Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, US Version, 128GB, Phantom Gray – Unlocked (Renewed)

Excellent so far
I ordered it on Sept 20th at $339 plus shipping of ~$34 and Morocco VAT of ~$80, so totally I paid $449.Delivery was very good. I saw it was shipped on the 25th. On the 30th, I received an SMS from DHL saying they planned delivery on Oct. 3rd, but on the same day I got an email asking for copy of national ID and content description for clearing customs. I am not a Morocco residents nor citizen, so I sent my foreign passport instead. On the 3rd, Amazon tracking info said clearing custom was delayed as additional documents were needed. So I called DHL, and the rep said it would be delivered on the 4th instead. On the 4th, I saw a newly posted message about delay on Amazon tracking. I called DHL various times but couldn’t get to anyone. I then sent an inquiry by email and get a response shortly saying it was being taking care of. Then late afternoon, I got the package.Upon arriving, the seal of the packing had an opening large enough to put in a hand but not for getting the phone out, so I didn’t complain.Unpacked, the inner packing of the phone was in excellent condition, very much like the original packing but had no Samsung marking, rather, it had a marking of “amazonrenewed”. There was a film covering the screen, like on a new phone. The phone appeared in excellent condition, only had a small scratch at the back when I looked in detail, and a hair of scratch on the screen that is only visible under bright light and in a particular angle. I tried but couldn’t turn on the phone – there was no response. The box also included a USB-C cable and a cheap non-Samsung charger made in China. I used my own Samsung Charger to charge the phone. After plugged in, it showed the battery was at 0. So I let it charge to full.After started, it turned out fully unlocked. My Morocco sim card works with 4G. The phone’s software looked already reset, but I reset it myself anyhow. Then updated to the latest system with Android 12, and loaded many apps I need. During about the first week, the battery appeared quite poor. With medium usage it lasted about a day. I tried all necessary settings to conserve battery, but it didn’t seem to help much. These couple days, it becomes much better, lasting about 45 hours. I read it was likely due to some AI processes either from Android 12 or Samsung doing the learning work at first.  But it’s pretty bad the phone doesn’t show any info.I would say I am very happy with the phone. And this is after having a terrible experience in the past with Samsung.The last Samsung phone I had was S7 Edge bought in Thailand (I am a traveler), new at a Samsung store for perhaps ~$800. I actually wanted the normal S7 (without the “edge”), but it was out of stock then. I never liked the “edge”, it was a silly design in my mind. The phone worked well initially, but in the coming couple of years I had a terrible experience. About 5 months later when I was in Vietnam, the screen started to show shaded bands across. As I was wondering how or if I should return to Thailand to get the phone serviced, the bands disappeared after a month. Then about another 7 months later when I was in Azerbaijan, the phone couldn’t start after I did a system update. So I couldn’t use the phone for a couple weeks until I reached Tbilisi in Georgia  when I had someone flashed it.  About a year later, it died on me again when I was in Morocco. I had someone re-flashed it, but it was not successful.  About 1 month later I reached the city of Fes where there is a Samsung service center.  After checking, they said there was something wrong with the motherboard. Very shocking!  I’ve never had such problem in my life with all the phones and computers, cheap or dear, and this was a flagship!  So eventually, I sold it to a local repair shop for $200, for which they said they only needed the screen. That was end of 2017.So I never bought a Samsung again, and would definitely not buy one at the full price. I admit the S series is not worthless.  At least, I like the camera.  But I never had a chance to buy one at a largely reduced price (I won’t buy from just any second-hand sellers).So now, the Amazon reviewed phone with some warranty got me interested. Yes, I have some risk, but to me with the past experience, the risk is not much higher than getting a new phone from Samsung, plus, I am putting in a much lower bet now.

Nice cell phone
This is my first time buying a cell phone from Amazon. I onky ever purchased directly through my carrier. I am 100% satisfied with this purchase. I will never buy strait from a carrier again. This cell phone arrived and looks brand new. The delivery eta was on par. Not one blemishes on this cell phone. The purple color is so pretty. It was so easy to activate/set up. I recommend this seller and this phone.

Lasted only a few weeks
The phone was in new condition, it came in a white box with a charger and usb cord. Works great and my only complaint was the size. The screen is very tall, but was far too narrow for a decent sized keyboard, so I am finding it difficult to type with large hands. Phone was perfect for its size. The actual screen width is 67mm vs the Ultra with a 79mm horizontal screen width. Update, phone screen stopped working and went black after a few weeks. Lost all my contacts and accounts. Note, phone came with Samsung messaging and was attempting to force what they called an upgrade to google messaging (malicious app) update: screen started working again at random, then mobile network quit for a few weeks, then randomly started working again. The end call button does not end calls at all, it is just for looks, a glitch across multiple models by samsung. There was never any issue with the hardware, it works well.. the samsung software and firmware just isnt what it used to be.

I broke my old phone and started shopping around for a used S21 on Marketplace/Kijiji for a replacement. Many phones had defects (scratches, dents) and others were not competitively priced. I was surprised to find Amazon refurbished phones selling at the same price as what was available on these websites (inclusive of sales taxes where I live), while also eliminating most risks associated with buying a used phone by providing a 90-day warranty and a 30-day return option. With the Amazon seller, there’s also no risk of the device being blacklisted.I received the phone a couple of days ago and I was very pleased when I first opened up the box. The phone was rated as “excellent” by the seller and it was indeed nearly perfect. You would only notice that it is used if you looked very closely under a bright light and observed micro scratches in a couple of places on the aluminium frame. Looking at it from beyond 10CM away, it’s nearly impossible to see any signs that it’s a used phone.I ran full diagnostics by dialing *#0*# AND I also used the Samsung Members app diagnostics test. I also checked the battery capacity. Everything appears to be stellar, including the battery life. The phone that I received also came with an original Samsung fast charger which was a pleasant surprise as well, as they advertise that it may come with a third-party unit in the ad.I was originally concerned given some of the reviews, but it’s been a great experience for me. Give it a shot, with the return policy, there’s really no risk (especially compared to buying a used phone from a random individual…).

Works well..👏

The phone is decent enough. I find the battery life only performing quite well under the battery saver mode, where I can go about a day and a half without needing a charge. Otherwise, it needs to be charged daily. The face recognition only works 1/3 of the time, the fingerprint works about 2/3 of the time, leaving me often opting for pin.Other than that the camera is quite nice; its more saturated compared to other phones including some of the newer apple cameras. I find the saturation pleasing and makes all my photos look like they’ve already been edited compared to my peers to have better contrast and vibrance.I bought a re-furbished version, while it claimed it would arrive in decent-good quality it was actually in perfect condition. I don’t think it was the original box, but every piece was there and the phone had no issues or scratches. Very good deal.