Redmi Note 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21
20Performance34.4
29.6Display49.1
29.8Camera40.8
39Battery36.9
28Features78.7
5 spec wins — Redmi Note 915 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 wins this phone face-off, 43.6 to 28.5, pulling ahead mainly in features (+51) and display (+20). Redmi Note 9 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Redmi Note 9
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
- 30% higher Front camera: 13 MP vs 10 MP
- 26% higher capacity: 5,020 mAh vs 4,000 mAh
- Has 3.5mm jack — the other doesn't
- Lower launch price: $199 vs $799
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger performance score: 34 vs 20
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 30
- Stronger camera score: 41 vs 30
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 28
- 240% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,430 vs 420
Display
| Spec | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.53 ″+5% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2340x1080 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 394 ppi | 421 ppi+7% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | — | 1,300 nits |
| 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 | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G85 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 270,000Top 93% | 746,547+176%Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 420Top 94% | 1,430+240%Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 1,350Top 96% | 3,550+163%Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 8 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 64GB / 128GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | eMMC 5.1 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Redmi Note 9 | 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 | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,020 mAh+26% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 18 W | 25 W+39% |
| Wireless charging | — | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g | 171 g+14% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 7.9 mm+11% |
| IP rating | — | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 10 (MIUI 11) | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 2 years | 4 years+100% |
Audio
| Spec | Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | No | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |