Samsung got its S21 flagship phones out into the world a little sooner than usual this year, and the Galaxy S21 base model will appeal to a lot of folks with its balance of flagship specs and a price well under $1,000. In this refresh of the S-series lineup it’s the best choice for value, but how does it square up against its fellow Android competitors?
The OnePlus 8T, Google Pixel 5, and LG V60 are all highly capable challengers in their own right. Where the S21 aims to deliver a complete all-around package, some of its competitors have made tradeoffs for things like a bigger battery or a lower price tag that are worth considering. And Samsung’s 2020 models, the S20 and Note 20, are still solid options for now and will no doubt be offered with some attractive discounts.
Take a look at how the Galaxy S21 compares to these competitors.
Samsung Galaxy S21 compared to Android peers
Category | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S20 | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Google Pixel 5 | OnePlus 8T | LG V60 ThinQ 5G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OS | Android 11 (One UI) | Android 10 (One UI), upgradable to 11 | Android 10 (One UI), upgradable to 11 | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 11 |
Display | 6.2-inch AMOLED | 6.2-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED | 6.0-inch OLED | 6.55-inch AMOLED | 6.8-inch OLED |
Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 3040 x 1440 | 2400 x 1080 | 2340 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 | 2460 x 1080 |
Refresh rate | up to 120Hz | up to 120Hz | 60Hz | 90Hz | 120Hz | 60Hz |
Dimensions (mm) | 71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9 | 69.1 x 151.7 x 7.9 | 75.2 x 161.6 x 8.3 | 70.4 x 144.7 x 8 | 74.1 x 160.7 x 8.4 | 77.6 x 169.3 x 8.9 |
Weight | 171g | 163g | 192g | 151g | 188g | 213g |
Battery capacity | 4,000mAh | 4,000mAh | 4,300mAh | 4,080mAh | 4,500mAh | 5,000mAh |
Processor | US: Snapdragon 888 | US: Snapdragon 865 | US: Snapdragon 865 Plus | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 865 |
RAM | 8GB | 12GB | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB / 12GB | 8GB |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, expandable via microSDXC | 128GB | 128GB | 128GB / 256GB | 128GB, 256GB expandable via MicroSDXC |
Ports | USB-C charging port | USB-C charging port | USB-C charging port | USB-C charging port | USB-C charging port | USB-C charging port |
Rear cameras | 12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8µm) 3X hybrid optic telephoto | 12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide angle, 64MP (f/2.0, 0.8µm) telephoto lens, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4µm) ultrawide | 12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4 µm) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0, 0.8µm) 3X hybrid optical telephoto | 12MP (f/1.7, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4µm) wide, 16MP (f/2.2, 1.0µm) ultrawide | 48MP (f/1.7, OIS, 0.8µm) wide, 16MP (f/2.2, 1.0µm) ultrawide, 5MP (f/2.4) macro, 2MP (f/2.4) depth | 64MP (f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 0.8µm) standard, 13MP (f/1.9, 1.0µm) ultrawide, 0.3MP (f/1.4) depth |
Front cameras | 10MP (f/2.2, autofocus) | 10MP (f/2.2, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm) | 10MP (f/2.2, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm) | 8MP (f/2.0, 1.12µm) | 16MP (f/2.4, 1.0µm) | 10MP (f/1.9, 1.22µm) |
Biometrics | Fingerprint, face recognition | Fingerprint, face recognition | Fingerprint, face recognition | Fingerprint | Fingerprint, face recognition | Fingerprint |
Waterproof | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | None | IP68 |
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
5G | sub-6GHz and mmWave | sub-6GHz only | mmWave and sub-6GHz | mmWave and sub-6GHz | sub-6GHz only | sub-6GHz only |
Starting price | $799 | $999 | $999 | $699 | $749 | $799 |
Samsung S21 versus Android competitors