Samsung Galaxy M21, the ultimate mid-range phone by Samsung is a hit in the Nepali market. Since this phone is a mid-range phone, it comes with keeping the post-pandemic scenario in mind, where people search for value for money.
After using this phone for more than two months, we have concluded its overall specification, UI, and performance as a review of the Samsung Galaxy M21 phone. Here, we have put forward our experience using this device accurately and honestly possible. If you are trying to buy Samsung Galaxy M21 then, here is all you need to know about the smartphone.
M21 Specs Overview
Samsung M21 comprises of a 6.4 inch Super AMOLED display with 1080×2340 pixels resolution. It is built on Exynos 9611 SoC and runs on the Android ten operating system and is powered by Octa-core (2.3 GHz, Quad-core, Cortex A73 + 1.7 GHz, Quad-core, Cortex A53) processor. Now, as for the durability, it comes with a 6000 mAh battery with 15W fast charging. So, for a mid-range phone, it sure is a decent specification. Read all the details of the Samsung Galaxy M21 phone.
Since it is launched with its other sibling M31 and is a little less pricy, we thought to give a short review on the smartphone. So, since the day we received a review unit, what we found out is that it did feel texture-wise good and had a decent outlet compared to other phones, it came in a very stylish Raven Black color and looked good on hands as well. As we started with a full 100% battery, the utmost important and fantastic part was that the charge did last commendably for more than 43 hours due to its bulk battery.
Pros as it may vary:
Just a reminder, it lasted that long because I do not entirely use my phone on a maximum basis. I only use it as much as it’s required, so if you are pretty addicted to the phone or spend maximum time on your phone, we would say it will last longer for sure because it has a bulk 6000 mAh battery might not last for whole 43 hours. However, you will have a complete surety in terms of durability.
But, since it has a massive battery and a giant screen, using the phone with one hand is quite uncomfortable, and so is trying to reach out to the corners of the screen. Moreover, if you are a weight-conscious person when it comes to smartphones, you might want to think about buying it since it weighs 188g. This weight can be a long-term burden if you are used to carrying a light smartphone.
Looks/ Design and Texture:
As for the looks, it looks very upright and has an okay first impression, and in terms of design, it does have a smooth texture and a silky outlet. The Galaxy M21 has an exceedingly attractive raven black color and also gives a pleasing vibe while holding. What is more, the raven black color looks so beautiful while carrying around because it has a lovely classy vibe. So with a polycarbonate back, it does satisfy the color and texture quest.
But, something we do feel is that look-wise it could do much better because we know the looks and texture we have the option in the market can sometimes be deceiving and if people are looking for something glossy and vibrant, then M21 might not be the first choice.
So, if Samsung is set it to compete in the mid-range segment alongside some of the other best-selling smartphones like Redmi Note 8 series and recently launched Redmi Note 9 Pro, it has a place for improvement. Although the overall look and texture are quite good, there can always be room for improvement.
Display/ weight and protection:
It carries a heavy look and stunning feature with 6.4 inches Super AMOLED display that offers 1080×2340 pixels resolution. Also, it provides 420 nits of incredible max brightness. It also comes with a blue light filter, dark mode, and focus mode, and many other exciting screen features.
The ultimate fact is that it weighs 188 grams does play a role in the long-term burden. Since it has heavyweight, M21 is not the best fit for everyone as people do prefer light-weighted phones for long term vision.
As for protection, though, it comes with corning Gorilla Glass 3 for outer protection. But, this is not all we have for security, we also get so much more for digital well-being, and it has various features that add on for setting the screen on focus mode where we can choose between me time and work time as well, and this honestly is a perfect approach.
Read Budget-friendly Samsung A01 launched in Nepal.
Software:
The Galaxy M21 runs on Android 10 OS and provides a Samsung’s taste of the UI with the t extra features on top and its credit. The Galaxy M21 uses ONE UI 2.0 over Android 10. It is the latest version that makes a host of changes to the UI across the OS.
Most of the changes focus on improving the user experience and ease of use rather than just making things look different. I did feel a big difference in M21 software compared to its other devices, and also ONE UI 2.0 is straightforward to use with well thought out UI and feature-set.
The UI has many benefits, allowance of long screen-shot, super steady mode, and it also supports AR emoji installed in it. With AR emoji, you can also create your emoji. Also, it has always-on display mode that you can enable from settings, and this will allow you to take a look at your notifications and apps running in the background from the lock screen.
The One UI 2 also slots in all the new Android 10 features, such as the original permission options and some of the updated UI design paradigms, and it easy and pleasant to use. Where, on the other hand, I do wish that Samsung should have eased up a bit on the bloatware of the devices. It comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps.
Some of the apps are the ones we do not either need or use so that it can be room for improvement. However, we can safely say that the software is quite commendable and impressive, which is essential in a smartphone.
Read Samsung A51 is World’s best-selling phone in Q1 2020 >>
Performance:
Build on Exynos 9611 SoC and powered by Octa-core (2.3 GHz, Quad-core, Cortex A73 + 1.7 GHz, Quad-core, Cortex A53) processor. It is an octa-core chipset based on the newer but not quite the latest 10nm process. The review unit also had 4GB /64GB RAM and did provide excellent performance.
Its download speed, game performance, and various other features were very intriguing. Since it comes with Samsungs apps already downloaded with it, we can pair it easily with our galaxy buds and other devices.
Regarding the memory, the 4/64GB RAM gives full-on experience in terms of storage and app functioning. We are also very felicitous with speedy performance and RAM optimization. It lets us use the various bulk apps in a considerable quantity on the back screen without lagging.
Moreover, the gaming experience is also very superior; while playing PUBG, the gaming experience was quite impressive. It offered excellent camera viewing and smooth-transition along with unique color texture. So, the final thoughts on the performance are that all in all, for a mid-range phone, it is quite great. And can also be great competitors for other mid-range phones like Redmi and Realme.
Camera, Selfie, and More:
The triple camera setup, which is a combination of 48MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 5MP depth modules and the selfie camera 20MP on the Galaxy M21, is quite good and comes with auto HDR and auto color composition setting. It did give a very satisfactory picture experience, and the wide-angle is very good. There is a wide-angle option in the selfie department, which is very impressive and lets you adjust the amount of blur when you click the picture in live focus mode.
Moreover, you also get a scene optimizer option on the right side of the camera button. The AI will detect the photo and self-optimize the saturation, contrast, and various feature in your photo.
Also, the color adjustment is very unusual, and it comes with various features and filters in it, which gives impressive camera experience. However, although the night mode is decent, it could have been better. Taking pictures and video shooting at night is satisfactory but not as amazing as it is in the Redmi Note series. So, while the camera should have been the knockout factor, the night-mode might be a bummer for some of us.
With excellent camera experience and auto palm mode for selfie and the live focus, everything about the camera is very impressive. While the wide-angle is the show-stopper, some video settings might compensate for the poor night-mode.
Video:
Recording a video in M21 is an amazing experience. It is a delightful experience, and we were perplexed with the super-slow-motion capturer, it was amazing. The color gradient was enjoyably bright and fun. However, the night video shooting is not that impressive, so it was good during the day but not so much at night. The best part about the video mode is that it gives a super steady video output even when you are moving with a super steady mode.
Battery:
The bulk battery is the core feature and the most important factor on this phone. Even after abundance usage and a lot of downloads and playing a handful of games, the battery was still very optimized and lasted for a long time. So, the 6000 mAh battery is the show-stopper here, and we are delighted and happy with the battery functioning.
Verdict on Samsung M21 Review
All in all, Samsung Galaxy M21 is a charming mid-range mid-range phone that gives some fantastic features and a very satisfactory worth of time and money. It does have some flaws like heavyweight and average night shots. But, the pros to the cons, it has massive storage and great RAM, due to which a lot of apps function very smoothly, and there is no lagging.
The sound recording and internal features are commendable. Also, the fingerprint sensor is very adorable, and the charging, which lasts up to 43 hours, works very quickly with 15W fast charging.
I would rate galaxy M21 as a satisfactory device for a mid-range smartphone. Honestly, this phone will give a fantastic competition to all the mid-range phones in the market. So, we shall update it in the list of top phones under Rs 30,000 in Nepal.
As compared to Redmi Note 9, which comes with the same price tag (Rs 22,999), we think Samsung Galaxy M21 is also definitely worth the money as it comes with a giant 6000 mAh battery where the Note 9 comes with 5020 mAh battery. But, Redmi Note 9 is found better as it has a bigger screen with Gorilla Glass 5 protection where the M21 has GG3.
Find the updated price of all the Samsung phones available in Nepal.
In terms of quad-camera, chipset, and overall feature, honestly, Redmi Note 9 tops the chart. Although the Galaxy M21 is super amazing with AMOLED display and comes with the best budget triple camera that gives an amazing camera time along with having value for money, the device still has room for improvement. If you want a better option from Samsung itself, you can also go for Samsung Galaxy M31.
