Galaxy S21: Samsung copies Apple again, and both Android and iPhone fans suffer

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 line has enough for that. The exhibits were improved, the processor got faster and the cameras were upgraded to take sharper photos and videos. And at a $ 200 cheaper starting price than the Galaxy S20, is once again an enticing alternative to Apple’s latest iPhones.

Read more: Watch CNETs Galaxy S21 review and Galaxy S21 Ultra Review

But by apparently taking a page out of Apple’s playbook, Samsung is enlarging a few things. There is again no headphone jack, the microSD card slot is gone en a a fast charger is no longer included in the container. To some, it’s like Samsung’s copying Apple the wrong way.

Of course, some of these changes should no longer come as a surprise. Last few years Galaxy S20 line does not have a headphone jack, and most more expensive phones have said goodbye to the port while companies are pushing Bluetooth earbuds and phones. (Samsung unveiled its latest surprise $ 200 Galaxy Buds Pro Earplugs on the same occasion as the S21.) This year, Samsung, like Apple with the iPhone 12, went a step further and also removed the embedded headphones, which makes sense because it wants to make it clear that people need to buy its wireless buttons.

However, it gives up to $ 200 in Samsung credit for those who order its new phones directly from Samsung.com. The credit can be used to buy some Buds Pro or other accessories, which softens the blow for at least early adopters.

The microSD card slot was apparently also on borrowed time. Samsung has already dropped the expandable storage option on its foldable phones, and a number of other manufacturers have rejected the capability or ignored it for a long time. Apple and Google have never supported the expansion of microSD storage for their phones, while OnePlus only has the option available for its more affordable Nord series.

“Over time, the use of SD card on smartphones has decreased significantly as we have expanded the storage options for consumers,” the South Korean electronics giant said in a statement. The company notes that its phones have at least 128GB of storage, while also supporting 5G and Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless transfers to and from cloud storage platforms such as Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive.

While I can understand why it is frustrating for some power users, the idea of ​​losing the microSD card slot never really bothered me. I also appreciate that the base storage option is 128 GB across the board, not 64 GB like on Apple’s iPhone 12 and 12 Mini.

So long, fast charger included

However, what I will really miss is the power adapter.

Apple kicked off this ‘trend’ last year when they announced it would happen no longer includes a drawer with its latest iPhones. Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives, said at the time that removing products from the box would be better for the environment because it reduces waste (although some analysts have pointed out) a good financial benefit to the side to profit from the sale of accessories).

Apple’s 5-watt USB chargers, which have been included with most iPhones for years, are largely wasteful in 2021 and end up in a drawer or box. It would have been great for Apple to include a faster USB-C charger as with the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, but by abandoning the slow charger, the company can easily claim that it helps the environment, as so many people have the same charger from various other Apple products they have purchased over the years.

Read more: Samsung’s Galaxy S21 upgrades are unlikely to put an end to Galaxy FE or Note lines. Train

Samsung, like Apple, says they are dropping the embedded powerstone to help the environment. Federico Casalegno, Samsung’s senior vice president of experience planning and its center for design innovation, explained during Thursday’s virtual press conference that “many of our users prefer to reuse their current chargers and headphones and leave the new ones unused.” Like Apple, Samsung is shrinking its packaging for the S21 line in an effort to reduce its footprint.

Unlike Apple chargers, Samsung’s chargers have become more useful to me over time, as the company’s embedded power bricks can charge devices quickly via USB-C. For the Galaxy S20, Samsung has included a 25 Watt fast charger, which is actually good.

The company says on its website for the S21 Ultra 5G that using the same type of power adapter can recharge the Ultra’s 5,000 mAh battery in about an hour.

Any effort to help the environment and solve the growing e-waste problem should be praised, but instead of abandoning features, it would have been great to see Samsung take the lead and embrace new technologies like gallium nitride for its chargers. This technology not only provides a fast way to charge, but is also more energy efficient, wasting less heat compared to traditional silicone chargers.

If it offered new, faster chargers with the S21, with an incentive of a few dollars extra for people to swap their older chargers with their phones, it could drop the conversation. By recycling much older chargers and giving users a more energy-efficient way to power their flashy new phones, Samsung will still help the environment, but not take away a useful feature from consumers.

And it’s not like these new gallium nitride chargers are too expensive. A new AmazonBasics 30-watt USB-C GaN Charger is available for less than $ 20, approximately the the same price Samsung charges for a new 25 watt power adapter on its website.