature years ago.
VOID2099
January 21, 2021 at 10:15 pm
ok
blegys
January 21, 2021 at 7:09 pm
So, where is the upgrade?
D H
January 21, 2021 at 10:27 pm
Depends what phone you’re coming from 🤷♂️
CityguyUSA
January 21, 2021 at 7:21 pm
I didn’t like the glass back you couldn’t set the phone on anything or it would slide off.
Urwah Uzair
January 21, 2021 at 10:34 pm
There’s something called a case.
KEN BEE
January 21, 2021 at 7:38 pm
I still haven’t gotten over your fancy short movie review of Sony’s Mark whatever phone last year
That was one heck of a phone review video
Myah m
January 21, 2021 at 8:10 pm
Trading in my cracked s9+ for the s21 ANDDDD galaxy buds+ and the wireless charger for $575 like what! Sooo excited to get my new phone!!!
DeAndre Mylove
January 21, 2021 at 8:14 pm
I want to know battery life on s21+, I’d imagine it’s really good.
Francisco Ochoa
January 22, 2021 at 1:09 am
4,800 mAh
miss secret
January 21, 2021 at 8:18 pm
Would you recommend this model over the s20 fe 5g? I am thinking which one to buy .
Justin Rodriguez
January 21, 2021 at 11:54 pm
I was waffling back and forth between the two as there are tradeoffs between display, battery, and cameras. Well apparently the FE only has Gorilla Glass 3 (2013), and that’s enough for me to choose the S21 since I plan on keeping the phone for 4 years
Lol No
January 22, 2021 at 12:39 am
@Justin Rodriguez Do the ultra homie!
Justin Rodriguez
January 22, 2021 at 12:46 am
@Lol No I was able to get the s21 256gb for $250 after tradein of my s8. I’m perfectly happy with that for how much I’m getting, and I’m trying to get the price as low as possible.
Lol No
January 22, 2021 at 12:56 am
@Justin Rodriguez $250? how did you get it so low from trading in an ancient S8?!? :O
Justin Rodriguez
January 22, 2021 at 1:20 am
@Lol No Verizon is running a promotion right now, $750 off for new lines & $600 off for trade ins. I was surprised too
Martin Brankov
January 21, 2021 at 8:27 pm
Plastic back and no qhd :-/ damn downgrade!! Note 20 back panel so cheap low quality trash… here it’s the same situation!
Lilian Holmstedt
January 21, 2021 at 8:34 pm
I have a Samsung galaxy s10+, should I upgrade? I’m most thorne because of the battery is a little bit smaller on S21, 4100 vs 4000.
Nightstar
January 21, 2021 at 9:12 pm
I have a S10+ too and upgraded to the base S21. Battery life should be no problem since it’s a better and more efficient processor. With the 1080p screen it should have the same life if not better.
A D
January 21, 2021 at 9:05 pm
No galaxy s10e version, no sale.
mr joshski
January 21, 2021 at 9:19 pm
am buying the samsung galaxy s21 5g pink in 256gb
Guido Haverkort
January 21, 2021 at 9:31 pm
Music in this vid is sick
Sal Lopez
January 21, 2021 at 9:40 pm
The Wu shirt tho. 💯
Dylan Power
January 21, 2021 at 9:43 pm
Wish it came in a 512gb size. I’ve filled up my 256gb iPhone XS Max and actually really like the s21 plus
Marvyn Dominique
January 21, 2021 at 9:50 pm
I trade-in my Galaxy s10 for the s21. Honestly, I really don’t feel like I got an upgrade.
1) the removable of the headphone jack
2) lack of expendable storage
3) lower screen resolution
4) Removable of the hearth rate sensor
And my phone is 3 years old. It’s more like a downgrade to me
D H
January 21, 2021 at 10:30 pm
Then why did you trade it in? Should’ve just kept your S10. 😂
Maran Rajalingam
January 21, 2021 at 11:18 pm
Apple no charger no earphone,Samsung no charger no earphone.both company want to make money bigger than they are.
Igor Marcos
January 21, 2021 at 11:32 pm
no brainer? it is expensive, it is not better, it runs hotter… how much did Samsung pay you?…
Striker 50
January 21, 2021 at 11:38 pm
I honestly would rather keep my s8+ over this.
I have a way better screen, I have MST, I have a fingerprint that works as a mouse scroll on the back, I have an oxygen sensor, I have a heart beat monitor, I have VR built in, I have a glass back, and I have a Sim card
ベジータ
January 22, 2021 at 12:34 am
My Exynos variant of S9 is still working great except for the battery. Now I’m stuck in a dilemma, I want smaller size of S21 but bigger battery of S21 plus. I can’t decide.
IbacaXE
January 22, 2021 at 1:01 am
Lol, the “p” word as in Plastic, or in Pixels. Because the S21 compromises both. Also, exPandable memory. But at least it’s cheaper.
D Ch
January 22, 2021 at 1:18 am
No micro sd tho!
darren gilman
January 22, 2021 at 1:52 am
Like the look, I’m not much of a picture taker so what I do take I just leave on normal settings on my s8. I just doubt I’ll waist $ upgrading. All I really need is better battery life, my s8’s battery isn’t great anymore.
Davi Jones
January 22, 2021 at 1:55 am
Man I swear that mustache makes u look more interesting LoL
Sayed Youssef
January 22, 2021 at 2:29 am
Dammit! Where’s the Australian girl? I like her
Alex McCaffrey
January 22, 2021 at 2:35 am
They cut out a tonne of features and he says No Brainer 🙄
Rizin' Phoenix
January 22, 2021 at 2:40 am
Theres not an sd card fast enough to keep up with Samsung’s flash memory that most OEMs including Apple utilizes. Plus theres only a small number of people who actually uses sd cards and Im an sd card user. I preordered the S21 Ultra and cant wait.
Youtubian1790
January 22, 2021 at 2:57 am
2021 Smartphones, pay more for less features
tanbir rahman
January 22, 2021 at 6:04 am
more like pay a little less but for alot less features
Matthew Manzi
January 22, 2021 at 3:12 am
Best looking phone I have seen in a while. Especially in violet.
SuCCeSSvS
January 22, 2021 at 4:26 am
Wait so s21 only has FHD+? Bruh my s8+ had WQHD 🤦♂️💀
Hrcbzvz
January 22, 2021 at 7:01 am
You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Bruh.
suraj m
January 22, 2021 at 8:38 am
But s21 has 120HZ and no bezels
Darker than Black
January 22, 2021 at 5:27 pm
@suraj m it’s only noticeable when u r scrolling
King K
January 22, 2021 at 7:21 pm
but the s21 has 120hz adaptive refresh rate
SuCCeSSvS
January 22, 2021 at 7:30 pm
@Hrcbzvz I just switched my WQHD to FHD+, I see the difference, looks blurry for me
ReizeiX
January 22, 2021 at 4:58 am
Finally a Samsung phone with a flat screen. That alone makes me want it.
victor 91
January 22, 2021 at 9:37 pm
FE?
Jackson Walter
January 22, 2021 at 5:10 am
If I have a S10, would the S21 be a decent upgrade? I don’t use the micro SD card and Tmobile has a free upgrade (with bill credits) when I trade in my S10
Bob Richy
January 22, 2021 at 6:21 am
S21 or S21+ are not worth the upgrade if you have S20. Just few hardware upgrades but no SD card now. Samsung turned into Apple
chaosinmybreath
January 22, 2021 at 7:24 am
Im okay with samsung not including chargers at this point. I have so many chargers laying around from past phones, its ridiculous. Specially if theyre releasing yearly.
Quince prince
January 23, 2021 at 4:15 am
I personally agree since I have so many extra chargers at this point in my life where I don’t care that it doesn’t come with it. But I get why that would be a turnoff for some people due to maybe its their first phone, or they want to switch different brands.
*Interesting Name*
January 23, 2021 at 5:03 am
Personaly I’d say unless ya got one of the new super fast chargers you good
The super fast ones are amazing like I plug it in 15 min later bamn 30 percent
Aarav Gupta
January 22, 2021 at 7:50 am
In my country the price of s21 series increased as compared to the s20 series but I still bought the s21 plus I love the design
Kieran lake
January 23, 2021 at 5:44 pm
Really how haven’t seen anyone else say this
Jo Geo
January 22, 2021 at 8:29 am
Lol is upgrading from gs9+ lol
Johann Pascual
January 22, 2021 at 10:06 am
Dude, thats one of the best s21 reviews that Ive seen so far!
Amix Raga
January 22, 2021 at 12:13 pm
Is it worth buying s20 plus instead of s21 plus
John Phang
January 22, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Plastic back is a no go for a phone that priced so high.
Alex A
January 22, 2021 at 4:56 pm
$200 lower but you lose all those features? RIPOFF! This is a premium phone. Not a low or mid range phone. I’d rather pay the $200 and gain all those features back…
kellmark Tv
January 22, 2021 at 6:32 pm
Samsung is clearly making phones to Please themselves/pockets and to make us buy more photos every 6 months. I currently have a s9+ since 2018 and everything that was released after is backward and dictating! (No good OPTIONS for the average user) no more jack plugs, less screen resolution ..ect, now no more SD memory slots and to make it worse every newer phone is 128g internal memory and the higher memory is not available to the (AVERAGE USER) (@Samsung give the average users OPTIONS and stop making a upgrade a actual downgrade) omg no charger for a phone are you kidding me!!!🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
Sandi Hermana
January 22, 2021 at 7:42 pm
you must know that phone is the killer iphone 12&12 pro especially will beat iphone 12 pro by S21 ultra
victor 91
January 22, 2021 at 9:41 pm
It’s more like galaxy FE plus
Tarsanah .H. Starkweather
January 24, 2021 at 5:09 am
I keep getting told to get the fe instead
KeepitMelo 41
January 22, 2021 at 11:08 pm
gives us 512gb version for 600usd thats no brainer
Ademar Martinez
January 23, 2021 at 1:05 am
i use 2 phones all the time
i have an iphone 12 128gb and i pre order the s21 5g white color to me is good because trade in my old s10 and the plastic in the back is no problem for me because i use case all the time
Dave Lospinoso
January 23, 2021 at 1:19 am
I’m a die hard Google pixel/nexus user. The Samsung s20 FE caught my eye, the s21 is absolutely winning me over. I use a pixel 5 now but it feels like a 3 year old phone with a 90hz display
ktm crush
January 23, 2021 at 6:30 am
should I get s20 plus or s21 plus
gtone339
January 23, 2021 at 7:02 am
Olny if the S21 series had a micro-sd card slot then its a must buy for me. Better wait for the S22 series instead! 😁
Kieran lake
January 23, 2021 at 5:43 pm
Its not coming back not enough people bothered with it and those that did haven’t for years now
gtone339
January 23, 2021 at 5:56 pm
@Kieran lake Its terrible for Samsung to remove the expandable memory since that’s what made the series so popular in the 1st place and it’s very essential for those who wants to add an extra physical storage for keeping more photos and videos on the go like a PC.
Way to dial back to S6 days Samsung. 🤣
Brian Stone
January 23, 2021 at 9:24 am
Video starts off like the song roses I was like 0_0’ did y’all get permiss…… oh.
THE TECH TRAPPED
January 23, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Confuse between S21 and S21 ultra to buy
morison morison
January 23, 2021 at 2:14 pm
The only i need is smart tag but only work wt galaxy phone and i’m not pay $1000 for any phone who just only big millones for marketing and we have to pay for
ET Nem
January 23, 2021 at 2:30 pm
I see no compelling reason to upgrade from my S20 FE 5G.
Kieran lake
January 23, 2021 at 5:45 pm
That’s the same as the s9 to the s10 or s20 but the s21 though That’s a different story
gtone339
January 23, 2021 at 6:06 pm
Good. Even its $100 off it’s still expensive and they made the device worse by removing those essential features from its predecessors like the micro-sd card slot, fast charger adapter and earphones.
ET Nem
January 23, 2021 at 6:26 pm
@gtone339 Agreed… It would technically be a downgrade for me to upgrade to the S21 because I’d lose the SD card slot and have a slightly smaller battery, and it’s more expensive. No point at all.
I’m not sure Samsung’s marketing strategy behind the new S21. For me, the S20 FE 5G is superior.
ET Nem
January 23, 2021 at 6:27 pm
@gtone339 Only advantage might be the new processor, but that’s not a compelling reason for me to switch.
gtone339
January 23, 2021 at 6:49 pm
@ET Nem Well I’m still using my 3+ yr old Galaxy S8 and I had plans on upgrading it to the S21 and now I have no reason to upgrade it unless I go for a cheaper Galaxy A series instead.
Phat Tai Ferraboli
January 23, 2021 at 4:45 pm
Better to buy s21 ultra 512gb at 1239 €, or s21 ultra at 1129 € and buy accessories and get to 1239 €?
Kieran lake
January 23, 2021 at 5:41 pm
This is one of the best reviews I’ve seen very well done
Dammika Jayasekera
January 23, 2021 at 7:52 pm
But which phone is this ? Exynos or Snapdragon ? Because depending on which chips inside it’s almost a different phone. So I’m assuming this is USA only review.
DLAROC
January 23, 2021 at 9:28 pm
I keep seeing people praise the Samsung trade in program. They offered me 200 dollars for the Galaxy S20 FE which just came out only 4 months ago. It still sells for 700 in store. :/ Their trade in sucks. I can easily sell it for 400. Easy!
paul milner
January 23, 2021 at 11:06 pm
advert – please don’t fall for this folks
TheRickibobby
January 24, 2021 at 4:11 am
Its a no brainer to not get phones with no chargers.
Fran G
January 24, 2021 at 4:55 am
NO. SAMSUNG LIED ABOUT THE eSIM CARD. This serie don’t have eSIM card
Tarsanah .H. Starkweather
January 24, 2021 at 5:08 am
I’m seriously ify cos there’s no mem card slot no battery charger and I don’t see any difference in the camera from the 20 and even the fe
Arjun Ambarnath
January 24, 2021 at 6:30 am
How is 800 dollars for a smartphone of Samsung’s quality (considering the huge tradeoffs!) be a good deal??? 🤷♂️😂 Ur better off going for an iOS device instead. Or even the higher end One Plus model.
Travis Marion
January 24, 2021 at 7:19 am
I have the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G, and I’m sad to say that this feels like a huge step backward. The removal of the Micro SD slot from the phone is HUGE to me. I’ve been using a 128GB Micro SD for years and years. Just can’t believe Samsung is following Apple’s lead in this category of removing standard features. Not to mention they downgraded the phone’s screen resolution as well.
egi defiska
January 24, 2021 at 7:56 am
When you said the “P” word really got me laughed so hard😂😂
劉富瑜
January 24, 2021 at 10:43 am
It’s “glastic”
Rafalp Gresiak
January 24, 2021 at 2:09 pm
The 12 pro all the way
Gail Godbey
January 24, 2021 at 4:32 pm
I had the S20 FE for about a week, I had to return it because looking at the screen gave me a headache and made me feel kind of motion sick. I hope the S21 (I pre-ordered it) doesn’t do that. Although, I will say, if this plastic is the same as the FE, it feels VERY nice. I don’t know why people are obsessed with having a glass backed phone. I didn’t even realize my current phone had a glass back because I always use a case. But seriously, it seems like a no brainier, plastic is way less fragile than glass. Also, the finger print unlocking in the screen is unbelievably awesome! I was really sad that I had to return that FE. Looking forward to the S21!!