Samsung Galaxy S21 test: the high-end smartphone mastered in all respects

With its Samsung Galaxy S21, the Korean company is looking to regain its leadership in the market. This model in standard version is the introduction to a range of renewal and mastery. MeilleurMobile was able to test the smartphone and gives you its conclusions.

Design: the Samsung Galaxy S21 is elegant, solid and ergonomic

In the design aspect, Samsung is already proving its mastery in building high-end devices. The company made a very surprising choice in the basic materials. The Samsung Galaxy S21 sports a plastic back that is hardly appropriate in the high-end market. It is clear that the decision was well thought out by the brand. The plastic offers a solidity at all times but also a more delicate touch in everyday use. The mobile in its purple version even offers the luxury of a fairly subtle play of light.

For the introduction of its range, Samsung does not exhaust all its resources. The brand offers a very compact smartphone. The S21 weighs 172 grams, is 15 centimeters long and 7 wide. In use, we offer you a product that is easy to handle in all situations. The cameras remain in the right lineage of the market. The one at the front is in punch format. The back part is integrated into a block that unbalances the device when placed on a flat surface. The Samsung Galaxy S21 already ticks all the boxes of the excellent device in its ergonomics.

The Samsung phone stress test on the Covered site

Touchscreen: Samsung still makes the best screens in the world

For many years, the Asian manufacturer has been praised for the quality of its touch screens on its smartphones. As you can imagine, a few months after its release, the interface of the Samsung Galaxy S21 is still one of the best on the market. This is a 6.2 inch OLED panel. It offers you an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 HZ. Adaptability allows especially to preserve the battery of the telephone by adjusting to your consumption. To take full advantage of this splendid interface, go to the settings to adjust the display to “natural” mode.

All smartphone tests performed on MeilleurMobile

In the laboratory, the Galaxy S21 clearly stands out from the competition. The measurements made in terms of luminosity record an average of 861 cd / m². When the screen mode is boosted, a peak of 945 cd / m² is recorded. The color fidelity is 5.76 on the Delta E 2000. The observed performance is much superior to the competition at the same price and is reflected in everyday use. With Full HD definition, the S21 offers one of the best viewing experiences on the market today. Only the Ultra version of the phone would be able to do better.

Internal power: still Exynos but it is sufficient here

If it is possible to make a reproach to the range of Galaxy S, it is the choice to place an Exynos processor for the European versions of its phones. For his Samsung Galaxy S21, an Exynos 2100 is used. So certainly in terms of raw performance, the chip lags behind the Snapdragon 888 but the work done is of quality. To ensure a winning formula, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage accompany the processor. In the raw performance pane, the measurements made on Antutu are still at the top of the basket. A score of 650879 points is recorded for this configuration.

The equipment of the smartphone is complete this year. 5G compatibility and Wi-Fi 6 give you unparalleled connection capability. In-game, the Mali-G78 MP14 graphics chip can support Pokemon Go hunting as well as long Solo Q sessions on Wild Rift. Multitasking is very efficient and thanks to the Dex connection you even have the possibility of transforming your phone into a PC interface. The Samsung Galaxy S21 offers a diversity of performances to be commended. The smartphone does everything, very well.

Autonomy: Samsung must make concessions

It’s a pretty common snag for manufacturers when they unveil a high-end phone. They put the package on one of the two sides of the battery: charge or autonomy. For the Galaxy S21, the coin fell on the charging side. The smartphone incorporates a charged Lithium-Polymer battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh. It’s also good to know that in the S21 range, no device comes with a charger. For this model, Samsung recommends a 25W charging unit sold at 29.99 euros on the manufacturer’s website.

Comparison of all Samsung smartphones available on MeilleurMobile

During laboratory tests, in its versatile autonomy, the mobile lasted 11:31. That’s three hours less than the average for other smartphones at the same price. For fairly moderate daily use, you will need to recharge the product at the end of the day. With the recommended charge block, it is the fast charge that does well. It is at 50% in 25 minutes and for a full charge, it takes an hour. Admittedly, it is not at the level of Oppo with the Super VOOC but in terms of concessions it is a price that you will be ready to pay.

Camera: Samsung Galaxy S21 has evidence of progress

Compared to Apple, Huawei and Oppo, Samsung suffers from clear camera shortcomings. Yet the builder is doing a good job. Just look at the main sensor equipping the Mi 11 Ultra from factories in South Korea. You have to believe that the shoemakers are not the best shoes. The Samsung Galaxy S21 is equipped with a triple lens on its back.

• A 12 megapixel main lens with Dual Pixel technology
• A 64-megapixel telephoto with hybrid zoom
• A 12 megapixel ultra wide angle with a 120 degree angle

First in the numbers, the score of the Samsung phone is 116 points on the DxOMark site. Proof that even if the manufacturer does a good job, the competition is still a little ahead of the quality of its shots. But no more discussions, what does the telephone give in a real situation?

As you can see above, the zoom suffers from a damaging loss of detail with the choice of digital.

Under optimal conditions, the smartphone is like a fish in water. The photos are faithful, well illuminated with a faithful reproduction of colors. The software work, despite the presence of the Exynos, a little less powerful than the Snapdragon, is excellent. The wide angle is very effective while the ultra wide angle seems to be bridging. The shots seem a little more crushed. The general set is still excellent.

There are also some shortcomings in the composition of the camera. Samsung made a rather surprising choice compared to the high-end market. The telephoto lens does not really do its job and above all offers a greater digital zoom than the lens. In the details, nothing is left out in pictures with a lot of elements. However, it is damaging that small flaws stop this beautiful machine.

Conclusion: what to remember from this Samsung Galaxy S21?

With this phone, Samsung confirms one thing. The Asian manufacturer knows how to produce high-end phones at the fingertips. The compact size of the Galaxy S21, the choice of materials and ergonomics are all geared towards the user experience. In this same vein, the touchscreen interface of the phone is a marvel of technology and performance. Even the internal power component, admittedly less efficient than the Snapdragon version, is of a very high level. By purchasing this phone you will experience the epitome of high end.

There are no perfect phones today, however. The Samsung Galaxy S21 like many devices contains a few small flaws vis-à-vis the competition. The mobile makes a significant concession on autonomy with a slightly shorter lifespan. The camera is also not very innovative compared to what other brands can offer. Be careful, however, at this level of technology these elements have very little influence on your use of the telephone. The S21 is an excellent smartphone that we highly recommend.

The technical sheet of the Samsung phone available on MeilleurMobile