Review: Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G

The all-new Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G is the latest flagship smartphone from Samsung’s iconic Galaxy S line. It is the middle variant among the S21 and S21 Ultra %G models. The device we’re reviewing boasts 8K resolution video, a 64MP camera, 256GB of built-in memory, the fastest 5nm chipset available to Samsung phones and a long-lasting monster of a battery, it certainly is very impressive. Read on to know more.

Build and design

Right out of the box, the Galaxy S21+ 5G impresses with its large 6.7″ screen. The screen features an Infinity-O display, dynamic AMOLED 2x, an eye comfort shield, and a seamlessly smooth 120HZ refresh rate. The phone comes in two color choices: the bold Phantom Violet or the classic Phantom Silver which we have on hand. This Phantom Silver reveals a different shade when hit by light from a slightly silver-green-pink hue (as seen on our photos). No matter which color you choose, Gorilla Glass Victus ensures scratch-and-damage protection, and is the toughest glass available on a Samsung smartphone. IP68 rated protection also ensures water-resistance.

Other accessories included in the box include your standard USB Type-C data cable, ejection pin for your SIM card, and a Quick Start Guide to help get you going with your new phone.

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Camera

Photographic customization has never been easier and better on a Samsung phone, with an array of photo modes at your disposal. Choose from Original, Blur, Studio, High-key mono, Low-key mono, Backdrop, and Color Point. All photos are taken in an ultra-high 64MP resolution (10MP for the front-facing camera) and with AI analysis for faces, natural lighting, angles and directions. Other handy photography features include Selfie Mode for enhanced facial detail and color, Night Mode for brightening up those dark settings, and 30x Digital Space Zoom w/ Zoom Lock for those hard-to-reach subjects.

Continuing with its delivery of the-best-of-the-best features, the Galaxy S21+ 5G has 8K Video which is the highest resolution available on a smartphone, allowing you to truly create cinema-quality works of art. With 8K 24fps on top of that, every video you create is captured clearly and without interruption. Samsung has even combined AI stabilization with 60fps capture for those quick action shots. Dynamic frame rate in FHD Auto Mode creates brighter video by automatically switching from 60fps to 30fps in dimly light conditions.

In addition to the aforementioned video features, 8K Video Snap lets you generate an album of high-quality 33MP pictures right out of your 8K videos. Sometimes there are shots in videos we wish were photographic quality, and this feature accounts for that and more.

Performance

The S21+ sports a powerful 5nm processor fast enough to keep up with one’s fast-paced life. This is the most powerful chip in the Galaxy. It also has an 8GB Ram and 128GB storage. Its pre-installed applications took about 20GB or 21% of total storage capacity. Samsung also offers another variant with a 256GB capacity for PHP3,000 more. Sadly, it doesn’t have an SD card extension.

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We ran the device through 3D Mark and GeekBench and got these results:

• Slingshot: 7740
• Slingshot Extreme – OpenGL ES 3.1: Maxed out
• Wild life stress test: 5636
• Wild life: 5764
• Geekbench single-core: 883
• Geekbench multi-core: 2869

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The battery features even include Super Fast Charging which gives you hours of power with about an hour and a half of charging. It also supports Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 for when you don’t have a cable, and Wireless PowerShare which allows you use your phone to charge your Galaxy Buds, Samsung smartwatch or even a friend’s phone.

HyperFast 5G is so speedy it can download a whole season of your favorite streaming show in barely any time. When at home or in the office, Wi-Fi 6 reliably and swiftly connects you to the internet so you never miss a beat. For those with two SIM cards, Dual SIM lets you use a nano SIM and an eSIM so you can have two data plans in one device.

Samsung’s Knox security platform ensures a high-level of security, protecting your personal data and app permissions. It also features Samsung Knox Vault which safeguards and keeps your biometric authentication data under wraps. Additionally, a larger, lower latency Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor means you can seamlessly and safely unlock your phone.

Verdict

Overall, the Samsung S21+ 5G ticks all the boxes you’d look for in a flagship smartphone with a price of P54,990 and P57,990 for the 256GB version. It’s pricey but it is the Galaxy S line after all and features flagship specs as well as a powerful performance. Compared to Apple’s iPhone 12 line, the S21 is cheaper by P8,000.