Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII
34.4Performance64.4
49.1Display65.7
40.8Camera48.4
36.9Battery49.1
78.7Features70.7
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S218 spec wins — Sony Xperia 1 VIII
InnoReviews verdict
Sony Xperia 1 VIII wins this phone face-off, 59 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+30) and display (+17). 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
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 71
- 33% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 48 MP
- 14% lower weight: 171 g vs 200 g
Reasons to pick the Sony Xperia 1 VIII
- Stronger performance score: 64 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 48 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 49 vs 37
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.2 ″ | 6.5 ″+5% |
| Panel type | AMOLED | LTPO OLED |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 421 ppi | — |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,300 nits | — |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| AnTuTu | 746,547Bottom 18% | — |
| 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% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | — |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 256GB/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.9 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Telephoto | 64 MP+33% | 48 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 2.9 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | — |
| Front camera | 10 MP | 12 MP+20% |
| OIS | Yes | — |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh+25% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 30 W+20% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 171 g+14% | 200 g |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm+5% | 8.3 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP65/IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | — |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | 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 | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
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