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Buy Now |
Buy
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Buy
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Excellence Score |
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Value for Money Score |
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Price |
₹ 13,999 onwards
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₹ 46,489 onwards
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Launch Date (India) |
Mar, 2020
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Mar, 2018
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Expected Launch Date |
N/A
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N/A
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Smartphone OS |
Android 10Expected update to next Android version
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Android 8.0 Oreo, Upgradeable to Android 10Expected update to next Android version
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Touchscreen |
Yes (Capacitive)
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Yes (Capacitive)
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Screen Size |
6.4 inches
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5.8 inches
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Screen Resolution |
1080x2340 pixels (~ 403 pixels per inch)
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1440x2960 pixels (~ 568 pixels per inch)
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Tall Aspect Ratio / Minimal Bezels |
Yes
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Yes
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Scratch Resistant Display |
Yes, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
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Yes, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
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Display Type |
AMOLED
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AMOLED
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Screen Refresh Rate |
60 HzStandard
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60 HzStandard
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Display Features |
Super AMOLED
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Super AMOLED, 3D Touch (home button only), Always-on Display, Infinity Display
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Full Physical QWERTY Keypad |
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Processor |
2.3 GHz
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2.8 GHz
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Processor Type |
Octa Core
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Octa Core
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Processor Name |
Samsung Exynos 9611Ranked #38 in Mobile Processor Benchmarks
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Exynos 9810Ranked #14 in Mobile Processor Benchmarks
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GPU |
Mali-G72 MP3
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Mali-G72 MP18
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RAM |
4 GB
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4 GB
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3G |
Yes
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Yes
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4G |
Yes
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Yes
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5G |
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VoLTE |
Yes
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Yes
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WiFi |
Yes
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Yes
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VoWiFi/WiFi-Calling |
Yes
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Yes
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GPS |
Yes
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Yes
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Bluetooth |
Yes
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Yes
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Connecting Port |
USB-C
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USB-C
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Primary Camera |
48MP + 8MP + 5MP
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12.0MP
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Camera Auto-Focus |
Yes
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Yes
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Camera Flash |
Yes
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Yes
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HD Video Recording |
Yes (4K)
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Yes (4K)
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Other Camera Features |
48MP: f/2.0 aperture; 26mm Focal Length; 1/2.0" Sensor Size; 0.8um Pixel Size; PDAF, 8MP: f/2.2 aperture; 12mm Focal Length; Ultra-wide; 1/4.0" Sensor Size; 1.12um Pixel Size, 5MP: f/2.2 aperture; Depth Sensor, Panorama, HDR, Video: [email protected]; [email protected]; EIS
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F/1.5-2.4 Aperture, 26mm Focal Length, 1/2.5" Sensor Size, 1.4µm Pixel Size, Dual Pixel PDAF, Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), Geo-tagging, Simultaneous 4K video and 9MP image recording, Touch focus, Face/Smile Detection, Auto HDR, Panorama, HDR, Dual-Video rec., Slow-motion Video
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Secondary Camera |
20MP
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8.0MP
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Secondary Camera Features |
f/2.0 aperture, 26mm Focal Length, HDR
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F/1.6 Aperture, Autofocus, Full HD+ Video Recording, Dual Video call, Auto HDR
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Internal Memory |
64 GB
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64 GB
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Expandable Memory Slot |
Yes, up to 512 GB
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Yes, up to 400 GB
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Contacts Storage |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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SMS Storage |
Unlimited
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Unlimited
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Music Player |
Yes
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Yes
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FM Radio |
Yes (Wireless)
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Dual SIM |
GSM+GSM
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GSM+GSM (Hybrid SIM slot)
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Thickness |
8.9 mmMedium
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8.5 mmMedium
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Weight |
188 gmMedium
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163 gmMedium
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Width |
75.1 mmOk for one-handed use
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68.7 mmComfortable for one-handed use
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Audio Output |
3.5mm jack
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3.5mm jack
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Water Resistant |
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Yes, IP68 Rated (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
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Battery Capacity |
6000 mAh
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3000 mAh
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Battery Standby |
N/A
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N/A
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Battery Standby (3G) |
N/A
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N/A
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Battery Talktime |
N/A
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N/A
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Battery Talktime (3G) |
N/A
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N/A
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Fast Charging Support |
Yes, 15W Fast Charging
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Yes
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Included Fast Charger |
Yes, 15.0W Fast Charger
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Yes
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Other Battery Parameters |
N/A
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N/A
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Fingerprint sensor |
Yes
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Yes
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Other Features |
Noise Filtration
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Scratch Resistant Back (Corning Gorilla Glass 5); Samsung DeX (desktop experience support); Qi Wireless charging; Bixby; NFC; ANT+ support; Stereo Speakers; Noise Filtration; Samsung Pay
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2-minute Review [Positives] |
- Decent looks and build quality - very similar to the Samsung Galaxy M31, with a a unibody polycarbonate design, and glossy finish on the back panel - the only major difference is the camera module which houses a triple rear camera
- The plastic body keeps the phone feeling relatively lightweight at 188 grams, which is mighty impressive for a phone packing a big 6000 mAh battery
- It also feels great to hold with a seamless curved panel that meets the display up front
- Modern, Infinity-U front - bezels around the screen are slim, except for a slightly thick chin - you still get around 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, which is great
- Fingerprint sensor at the back is easy to reach and work very well
- Gorgeous, 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with excellent viewing angles, and brightness levels - easily one of the best displays in the price bracket
- It also comes with "Widevine L1" certification, which helps stream content in crisp HD resolution
- Blacks are deep on the AMOLED display, which looks good with Night mode enabled
- Samsung's OneUI is today one of the more clean, refined Android UIs that's especially well optimised for large displays like this
- One UI also brings in other useful stuff, like a System-wide Dark mode (which turns the background completely black, and looks great on the M21's AMOLED display), and Always On Display option
- Decent performance with the Exynos 9611 at the core (similar to Snapdragon 665) - the device is fairly quick to load up apps - multitasking is a breeze
- Decent triple rear camera setup - a 48MP primary snapper, an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 5MP depth sensor
- In broad daylight, you'll get consistent, crispy shots with decent dynamic range and sharpness levels are respectable with the primary lens
- The ultra-wide sensor, like on any budget phone, is a good addition - it takes social media-worthy images in great lighting conditions (in low-light, the quality dips and pictures look grainy and noisy, wide-angle shots also have barrel distortion at the edges)
- Live Focus shots are quite good and the camera app does give you the option to set the level of blur before taking a shot - edge detection is very good and the Galaxy M21 does a good job of separating the subject from the background
- The 20MP selfie camera is quite good and takes detailed selfies (though, in low light, the quality goes down a notch and results are grainy)
- Monster 6000 mAh battery delivers an incredible 2-3 days of usage easily, making for one of the largest battery life smartphones currently available
- Supports 15W fast charging
- If you're someone who consumes a lot of content on their phone, the Galaxy M21 is a good phone for you, it has great AMOLED display, outstanding battery backup that will last you for days
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- Absolutely luscious design, continuing the design language that was introduced with the Galaxy S8 series (which is not a bad thing at all) - and it has some really sizzling color options in purple and blue, which really helps those supple curves stand out - the body colors look deep, rich and ever-changing thanks to the way the glossy glass catches the light - you will be hard pressed to find anything remotely as elegant, and beautiful in the Android market
- The S9's tall, narrow proportions fit your hand well - and it's significantly easier to handle than its larger cousin (S9+)
- The biggest design change is on the back, where the fingerprint reader moves below the camera module - this corrects the worst design mistake of both Galaxy S8 phones and the Note 8
- Water resistant body
- The tall, 18:9, minimal bezel, 5.8-inch AMOLED screen is absolutely gorgeous and even brighter than last year's (15 percent brighter, in fact) - and the sexy dual-curved design adds to the charm
- Samsung software on top of Android adds some useful extras, extending the core functionality of Android - it is one of the better, more refined UIs in the Android world
- Whiplash-fast performance backed by the super powerful Samsung's Exynos 9810 (similar to the Snapdragon 845 in terms of performance) - performance is top-notch as expected under all use cases
- Terrific camera - the first to bring a mechanical dual-aperture lens from DSLRs to the much tinier mobile phone, a feature that's designed to let in more light, reduce image noise and generally make your photos a lot better
- The image quality in well lit situations is top-notch
- Low light performance often borders on astounding - with the amount of brightness & lack of noise you will find in the shots (thanks to the dual aperture lens) - although its not very consistent (some low light photos are oddly washed out)
- The super-slow motion video mode is pretty cool too, and when you frame the shot well, can give some incredible result
- The selfie camera is good too, and has a new Selfie Focus mode, which uses software (and not a second lens) to create a depth effect with the front-facing camera, similar to the Pixel 2, or the iPhone X
- On the whole the cameras on the Galaxy S9 compare well with the those on the other top camera phones - the Google Pixel 2, and the iPhone X - it's a toss up between these 3 - the Galaxy S9 can produce some truly exceptional shots especially in the dark, but perhaps the iPhone X and the Pixel 2 are just a bit more consistent all round, everything considered
- Dual-speaker system is excellent, and makes for loud, rich audio - and results in one of the best speaker experience of any smartphone, ever
- Call quality is fantastic too, with the AKG tuning really paying off
- Also has the good old-fashioned headphone jack! (that's missing in a lot of other flagships now)
- Good (though not exceptional) battery life - will definitely last the work day on a single charge
- Supports fast charging (although it's not the fastest around)
- Supports wireless charging
- DeX Pad support is another cool feature that enhances the Desktop Experience Samsung introduced on last year’s flagship Galaxy phones
- On the whole, while outside of the display, the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category, but it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great flagship phone - it will compete with the Pixel 2/XL and the iPhone X for the title of the best smartphone - which one of these 3 you might choose will depend on what specific things you value
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2-minute Review [Negatives] |
- The power button and volumes are quite flush with the frame which means they lack that tactile, clicky feel
- Design feels a bit dated and underwhelming, there is no spark in Galaxy M21's design as we see in other brand's phones like Xiaomi and Realme
- However, this is an old chipset and heavy gaming isn't best on this phone - the Redmi Note 9 Pro and the Realme 6 are much better options that will handle gaming better than the Galaxy M21
- Photos taken in low-light are average - focusing gets worse in low light and the extreme noise-correction makes images look like water paintings
- Overall, the cameras on the M21 are decent, but there are better cameras available in this price bracket, including the Galaxy M31, which is just a tad bit pricier
- Samsung Galaxy M11 falls behind in fast charging as competitors are offering close to 30W fast charging, the 15W on M21 feels low
- Having said that, the Redmi Note 9 Pro and the Realme 6 will still offer you more bang for your buck, overall and when it comes to intensive tasks like gaming, you’ll be better off choosing the Realme 6 or the Redmi Note 8 Pro that are probably the best phones for gaming in this segment
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- Fragile glass front and back means you should buy a case day 1
- The new face-unlock tool is not particularly secure (it might have been better for Samsung to build out a more refined version before rushing in to compete with the similar feature on the iPhone X)
- The 3D avatar software is again not that well executed - the AR Emojis track your expressions poorly and need far more customization options
- There’s also still no compelling use case for Bixby, Samsung's AI agent (though of course you have no compulsion to use it, and can instead keep using the Google Assistant)
- While the camera is great generally, it can sometime make low-light photos look blurry and lack detail - even though brightness levels is excellent and noise is minimal - so its sometimes a double edged sword
- The S9 also lacks the second rear lens of the step-up S9 Plus that's dedicated to creating those depth-of-field portrait shots that blur the background to make people and objects pop
- Battery life is good, but not exceptional - some of the competition is ahead here
- Everything considered, S8 owners can skip the upgrade - the S9 is excellent all-round, and incrementally better - but it's not a monumental change from the S8
- Apart from the iPhone X and the Pixel 2/XL, the S9 will also face tough competition now from lower priced flagships like the OnePlus 5T, which are almost as good on most of the important counts
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Expert Reviews |
All the battery life you need in-depth Read Review »Great battery in an average package in-depth Read Review »A judicious mix of features and performance gets the day-to-day work done easily in-depth Read Review »Buy This For The Battery and Vivid AMOLED Display in-depth Read Review »A Phone That Caters Best To Video Content Consumers in-depth Read Review »Sharp display, good cameras, decent performance and an amazing battery life, though the Galaxy M31 is better in-depth Read Review »A good option if you are out in the market looking for a capable smartphone that is not Xiaomi or Realme in-depth Read Review »Big battery and display at an affordable price in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review »
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You can hardly find anything remotely as elegant, as advanced, and as polished, all in a single product, on the Android market in-depth Read Review »Thanks to blazing performance, solid cameras and long battery life, the Galaxy S9/S9+ continue to uphold the S series’ reputation for excellence in-depth Read Review »If you're looking to upgrade your phone, especially if you're already a devoted Samsung customer, this one has everything you'd want. in-depth Read Review »Both Galaxy S9 and S9+ are solid, dependable workhorses with excellent displays, premium craftsmanship, and improved cameras in-depth Read Review »Impressive, to say the least in-depth Read Review »Samsung gets it exactly right in-depth Read Review »The S9 and S9+ are probably the best Android phones for most users, and I’d have no problem recommending them to almost anyone in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » in-depth Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review » hands-on Read Review »
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User Reviews |
4.3 361+ reviews » 4.2 47,498+ reviews »
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4.4 2,535+ reviews » 4.1 730+ reviews »
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Official Website |
Official Website »
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Official Website »
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Unofficial specs? |
N/A
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N/A
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