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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated February 12, 2024·
Given your preference for a less expensive device, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ is budget-friendly and offers good camera performance, a solid battery life, and a very good screen quality. However, if you're willing to invest more, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra delivers an exceptional camera experience, including better low light performance and a higher resolution, along with a larger screen and longer battery life, as well as superior overall performance. Both options have glass bodies, OLED displays, and no headphone jack, but the S24 Ultra comes with twice the base storage and an integrated stylus for increased productivity. 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
9.3
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 praised for its good selfie camera, which is crucial for selfie enthusiasts, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's selfie capacity is rated lower despite its overall superior photo and video camera capabilities like resolution, software experience, dynamic range, low light performance, and versatility. Consider the S21+ if selfies are your priority, but opt for the S24 Ultra if you're looking for a more robust camera system with impressive versatility and performance in various conditions, at the expense of selfie quality.
Photo Quality
7.0
9.7
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21+ takes good photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ takes better selfies than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra because the S21+ has a selfie quality deemed "Good" while the S24 Ultra falls short with a selfie quality considered to be merely "Fair". Despite the S24 Ultra's other improvements in camera technology, the S21+ remains the superior choice for selfie enthusiasts.
Video Quality
6.6
8.3
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes very good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21+ takes only fair videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ excels in video resolution and framerate, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lags in these aspects, resulting in higher quality videos from the S21+. Additionally, the Galaxy S21+ benefits from superior video software, stabilization, dynamic range, low light performance, and microphone quality, contributing to its overall better video capture capabilities compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has 8 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has 10.4 hours of battery life.
Cost
$340
$1,300
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has a price of $340 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has a screen size of 6.7 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
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How the Samsung Galaxy S21+ and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21+ | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$340 | $1,300 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Samsung | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Android | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 29, 2021 | January 24, 2024 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.7" | 6.8" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 3120 x 1440 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 394 | 505 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | SD888 | SD8G3 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7/10 | 9.7/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 6.6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto, Super Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 200 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10.4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 4800 mAh | 5000 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | Yes (4.5 watts) | Yes (4.5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 6.36" x 2.98" | 6.39" x 3.11" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.05 oz | 8.18 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 7 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 276 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red | Titanium Blue, Titanium Orange, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Green | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | No | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Samsung Galaxy S21+
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Tom's Guide
Jordan Palmer | May 2022
"All told, Samsung nailed it with the Galaxy S21 Plus. It has most of the strengths of the smaller S21 in a bigger package. It’s got a lot going for it. If you’re coming from an older device, like the Galaxy S10 series, this is a solid upgrade."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy S21+ or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
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.
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Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
151,800
Recommendations made
86,020
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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