Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Price:
Discontinued
(originally launched at $799.99)
128GB variant · Original US launch price · Launched January 2021
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is the base flagship of the S21 series, featuring a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 888 (US) or Exynos 2100 (Global) chipset, triple rear camera system (12MP Wide + 64MP Telephoto + 12MP Ultra-wide), 10MP front camera, 8GB RAM, 4,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging, wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, and 5G connectivity.
LAUNCH
| Announced | January 14, 2021 |
| Released | January 29, 2021 |
| Status | Discontinued |
DISPLAY
| Screen Size | 6.2 inches |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+) |
| Pixel Density | ~421 ppi |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz (48-120Hz adaptive) |
| Display Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, HDR10+ |
| Brightness | ~1300 nits (HDR peak) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
PERFORMANCE
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (US) / Samsung Exynos 2100 (Global) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 — Snapdragon / Mali-G78 MP14 — Exynos |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.1) |
| Operating System | Launched with Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| Security | In-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner |
GAMING PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
| PUBG Mobile / BGMI | Stable at 60 FPS on Smooth + Extreme settings. On 90 FPS bypass modes, the device heats up quickly and triggers thermal throttle. |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Constant 60 FPS on Low Graphics + Max Frame Rate. Frame drops occur on Very High graphics settings. |
| Free Fire Max | Easily locks at 60 FPS on max settings. |
| Genshin Impact | On Medium preset, it starts at 55-60 FPS but throttles down to 40-45 FPS after 10-15 minutes due to heating. |
FPS OPTIMIZATION TIPS
| Graphics Settings | Lower the graphics to "Smooth" and keep Frame Rate to "Extreme/Max" for fast-paced FPS games, as high graphics texture loads increase strain. |
| Thermal Throttling | Both Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 generate heat. Without an external cooling fan, frame drops are guaranteed after 30 minutes of continuous gaming. |
BENCHMARK — ANTUTU & GEEKBENCH RESULTS
| AnTuTu v10 / v11 Total | Around 899,100 – 1,115,971 points |
| AnTuTu CPU | ~416,000 – 435,000 |
| AnTuTu GPU | ~195,000 – 216,000 |
| AnTuTu Memory | ~170,000 – 189,000 |
| AnTuTu UX | ~301,000 – 346,000 |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | ~1,521 (Snapdragon) / ~1,400 (Exynos) |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | ~3,837 (Snapdragon) / ~3,500 (Exynos) |
Benchmark results are typical third-party figures; actual scores vary by software version, temperature, testing conditions and individual device variant.
REAR CAMERA
| Main Camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Telephoto | 64 MP, f/2.0, 3x Hybrid Optic Zoom, PDAF, OIS |
| Ultra Wide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 120° FOV |
| Photo Digital Zoom | Up to 30x Space Zoom (digital) |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, 8K video recording |
FRONT CAMERA
| Camera | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | HDR |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30fps |
VIDEO RECORDING
| Rear Video | 8K @ 24fps, 4K UHD @ 60fps, 1080p @ 30/60/240fps, 720p @ 960fps (Super Slow-mo), HDR10+ |
| Slow Motion | 1080p @ 240fps, 720p @ 960fps |
| Front Video | 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30fps |
BATTERY
| Battery Capacity | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired Charging | 25W Super Fast Charging |
| Wireless Charging | Yes — Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W) |
| Reverse Wireless Charging | Yes — Wireless PowerShare |
CONNECTIVITY
| 5G | Yes — Sub-6 / mmWave |
| 4G LTE | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 with LE |
| NFC | Yes (Samsung Pay support) |
USB & DISPLAY OUTPUT
| Connector | USB Type-C |
| USB Speed | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Display Output | Samsung DeX support |
SIM & NETWORK
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
NAVIGATION & LOCATION
| GPS | Yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS |
SENSORS
| Fingerprint | Yes — In-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner |
| Motion | Three-axis Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer, Hall sensor |
| Other Sensors | RGB Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor |
AUDIO & MULTIMEDIA
| Speakers | AKG-tuned Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos |
| 3.5mm Headphone Jack | No |
BUILD & PROTECTION
| Frame | Aluminum frame |
| Front Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Back Protection | Plastic back — unlike S21+ and S21 Ultra which use Gorilla Glass Victus on the back |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 1.5 meters up to 30 minutes) |
| Dimensions | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 169g (sub6), 171g (mmWave) |
COLORS
| Available Colors | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink |
STORAGE & PRICE
| 128GB | Discontinued (originally $799.99) |
| 256GB | Discontinued (market-dependent pricing) |
MISC
| Model Numbers | SM-G991B (Exynos), SM-G991U (Snapdragon) |
Overall: The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G offers a 6.2-inch 120Hz display, a 4,000mAh battery, and a versatile triple camera setup. It features the Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 processor, 8K video recording, and 25W Super Fast Charging. It was discontinued after the release of the S22 series.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S21 5G IN 2026: IS IT STILL WORTH BUYING?
| Performance | Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 with 8GB RAM handles daily tasks and gaming well. Android 15 (One UI 7) is the final major version supported. |
| Display | 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2400x1080) with 120Hz refresh rate. |
| Camera | Triple 12MP + 64MP + 12MP camera with 3x Hybrid Optic Zoom, 8K video recording, and 30x Space Zoom. |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC. 5G supported. |
Core specifications are based primarily on Samsung's official technical specifications; benchmark figures and other third-party measurements are compiled separately from tested units.