Samsung Galaxy A21s Review: Budget Phone with Big Battery

The Samsung Galaxy A21s offers a 6.5-inch display, quad camera, and massive 5000mAh battery at an affordable price point.

Introduction

Samsung's Galaxy A21s delivers impressive value in the budget smartphone segment. Released in June 2020, this device combines a large display, versatile camera system, and exceptional battery life at an accessible price point of approximately €220.

Design & Display

The Galaxy A21s features a plastic construction with a glass front, available in Black, Blue, Red, and White color options. Weighing 192g with an 8.9mm thickness, it offers a comfortable grip despite its large footprint.

The device sports a 6.5-inch PLS LCD display with a 720 × 1600 pixel resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. While the 270 ppi pixel density isn't the sharpest in its class, the screen provides decent viewing experiences with an 82.8% screen-to-body ratio.

Performance & Hardware

Powered by Samsung's Exynos 850 chipset built on an 8nm process, the A21s features eight Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. The device comes in multiple configurations with RAM options ranging from 2GB to 6GB and storage from 32GB to 128GB using eMMC 5.1 technology.

Graphics are handled by the ARM Mali-G52 MP1 GPU, providing adequate performance for everyday tasks and light gaming. The storage is expandable via microSDXC card slot for additional space.

Camera

The quad-camera system on the rear includes:

• 48MP main sensor with f/2.0 aperture and PDAF
• 8MP ultra-wide lens with 123° field of view
• 2MP macro camera for close-up shots
• 2MP depth sensor for portrait effects

The camera supports 1080p video recording at 30fps and features including HDR, panorama, and various shooting modes. For selfies, a 13MP front camera handles video calls and self-portraits.

Battery & Charging

A massive 5000mAh lithium-polymer battery provides exceptional endurance, easily lasting through a full day of heavy usage. The device supports 15W wired fast charging, ensuring relatively quick top-ups when needed.

Software & Features

The Galaxy A21s originally launched with Android 10 and Samsung's One UI, with upgrade availability to Android 12 with One UI 4.1. The software experience includes all of Samsung's signature features and optimizations for the budget hardware.

Connectivity

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C 2.0, and NFC support. The device offers comprehensive positioning with GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS support. It includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio functionality.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Exceptional battery life
• Versatile quad-camera setup
• Large display
• Expandable storage
• Headphone jack included

Cons:

• HD+ resolution only
• No 5G support
• Plastic construction
• Basic performance tier

Tags: Samsung,Galaxy A21s,budget smartphone,5000mAh battery,quad camera

The Samsung Galaxy A21s offers a 6.5-inch display, quad camera, and massive 5000mAh battery at an affordable price point.