Samsung Galaxy S21 – What’s the story?

Samsung Galaxy S21 – What’s the story?

If you're looking for a new phone with a good battery life that won't break the bank, then the new Samsung Galaxy S21 might be the phone for you. Here is the lowdown;


The price is the central aspect of the S21 that distinguishes it from the S20. Rather than developing a new, more expensive phone with a higher spec, Samsung has instead chosen to produce a cheaper phone and drop a couple of specs. This in itself makes the S21 attractive to consumers.

The S21 starts at £799 compared to the 2020 S20's price tag of £999. Compared to other new phones on the market, this makes the S21 exceptionally competitively priced, which will make it super attractive to consumers.



*New design including the funky Contour Cut camera design and 'Glasstic' matte finish. Glasstic is a mixture of glass and plastic, so it feels slightly less premium than having a glass back but not as cheap as plastic!

*Fast charging and wireless charging options, including Qi wireless charging 25W fast-charging through the phone's USB-C port. It also supports reverse wireless charging, although it is slow.

*5G compatible. All Samsung's S21 models are 5G compatible, and a 4G version will not be available. If you're buying a new phone that you're planning on having for some time, it is best to have one that supports 5G.

*Excellent processor means it is very fast with long battery life. Samsung's choice to use Qualcomm's excellent Snapdragon 888 processor means that as well as giving it superior battery life, it also means that the Galaxy S21 is likely to last three or more years before it needs replacing due to software advances.

*The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, which means the colours are bright, and both scrolling and graphics are super-smooth.

*Choose from 4 cool colours; Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Pink and Phantom Violet.

Pro's and Con's


*Fast phone with good battery life

*Good display (even though they've dropped the screen resolution down)

*Excellent camera (although it isn't that different to the S20 in that respect)

*Great value for money

*Cool design

*Probably the most powerful Android phone on the market


*No microSD card slot for expanding storage

*No MST, which helps you pay with your credit card if the reader can't read NFC

*Does not come with a charger in the box

Want a higher spec?

The other reason for Samsung bringing out the cheaper S21 is because they are also offering higher spec models – the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus. The S21 Plus has a bigger screen and battery capacity but is pretty similar apart from that. The S21 Ultra's main draws are the cool design and fantastic camera facility. It has five camera's and is probably the best smartphone camera available at the moment.



The Galaxy S21 will not set the world on fire, but if you are looking for a good quality, mid-range phone with excellent value for money, you won't go far wrong.