Google Pixel 3a XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

Side by side comparison and review of Google Pixel 3a XL and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory capacities and other key specifications and features to simplify the choice of your perfect phone. Our goal is to make it easier for you to decide on the phone that will best meet your expectations by revealing the main differences between the products.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Google Pixel 3a XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number G020B SM-G998B/DS
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 160.1 mm 161.5 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has greater height than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Width 76.1 mm 75.6 mm Google Pixel 3a XL has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Depth 8.2 mm 8.9 mm Google Pixel 3a XL is narrower than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Weight 167 g 227 g Google Pixel 3a XL is lighter than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Body Colour Clearly white | Just black | Purple-ish Phantom silver | Phantom black | Phantom navy | Phantom brown | Phantom titanium
Body Material Polycarbonate -
Protection - Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is waterproof.
IP rating - IP68
SAR Value 1.52 W/kg (body), 1.36 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body), 0.714 W/kg (head), 2.56 W/kg (limb)
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
Headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm
USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Single-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology OLED Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6" 6.8" Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has larger screen size than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2160 x 1080 pixels 3200 x 1440 pixels Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has better screen resolution than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Display Format Full HD+ QHD+
Pixel Density 402 ppi 515 ppi Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has better pixel density than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Aspect Ratio 18:9 -
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours 16.7 million colours Both phones have the same color depth.
Contrast Ratio 100000:1 -
HDR - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has HDR.
HDR Technology - HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology - Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate - 120 Hz
Display Features Always-on display, Now Playing Edge Screen, AOD(Always On Display)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 Samsung Exynos 2100
Clock Speed 2 GHz 2.9 GHz Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has higher clock speed than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Processor Core Qty 8-core 8-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Google Pixel 3a XL has 64-bit architecture.
Graphics System (GPU) Qualcomm ADRENO 615 Mali-G78 MP14
MEMORY Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
RAM LPDDR4X SDRAM - 4 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 12 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has more RAM than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 128 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has more internal memory than Google Pixel 3a XL.
User Memory - 101.7 GB
CAMERA Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 1 4
Sensor Resolution 12.2 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Google Pixel 3a XL has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Lens Type - Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/2.2 Google Pixel 3a XL has better lens aperture than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Field of View (FoV) 76 degree(s) 120 degree(s) Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has larger lens field of view than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Pixel Size 1.4 μm 1.4 μm Both phones have the same camera pixel size.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus - Yes
Optical Zoom - 3x
Digital Zoom - 100x
Self-Timer Delay - Yes
Special Effects - Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Portrait mode Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro Video, Director's View
Light Source - High CRI LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 60 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 7680 x 4320 (UHD 8K) at 24fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS), dual pixel phase detection, Motion Auto Focus Playback zoom, blink detection, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3x, Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x, Digital zoom up to 12x for video
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) - 108 Megapixel
Sensor Size (2nd Camera) - 1/1.33"
Lens Type (2nd Camera) - Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) - F/1.8
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 83 degree(s)
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) - 0.8 μm
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation)
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) - 10 Megapixel
Lens Type (3rd Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) - F/2.4
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 35 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) - 1.22 μm
Camera Features (3rd Camera) - Dual Pixel AF
FOURTH CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (4th Camera) - 10 Megapixel
Lens Type (4th Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (4th Camera) - F/4.9
Field of View (4th Camera) - 10 degree(s)
Pixel Size (4th Camera) - 1.22 μm
Camera Features (4th Camera) - Dual Pixel AF
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 8 Megapixel 40 Megapixels Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has better front camera resolution than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.0 F/2.2 Google Pixel 3a XL has better front lens aperture than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Field of View (Front) 84 degree(s) 80 degree(s) Google Pixel 3a XL has larger front lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Pixel Size (Front) 1.12 μm 0.7 μm Google Pixel 3a XL has larger front camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Focus Adjustment Focus free Automatic
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 640 x 480 (VGA) at 30 fps -
Camera Features (Front) - Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF)
BATTERY AND CHARGING Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 3700 mAh 5000 mAh Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has larger battery capacity than Google Pixel 3a XL.
Fast Charging Technology - Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Samsung Super Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards - WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time - 2460 minutes
Run Time Details - Talk (4G): up to 2460 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 18 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 18 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 22 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 81 hrs
CELLULAR Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System Android 9.0 Pie Android 11
Intelligent Assistant Google Assistant Bixby
Payment Technology - Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
COMMUNICATIONS Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band - N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n40
5G NR Frequency - FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 LE Bluetooth 5.2
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards Apt-X, LDAC, apt-X HD WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128
Supported Digital Video Standards - MKV, FLV, AVI, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4
Sound Enhancements - Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound
FEATURES Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, magnetometer, gyro sensor, haptics sensor, Active Edge Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor
Security Devices Fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Additional Phone Features Dual microphones, MIMO technology, Android Sensor Hub, Noise suppression, Night Shift, ARCore, Google Lens, Titan M Security Module, Pixel Imprint sensor Air View, MIMO technology, Smart Select, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Bixby Vision, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, AR Doodle, PENUP, Bixby key, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster, Air Command
OTHERS Google Pixel 3a XL Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Included Accessories SIM card removal tool, Quick switch adapter, 18W USB-C power adapter, USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m) SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards - IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance - 1.5 m
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