Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Worth the upgrade?

Samsung is all set to launch the new Galaxy S21 series on January 14th this year. But are the new phones worth the upgrade over last year's S20 lineup or even the S9s of 2019? Many doesn't think that the new S21 lineup has any new prominent features that will make users to wait in lines for the new devices. Samsung has also dropped some features on the S21 and S21+ plus to make the ultra model more appealing and for users to spend that extra cash. 

The main feature drop that will make users think twice before upgrading to the new S21 and S21+ is the removable of the micro SD card slot. The phones are capable of 8K video recording that eats a ton of storage, even the 4K video also consumes a lot of storage and Samsung's decision to remove the SD card slot might steer some customers away from the S21 and S21+. But the ultra has an SD card slot, making it's mammoth price(not finalized)  look ok. 

Another spec that has been dropped from the S21 and S21+  is Quad HD displays. Samsung flagships have had 2K displays for a long time and dropping this feature can affect some customers, however, previous Samsung flagships always had to choose between 120hz refresh rate or 2K resolution, as you can't use them both simultaneously. If you ask me, I would pick the FHD + 120hz mode anytime like most of the users. But the S21 ultra gets an LTPO 120hz display, which means that the device can support 120hz and QHD resolution at the same time. This trend continues as Samsung drops saves a majority of the extra features for its big boy: the ultra.

It is even rumoured that the S21 may have a plastic back instead of glass. Many users use a case, but the feel of the glass back in your hand makes you think that the price you paid was worth it, Samsung may cover for this by dropping the starting price of the S21 lower than that of the S20. The S21 and S21+ also doesn't get that much of an upgrade in terms of camera as both the phones have the same set of lenses from last year but with an improved ultrawide sensor. As expected, Samsung has saved their 10X telephoto and all the big numbers for the ultra, making the S21 and S21+ look stupid.

So who all will but the new phones? The ultra model definitely is a big upgrade over the S20 ultra, but the regular ones are not that good value if you're living in regions where Samsung sells Snapdragon variants. The SD865 is a fast and capable processor, and the cameras are good enough. If you get a discount or a good deal, the S20 and S20+ are really good phones. But for people living in other regions where Exynos models are sold, this years S21 and  S21+ maybe for you as the performance disparity between the SD 888 and Exynos 2100 is very small, some leaks even show that the Exynos 2100 is more powerful than its Snapdragon counterpart. So if you considered the S20 or S20+ last year and looked away due to the Exynos 990, the S21 and S21+ will more likely end up in your pocket.