The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G comes in as a more premium sibling to the standard Galaxy S21 5G and also the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus. As a successor, it packs in a more capable processor, design tweaks, and lots more. Consumers making a jump from the standard S21 will be offered a more premium build, a bigger display, and a bigger battery.
Where to Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers | Amazon US – See Offers
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G Key Specs & Features
- 6.7-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2x Display, 1080 x 2400 Pixels (394 PPI), 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Android 11, One UI 3.1
- 8GB RAM
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (USA) – Octa-core Exynos 2100 (Global)
- 128GB / 256GB Built-in Storage
- 12MP + 64MP + 12MP Triple Rear Camera
- 10MP Front Camera
- Fingerprint Sensor (Under Display, Ultrasonic)
- 25W Fast Charging
- 15W Wireless Charging
- 4.5W Reverse Charging
- Water and Dust Proof (IP68 certification)
- 4800 mAh Non-Removable Li-ion Battery
Design and Display
Comparing the design of the Galaxy S21 Plus 5G to its predecessor reveals some design changes made some design tweaks, these design tweaks may not be very major, but they are certainly appreciated, especially when considering the fact that we have a lot of reminiscing designs in the Android smartphone space.
The major design change to be observed is on the rear panel. This year, Samsung opted for a vertical camera bump, which comes in colours different from the colour on the rear covering.
Speaking of colours, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G comes in six colour variants and they include Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red. It has the most colour options in the series.
One of the things to note about build quality is that we have a glass rear covering as opposed to the plastic covering which the standard S21 has on board.
Moving upfront, we have a 6.7-inch display, which is pretty much the same size as the display on its predecessor, however, there is reduction in resolution and density. Here we have a resolution 1080 x 2400 and a density of 394 PPI, as opposed to the 1440 x 3200 resolution and 525 PPI on its predecessor.
Whats more, we have a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
The Cameras
The Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G are pretty much the same as the ones on its less premium sibling. It also share DNA with its predecessor, a DNA with sprinkled improvements.
On the rear, we have a 12MP primary wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/1.8, a 64MP telephoto camera with an aperture of f/2.0, a 12MP with an aperture f/2.2 and a 120˚ field of view. You get phase detection autofocus and Optical Image Stabilisation. This rear camera setup is capable of shooting videos up to ultra 8k @ 24fps. Please refer to the specs sheet below for info on the other video recording modes.
On the selfie side, we have a single 10MP lodged in a punch hole on the display. This camera has an f/2.2 and can shoot videos up to 4k @ 60fps.
Hardware and Software
There isn’t really much to be wowed about the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G in my opinion. The processor is pretty much the star this year. However, this change shouldn’t be undermined, as it facilitates some new capabilities.
Under the hood, we have an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor on the USA / China Variants and Octa-core Exynos 2100 on the international variant, 8GB RAM, options for either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage and a non-removable 4800 mAh battery, which is by 300mAh bigger than the battery on its predecessor.
You get more options if you go for the top of the line Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
On the software side, we have the One UI 3.1 user interface running on the Android 11 interface.
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Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Plus features a USB Type-C Port, low-energy Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, dual-band WiFi.
Internet connectivity on here is capped at 5G, which means users can utilize 5G connectivity for downloads, uploads, and streaming.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G Price and Availability
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G price starts at $899 for the 8GB / 128GB variant. The Galaxy S21 Plus 5G costs around 480,000 Naira in Nigeria, 125,000 KES in Kenya, 16,950 EGP in Egypt, and 6,115 GHS in Ghana.
The smartphone was announced on January 14th, 2020, and is expected to be available for purchase as from January 29th, 2020.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G Specs
Here are a few specs of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus 5G
- Platform: Android 11, One UI 3.1
- Processor: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 Octa-Core Processor (2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 2.42 GHz tri-core Kryo 680 & 1.80 GHz quad-core Kryo 680) – USA / China – Exynos 2100 (Octa-core 2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2.80 GHz tri-core Cortex-A78 & 2.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A55)
- GPU: Mali-G78 MP14 (International) – Adreno 660 (USA/China)
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Colours: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red
- Dimension: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm
- Weight: 200 g (Sub6), 202 g (mmWave)
- SIM Type: Nano-SIM
- SIM Count: Dual-SIM
Display
- Display: 6.7-Inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1080 x 2400 Pixels (394 ppi), ~87.2% Screen-to-body Ratio, 120Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
- Foldable Display: No
Camera
- Rear Camera: 12MP (Primary, Wide) f/1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS + 64MP (Telephoto) f/2.0, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom + 12MP (Ultrawide) f/2.2, 120˚ FOV, Video Stabilisation
- Rear Camera Features: LED flash, auto-HDR, Panorama, 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
- Front Camera: 10MP Camera, f/2.2, Dual video call, Dual Pixel PDAF, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 128GB / 256GB
- Memory Card Support: No
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- 2G CDMA 1X: 800 / 1900
- 3G WCDMA: 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
- 3G CDMA EVDO: CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
- 4G LTE: LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71
- 5G: SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes
- 5G: Yes
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
- NFC: Yes
- Infrared Blaster: No
- USB Port: USB Type-C (USB 3.0), USB on the Go
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: –
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: Yes
- Video Player: Yes
- FM Radio: Yes (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent)
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: No
Navigation
- Navigation: A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: Yes
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (Under display, ultrasonic)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: Yes
- Stylus Pen: Yes
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Google Assistant, Bixby
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: –
- Wireless Charging: Yes, Qi / PMA Wireless Charging (15W Capacity) + 4.5W Reverse wireless charging
- Built-in Mobile Payment: Samsung Pay
- Water Resistant: Yes (IP68 – up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
- Dust Resistant: Yes
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: –
- Document Viewer: –
- Document Editor: –
Battery
- Battery: 4800 mAh Non-Removable Li-Po Battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: 25W Fast Charging Capacity, USB Power Delivery 3.0, 15W Wireless Charging Capacity
