Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
37.2Performance87.6
56.3Display67.4
72Camera77
46.4Battery81
78.7Features100
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra16 spec wins — Xiaomi 17 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 81.4 to 53.9, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+50) and battery (+35). 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
- 133% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 4.3 x
- 116% higher Main camera: 108 MP vs 50 MP
- 24% higher Pixel density: 515 ppi vs 416 ppi
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 17 Ultra
- Stronger performance score: 88 vs 37
- Stronger display score: 67 vs 56
- Stronger camera score: 77 vs 72
- Stronger battery score: 81 vs 46
- Stronger features score: 100 vs 79
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.8 ″ | 6.9 ″+1% |
| Panel type | LTPO AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 3200x1440 | 1200x2608 |
| Pixel density | 515 ppi+24% | 416 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,500 nits | 3,500 nits+133% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 92.3 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| AnTuTu 11 | 783,817Bottom 22% | 3,600,724+359%Top 6% |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 263,424Bottom 17% | 1,032,276+292%Top 6% |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 126,989Bottom 33% | 1,345,109+959%Top 6% |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 165,563Bottom 35% | 495,988+200%Top 2% |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 227,841Bottom 20% | 727,351+219%Top 6% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,430Top 46% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 108 MP+116% | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.67 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 200 MP+1900% |
| Optical zoom | 10 x+133% | 4.3 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 40 MP | 50 MP+25% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 6,000 mAh+20% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 90 W+260% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 50 W+233% |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g | 219 g+4% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 8.3 mm+7% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68/IP69 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) | Android 16 (HyperOS 3) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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