Our quick take

Alternatives to consider

Sony Xperia 5 II

  • Read the full Sony Xperia 5 II review

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

  • Read the full Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review

Samsung Galaxy S21 - 4.0 / 5

Design

  • 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 172g Plastic back IP68 waterproofing

Display

  • 6.2in, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 424ppi Adaptive refresh rate 48-120Hz HDR10+ support

Hardware performance and software

  • Exynos 2100 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 5G 8GB RAM; 128GB/256GB storage options 4000mAh battery

Cameras

  • Triple camera system Main camera: 12-megapixel, 1.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, OIS Telephoto: 64MP, (3x hybrid optic / 30x digital zoom) 0.8µm, f/2.0, OIS Ultra-wide: 12MP, 1.4µm, f/2.2 Selfie: 10MP, 1.22µm, f/2.2

  • Main camera: 12-megapixel, 1.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, OIS Telephoto: 64MP, (3x hybrid optic / 30x digital zoom) 0.8µm, f/2.0, OIS Ultra-wide: 12MP, 1.4µm, f/2.2

To recap

There’s a lift in design for the Galaxy S21, resulting in a phone that looks fresh and exciting, and a great display, offering adaptive refresh rates. While there’s plenty of power - and a flagship performance - the camera doesn’t reach the highs that you get from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, leaving this feeling like the lesser device. Sadly, sitting so close to the cheaper S20 FE, that might see some opting for the cheaper phone instead.