The Samsung Galaxy S21 is one of the best value smartphones available for purchase today but may not be the upgrade some were hoping for.

Vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display; Refined and versatile cameras; Great hardware and software performance; Far more affordable

Little reason to upgrade over the Samsung Galaxy S20; No microSD card support; No supplied plug charger

If you're a fan of Samsung devices and upgrading from an older phone, you'll likely enjoy a lot of what the S21 offers

Great display; Unique; fresh design; Decent battery life and performance

Unreliable camera software; One UI needs polish (and less ads); A bit pricey for what's on offer

Part of Samsung's smartphone philosophy is to offer every user the device that is perfectly right for them. The Galaxy S21 series is no different. The Galaxy S21 serves the largest target group among Galaxy S fans.

bright AMOLED display running at 120 Hz; fast Exynos SoC; very good camera; 5G; dual SIM; and eSIM; Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.0; NFC

plastic back; no power adapter included; storage not expandable; throttles under load; average battery life

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is in a tough spot. It’s the most affordable Galaxy S21 series phone, the entry point into this year’s flagship Android phones, from the house of Samsung. And that means the weight of the world is on its shoulders.

A flagship that has learned the right lessons

Samsung Galaxy S21 is the right choice for all the right reasons. What that means is the compromises Samsung has made with the Galaxy S21 seem big but they aren’t that big of a deal when it comes to the practical aspect of the smartphone.

More durable; lightweight design; improved image processing; tons of premium features; IP68 water resistance; upgraded in-screen fingerprint sensor; variable 120Hz refresh rate; full 5G connectivity

Samsung killed the microSD slot; no headphone jack; power brick doesn't come included; battery life could be a bit better

There are sacrifices yes, but this is still a great phone for a more enticing price. It has a lovely screen, a reliable camera and a slick new design that feels a little bit futuristic. The basics are here and they're all done excellently.

Much more affordable; Still a great screen (and it's flat); Snappy performance

Lack of microSD and WQHD+ resolution make it feel like an S20 downgrade; Doesn't feel as good as previous S series phones; Minimal camera upgrades

We take a deep dive with the Samsung Galaxy S21

Great look; Fast and snappy performance; Full of features to explore; Good camera quality; Speakers are improved over last gen

Plastic back is a no-no at $800; The plethora of features can be overwhelming; take it slow; The UI looks a bit flat and tacky; Bye; bye; microSD card slot

The Galaxy S21 is a superb compact flagship phone with a brilliant 120Hz refresh rate Super AMOLED display, a great rear camera array capable of 8K video and excellent overall performance. If you want the ultimate uber phone, the Galaxy S21 Ultra awaits.

Surprisingly beautiful faux metal finish; Excellent build quality; Stereo speakers; Powerful performance; Good cameras; Great battery life

No expandable storage; No charger or earbuds in the box; No 3.5mm audio jack