Samsung Galaxy Note9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy Note9 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

Samsung Galaxy Note9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-N960F/DS SM-G991U1
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 161.9 mm 151.7 mm Samsung Galaxy Note9 has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Width 76.4 mm 71.2 mm Samsung Galaxy Note9 has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Depth 8.8 mm 7.9 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Weight 201 g 171 g Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Body Colour Cobalt blue | Metallic copper | Deep black | Ocean blue | Midnight black | Lavender purple Phantom grey | Phantom white
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IP68
SAR Value 1.509 W/kg (body), 0.381 W/kg (head), 2.24 W/kg (limb) 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head)
Integrated Components Heart rate sensor -
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 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.4" 6.2" Samsung Galaxy Note9 has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2960 x 1440 pixels 2400 x 1080 pixels Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Display Format QHD+ Full HD+
Pixel Density 516 ppi 421 ppi Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours 16.7 million colours Both phones have the same color depth.
HDR - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has HDR.
HDR Technology - HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology - Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate - 120 Hz
Display Features Always-on display, Edge Screen, Infinity Display, Edge-to-Edge screen AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper
Display Protection (Screen Protector) - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Processor Type (CPU) Samsung Exynos 9 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Processor Number 9810 -
Clock Speed 2.7 GHz 2.84 GHz Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher clock speed than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Processor Core Qty 8-core 8-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Samsung Galaxy Note9 has 64-bit architecture.
Graphics System (GPU) Mali-G72 MP18 -
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
RAM LPDDR4 SDRAM - 6 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has more RAM than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 128 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory 108.9 GB 101.2 GB
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) microSDHC, microSDXC - up to 512 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 2 3
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/2.55" 1/1.76" Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better camera sensor size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Lens Type Wide-angle lens Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.5 & f/2.4 F/1.8 Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Field of View (FoV) - 79 degree(s)
Pixel Size - 1.8 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus - Yes
Optical Zoom 2x 3x Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better optical zoom than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Digital Zoom 10x 30x Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Self-Timer Delay - Yes
Special Effects HDR, Bokeh effect, Grid Line Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Panorama, Pro mode, Timer mode, HYPERLAPSE, Auto mode, Food mode, Super Slow-mo, AR Emoji, Portraits, Flowers, Indoor scenes, Animals, Landscapes, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Mountains, Beaches, Sunrises and sunsets, Watersides, Street scenes, Night scenes, Waterfalls, Snow, Birds, Backlit, Text, Disney AR Emoji 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) Face detection - Samsung Galaxy Note9 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, 3840 x 2160 (4K) 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, 2560 x 1440 (QHD) 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) Quick Launch, Playback zoom, Motion photo, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Live Focus, Dual Capture, High CRI LED flash, Tracking AF, Video location tags, Stamps, location tags, Continuous autofocus video, Hyperlapse video support 1080p, Live focus with bokeh filters, Super Speed Dual Pixel, background blur, Scene Optimiser, Eye blink, Motion blur, Lens smudge, Backlit, Full view, Flaw detection, 9.1MP still photos recording 4K video 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) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Sensor Size (2nd Camera) 1/3.4" -
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Telephoto lens 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 Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 120 degree(s)
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) - 1.4 μm
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) - 64 Megapixel
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) - 1/1.72"
Lens Type (3rd Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) - F/2.0
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 76 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) - 0.8 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation of the third 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 Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Sensor Size (Front) 1/3.6" -
Lens Type (Front) Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/1.7 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Field of View (Front) - 80 degree(s)
Pixel Size (Front) - 1.22 μm
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Special Effects (Front) HDR, Grid Line -
Camera Modes (Front) Timer mode, wide selfie mode, selfie mode, AR Emoji, selfie focus -
Camera Features (Front) Quick launch, Motion photo, Stamps, location tags, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization), Full view, Flaw detection Dual Pixel AF
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4000 mAh 4000 mAh Both phones have the same battery capacity.
Fast Charging Technology - Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, PMA WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time 1740 minutes 1800 minutes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Run Time Details Talk (3G): up to 1740 min
Active online usage (3G): up to 14 hrs
Active online usage (4G): up to 16 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 17 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 59 hrs
Playback (audio (Always On Display Off)): up to 95 hrs
Playback (video): up to 20 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 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Technology TD-SCDMA / 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 8.1 Oreo Android 11
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Bixby
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy Note9 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 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 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 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, 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 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 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 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, ANT+/ANT IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 LE Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, apt-X, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 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, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2 MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Acoustic Overload Point, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy Note9 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, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, RGB sensor, pressure sensor, geomagnetic sensor Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor
Security Devices Face recognition, fingerprint reader, eye scan Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Additional Phone Features S Pen multi-input, Face Unlock, Wi-Fi Miracast, Screen Write, Smart Select, MU-MIMO technology, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Face recognition, High AOP Mic, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Smart Performance Adjuster, Dual Audio, water-carbon cooling system, S Pen remote function 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 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Included Accessories Power adapter, tweezer, SIM card removal tool, USB connector, USB-C cable, S Pen, Pen nibs, headset (tuned by AKG) SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IP68 VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 1.5 m
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