Redmi Note 9S vs Samsung Galaxy S21
23.1Performance34.4
29.7Display49.1
30.5Camera40.8
39Battery36.9
20Features78.7
5 spec wins — Redmi Note 9S16 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 wins this phone face-off, 43.6 to 28.8, pulling ahead mainly in features (+59) and display (+19). Redmi Note 9S 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 9S
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
- 60% higher Front camera: 16 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: $229 vs $799
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger performance score: 34 vs 23
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 30
- Stronger camera score: 41 vs 31
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 20
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
Display
| Spec | Redmi Note 9S | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.67 ″+8% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 395 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 9S | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 720G | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 395,000Top 85% | 746,547+89%Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 730Top 83% | 1,430+96%Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 1,900Top 87% | 3,550+87%Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 8 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 64GB / 128GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Redmi Note 9S | 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 | 4K@30fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 16 MP+60% | 10 MP |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Redmi Note 9S | 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 9S | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 209 g | 171 g+18% |
| Thickness | 8.8 mm | 7.9 mm+10% |
| IP rating | — | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Redmi Note 9S | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Redmi Note 9S | 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 9S | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | No | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |