Galaxy S21 Review: Would You Notice?

TL;DR

The Samsung Galaxy S21 offers great value with a $200 price drop, impressive performance, good camera system, and thoughtful design.

Transcript

yes hey what's up mkbhd here so the samsung galaxy s 21 is 200 cheaper than last year that's a big deal we're so used to the prices of phones going up and up and up year after year that when you do see a big jump down in price it's because there was a conscious decision made here to offer more value so basically every smartphone that's not the high... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 The $200 price drop for the Samsung Galaxy S21 is a significant move to offer more value to consumers.
• 🎨 The design of the S21 has received positive feedback, with a well-integrated camera bump and a premium feel despite the plastic back.
• 🔅 The display is impressive, despite the downgrade in resolution, and offers excellent brightness and color.
• 🥳 The performance of the S21 is on par with the S21 Ultra, thanks to the same Snapdragon 888 chip.
• 🖤 The camera system, while lacking some features compared to the Ultra, still provides great results, especially in the portrait mode.
• ⌛ The battery life is reliable, lasting all day with over five hours of screen on time.
• 😥 The removal of expandable storage and MST functionality may disappoint some enthusiasts, but Samsung made these decisions to save costs.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 compare to previous models?

The reviewer initially had mixed feelings about the design but now considers it one of the best designs from Samsung. The camera bump is well-integrated, and the plastic back still looks and feels premium.

Q: Does the downgrade from 1440p to 1080p resolution on the display make a noticeable difference?

Most people won't notice the difference in resolution, as 1080p on a 6.2 inch screen still provides a sharp display. The change was made to allow for 120Hz refresh rate, a feature that people preferred over higher resolution.

Q: How does the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S21 compare to the S21 Ultra?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 features the same Snapdragon 888 chip and provides a similar level of performance. It does have 8GB of RAM instead of 12 or 16GB, but the reviewer didn't notice any difference in terms of multitasking and overall performance.

Q: How does the camera system of the Samsung Galaxy S21 compare to the S21 Ultra?

The Galaxy S21 has a triple-camera setup with a main camera, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto lens. While it lacks some of the features of the Ultra, such as 100x space zoom and laser autofocus, it still offers a capable camera system. The ultra-wide camera is even slightly wider than the one on the Ultra.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Samsung Galaxy S21 offers a conscious decision to provide more value with a $200 price drop compared to last year's model.

• The design of the Galaxy S21 has grown on the reviewer, with a nice camera bump and a mostly plastic build that still feels premium.

• The phone features a great display, impressive performance with the Snapdragon 888 chip, and a capable camera system.