Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultrachat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

The camera and overall build hold up remarkably well years later. Multiple owners report using the phone for a year or more with zero problems, calling it a monster and one of the best Android phones ever. The camera was cited as the specific reason for switching from iPhone after over a decade, and Samsung's continued software updates, including a camera improvement update well after launch, impressed users who saw performance and even battery life improve over time.

Removing the microSD slot, charger, and earbuds sparked lasting backlash. Commenters repeatedly call the missing SD slot a slap in the face and a complete dealbreaker, especially since 8K video recording demands huge storage and cloud backups aren't reliable without connectivity. Others point out the irony of Samsung mocking Apple for dropping the charger and earphones, only to do the same. Several say this pushed them to buy pricier storage tiers or skip the phone entirely.

Real-world performance shows some cracks in specific conditions. One long-term Exynos owner reports indoor low-light photos are noisier and blurrier than expected, with night mode only partially fixing it, and says performance drops sharply once battery falls below 15%, sometimes losing multiple percent per minute in sleep mode. Emulation is also noted as weak on the Exynos chip, though overall display, build quality, and gaming performance were still called good.