Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII
37.2Performance64.4
56.3Display65.7
72Camera48.4
46.4Battery49.1
78.7Features70.7
4 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra7 spec wins — Sony Xperia 1 VIII
InnoReviews verdict
Sony Xperia 1 VIII wins this phone face-off, 59 to 53.9, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+27) and display (+9). 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
- Stronger camera score: 72 vs 48
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 71
- 245% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 2.9 x
- 233% higher Front camera: 40 MP vs 12 MP
- 125% higher Main camera: 108 MP vs 48 MP
Reasons to pick the Sony Xperia 1 VIII
- Stronger performance score: 64 vs 37
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 56
- 380% higher telephoto: 48 MP vs 10 MP
- 300% higher ultra-wide: 48 MP vs 12 MP
- 33% higher RAM (max): 16 GB vs 12 GB
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.8 ″+5% | 6.5 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO AMOLED | LTPO OLED |
| Resolution | 3200x1440 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 515 ppi | — |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,500 nits | — |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| AnTuTu | 783,817Bottom 22% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 263,424Bottom 17% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 126,989Bottom 33% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 165,563Bottom 35% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 227,841Bottom 20% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,430Top 46% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 256GB/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 108 MP+125% | 48 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.9 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 48 MP+380% |
| Optical zoom | 10 x+245% | 2.9 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | — |
| Front camera | 40 MP+233% | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | — |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 30 W+20% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g | 200 g+12% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 8.3 mm+7% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP65/IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | — |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) | Android 16 |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
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