Samsung renewed its top of the range this 2021 with the Galaxy S21 series. Presented a little earlier than usual, it has the Galaxy S21 Ultra as its flagship, but what about the Galaxy S21? This has been our experience.

First, let's go over the specs and how it compares to the Galaxy S21+ and S21 Ultra.

changing with the times

Samsung made adjustments with the Galaxy S21 series. Perhaps the most important, it reduced the price of the devices, improving some aspects compared to the Galaxy S20, but removing some options.

a unique design

The cover of the Galaxy S21 is made of plastic in the style of the Galaxy S20 FE and is not out of place in the high range. If you want a more “premium” glass cover, you should go for the Galaxy S21+ or S21 Ultra.

The side camera module is a high point of the phone, perhaps the first in which we feel that the cameras are an integral part and not an out-of-tune addition.

unparalleled display

For example, all Galaxy S21s have dynamic refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz. This saves battery power when more frames per second are not needed. At the same time, the Galaxy S21 has a maximum resolution of 1,080 x 2,400. A reduction compared to the Galaxy S20, but we did not notice much with continuous use.

Samsung, as a leader in this sector, has perhaps the best screen on the market. The 6.2" have the Galaxy S21 have HDR10 + and reach peaks of 1,300 nits.

It's that simple: the screen of a Galaxy S21 will probably be the best in your home.

A separate point deserves the fingerprint reader under the screen, which has increased its area and is faster. Samsung's implementation has matured quite a bit since we first saw it on the Galaxy S10.

exynos upgrade

The Galaxy S21 come with the Exynos 2100 chip for much of the world with only a few markets, including the United States and China, with the Snapdragon 888.

The good thing is that Samsung's proposal has improved a lot compared to other years, being closer to Qualcomm's flagship chip.

It is possible to enjoy games at 120 frames per second that the screen allows, an experience that does make a difference.

The 4,000 mAh battery combined with improvements in the efficiency of the Exynos 2100 allows you to reach the end of the day with a healthy battery reserve.

Something in which Samsung does lag behind is in the loading speed. The 25W already needs to be increased with competitors easily doubling it in the upper mid-range.

What if. The 5G arrives from "yapa", something that we will not be able to avoid. High-end chips integrate it and it is there for future use. Disable it to prevent it from draining the battery for a while.

software matters

Android 11 arrives from the factory and it gives peace of mind to know that there is a commitment to carry at least three operating system updates. In the case of security updates, they will go for four years, Samsung has just announced.

ONE UI 3.1 gives a good experience and keeps it simple making us forget the days of TouchWiz.

Cameras worthy of the high end

Samsung demonstrates the high-end pedigree of the Galaxy S21 with its cameras.

The wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto combo give good versatility for various situations.

Director Mode now allows previews and returns video capture with the front and rear sensors at the same time. 8K video is there, but it's still far from massive. The important thing is to have options.

It's worth it?

The Galaxy S21 proves that not all high-end products need to be Ultra to satisfy demanding users. The screen is excellent, the cameras too and they position Samsung well against other alternatives.

Exynos has shown improvements, but I don't blame users who would like to see the model with the Snapdragon 888 in our market. But you have to see the big picture. To date, no manufacturer has indicated that it will officially bring a cell phone with Snapdragon 888 to Peru.

Plastic isn't much of an issue, but we're sad to see memory expansion disappear. The disappearance of the charger from the box makes it advisable to buy a 25W one to get the most out of Samsung's fast charge, which we hope will improve in future models.

Separate mention deserves Samsung's commitment to provide more years of updates, both software and security, than its contenders in the world of Android. This gives you the security of having a valid team for more years.

The Galaxy S21 is a logical leap for users who bought equipment in 2019 or earlier, and even a tempting alternative for those looking to exit the Apple ecosystem.

Review made with equipment loaned by Samsung until publication.

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