My Honest Take on Samsung's Latest Phone for $500

I've had this Samsung phone for a relatively short time, but I've already gotten used to it. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first, especially given my previous experience with the Xiaomi MI10T, which I loved. I used it for two whole years. But I'll give Samsung a chance, and I'll be using this phone for a while.

This phone packs some serious punch: a 6.7-inch FHD+ sAMOLED+ 120Hz display, a 108MP camera, a battery that lasts for two whole days, and super-fast 5G connectivity – all in a sleek, thin body. Plus, the built-in storage is 128/256GB, expandable up to 1TB.

This model comes in three colors: gray, white, and mint. I've got the mint one, and it looks great – the colors are beautiful and calming.

I'm really impressed with how lightweight and slim this phone is. It fits comfortably in my hand, making it a breeze to use on the go.

So, what do I like about this phone?

I'm really impressed with the design – it's tiny, thin, and has a huge screen. Plus, it's incredibly lightweight, making it a cinch to carry around. The sound quality is top-notch. The speakers produce deep, powerful, and rich sound – it's almost like having a speaker in my pocket! The screen is super bright, with vibrant colors that really pop, making it perfect for using outdoors. The large storage capacity of 256GB is a huge plus – I've got plenty of space for everything and more. The camera is also excellent – it's got tons of features, and I can take some really professional-looking photos. The 32MP selfie camera is pretty great, too.

Macro:

I've had zero issues with the phone freezing up on me – even with standard usage like music, messaging, or watching videos, I haven't noticed any lag. I don't play games on my phone, so I can't speak to performance in that regard.

The Bluetooth connectivity has worked flawlessly for me – it connects instantly to my smartwatch and headphones without any issues.

The charging speed is quick – it takes around an hour to fully charge the battery. In general, the battery lasts a full day, and if I'm not using my phone much, it'll easily last two days.

The phone also supports contactless payments, which is a nice touch.

Now, onto what really got my blood boiling...

The packaging was a letdown – I got the phone, a charging cable, and a SIM card ejector tool. That's it. No power adapter, no case, no screen protector... nothing. The Xiaomi Mi 10T box was a great example of what a complete package should look like. I was already annoyed that there were no headphones, but this was just ridiculous. I was left with a bare phone and a bunch of useless cables.

The charger that comes with the phone isn't standard, and it only has two Type-C ports, so you'll need a special adapter to charge it. Luckily, I still had an old charger lying around that worked. I'm not buying a new one, though. If you want to use this phone properly, you'll need to buy a few extra things: a power adapter, headphones, a case, and a screen protector. And if you want to use wired headphones, you'll need a Type-C adapter, too. I tried using my original Xiaomi adapter, but it didn't work. If you're buying all of this original stuff, it'll set you back another $70.

I was shocked by the packaging – I didn't even think about it when I bought the phone, but after the fact, I found myself running around town for three days looking for all the cables, adapters, and accessories I needed. It was a nightmare.

I've been messing around with the settings, and I'm happy to say it's easy to customize the phone to my liking without any hassle. The storage is plenty, so I can download movies directly to the phone and install all the apps I need.

While I'll definitely be using this phone, my next one will definitely not be a Samsung.