Customer reviews from Samsung US
Samsung - Refurbished Excellent - Galaxy S21 5G 128GB (Unlocked) - Phantom Violet
Average customer rating
4.6
(3,065 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 3,065 reviews
5 Stars
2,249
4 Stars
590
3 Stars
126
2 Stars
43
1 Star
57
94%of customers recommend this product.
(
2,747 out of
2,929)
Customer Reviews for Samsung - Refurbished Excellent - Galaxy S21 5G 128GB (Unlocked) - Phantom Violet
Customer Rating
5
Exceeds all expectations
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: Sherwin C
from Chicago, IL
Expertise:Intermediate
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Completely exceeds all expectations. Moving on from a Note 9 (which is still an excellent phone in 2021!), I wanted an upgrade to improve my camera without spending a huge amount of money, as I already have a full Sony A7r iii for my main photography needs. This phone meets all those needs and more.
First off, the main camera performs wonderfully despite being a base level model. Images are sharp with good dynamic range and detail. It's a bonus that you can also take 64mp photos as well. Other photographer friends have commented in disbelief that a cell phone is capable of capturing so much detail (though good lighting is required). On some fast action shots from a distance, there is a small difference between what is seen on screen and what is captured, but this is likely to avoid out of focus shots. The ultrawide camera is good, though there's a bit of distortion at times but a fairly good performer at this price range. The zoom is solid, performs well in good light and average in low-light (though still more usable than most older phones). The macro capability is nice, not exceptionally sharp but it allows for much closer focusing than most phones. Overall, if you stick mostly to the main sensor you will be very pleased at the image quality which is an enormous improvement over models before the S20/S21 series.
As a phone, this also works great. The 5G signal is strong in my area and Wi-fi works great. The quality of the microphone is excellent as it picks up the voice very clearly, even from a distance on speakerphone. The speaker volume is quite loud and can be turned up fairly high without causing distortion.
As a gaming device, the display is quite bright and is easily visible in strong sunlight. There is plenty of RAM so I can keep quite a bit of applications in memory without closing. The processor is quite fast, with a noticeably faster loading time than my previous phone. The only drawback is a decrease in display quality from a more premium model. In terms of color accuracy, this isn't really noticeable for professional work. However, the decrease in resolution does make the image seem a little less sharp and allows for fewer items to be on screen at once. For most users, the resolution of 2400x1080 is great but only seems a little worse because the Note 9 had a resolution of 2960x1440.
Battery life is great, easily gets through the day without any issue and makes a separate battery pack unnecessary (the phone also charges relatively fast). Size is great, with a generous display area and still able to fit comfortably in one hand. As the phone is generally in a case, the plastic back isn't very noticeable. Scratch resistance is excellent as dropping the device and putting it in the same pocket with keys hasn't resulted in any noticable scratches at all. The device pairs well with bluetooth headphones, so the loss of the 3.5mm jack isn't an issue at all. Finally, the fingerprint reader is very fast and accurate, even with a screen protector on.
Overall, highly recommended. After my great experience my family bought 3 more additional devices and have been very satisfied with their purchase.
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Great camera
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: RG AQUATICS
from PEKIN, ILLINOIS
Expertise:Intermediate
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have had the phone for about 4 months.
Camera is awesome
Camera is awesome
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Easy to use
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: JACKFROST1
from Superior wi.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've had my phone for awhile now and love it. I have the watch too and love them both.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
4
The full screen size
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: Abujmeai
from Houston,TX
Expertise:Expert
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought this 2 weeks ago and am trying to familiarize with it
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
4
Performance
4
Design
5
Value
4
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Fast and easy to use
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: Landscaper2002
from Gerrardstown, WV
Expertise:Intermediate
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've had my s21 about a month and I'm completely satisfied so far. It is faster than my S8 I had, has more storage, and takes awesome pictures, even on zoom.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
4
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
4
Great features!
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: Rootdaddy
from Columbus OH
Expertise:Intermediate
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Great phone good design more than 10 hours battery.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
5
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
4
Great camera
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: Tlmarez
from Belen NM
Expertise:Expert
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I love the camera and the detail when you take the pictures
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
4
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
4
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
4
Takes time to navigate
on September 1, 2021
Posted by: Megs
from Old Saybrook, CT
Expertise:Intermediate
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I am an iPhone to Android user and, while the battery life and photo quality of the S21 is a vast improvement -- learning how to navigate the OS continues to take time to master. I have had this phone for over a month and am still learning where to find settings. My only complaint is the Android OS is not as intuitive as the iOS, and that music I purchased on iTunes has to be accessed behind a paywall -- such as YouTube premium or Apple Music -- or an app with ads. On the flip side, I am thrilled I can use my music as ringtones and not buy ringtone versions of songs I already own. If Android comes out with a service where I can listen to my music I already purchased without needing to pay a subscription or sit through ads -- then they will truly blow Apple out of the water.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
4
Performance
5
Design
5
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US