OnePlus 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21
38.6Performance34.4
46.6Display49.1
39.3Camera40.8
55.9Battery36.9
65.3Features78.7
9 spec wins — OnePlus 97 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
OnePlus 9 wins this phone face-off, 46.5 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+19) and performance (+4). Samsung Galaxy S21 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the OnePlus 9
- Stronger performance score: 39 vs 34
- Stronger battery score: 56 vs 37
- 317% higher Ultra-wide: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
- 160% higher Wired charging: 65 W vs 25 W
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 65
- 33% higher OS update pledge: 4 years vs 3 years
- 18% higher Peak brightness: 1,300 nits vs 1,100 nits
- 11% lower weight: 171 g vs 192 g
- Has OIS — the other doesn't
Display
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.55 ″+6% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 402 ppi | 421 ppi+5% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,100 nits | 1,300 nits+18% |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 252,025Top 94% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 127,819Top 79% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 144,909Top 91% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 221,794Top 88% |
Performance
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 888 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,040,324+39%Top 46% | 746,547Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,450+1%Top 48% | 1,430Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,650+3%Top 53% | 3,550Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 50 MP+317% | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 64 MP |
| Max video | 8K@30fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 16 MP+60% | 10 MP |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,500 mAh+13% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 65 W+160% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 192 g | 171 g+11% |
| Thickness | 8.7 mm | 7.9 mm+9% |
| IP rating | — | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.1 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (OxygenOS 11) | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 4 years+33% |
Audio
| Spec | OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |