Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S26
34.4Performance81
49.1Display60
40.8Camera47.3
36.9Battery62.1
78.7Features94.7
2 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S2111 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+47) and battery (+25). Samsung Galaxy S21 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
- 540% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 10 MP
- Lower launch price: $799 vs $900
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 60 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 47 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 62 vs 37
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 79
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.2 ″ | 6.3 ″+2% |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 421 ppi+2% | 411 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,300 nits | 2,600 nits+100% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 90 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 746,547Bottom 18% | 3,064,672 |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 252,025Bottom 14% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 127,819Bottom 35% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 144,909Bottom 16% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 221,794Bottom 18% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,430Top 46% | 2,995+109%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | 10,824+205%Top 4% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 12 GB+50% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 64 MP+540% | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 3 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 10 MP | 12 MP+20% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,000 mAh | 4,300 mAh+8% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 15.3 h |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 171 g | 167 g+2% |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm | 7.2 mm+9% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | 7 years+75% |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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