How is the S21?

gray2018

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So despite all the negativity surrounding the S21 series... I am going to take a shot in the dark and ordered the 256 GB model of the regular S21 since currently Samsung has the device which the larger amount of storage as the same price as the 128.

I would normally prefer the larger sized device, but being that the device is 6.2 inches, that's already fairly large. I am used to 6.4 inch sized phones now and larger. the S21+ is 1000 currently for the just the 128. No thanks. Having a flat screen like this device has would be definitely welcomed. I am so tired of curved screen devices.

I was also able to get a free 25 watt fast charger at the time of purchase. I don't necessarily need the headphone jack now as I have an AUX to USB type C cable in my car for music and it works fine. Kind of hard to find them though.

Other then that, how does this device perform? The price was around 850 after checkout.
 

ThrottleJohnny

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There's negativity surrounding the S21 devices? This might be the best reviewed smartphone series Samsung has ever released.

Unless you're referring to the backlash over the omission of the SD card and charger, then okay.
 

fuzzylumpkin

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There's negativity surrounding the S21 devices? This might be the best reviewed smartphone series Samsung has ever released.

Unless you're referring to the backlash over the omission of the SD card and charger, then okay.

Yeah it's been very well recieved from what I've seen. And rightly so.
 
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bhatech

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Yeah pretty much consensus from most people, tech sites, YouTubers etc is that this is a home run.

Obviously you'll find some bad reviews, rants for any device is you go looking for it.
 

stevetaz

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S21 5G here and it has been a very good update from my S10e. The device is well-made and I agree with wanting the smaller size. It is about an inch taller than the 10e. but the width is about the same and feels fine in the hand. Battery life has been very impressive compared to my S10e too.

Overall, a very good choice.
 

Grabber5.0

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There's negativity surrounding the S21 devices? This might be the best reviewed smartphone series Samsung has ever released.

Unless you're referring to the backlash over the omission of the SD card and charger, then okay.
I think that's a big part of it. I am pretty disappointed in the loss of the SD card slot, after they removed the headphone jack on the previous models already. I'm taking a chance on the S21 also, and unfortunately they are backordered again.
 

TheAngryToaster

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So despite all the negativity surrounding the S21 series... I am going to take a shot in the dark and ordered the 256 GB model of the regular S21 since currently Samsung has the device which the larger amount of storage as the same price as the 128.

I would normally prefer the larger sized device, but being that the device is 6.2 inches, that's already fairly large. I am used to 6.4 inch sized phones now and larger. the S21+ is 1000 currently for the just the 128. No thanks. Having a flat screen like this device has would be definitely welcomed. I am so tired of curved screen devices.

I was also able to get a free 25 watt fast charger at the time of purchase. I don't necessarily need the headphone jack now as I have an AUX to USB type C cable in my car for music and it works fine. Kind of hard to find them though.

Other then that, how does this device perform? The price was around 850 after checkout.
This is the phone that pulled me back over from apple. There is nothing realy negative about this phone IMO. I can understand users who are use to things like expandable storage being upset that it is gone. Having been with apple for last few years, I am completely use to not having this as an option. Plus cloud storage is getting really good, at least icloud is stupidly good. I haven't really looked into cloud storage options on android yet. I imagine they are just as good. For that reason I did opt for the 256 over 128 just to be covered.

The size of the device is perfect, the screen on the device is stupidly good. It has decent speakers, I have notice that sometimes at higher volume there can be distortion-ish sounds. I don't use a phone to really consume media out side of the occasionally reddit video. I could care less about the camera, for me that is my least considered feature. I honestly like that is a plastic phone, I dropped it the other day and it landed on the back. For the first time in a while didn't pick up a dropped phone and cringe at the the possible damage. The other nice thing with the plastic is the weight of the phone. It is incredibly light, especially compared to my bosses 12 pro max. You kill a horse with that damn phone haha.

The whole software an UI feels really polished and very well put together. It honestly feels very similar to using an iphone in that aspect. Its just buttery smooth and everything work in unison on the design and animations of the UI. That was always a bit of an annoyance when I would try previous samsung devices. It was missing that fluidity I was use to using on an iphone. I feel like samsung really took one ui and instead of slamming a million new features in it. They took and just refined the existing ui into something very nice.
 

gray2018

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In terms of negativity, yeah I just meant all the backlash Samsung is getting for being too much like Apple and removing the sd cart support etc.
 

bhatech

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In terms of negativity, yeah I just meant all the backlash Samsung is getting for being too much like Apple and removing the sd cart support etc.
I mean there is always some minority that cares about some feature or the other but the majority audience doesn't care about stuff like that. May by people in these tech forums care but normal user isn't going to worry about some SD card, headphone jack or stuff like that.

Apple makes great stuff so nothing wrong trying to be like Apple

I know the last sentence probably angered many Apple haters

PS: personally I don't think they are trying to be like Apple. Yes they copy some apple stuff and apple copies Android stuff etc. Overall Samsung has made their own identity for many years now.
 

Grabber5.0

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LOL they are totally mimicking Apple! Practically no imagination at all! *I don't like Apple either, but they do make nice devices that I don't like using.
 

JHStewart1023

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Apple and Samsung are the big 2 manufacturers of phones.. so of course they're going to take things from each other. Samsung just got a new CEO within the last year, and so of course they're going to follow suit with their competitors... Apple even plans on releasing a foldable phone by 2023... I don't think it's a wise decision to take away things like the SD expansion, it's sort of what set Samsung away from the pack... same with the possible getting rid of or changing the Note line up of phones. the Note series has a specific group of people it caters to, and in my opinion I think Samsung will pay heavily for either getting rid of it, or moving it towards foldable devices where if the consumer wanted a foldable they'd buy one. we shall see how everything sort of plays out, but Samsung removed the SD with their 6 line up of devices... and came back the following year with it... so Samsung does tend to listen to consumers. sometimes 🤣