Motorola Moto G9 Play vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Motorola Moto G9 Play and Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Motorola Moto G9 Play vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number XT2083-3 SM-G991U1
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 156 mm 151.7 mm Motorola Moto G9 Play has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Width 76 mm 71.2 mm Motorola Moto G9 Play has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Depth 10 mm 7.9 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Weight 197 g 171 g Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Body Colour Forest green | Sapphire blue Phantom grey | Phantom white
Body Material Plastic -
Protection Splash-resistant Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is waterproof.
IP rating - IP68
SAR Value 1.37 W/kg (body), 0.63 W/kg (head), 3.02 W/kg (limb) 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head)
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 Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
SIM Card Configuration Details Nano SIM + nano SIM/microSD -
DISPLAY Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Display Type LCD display OLED display
Display Technology IPS Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.5" 6.2" Motorola Moto G9 Play has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 1600 x 720 pixels 2400 x 1080 pixels Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better screen resolution than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Display Format Full HD+ Full HD+
Pixel Density 269 ppi 421 ppi Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better pixel density than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Aspect Ratio 20:9 -
Colour Depth - 16.7 million colours
HDR - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has HDR.
HDR Technology - HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology - Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate - 120 Hz
Display Features Max Vision display AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper
Display Protection (Screen Protector) - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Clock Speed 2 GHz 2.84 GHz Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher clock speed than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Processor Core Qty 8-core 8-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Motorola Moto G9 Play has 64-bit architecture.
Graphics System (GPU) Qualcomm ADRENO 610 -
MEMORY Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
RAM 4 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has more RAM than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 128 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has more internal memory than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
User Memory - 101.2 GB
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) microSDHC, microSDXC - up to 512 GB -
CAMERA Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 3
Sensor Resolution 48 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Motorola Moto G9 Play has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Sensor Size - 1/1.76"
Lens Type - Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.7 F/1.8 Motorola Moto G9 Play has better lens aperture than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Field of View (FoV) - 79 degree(s)
Pixel Size 1.6 μm 1.8 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus - Yes
Optical Zoom - 3x
Digital Zoom - 30x
Self-Timer Delay Yes Yes
Special Effects HDR, Colour replace, Spot Colour Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Slow motion video, Panorama, manual mode, Best Shot, Gesture Shot, HYPERLAPSE, portrait mode, Timelapse video, Active photos, Portrait Lighting, Cinemagraph, Macro video 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, Portrait, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro Video, Portrait video, Director's View
Face Recognition (Face ID) Auto smile capture - Motorola Moto G9 Play has face detection.
Light Source LED flash 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 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 (8K) at 24 fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps
Camera Features (Functions) RAW image capture, EIS video stabilisation, Cutout, 12MP output using quad pixel technology, High-res zoom, smart composition, shot optimisation Playback zoom, Motion photo, blink detection, QR-code scanner, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, 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, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Microphone Control (Pro Video only)
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 2 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better second camera resolution than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) - Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.4 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 120 degree(s)
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.75 μm 1.4 μm Motorola Moto G9 Play has larger second camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Camera Functions (2nd Camera) Depth camera -
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 2 Megapixel 64 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) - 1/1.72"
Lens Type (3rd Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.4 F/2.0 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 76 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) 1.75 μm 0.8 μm Motorola Moto G9 Play has larger third camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
Camera Functions (3rd Camera) Macro camera -
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 8 Megapixel 10 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better front camera resolution than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Field of View (Front) - 80 degree(s)
Pixel Size (Front) 1.12 μm 1.22 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger front camera pixel size than Motorola Moto G9 Play.
Focus Adjustment - Automatic
Special Effects (Front) HDR, Spot Colour -
Camera Modes (Front) Timer mode, BurstShot, manual mode, HYPERLAPSE, RAW mode, Auto Smile Shot, Watermark mode, portrait mode, Mirrored photo, Timelapse video, Active photos, Cinemagraph, Gesture selfie, Group selfie -
Face Recognition (Face ID) Auto smile capture - Motorola Moto G9 Play has face detection.
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps -
Camera Features (Front) Self-timer, RAW photo Dual Pixel AF
BATTERY AND CHARGING Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 5000 mAh 4000 mAh Motorola Moto G9 Play has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Fast Charging Technology TurboPower technology Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards - WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time - 1800 minutes
Run Time Details Mixed usage: up to 48 hrs Talk (LTE): up to 1800 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 14 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 15 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 19 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 72 hrs
CELLULAR Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS)
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System Android 10 Android 11
Intelligent Assistant Google Assistant Bixby
Payment Technology - Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
COMMUNICATIONS Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2
2G Band - 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X
3G UMTS Band - Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8
3G UMTS Frequency - 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 26, Band 28, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66, Band 71
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700 PS, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, FDD 600
5G NR Band - N41, n71, n260, n261
5G NR Frequency - TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards - WAV, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128
Supported Digital Video Standards - MKV, FLV, AVI, 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 Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 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, gyro sensor, SAR sensor 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, Android Sensor Hub, Moto Actions, Quick gestures, Google Lens MIMO technology, Screen Write, notification flashlight, Smart Select, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Bixby key, Bluetooth Scalable Codec, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster, Air Command
OTHERS Motorola Moto G9 Play Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Included Accessories Protective cover, SIM card removal tool, USB-C cable, power adapter (20W) SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards - VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification
Max Depth of Water Resistance - 1.5 m
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