Samsung Galaxy S21 5G vs. Microsoft Surface Duo 2

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Microsoft Surface Duo 2. 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 S21 5G vs. Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G991U1 -
Form Factor Touch Folder - dual screen
Height 151.7 mm 145.2 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater height than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Width 71.2 mm 92.1 mm Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Depth 7.9 mm 11 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Weight 171 g 284 g Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Dimensions Details - Unfolded - 184.5 mm x 5.5 mm x 145.2 mm
Body Colour Phantom grey | Phantom white Glacier | Obsidian
Body Material - Corning Gorilla Glass
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant -
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes - Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is waterproof.
IP rating IP68 -
Repairability Index - 3.9 (out of 10)
SAR Value 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head) 0.726 W/kg (head), 1.478 W/kg (body)
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 Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X AMOLED
Foldable Display - Yes
Display Design - Both directions folding
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.2" 5.8" Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger screen size than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2400 x 1080 pixels 1344 x 1892 pixels Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better screen resolution than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Display Format Full HD+ -
Pixel Density 421 ppi 401 ppi Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better pixel density than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Aspect Ratio - 13:9
Max Brightness - 800 cd/m²
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10+ -
Display Enhancement Technology Eye Comfort Shield -
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz 90 Hz Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better refresh rate than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Display Features AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper DCI-P3 Wide colour gamut, 100% sRGB, Dual PixelSense Fusion Displays
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
SECOND DISPLAY
Second Display Type - OLED display - colour
Second Display Screen Size - 5.8"
Second Display Resolution - 1344 x 1892 pixels
UNFOLDED DISPLAY
Unfolded Display Screen Size - 8.3 in
Unfolded Display Resolution - 2688 x 1892 pixels
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
Clock Speed 2.84 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core 8-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
RAM LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB Both phones have the same RAM size.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 128 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory 101.2 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 3
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/1.76" -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.7 Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (FoV) 79 degree(s) -
Pixel Size 1.8 μm 1.4 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic -
Laser Auto Focus Yes -
Optical Zoom 3x -
Digital Zoom 30x 10x Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Self-Timer Delay Yes -
Special Effects Face retouch, Grid Line HDR
HDR Mode Auto HDR mode -
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 Night mode, Auto mode, low-light shots, Panorama mode with wide dynamic range, slow motion video at 120 or 240fps
Light Source High CRI LED flash Dual 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
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) Dual Pixel Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), Smooth Zoom, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), HDR video recording, multi-frame photo capture, dynamic range scene detection
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.2 F/2.4 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (2nd Camera) 120 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.4 μm 1 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger second camera pixel size than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has optical stabilisation of the second camera.
Optical Zoom - 2x
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF)
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 64 Megapixel 16 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) 1/1.72" -
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.0 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (3rd Camera) 76 degree(s) 110 degree(s) Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has larger third camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) 0.8 μm 1 μm Microsoft Surface Duo 2 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 Features (3rd Camera) - Field of view, distortion correction
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 10 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.0 Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (Front) 80 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (Front) 1.22 μm 1 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger front camera pixel size than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
Focus Adjustment Automatic -
Camera Features (Front) Dual Pixel AF -
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4000 mAh 4449 mAh Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
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 - Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare -
Talk Time 1800 minutes 1680 minutes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has longer battery life when making calls than Microsoft Surface Duo 2.
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
Talk: up to 1680 min
Playback (local video): up to 15.5 hrs
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System Android 11 Android 11
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Google Assistant
Payment Technology Samsung Pay -
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Data Transmission FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 GPRS, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 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 5, Band 8
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 2100, 1900, 850, 900
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 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 29, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, 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 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, 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, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79, n25
5G NR Frequency TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, FDD 600, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, FDD 1900
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.1
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
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 WAV, AAC, AMR, MP3, FLAC, OGG, MIDI, M4A, apt-X, IMY, RTX, OTA, MID, TWS, RTTL
Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 MKV, FLV, AVI, MOV, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, 3GP, H.264, TS, M2TS, WebM, HEVC, 3G2, HEIF, H.265 HEVC, HEIC
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Qualcomm aptX HD audio, Qualcomm aptX Classic
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
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, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor Hall sensor, Time of Flight (ToF), dual accelerometers, dual gyroscope, dual magnetometer, dual ambient light sensor, dual proximity sensor
Security Devices Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition Fingerprint reader (side)
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, Fast Charging, dual battery, Full Duplex communication, dual microphones with AI-based noise suppression and acoustic echo cancellation
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Included Accessories SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable SIM card removal tool, USB-C headset, Surface Duo 2 USB-C cable
Compliant Standards VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification HEARING AID M4/T3
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m -
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