Tag: Meets expectations from a mid-range budget mobile phone.
Review date: Jun 7, 2020. All scores are subjective and are subject to revision over time.
Received: May 23, 2020.
Setup/Initialization: Easy, thanks to the Samsung Smart Switch app. I could install that app in my old Xiaomi Note 4, and it automatically transferred most of my apps within a few minutes during first startup visa wifi. That included contacts and chat messages. I was overjoyed that my contacts had not been messed up like the last two times I had switched mobile. It was all done in about 10 minutes. Manual effort was needed just to restore WhatsApp data backup from cloud, which is the way it must be done anyway.
Slight setback: For a couple of games that couldn't sync with my Google cloud, I sadly lost the data. Android 10 didn't let me manually copy those application folders from my old phone and restore them into my new phone. This was not a serious setback for me, I just started playing the games from scratch.
Dark Mode: Personally, this was one of the main reasons why I switched to a phone with Android 10, and AMOLED display. Xiaomi Note 4 had failed me on this point. Now most apps on my phone follow the system dark theme workout any issues, including most websites on Chrome (without using the Force Dark Mode experimental flag). I give Samsung Galaxy M21 a score of 10/10 for this particular feature.
Cameras: With the 3+ 1 cameras, wide angle option even for selfie camera, clarity of images (I don't expect professional quality photography from a mobile phone, specially at night), slo mo, ultra slo mo, Super Steady option for videos etc... I give it 9/10, and I'm extremely satisfied with that.
Fingerprint reader: No issues as of today. Score: 10/10.
Battery life: This phone has the biggest battery among all those I've used till now. In the last week of use, I've found the battery to last for a day on an average, even when playing assorted games, extensive browsing, using the phone as hotspot over an office VPN, streaming videos on YouTube and Prime. So as of now I would say it is working as advertised, so 10/10.
Size/Build/Weight: It is a big screen, so reaching the keyboard and the volume keys with one hand is a bit clumsy. But that is expected, I knew what I was buying. The back is glossy plastic, which is a fingerprint magnet, so I immediately got a back cover for overall protection. Even so, the phone is slightly heavier than expected, but I guess that's because of the large battery.
Overall Score: At this time, 9/10.
Product link:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HGH88GL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
