POCO X5 vs Samsung Galaxy S21
23.6Performance34.4
44.8Display49.1
29.8Camera40.8
47.8Battery36.9
44Features78.7
6 spec wins — POCO X513 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 wins this phone face-off, 43.6 to 36, pulling ahead mainly in features (+35) and camera (+11). POCO X5 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the POCO X5
- Stronger battery score: 48 vs 37
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
- 32% higher Wired charging: 33 W vs 25 W
- 30% higher Front camera: 13 MP vs 10 MP
- 25% higher capacity: 5,000 mAh vs 4,000 mAh
- Lower launch price: $249 vs $799
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger performance score: 34 vs 24
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 45
- Stronger camera score: 41 vs 30
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 44
- 100% higher OS update pledge: 4 years vs 2 years
Display
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.67 ″+8% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 395 ppi | 421 ppi+7% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 900 nits | 1,300 nits+44% |
| 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 | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 695 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 411,000Top 82% | 746,547+82%Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 906Top 77% | 1,430+58%Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 2,013Top 80% | 3,550+76%Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 8 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 12 MP+50% |
| Telephoto | — | 64 MP |
| Max video | 1080p@30fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 13 MP+30% | 10 MP |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+25% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 33 W+32% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | — | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 189 g | 171 g+10% |
| Thickness | 8 mm | 7.9 mm+1% |
| IP rating | IP53 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 12 (MIUI 13) | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 2 years | 4 years+100% |
Audio
| Spec | POCO X5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | No | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |