What's the best budget phone to replace my S21?

Hi everyone, I’m currently using an S21 but it’s feeling slow, and the battery life is awful. I’m looking for a budget Samsung phone to replace it. I’ve been thinking about the A series. I don’t do anything too heavy, just music, calls, social media, and occasional photos. Any suggestions for something that won’t break the bank?

Maybe try the A35, A55, or M55. They’re solid mid-range options. Or, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, the S23, S23 FE, or S24 FE would offer a better experience overall.

Cameron said:
Maybe try the A35, A55, or M55. They’re solid mid-range options. Or, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, the S23, S23 FE, or S24 FE would offer a better experience overall.

I have a question about the A35. I keep getting random fingerprint attempts and some Wi-Fi connection issues. Everything else is good, but the performance is about 80% good. There’s some lag. Should I visit the official service center for a software upgrade? Is the software official and safe?

@Flynn
The performance is probably fine, since it’s using last year’s mid-range chipset. As for the fingerprint issue, I’m not sure. Have you tried restarting the phone? It might help.

Cameron said:
@Flynn
The performance is probably fine, since it’s using last year’s mid-range chipset. As for the fingerprint issue, I’m not sure. Have you tried restarting the phone? It might help.

Yes, I’ve tried restarting but it doesn’t seem to fix it.

Cameron said:
@Flynn
The performance is probably fine, since it’s using last year’s mid-range chipset. As for the fingerprint issue, I’m not sure. Have you tried restarting the phone? It might help.

The performance is decent, but the animations are lagging a bit. It’s annoying.

No current A series phone will be better than the S21.

Any A series phone will be slower than your S21. If you want better battery life and performance, your only real options are the S23, S24, or S24 FE.

Have you considered just replacing your battery? It could make a big difference.

I’ve got the S21 and I found that turning off the 120Hz refresh rate improved my battery life a lot. The phone still runs fine for daily use. But, if you’re upgrading, I’d recommend going for the S24 Plus. The A series just feels like a downgrade.

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘budget,’ but in my opinion, you won’t gain much by upgrading from a 3-year-old flagship to a current-year mid-range. It can be frustrating if your expectations are too high. I moved from the S21 5G to the S24 Ultra and definitely noticed a performance boost. Maybe stick with the S series, even if it’s from an older model. You might want to wait for the S25 to get a cheaper S24. The FE models aren’t bad, but you’ll notice bigger screen borders and a smaller screen-to-body ratio.

I’d recommend the S23 FE. It’s a great phone for the price.