This season, the Korean company Samsung is following a well-trodden path.
The most technologically advanced series of Galaxy S smartphones has once again been updated – from S20 to S21. Surprisingly, it even managed to avoid jumping over numbers.
The new series, presented to the world at the beginning of the year during the online CES 2021 exhibition, traditionally includes three models:
Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21+, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. We have already written about the oldest and most technically advanced of the three; now let's take a look at the youngest.
Main specifications of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (model SM-G991B)
European version:
SoC Exynos 2100, 8 cores (1 × Cortex-X1 @ 2.9 GHz + 3 × Cortex-A78 @ 2.80 GHz + 4 × Cortex-A55 @ 2.2 GHz)
GPU Mali-G78 (MP14)
US version:
SoC Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888
GPU Adreno 660
Operating system Android 11, One UI 3.1
Touch display Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 6.2", 1080×2400, 20:9, 421 ppi, 120 Hz
RAM 8 GB, internal memory 128/256 GB
No microSD support
Nano-SIM support (2 pcs)
HSPA, LTE-A (CA), 5G networks
GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS, Galileo
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4/5/6 GHz, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE
NFC
USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG
No 3.5mm audio output
Cameras 12 MP + 64 MP (zoom) + 12 MP (ultrawide), video 8K @ 24 fps, 4K @ 60 fps
Front camera 10 MP
Proximity and light sensors, magnetic field, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer
Under-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic)
IP68 protection
Battery 4000 mAh, fast charging 25 W, wireless and reverse charging
Dimensions 152×71×7.9 mm
Weight 169 g
Appearance and usability
As last year, the younger of the older models turned out to be the most attractive, as in miniature, all elements gathered together always look less rough.
It has the same design as the other two S21 models, but the younger model differs significantly from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, having much smaller dimensions and almost half the weight.
In other respects, everything is the same and even better. For example, it has the same wide and almost flat sides, but due to its light weight and small width, it is even more comfortable to hold the body in the palm.
It's good that Samsung quickly adapted and got rid of all those narrowed edges and curved shiny glasses.
A stylish way to visually reduce the protruding camera block has been cleverly implemented. This time, it has been expanded to the edges of the body. It looks fresh and unusual.
Of course, the cameras still protrude, so using the device lying on the table is still difficult – it wobbles.
The issue can be resolved with protective cases that mitigate this problem.
The materials used are as follows: Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, a matte plastic back cover, connected by a shiny metal frame.
The large and well-placed side buttons are smooth, without tactile differences, installed on one side. The buttons have a pleasant springy travel.
The front camera is installed behind a small cutout in the screen matrix. However, it is not in the corner but in the center, which slightly spoils the picture. Unfortunately, the smartphone also lacks an LED notification indicator.
The fingerprint scanner is under the glass of the ultrasonic screen. The sensor is good, fast, and responds quickly with dry fingers, but, as before, does not work with wet ones.
The card slot is designed for two Nano-SIM cards – for some reason, there is no option to install a memory card. Samsung constantly fluctuates: sometimes removing this feature, sometimes adding it back.
On the bottom edge, there are a speaker, microphone, USB Type-C port, and card slot. The 3.5mm audio output for headphones is absent.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone is available in four attractive colors: gray, white, purple, and pink. The body has IP68 water and dust resistance (withstands immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 m).
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone is equipped with an AMOLED display (Dynamic AMOLED 2X) with a diagonal of 6.2 inches and a resolution of 1080×2400, with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
The physical dimensions of the screen are 65x145 mm, the aspect ratio is 20:9, and the pixel density is 421 ppi. The width of the bezel around the screen is less than 2 mm on the sides, about 3 mm on the top, and 4 mm on the bottom. The screen supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
The screen on the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is noticeably darker (brightness in the photos 103 vs. 109 on the Nexus 7) and has no pronounced tint. The two reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G screen are very faint, indicating that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the fewer boundaries (type glass/air) with significantly different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense external lighting, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, as the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G screen has a special oleophobic (oil-repellent) coating (very effective, much better than on the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.
When displaying a white field on the entire screen and manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was about 415 cd/m² under normal conditions, but in very bright light, it increases to 800 cd/m². It should also be noted that in this case, the smaller the area of white on the screen, the brighter it is, meaning the actual maximum brightness of white areas will almost always be higher than the indicated value. As a result, reading the screen during the day in sunlight should be excellent, and the dark theme not only saves battery charge but also contributes to better readability of information on the screen in high lighting conditions. The minimum brightness value is 1.6 cd/m², meaning the reduced brightness level allows the device to be used without problems even in the dark. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (located under the screen near the top edge and to the right of the center). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider: the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If everything is left at default, in complete darkness, the auto-brightness function reduces brightness to 8 cd/m² (a bit dark), in conditions of an artificially lit office (about 550 lx) it sets to 115 cd/m² (normal), and under direct sunlight, it increases to 800 cd/m² (to maximum, and needed). The result did not completely satisfy us, so in the dark, we slightly increased the brightness, resulting in the following values for the three conditions mentioned above: 20, 120, and 800 cd/m² (an ideal combination). Thus, the auto-brightness adjustment function works adequately and allows the user to some extent to customize its operation to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is significant modulation at a frequency of 240 Hz.
