With an elegant design and lower price, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G is pretty badass.
Samsung’s long-awaited Galaxy S21 line-up announcement is finally here; 2CENTS is honoured to be handed a unit of the latest Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G to review. Following the same template as last year, Samsung has released three Galaxy S21 models, with the Galaxy S21+ 5G handset, sitting in the middle of the range. The Galaxy S21+ 5G isn’t the star of Samsung’s S series in 2021, but it’s a solid smartphone choice with an impressive camera, powerful internals and great battery life. If you want the best of the best, look to the Galaxy S21 Ultra; but if you want a handset that’s cheaper with a whole load of premium features and a large display, the Galaxy S21+ 5G is a delight to use, and will do you proud.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Design 4.5/5
Right out of the box, the first thing I noticed during unboxing is the missing wall charger and headphones, the phone doesn’t have a microSD card slot for expanded storage too, which is pretty disappointing. However, this is the first time the entire S21 line-up has lacked in this certain feature since the Galaxy S6 debut.
The new Galaxy S21+ has the same 6.7-inch sized screen as last year model. It has an upgraded triple-lens camera array, the camera software has improved over recent models, improvements to AI-powered photo processing hardware, a full-metal build, more durable glass, an upgraded display with a variable refresh rate (48-120Hz), and the battery life is strong, giving you a solid day of use from a full charge. Galaxy S21+ 5G now supports 5G too, which is a welcome change.
Features 4/5
I like the dual-tone look of the camera bump and the body. Galaxy S21+ 5G comes with a triple-lens rear camera array with a 12MP Ultra-wide lens, a 12MP Dual-Pixel Auto Focus Wide-Angle lens, and a 64MP phase detection telephoto lens that boasts 3x hybrid optic zoom and a 30x digital Space Zoom. This phone can undoubtedly capture really stunning images and videos with its high-quality sensors.
Samsung added a fun all-new video feature called Director’s View; which lets you see and switch between all four lenses during recording – handy for making short movie clips.
Performance 5/5
The S21+ 5G have opted for a lower resolution display, 2400 x 1080 compared to last year’s 3200 x 1440. But it’s worth mentioning, the resolution isn’t everything. The new display still boasts last year’s tidy Full HD Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display, though this year’s version has opted for a variable refresh rate (48 – 120Hz), rather than a locked 120Hz, meaning the display will boost as high as 120Hz when the situation calls for it. It still works wonders for responsiveness and smooth motion performance.
For everyday comfort and usability, Galaxy S21+ 5G is indeed a great phone to use. The device is one without compromise when it comes to speed and everyday snappy performance. Using the phone is fantastically fluid and responsive.
You have got three colour choices: Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver (the shade you see pictured throughout this review). The device supports wireless charging as well as Wireless PowerShare.
S21+ 5G is available in 256GB. However, most notably, the Galaxy S21+ 5G has removed the MicroSD slot, effectively canning expandable storage. Expandable storage was one thing I have always been able to depend on, and its removal is going to limit me from storing more pictures and documents on the phone.
Value 4.5/5
The Galaxy S21+ 5G is selling at RM4,299 for a version with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
Verdict 4.5/5
Galaxy S21+ 5G is a pleasure to use; it is indeed a highly capable handset. Samsung indeed successfully made a few tweaks to its winning formula.
PROS
Has a fantastic, versatile camera
Sleek, premium and beautiful design
Excellent dynamic 120Hz display
Bigger 4,800mAh battery
CONS
Screen resolution lower than last year’s model
No microSD support
No audio jack
Specifications
Dimensions: 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm (6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 in)
Display Type: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)
Size: 6.7 inches, 107.8 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density)
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
OS: Android 11, One UI 3.1
Battery Type: Li-Ion 4800 mAh, non-removable
Charging: Fast charging 25W
Contact
Samsung Store, Lot F29A , First Floor, Empire Shopping Gallery, Jalan SS 16/1, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, 016-333 7688