Like most years, 2021 has been a series of ups and downs in the mobile tech space. While there were highs like the rejuvenation of Wear OS, there were also the lows of losing LG as a smartphone maker. Samsung is no exception, and while I’d argue that it had a great year overall, there’s no denying there have been a few rough spots.
High: A true “ultra” phone
The Galaxy S20 Ultra from last year was far from Samsung’s best phones. The ideas were there, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The huge 120Hz display looked beautiful but used far too much battery. The 108MP camera was impressive, as long as your photos were in focus. The design was okay but uninspired. Thankfully, Samsung turned this around with the S21 Ultra that succeeded it.
The new display matched the old one in resolution and refresh rate, but the LTPO technology meant that it was more efficient, the reintroduction of laser auto-focus fixed most of the problems with the camera, and the new design, while iterative, was far more attractive. You’re probably used to seeing the image above on the site by now, but there’s a reason I felt compelled to take it while on my honeymoon earlier this year. It’s a beautiful phone. The S21 Ultra is the best kind of incremental update, fixing the vast majority of its predecessor’s issues to offer one of the best packages of the year.
High: The A52 5G is a great mid-ranger
Samsung’s A-series phones have been improving rapidly over the last few years, especially now that they’re guaranteed three years of OS upgrades and four years of security patches, matching Samsung’s flagships. Samsung released several phones in this series throughout 2021, but the A52 5G stands out above the rest. With a 6.5″ 1080p display at 120Hz, a Snapdragon 750G CPU, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage in addition to SD card expansion, and adequate cameras, this phone ticks a lot of boxes for $500.
You’ll find faster phones for this price, and the Pixel 5a has better cameras for less money. But those phones make compromises that the A52 doesn’t. I bought two of these (in the lovely purple) for my mum and nan earlier this year, and they couldn’t be happier with them. If you enjoy Samsung’s ecosystem and want a competent smartphone that doesn’t cost a fortune, and you don’t mind some questionable haptics, the A52 5G is a great choice.
High: Fantastic foldables
Samsung has been pushing foldables for three generations now, and the Z Flip3 and Fold3 are the best folding phones money can buy. From a distance, they only look like small upgrades over last year’s models, but look a little closer, and you’ll find more meaningful changes. The Flip3 finally has a useable cover display, the Fold3 has S Pen support, and both gained water resistance, a first in the foldable market.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend an extended period using the Fold3 as my daily driver, and I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s changed how I use my smartphone and my priorities when planning my next upgrade. Before October, I planned to get either the S22 Ultra next year or the Pixel 6 Pro this year. Now I plan to wait for the Fold4 next summer instead.
The Fold3 is still incredibly expensive, but the Flip3’s more accessible price tag means more people than ever before can use a foldable phone, and that’s a big win for the industry.
High: Galaxy Watch4 brings Wear OS back from the dead
The Galaxy Watch4 is the best Android smartwatch on the market, and it was the perfect upgrade from my aging Galaxy Watch Active2. Unlike my previous wearable, the Watch4 has ditched Tizen for a rejuvenated Wear OS 3, albeit with plenty of One UI goodness slathered over the top. Other than battery life that’s nothing to write home about, there’s a lot to love about this watch. It’s a shame that there aren’t any other Wear OS 3 devices yet, and there likely won’t be any time soon, but that doesn’t detract from the fact this is still an excellent device.
High: Excellent update speed
Samsung has steadily improved its update speed over the last few years, especially regarding monthly security patches. My S21 Ultra has gotten every monthly patch before any Pixel has, and it’ll continue to do so until 2025.
This year, the big surprise was the speed with which the company released One UI 4 based on Android 12. The beta started for the S21 series started in September, and less than a month after the Pixels got their update, Samsung was ready. Outside of the S21, all of Samsung’s currently supported flagships are enjoying a One UI 4 beta, with more stable updates set to arrive in the coming weeks.
Low: S21 FE delayed until 2022
The Galaxy S20 FE was a smash hit in 2020, taking all of the good parts from the regular S20 and paring them with a plastic back, slightly worse haptics, and a more traditional optical fingerprint scanner in a bid to bring the price down. While the S20 started at $1,000, the S20 FE was a much more reasonable $700. With the incredible success that the phone saw, it seemed obvious that there’d be a sequel, but sadly things haven’t gone to plan. The worldwide chip shortage is hurting a lot of industries, and it’s likely the reason the S21 FE was pushed back to early next year. It looks like we’ll get our hands on them on January 11th, 2022, and while it’ll hopefully be worth the wait, it’s a shame it didn’t arrive sooner.
Low: No Note
The original Galaxy Note made big phones cool in 2011, and it’s been a wildly popular series of phones ever since. Sadly, 2021 would be the first year since that wouldn’t see an updated Note released. Samsung tried to offer S Pen fans something, with the S21 Ultra and Z Fold3 both boasting S Pen compatibility, but it wasn’t the same. The stylus was sold separately, and neither the Fold3 nor the S21 Ultra could store the pen anywhere without a cumbersome case.
Like the delay of the S21 FE, the chip shortage is probably to blame for not seeing a new Note this year. There is a silver lining, though, as it seems Samsung will do something I’ve wanted for years — combine the S and Note line. Instead of releasing an S22 Ultra next year, it seems the range-topper will be called the S22 Note. Hopefully, that turns out to be the case, and we’ll be doodling away on the phone come spring.
Low: Earbuds shouldn’t hurt
Since the originals, I’ve been a fan of the Galaxy Buds, and I own a pair of all of them, except the new Buds2. The Galaxy Buds Pro came as a preorder bonus with my S21 Ultra, and while they sounded great and the ANC was a good addition, I found them uncomfortable after wearing them for more than three or four hours at a time. Turns out I wasn’t the only one, and many other users had an even worse experience.
The Buds Pro and Buds2 use nickel in their charging contacts, and one in ten people are sensitive to the metal, including everyone in my family. While I’ve been lucky and only get some mild itchiness after several hours, others have had a more severe reaction. Earbuds shouldn’t hurt, so I’d buy something else if this is a concern to you. Buying good wireless earbuds is a lot easier now than it used to be, and there are plenty of options to choose from.
Low: A “stable” update that bricked one of the most expensive phones on the planet
I know — I praised Samsung’s One UI 4 rollout a few sections ago. While the speed with which the company released the software is commendable, its effect on some Z Flip3 and Fold3 handsets wasn’t so good. The “stable” release that hit devices in South Korea was plagued with bugs, including lag, screen flickering, dark mode issues, and in extreme cases, bricked devices. To Samsung’s credit, the rollout was stopped before too many users were affected, and it quickly released another beta that fixed these issues.
Since then, the stable update has started to reach users again, and there aren’t any issues so far. Even so, paying nearly two grand for a phone that gets bricked by a supposedly stable update has got to leave a bad taste in your mouth, and while I’m sure Samsung will replace them on warranty, it simply shouldn’t have happened.
Low: Poor S21 sales
I believe the S21 Ultra to be one of the best phones of the year, and I’m not alone in that opinion. But despite everything it did so well, sales haven’t been great. Demand for the S21 series was reportedly lower than the S20 last year, despite the fact the S20 was considerably more expensive.
If I had to guess why this was the case, I’d lay the blame on the smaller S21 and S21+. They’re fine smartphones, but they’re barely any different from the S20 and S20+, and in some cases, they’re worse. They have the same cameras, lower-resolution displays, no SD card slot, and the baby S21 has a plastic back. The Galaxy S22 series is starting to look promising, so hopefully, they can make up for the disappointing numbers the S21 suffered from this year.
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