Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
37.2Performance54.3
56.3Display59.7
72Camera69.9
46.4Battery62.8
78.7Features78.7
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra10 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 62.6 to 53.9, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+17) and battery (+16). Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- 233% higher Front camera: 40 MP vs 12 MP
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Stronger performance score: 54 vs 37
- Stronger display score: 60 vs 56
- Stronger battery score: 63 vs 46
- 228% higher AnTuTu 10 (GPU): 416,322 vs 126,989
- 114% higher AnTuTu 10: 1,677,954 vs 783,817
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.8 ″ | 6.8 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 3200x1440 | 1440x3088 |
| Pixel density | 515 ppi+3% | 501 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,500 nits | 1,750 nits+17% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 89.9 % |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | 263,424Top 88% | 550,163+109%Top 54% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | 126,989Top 82% | 416,322+228%Top 54% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | 165,563Top 72% | 277,973+68%Top 50% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | 227,841Top 82% | 433,496+90%Top 35% |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| AnTuTu 10 | 783,817Top 65% | 1,677,954+114%Top 20% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,430Top 52% | 2,000+40%Top 33% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Top 56% | 5,400+52%Top 30% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 256/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 108 MP | 200 MP+85% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | 10 x | 10 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 40 MP+233% | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 45 W+80% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 12 h |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g+3% | 234 g |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 8.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Armor Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) | Android 13 (One UI 5.1) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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