In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Google Pixel 8. 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.
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
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Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G991U1 | GPJ41 | |
Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
Height | 151.7 mm | 150.5 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater height than Google Pixel 8. |
Width | 71.2 mm | 70.8 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater width than Google Pixel 8. |
Depth | 7.9 mm | 8.9 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Weight | 171 g | 187 g | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Body Colour | Phantom grey | Phantom white | Obsidian | Hazel | Rose | |
Body Material | - | Matte aluminium frame, Edgeless Corning Gorilla Glass Victus back | |
Protection | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | Scratch-resistant, water-resistant, dust-resistant, fingerprint-resistant | |
Waterproof (Water-resistant) | Yes | Yes | Both phones are waterproof. |
IP rating | IP68 | IP68 | |
SAR Value | 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 | 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 | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
DISPLAY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
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Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | OLED | |
Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.2" | 6.2" | Both phones have the same screen size. |
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 2400 x 1080 pixels | Both phones have the same screen resolution. |
Display Format | Full HD+ | - | |
Pixel Density | 421 ppi | 428 ppi | Google Pixel 8 has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Aspect Ratio | - | 20:9 | |
Max Brightness | - | 2000 cd/m² | |
Colour Depth | 16.7 million colours | 16.7 million colours | Both phones have the same color depth. |
Contrast Ratio | - | 1000000:1 | |
HDR | Yes | Yes | Both phones have HDR. |
HDR Technology | HDR10+ | - | |
Display Enhancement Technology | Eye Comfort Shield | - | |
Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | Both phones have the same refresh rate. |
Display Features | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper | Always-on display, Now Playing, High brightness mode, At a Glance, Actua display, Smooth Display (60 to 120 Hz) | |
Display Protection (Screen Protector) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) |
PROCESSOR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Processor Type (CPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Google Tensor G3 - with Titan M2 security | |
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Clock Speed | 2.84 GHz | - | |
Processor Core Qty | 8-core | - |
MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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RAM | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | LPDDR5X SDRAM - 8 GB | Both phones have the same RAM size. |
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Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) | 128 GB | 128 GB | Both phones have the same internal memory capacity. |
User Memory | 101.2 GB | - | |
Memory Interface | - | UFS 3.1 |
CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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MAIN CAMERA |
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Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 2 | |
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Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 50 Megapixel | Google Pixel 8 has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Sensor Size | 1/1.76" | 1/1.31" | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better camera sensor size than Google Pixel 8. |
Lens Type | Wide-angle lens | Wide-angle lens | |
Lens Aperture | F/1.8 | F/1.68 | Google Pixel 8 has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Field of View (FoV) | 79 degree(s) | 82 degree(s) | Google Pixel 8 has larger lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Pixel Size | 1.8 μm | 1.2 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than Google Pixel 8. |
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 | Yes | |
Optical Zoom | 3x | - | |
Digital Zoom | 30x | 7x | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Google Pixel 8. |
Self-Timer Delay | Yes | - | |
Special Effects | Face retouch, Grid Line | Ultra HDR | |
HDR Mode | Auto HDR mode | Live HDR+ | |
Camera Modes | 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 | Panorama, Best Shot, portrait mode, Night Sight, astro mode, Top Shot, Super Res Zoom, Frequent Faces, Cinematic Pan, Motion Mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Magic Eraser, Portrait Light, Motion autofocus, Astrophotography timelapse, slow motion video at 240fps, Macro Focus, Photo Unblur, Cinematic Blur, Audio Magic Eraser, Macro Focus video | |
White Balance | - | Custom | |
Light Source | High CRI LED flash | LED flash | |
Video Resolutions | 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 | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 24 fps | |
Camera Features (Functions) | 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) | Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS), Stereo Recording, Audio zoom, laser detection auto focus (LDAF), HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), 10-bit 4K HDR video, Dual Exposure Controls, Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera, 4K Timelapse with stabilisation, 4K Cinematic Pan video stabilisation, 4K Locked video stabilisation, 1080p Active video stabilisation, Fused video stabilisation, speech enhancement, Super Res Zoom up to 8x, AVC (H.264), Wind noise reduction, Locked Folder, Magic Editor |
SECOND CAMERA |
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Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) | 12 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Both phones have the same second camera resolution. |
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Lens Type (2nd Camera) | Ultra wide-angle lens | Ultra wide-angle lens | |
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) | F/2.2 | F/2.2 | Both phones have the same second camera lens aperture. |
Field of View (2nd Camera) | 120 degree(s) | 125.8 degree(s) | Google Pixel 8 has larger second camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | 1.4 μm | 1.25 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger second camera pixel size than Google Pixel 8. |
Camera Features (2nd Camera) | - | Lens correction |
THIRD CAMERA |
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Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) | 64 Megapixel | - | |
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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 |
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Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
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Sensor Resolution (Front) | 10 Megapixel | 10.5 Megapixel | Google Pixel 8 has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
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) | 95 degree(s) | Google Pixel 8 has larger front lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
Pixel Size (Front) | 1.22 μm | 1.22 μm | Both phones have the same front camera pixel size. |
Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Fixed focus | |
Video Resolutions (Front) | - | 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps | |
Camera Features (Front) | Dual Pixel AF | Dual PD |
BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 4000 mAh | 4575 mAh | Google Pixel 8 has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
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Fast Charging Technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 | Power Delivery 3.0 | Both phones have fast charging technology. |
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | Both phones can be charged wirelessly. |
Wireless Charging Standards | WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare | Qi | |
Talk Time | 1800 minutes | - | |
Run Time Details | 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 |
Mixed usage: up to 24 hrs Mixed usage (Extreme Battery Saver): up to 72 hrs |
CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Technology | CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | |
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Mobile Broadband Generation | 5G | 5G | Both phones have the same mobile network generation. |
Operating System | Android 11 | Android 14 | |
Intelligent Assistant | Bixby | Google Assistant | |
Payment Technology | Samsung Pay | - | |
Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, Dual Band GNSS |
COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Data Transmission | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 | EDGE, HSDPA, HSPA+, LTE, 5G NR FR1 | |
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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 6, Band 8, Band 19 | |
3G UMTS Frequency | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 800, 900, 800 | |
4G LTE Band | 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 | Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, 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 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 | 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 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, FDD 600 | |
5G NR Band | N41, n71, n260, n261 | N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n71, n75, n76, n77, n78, n40, n25, n12, n26, n30 | |
5G NR Frequency | TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz | FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, FDD 600, SDL DL 1500+, SDL DL 1500-, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, FDD 850, FDD 2300 | |
Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be | |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 | |
NFC | Yes | Yes | Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments. |
MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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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 | - | |
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Supported Digital Video Standards | MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | H.264 AVC, H.265 HEVC | |
Sound Enhancements | Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound | Spatial audio |
FEATURES | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Phone Functions | Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert | - | |
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Sensors | Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor | Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, magnetometer, gyro sensor, flicker sensor, spectral sensor | |
Security Devices | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | |
Security Technology | - | Face Unlock | |
Additional Phone Features | 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 | MIMO technology, Three microphones, Noise suppression, Fast Charging, Google Cast, dual stereo speakers, Battery Share function, Trusty (Trusted Execution Environment), Private Compute Core, Android System Intelligence, Built-in VPN powered by Google One, End-to-end security designed by Google, Tensor security core, anti-phishing, anti-malware protection, microphone toggle, camera toggle, 7 years of Security Updates, Feature Drop updates, Google AI |
OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Google Pixel 8 |
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Included Accessories | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | SIM card removal tool, Quick switch adapter, USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m) | |
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Compliant Standards | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification | IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) | |
Product Recycled Content | - | 18 % - recycled materials | |
Max Depth of Water Resistance | 1.5 m | - |