What We Think
While the Galaxy S21 Plus is an excellent phone, packing many features that are not available with the cheaper Galaxy S21, such as a larger screen. If screen size is important to you and you are willing to pay a little more for extra space, you will be happy with the middle sibling of the S21 family.
For
- Gorgeous new design
- Amazing performance
- Powerful camera
Against
- MicroSD not supported
- Expensive
- There is no charger included in the box
A Quick Review
You can buy the Galaxy S21 Plus or the all-singing and all-dancing Galaxy S21 Ultra for less. The answer to this question is simple: Buy the S21 Plus if your goal is to have a bigger screen and more battery than the Galaxy S21. However, you don’t need the extra bells and whistles (mostly photographic) of the Ultra.
Samsung now makes the Ultra version of its Galaxy S flagships the best option if you look for the most recent tech. This leaves the Galaxy S21 Plus in an awkward spot. The extra money you pay over the standard S21 will get you nothing more than a bigger screen and a more robust battery.
Is it worth spending more
It all depends on what you need. And, oddly enough, this year’s S21 Plus has lower specifications than last year’s Galaxy S20 Plus. Although the screen is 6.7 inches larger than the S21’s 6.2 inch display, Samsung has dropped to Full HD+ resolution for this phone and the S21.
We have found that this is not a problem as the larger resolutions aren’t noticeable on screens this large. It’s still an excellent phone with a bright AMOLED screen that can withstand 120Hz dynamic refresh rate.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 range does not support microSD cards. This may be a problem for those who want to expand their storage.
The camera has not changed much since last year. However, it is not a problem for those who are upgrading from older phones than the Galaxy S20 range. The main and ultra-wide cameras are 12MP each, with a 64MP zoom lens.
It has an excellent camera array and we have ranked it alongside the Galaxy S21. However, you don’t have to upgrade to the S21 Plus to enjoy the best photography experience. If you already own the S20 Plus, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best choice.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is for people looking for the same combination of affordability and features as the Galaxy S21, but in a more extensive package. This handset is not for people looking for the best Samsung products, but it will suit those who need a bigger screen than the Galaxy S21.
Design
We see the most significant differences in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus’ design compared to the S20 Plus last year; the S21 Plus has been given a radical new design language, alongside the S21 Ultra and the standard S21.
The phone shown in this review is in purple with a gold-finished camera module. We think it’s the best way to showcase it. You can also get the phone in black, white, gray, pink, and red.
It’s a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen. The display is completely flat so there are no curved edges. We may overlook some details from a design standpoint, but it’s unlikely that many people will. Eliminating curved edges can reduce accidental pressings on screens.
The handset’s back is covered in glass. This gives it a premium feel that the standard S21 has. It’s matte-finished, just like the S21, giving it a sophisticated, sober look.
The phone is small and light, but it feels great in your hand. The S21 is easy to use for most users. However, if your hands are smaller or you prefer smaller handsets, the S21 will be easier.
The SIM card slot, USB port, speaker grille and speaker grille are located at the handset’s bottom. On the right are the power button, volume controls, and power button. The phone will not turn off if you hold down on the power button. Instead, it launches Samsung’s Bixby smart assistant.
Display
What is the importance of the screen resolution on a smartphone’s smartphone? The reason we ask this question is that Samsung has changed the resolution of its S21 smartphone to Full HD+. This is a drastic change from last year’s QHD+ resolution.
The difference on a phone screen, even one Plus-sized, isn’t noticeable. Additionally, the lower resolution helps to save battery life and keeps the price down.
The screen’s pixel density is sufficient to make it look sharp. You might notice a slight difference if the S20 Plus is used, or when you watch a HD movie.
We love the dynamic refresh rate of up 120Hz. The phone intelligently adjusts the refresh rate depending upon what you are doing. The refresh rate for games is 120Hz, which provides super-smooth graphics. However, if you are just browsing a website or listening to podcasts, the refresh rates can be reduced to conserve battery life.
You’ll be amazed at the difference in resolution. Scrolling and animations are so smooth it can feel like you’re reading a magazine or book rather than looking at your smartphone screen.
The in-display fingerprint scanner is another welcome screen upgrade. It is now 70% larger than last year’s phones, and is easier to locate with your digit. It was temperamental in recognising prints and unlocking the phone. We often had to enter our pin code to gain entry.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus’s camera setup is identical to last year’s S20 Plus. We are fine with that, as the S20 Plus cameras are superb and Samsung has made significant improvements to the software.
The hardware includes a 12MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide and 64MP telephoto snapper, with 3x hybrid zoom.
The S21 Ultra’s dual-telephoto shooters, capable of zooming up to 100x, will provide telephoto zoom that is not as impressive. This instead offers up to 30x digital Zoom, but results at maximum zoom are not impressive.
Despite this, images with zooms up to 10x are still possible on social media and when sharing with friends.
Although the front-facing 10MP camera isn’t quite as impressive as the rear-facing, it can do everything you need. The phone’s front-facing camera was capable of taking some great selfies. This is a good thing in an age when many people rely on video calls for work and social events.
Director’s View mode is another new feature. This allows you to simultaneously take photos with both the rear and front cameras. Bloggers and other content creators could capture reactions shots of themselves simultaneously with their primary footage and then edit them together. We found this to be a great idea.
These software enhancements include tweaks to Single Take mode. This setting allows you to take multiple photos using all three of your cameras simultaneously.
The camera now features a slow-mo mode. Single Take, as we have previously mentioned, is especially useful for photographing unpredictable pets. With Single Take you can get a variety of results with just one press of the shutter.
For video with very high detail and 8K resolution, you can record at 24 frames per second. However, the footage maybe a little too cropped. You will find the Full HD at 30, 60, or 240fps options more useful.
The Chipset
The Galaxy S21 phones were amongst the first to be launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, and the first to feature the Exynos2100 (Samsung’s chipset) which powers phones sold outside of the US.
The Exynos 2100 version is the latest version of the S21 Plus. We haven’t tested it yet, but it appears to offer a substantial increase in performance over previous generations.
Exynos processors were always a few steps behind Qualcomm’s in the past. However, this gap appears to have shrunk this year. Geekbench 5 showed that the Galaxy S21 Plus scored 3170 on multicore and 1035 on single core. This is roughly the same score as the Exynos-powered Galaxy S21 Plus, which is not surprising considering that the phones share many components and features.
Although benchmark tests are not always accurate, the S21 Plus is faster than its predecessors in everyday use. It handles demanding tasks such as multitasking, running multiple apps simultaneously in split-screen mode, and managing complex jobs like multitasking.
Memory
8GB RAM is available on the Galaxy S21 Plus. The S21 Ultra has 12GB RAM in the basic configuration, but 16GB is available. However, 8GB should suffice for most users.
The lack of a MicroSD slot is likely to make it more difficult for potential buyers. Although expanding storage is a significant advantage of Android phones over Apple’s iPhones, it’s also an area in which Samsung has made some concessions this year.
The built-in storage is the only option. The cheapest S21 Plus model comes with 128GB. This is a tiny amount by smartphone standards. For $50/PS50/AU$100 more, you can upgrade to the 256GB model. However, that’s not a huge amount, especially if your goal is to shoot a lot of video.
Operating Systems
Samsung’s One UI 3.0 interface is used on the Galaxy S21 Plus, which runs Android 11. It works well. However, it could take up to one year from launch before Android 12 is available on the phone. Even if Google releases it in August, Samsung can be slow to roll out new versions. However, there is evidence that the company may do better this year.
Battery Life
The 4,800mAh battery in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is 800mAh larger than the Galaxy S21’s battery and 200mAh smaller than the S21 Ultra. This means that the S21 will have a slightly longer battery life, while the Ultra will last about the same.
Samsung’s battery life is an important feature. We are impressed with how much we get from this phone even after a full charge. We managed to get the phone going for just over 48 hours with moderate usage, even though we were using it constantly.
You can manage a full day of normal use and an entire evening before you need to recharge. Even if you are a heavy user or addicted to power-hungry applications, you can still manage your whole working day.
However, we did not notice any significant difference to the S20 Plus last year, so don’t expect to see huge improvements.
Samsung is following Apple’s lead and not including a charger with the box. The idea being that most people have a USB charger at home. You will need to consider the additional cost of purchasing one if you don’t already have one.
This may be annoying for some people, but we think it is a positive move by Samsung in terms of reducing e-waste. Most people will have a suitable charger for their smartphone.
Should I Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?
Why to Buy
- You think that the Galaxy S21 is too small
- You like the Galaxy S21’s design but want a larger screen. The S21 Plus has a 6.7-inch display, which is significantly larger than the S21’s 6.2-inch screen.
- You need a powerful Android
- Samsung phones are some of the best available, and the S21 Plus is among the most powerful. This is a great choice if you want to purchase a high-end phone running Android.
- An older Samsung phone is yours
- The S21 Plus is an excellent upgrade for those who already own a Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S9 phones. It’s powerful, fast, and future-proofed with 5G support.
Why not to buy…
- An S20 or S20 Plus is available.
- The S21 Plus will not replace the S20 Plus last year. In some ways, the S21 Plus is actually a downgrade in specs. There are improvements, but it’s not meant to replace the S20.
- Storage space is important.
- As we mentioned, the microSD slot was dropped from the Galaxy S21 range. You will have to spend more if you need 256GB built-in storage instead of the 128GB base offer. This phone is not for people who require a lot of storage.
- Samsung has the best phone.
- The Galaxy S21 Ultra will be the best Samsung smartphone in 2021. While the S21 Plus is a large smartphone with excellent specifications, the S21 Ultra is a beast.
Get the Best Deals on The Latest Smartphones
from NIX.
Trade-in your old phones with NIX and leave with a brand new phone.
Remember, the NIX magic number is zero!! How close can you get? Come in and see. Recycle your old phone with NIX and sign-up to our Premium Membership for even better prices and saving at NIX.
Where To Buy? At NIX Of Course!
Trade-in your old phones with NIX and leave with a brand new phone.
Remember, the NIX magic number is zero!! How close can you get? Come in and see.
Recycle your old phone with NIX and sign-up to our Premium Membership for even better prices and saving at NIX.
MEGA TIP: NIX Premium Members can trade in multiple devices at once to really reduce the price of the new phone.
