The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Realme GT are both relatively affordable flagships, so which one should you choose?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 was one of the most affordable flagship phones of early 2021, but the Realme GT is here to take things to another level. Both phones make clever compromises on build and components in order to achieve a more reasonable price tag, all whilst retaining a sense of speed and fluidity. But they take fascinatingly different routes to their goal. So which of these smartphone cruiserweights is the best buy in the second leg of 2021? Let’s dive in and take a closer look. The Samsung Galaxy S21 was released on January 29, 2021, with prices starting from $799 / £769 / AU$1,249 for 128GB of storage. There’s also a 256GB model, which costs $849.99 / £819 / AU$1,349. These prices remain the same on Samsung’s website, but given how deep we are into the Galaxy S21’s reign you’ll find deals aplenty elsewhere. The Realme GT was rolled out in March 2021 at a price of €449 with 128GB of storage. That works out to about $550 / £390 / AU$710. While that’s a fair bit cheaper than the Galaxy S21, the mere fact that we’re having to provide estimates for most key western regions tells you something. Yes, the Realme GT is technically on sale in the UK, but you’ll have to go through an importer. It isn’t set for release in the US or Australia. Samsung stepped away from glass for the rear panel of the Galaxy S21, and embraced plastic. Sure, it calls this new material ‘Glasstic’, but make no mistake: it’s plastic. The frame is still solid aluminum, however, and the front is made from top-quality Gorilla Glass Victus. This still feels like a high-class piece of work, just slightly less so than other recent Galaxy S phones. We love how it looks, particularly the phone’s ‘Contour Cut’ camera module. It curves and swoops and melds into the frame of the phone, making a feature of something that’s so often an eyesore. As always, Samsung comes up with the goods when it comes to color options, with a choice of Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Pink, and Phantom Violet. We called the Realme “a little on the small side” in our review. At 158.5 x 73.3 x 8.4mm, however, it’s quite a bit bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S21, which measures 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm. It’s also a lot heavier than Samsung’s phone: 186g as opposed to 169g. If minimizing pocket imprint is an important consideration, then the Galaxy S21 is your phone. The Realme GT makes its own visual statement. Its design isn’t anywhere near as classy as the Samsung’s, but our test model’s yellow faux-leather rear and black glass racing strip certainly stand out. In terms of materials, Realme opts for a plastic frame rather than an aluminum one, which means it’s not quite as solid or premium as the Galaxy S21. Only the Galaxy S21 gets an IP68 rating, too. Both phones go with flat displays, with punch-hole selfie cameras at the top. The Galaxy S21 places it centrally, though, while the Realme GT moves it to the left corner. While we’re addressing the fronts of these phones, both go with in-display fingerprint sensors. The Galaxy S21’s is 70% bigger than before, and also goes with a unique ultrasonic format rather than the GT’s more traditional optical solution.
