Updated February 12, 2024·Prices updated 24 hours ago
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a budget-friendly option that offers 128 GB of storage, a plastic body, and a smaller 6.2-inch screen. Its camera system provides good photo and video quality, with the main camera having 12 megapixels. The Galaxy S21 has a decent battery life with 4000 mAh capacity, but lacks a telephoto zoom.
On the other hand, if you prioritize top-of-the-line camera performance and a more premium design, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might be worth the extra cost. It boasts a better quality camera system, including a 200-megapixel main camera and additional telephoto lenses with up to 5x zoom, offering excellent photo and video capabilities. It comes with 256 GB of storage, a glass body, and a larger 6.8-inch screen. Its battery is more substantial at 5000 mAh, potentially providing longer battery life. This model also includes an integrated stylus, enhancing productivity and creative tasks. The choice between the two will largely depend on your budget and the importance you place on camera features, design material, screen size, and battery capacity. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Best in class for taking photos
Very good for recording videos
Excellent battery life
Best in class display quality
Best in class performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.2/10
9.3/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has excellent overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 has good overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is equipped with a camera system that predominantly scores as 'Good' across key aspects such as photos high dynamic range and low light performance, maintaining a 'Best' score in selfie quality. Conversely, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, despite excelling in almost every other area including an 'Excellent' rating for low light performance and camera versatility, falls short with a selfie quality that doesn't match the Galaxy S21, which is pivotal considering the high importance of selfie scores.
Photo Quality
7.0/10
9.7/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 takes good photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a good selfie quality, which is crucial as it impacts the overall photo-taking experience, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's selfie performance is poor despite its higher camera versatility and potentially better performance in other photo aspects like dynamic range and low light. This could lead to a less satisfying experience for users who prioritize selfie photos, despite the newer phone's advancements in other photographic capabilities.
Video Quality
6.6/10
8.3/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes very good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 takes only fair videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 generally takes better videos due to its higher score in video software experience, video stabilization, video dynamic range, and mic quality, compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra that has lower performance in these aspects. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra's video might benefit from features like a higher video resolution/frame rate and better low light performance, these advantages are not enough to outweigh the overall better video capturing capabilities of the Galaxy S21.
Battery
6.7 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has 6.7 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has 10.4 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a screen size of 6.2 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
Cost
$145
$1,300
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$1,000
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The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a price of $145 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $1,300.
"The Galaxy S21 delivers the flagship Samsung experience in a phone that's much more pocketable (and affordable) than the top-end S21 Ultra.The triple-camera system is incredibly capable, Samsung's One UI 3.1 software is chock-full of features and settings to mess with, and I've not once missed having expandable storage."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
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About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
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