The new Galaxy S21 is great but can it follow fill the S20’s legendary shoes…

Samsung kicked off this year with the Galaxy S21 and we can’t wait to get our hands on it. The thing is, we all loved the Galaxy S20 so much, we’re worried we won’t be able to feel the same about this newbie.

The S20 is like your favourite movie of all time, then you see there's going to be a sequel and you panic. Will it be as good? Will I love it as much? Will they ruin everything I've ever known? And so on.

So, before we throw all our attention at this new addition, we wanted to make sure it could live up to the standard that’s already been set. Spoiler alert… it can.

Does the display dazzle?

When it comes to our phones, we want a display that dazzles us. We want the brightness, the size, the resolution, the smoothness, we want it all, frankly. The S20 boasts an impressive 6.2-inch screen but leaves users with a difficult decision.

They can choose to enjoy a Quad HD+ setting, with a bog standard 60Hz refresh rate or enjoy a Full HD+ setting with a much smoother 120Hz refresh rate. What they can’t do, is get the full works.

The great news is that the S21 packs a beautiful Full HD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, meaning you get a display that not only delivers seamless scrolling but great resolution. If you’re wanting a bigger screen than the S20, the S21 is not for you.

Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S21.
You'll get the ultimate viewing experience with the Galaxy S21.

Measuring at 6.2-inches and reaching the same peak brightness of 1300 nits, Samsung stuck with the things you love about the S20. Opt for the Galaxy S21 and become a movie star yourself as you get transported to the centre of all the action in your favourite movies.

Is the design daring?

Samsung certainly haven’t played it safe with the new Galaxy S21 design. From the front, you may not notice too much of a difference from the Galaxy S20, but if you look close enough and really explore it, you’ll see some fantastic improvements.

We’ll kick things off with the glass front. The Galaxy S20 blew us away last year with its tough Gorilla Glass 6 and we weren’t sure how the new S21 would compare. However, boasting Gorilla Glass Victus, the S21 brings new levels of strength and can survive that everyday wear and tear at a more extreme level.

It’s not just durability where the S21 excels, the beauty of the design surpasses anything we’ve seen previously on Samsung. For starters, we’ve got an extra colour to choose from when we compare it to the S20.

Say goodbye to Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, and Cloud Pink. They’re soo last year. The S21 brings us four new unseen colours that’ll have you going nuts. Will you opt for classic Phantom Grey or elegant Phantom White? Or will you make a statement and go for the Phantom Violet or Phantom Pink?

The S21 in all four available colours.
Which colour has caught your eye? 

The point is, whichever one of these stunning colours takes your fancy, you’re guaranteed to love it. The S21 also has some design differences in the back, particularly with the materials used.

Samsung have opted for a plastic back on the S21, as oppose to the glass backing on the S20. You can choose to take this as a positive or a negative. Some people argue that it makes it look cheaper whereas some state that it makes it more durable.

This change-up in material is what we think has lead to the S21 being cheaper than the S20 at launch. We’ll leave this decision up to you, are you a glass back super-fan or a practical plastic lover…

Does the camera capture it all?

For many of us, it’s the camera on a phone that truly sells us. The S21 and S20 both pack fantastic triple camera systems, that have lenses to make every moment a photo opportunity.

Both have a cracking 12MP wide lens, an impressive 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a whopping 64MP telephoto lens, you’ll be able to make your memories last a lifetime this year. They also take care of the selfie lovers and offers a top 10MP front camera, so you can get snaps ready to upload straight to social media.

Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S21 in Phantom Pink.
The S21 camera does not disappoint. 

So, what’s different between the two then? You ask. Well, if you’re that type of person who loves to record absolutely everything, you’re going to want to go for the S21. The newbie from Samsung boasts 8K video recording, which is a huge step up from the 4K on the S20.

Whether you’re gearing yourself up to capture your little one playing the star of the show in their school play or want to get fancy looking videos of your dog, the S21 will deliver flawless footage in an instant.

Is its performance as powerful as before?

The S21 takes the upper hand when it comes to mobile performance. It’s not just an ever so slight upgrade either, it boasts a 20% performance upgrade over the S20, curtesy of its Exynos 2100 chip.

Combine this with Samsung’s top 5G tech and you’ve got a recipe for great gaming, higher-quality streaming, and super-fast downloads. One area where the S21 does fall short, is with its RAM.

The S20 blew every gamers mind when it was announced to pack 8GB of RAM, and we were crossing our fingers that the S21 would have this too. Well... It does guys - long live the razor sharp gaming!

Both the S21 and S20 are top options for those who require lots of power. They both have a 4000mAh battery, giving users enough juice to get them through their day. If you do need a quick charge, both phones support fast charging, meaning you can get going again in a hurry.

It passes our test…

We don’t want to deter you away from the S20, it has been our best-selling Samsung for some time now. But unfortunately, the time has come for us to move on and we sadly no longer stock it.

We wanted to assure you that the S21 can certainly fill the S20’s legendary shoes and we look forward to it quickly becoming the new customer favourite. You can pre-order the S21 today and enjoy it as soon as Friday 29 January.

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S21 today.