Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Review, My Ten Reasons To Buy This Smartphone

During its early years as the world's leading smartphone brand, Samsung had very few strong rivals in the market apart from Apple.

Fast forward to 2021, a handful of brands from China are now releasing powerful Android smartphones that can potentially give Samsung Galaxy handsets a good fight as regards technical specifications and features.

If you're currently thinking about upgrading your flagship-level smartphone to the 2021 top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S21 5G but you're having second thoughts about it because of all the options out there, allow me to give you my ten good reasons why you should push through with the idea.

1. Samsung Galaxy Heritage and Legacy

The first generation Samsung Galaxy S model was released in June 2009 and since then, the Korean Giant has been constantly improving and perfecting this category, year after year. 

Needless to say, Samsung has reached a high level of mastery as regards building mobile devices and the Galaxy S21 5G represents the company's rich experience in developing these products.

With a suggested retail price of PHP 47,990 here in the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is the most budget-friendly of all Galaxy S21 models released this year. For that amount, you can already enjoy the best that the company has to offer in the flagship echelon, including features and selling points that Samsung has refined through the years.

2. Tried and Tested Product Reliability

As many of you know, despite having many smartphones in my collection as a tech blogger, I currently still have the Samsung Galaxy Note8 from 2017 as one of my daily drivers.

Why? Well, it still works flawlessly despite having some scratches and paint chips on its shell.

If there's anything I can tell you as a Samsung Galaxy S and Note Series owner since 2010, it's that the company's models in these categories are truly well-made and are very durable. They quite simply last.

So yes, even if Galaxy S or Galaxy Note smartphones are typically more expensive than competing handsets with similar technical specifications, these Samsung devices have been tried and tested to give maximum value for money over an extended period, both in terms of hardware and software.

Having played with the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G for several weeks now, I think this model can also stand the test of time. Yes, you may pay quite a hefty sum for it now but at least, you can have peace of mind in knowing that it won't be damaged prematurely with regular use.

3. Easily Accessible After-Sales Support

In the unlikely event that your Samsung Galaxy S21 5G would require to be fixed within the warranty period, you can rely on Samsung's multiple after-sales support hubs located in various malls across the country to get the job done. They are just there if you need them; There's no game of hide-and-seek.

I had a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge - which I damaged in a trip abroad - repaired in a Samsung Hub here in the Philippines a few years ago and the entire experience was plain hassle-free. You can read my Samsung Service Center Review here.

If you ask me, Samsung after-sales support is so good that it should be considered as one of the main reasons for choosing their smartphones even if you're presented with so many options by other brands.

4. Small But Powerful

With dimensions of 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm and a weight of 169 grams, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is the smallest and lightest member of the 2021 Samsung Galaxy S21 Series.

However, what's great is that it has the same 5nm 2.9 GHz Octa-Core Exynos 2100 processor as the bigger and heavier models -- so it lets you enjoy the same power on a more compact and pocketable device.

This is great for power users who have smaller hands or those who prefer carrying small pouches and fanny packs when they are out and about.

Even if Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is small, it can definitely deliver flagship-level performance when playing resourcing intensive games or applications, such as those for editing 4K videos on the go.

Some may find the Galaxy S21's 6.2-inch FullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen rather small -- but for me, this display size is just right for enjoying content, fast thumb-typing, and convenient one-handed use. I wouldn't mind a larger screen but I certainly won't complain about this one.

5. Elegant Design, Solid Build

Like previous Galaxy S Series models from the last three years, the 2021 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has the look and feel of a finely crafted, expensive watch.

The midframe - with rounded sides and corners - is made of real metal while the front and back plates are crafted from scratch-resistant glass. The construction is so tight that the handset is IP67 Certified Water and Dust Resistant, serving as another value-added feature.

If you want your daily smartphone to reflect your aspirational lifestyle, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G certainly fits the bill. This is a handset that you won't be shy to flaunt or to put on the table during a date or a corporate roundtable meeting.

6. Fast Wireless Charging

Personally, one of my favorite features of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is its 15W Fast Qi Wireless Charging Support, which is still quite rare even amongst flagship-level smartphones. It's super convenient! You just need to place the handset on top of a plate to commence charging and it doesn't take too long to reach 100%. 

Hopefully, Samsung can come up with an even faster wireless charging technology for their mobile devices in the near future -- but for now, I am quite happy with 15W on this model.

7. Wireless Samsung DeX

DeX, which is a unique innovation from Samsung that lets you connect your Galaxy S or Note Series smartphone to a Smart TV, a Windows laptop, or an Apple Macbook, now supports wireless connectivity!

Using this feature, you can conveniently cast movies on your smartphone to a larger screen for your friends and loved ones to enjoy. This is also handy when you're giving presentations during corporate meetings.

When used to connect the smartphone to a laptop, Wireless DeX lets you transfer photos and videos taken using the Galaxy S21 5G faster and more conveniently.

8. Powerful and Versatile Point-and-Shoot Cameraphone

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has three cameras at the back that give you the versatility to quickly go from shooting 120-degrees wide-angle landscape photos to zooming up to 30X on a faraway subject with stabilization!

All of these cameras work seamlessly together through an easy-to-use, intuitive, and already familiar imaging application.

Whether you are taking portrait images of your family and friends, Instagrammable shots of your dinner plate, wide-angle photos of your favorite travel destinations, or even just close-up photos of the moon, you can rely on the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and its industry-leading imaging algorithms to give you amazing output even if you're clueless about proper exposure settings.

9. 8K Video Recording

If there's one thing that the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can do that its main rival Apple iPhone 12 simply can not, it's recording videos with ultra-high 8K resolution.

The Apple iPhone 12 can only shoot up to 4K 60fps while Galaxy S21 5G's main rear camera can do that as well as record 8K 24fps clips.

8K recording is particularly useful for content creators who want to future-proof their work or those who want to get large enough videos for lossless cropping during post-production.

Although Samsung's Super Steady Mode is not yet available for 4K and 8K video recording, it's nice to know that the company has made 8K shooting available on a cameraphone for consumers who need it.

10. Long Uptime

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has features, including its large 4,000 mAh Li-Po battery pack and energy-efficient 5nm Exynos 2100 processor, that work together to give the device a notably longer uptime compared to previous Galaxy S releases.

I'm quite a power user and I'm a mobile gamer so I only get around a whole day of use from this smartphone before I need to put it on top of my wireless charger. But hey, at least, I rarely need to plug it to a powerbank whenever I bring it with me outside the house; Something I did rather often with my previous Galaxy S handsets.

To wrap up, I'd say that although Samsung's Chinese competitors are seemingly closing in when it comes to the technical specifications of their flagship smartphones, the Korean Giant's high-end handsets bear "intangibles" that are hard - if not impossible - to replicate or copy over just a few years.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G stands upon the company's decade-long experience in crafting smartphones that meet the needs and aspirations of premium consumers worldwide. This smartphone comes with a promise of durability, reliability, performance, intuitiveness, and good after-sales support that so few other companies can match.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Specs

151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm

169 grams

IP68 Certified Water and Dust Resistant

6.2-inch, Flat, FullHD+, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio, 421 ppi density,

Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits

Corning Gorilla Glass Victus

Triple Rear Camera Module:

12 MegaPixels, Wide, f/1.8 Aperture, 26mm, 1/1.76", 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS

64 MegaPixels, Telephoto, f/2.0, 28mm, 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x Optical Zoom, 3x Hybrid Zoom

12 MegaPixels, Ultra-Wide, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ Lens, 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video

Front-Facing Camera:

10 MegaPixels, f/2.2, 26mm, 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF

Video Recorder:

Back - 8K 24fps, 4K 30/60fps, FullHD 1080p 30/60/240fps, HD 720p 960fps, HDR10+, Stereo Sound Recording, Gyro-EIS

Front - 4K 30/60fps, 1080p 30fps

One UI 3.1

Android 11 Operating System

5nm 2.9 GHz Octa-Core Exynos 2100 Processor

8GB RAM

256GB UFS 3.1 Internal Storage

No microSD Card Slot

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6

Bluetooth 5.0

4G LTE-A

5G

Ultrasonic Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner

Facial Recognition

No 3.5mm Audio Jack

Samsung DeX

Wireless Samsung DeX

Bixby Support

25W Wired Fast Charging Support

USB Power Delivery 3.0

15W Fast Qi Wireless Charging Support

4.5W Reverse Wireless Charging Support

Non-Removable 4,000 mAh Li-Po Battery Pack

No Travel Charger in the Box

Aluminum Mid-Frame, Polycarbonate Back Panel

Phantom Grey, Phantom Violet

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Official Price in the Philippines

Suggested Retail Price: PHP 47,990

Availability: February 2021 via Samsung Authorized Retail Outlets and Network Carriers