Samsung Galaxy S21+ Plus 5G (256GB, Black) AU - Pristine review

If you've read the full review, you would have noticed my positive attitude towards the Galaxy S21+. If you are neutral, then this is a modern, beautiful, speedy, and extremely capable smartphone with a decent array of cameras after taking the 3x zoom out of the equation (which turns out to be a...

Brilliant 120 Hz display, Exynos 2100 chipset, Fresh design, Well-built, Great triple camera performance, OneUI 3.1 with long term updates

Telephoto camera performance not up to par, No microSD memory card slot, 4,800 mAh battery life, S-Pen incompatibility, Simply too few innovations

Samsung Galaxy S21+ Plus 5G (256GB, Black) AU - Pristine review

For the last several years, Samsung's flagship Galaxy S phones have been split into three variants: a kitchen sink smartphone at the high-end, an entry-level device, and that phone in the middle you probably don't think about.

Flat display A flat OLED is more comfortable to use than a curved one, and this is a very good panel., Thin and light The S21+ is substantially thinner and lighter than the S21 Ultra.

No microSD You'll have to make do with the included storage on Samsung's latest phones., Software Samsung's One UI has improved a lot, but there are still more ads and bloatware than there ought to be on a $1,000 phone., No real telephoto camera Samsung's fancy "hybrid" zoom is digital, not optical.

Samsung Galaxy S21+ Plus 5G (256GB, Black) AU - Pristine review

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is a great device that is a good middle ground between the cheaper S21 and more expensive S21 Ultra.

Beautiful 120Hz display, Great battery life that easily lasts a day, The matte finish makes it easier to hold, Solid performance with no slowdowns, Great camera with good video and low-light performance

No MicroSD card slot and storage maxes out at 256GB, No wall adapter included in the box, The in-display fingerprint sensor doesn’t work all the time

Samsung Galaxy S21+ Plus 5G (256GB, Black) AU - Pristine review

In terms of specifications, the Galaxy S21+ might look very similar to the Galaxy S20+ on paper. However, Samsung has enhanced the user experience in every way, and it shows. The Galaxy S21+ has a sense of refinement that the Galaxy S20+ simply lacked.

Excellent display, Great battery life, Competent camera

Power adapter not bundled, Buggy software

Samsung Galaxy S21+ Plus 5G (256GB, Black) AU - Pristine review

“The Galaxy S21+ 5G is a classier, bigger version of the S21, and while it has excellent quality, it doesn't drastically improve on the S20+, or reach the heights of the S21 Ultra.”

Classy metal-and-glass body, Stunning screen performance, Capable camera

Lacks a 2021 flagship camera, S21 Ultra is substantially better in many ways