In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and OnePlus 9. 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 | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G991U1 | - | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 151.7 mm | 160 mm | OnePlus 9 has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Width | 71.2 mm | 74.2 mm | OnePlus 9 has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Depth | 7.9 mm | 8.7 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Weight | 171 g | 192 g | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Body Colour | Phantom grey | Phantom white | Astral black | Arctic sky | |
| Protection | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | - | |
| Waterproof (Water-resistant) | Yes | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is waterproof. |
| IP rating | 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 | |
| SIM Card Qty | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| DISPLAY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Fluid Amoled | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.2" | 6.55" | OnePlus 9 has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 2400 x 1080 pixels | Both phones have the same screen resolution. |
| Display Format | Full HD+ | Full HD+ | |
| Pixel Density | 421 ppi | 402 ppi | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better pixel density than OnePlus 9. |
| Aspect Ratio | - | 20:9 | |
| Max Brightness | - | 1100 cd/m² | |
| Colour Depth | 16.7 million colours | 16.7 million colours | Both phones have the same color depth. |
| HDR | Yes | Yes | Both phones have HDR. |
| HDR Technology | HDR10+ | HDR10+ | |
| Display Enhancement Technology | Eye Comfort Shield | Vibrant Color Effect | |
| 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, Reading mode, night mode, Wide colour display (P3), sRGB support | |
| Display Protection (Screen Protector) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) | Corning Gorilla Glass (scratch resistant glass) |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Speed | 2.84 GHz | - | |
| Processor Core Qty | 8-core | 8-core | Both phones have the same number of phone cores. |
| Graphics System (GPU) | - | Qualcomm ADRENO 660 |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| 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 | - | |
| Memory Interface | - | UFS 3.1 |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| MAIN CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 48 Megapixel | OnePlus 9 has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.76" | 1/1.43" | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better camera sensor size than OnePlus 9. |
| Sensor Name | - | Sony Exmor RS IMX689 sensor | |
| Lens Type | Wide-angle lens | - | |
| Lens Aperture | F/1.8 | F/1.8 | Both phones have the same camera lens aperture. |
| Lens Construction | - | 7-element | |
| Field of View (FoV) | 79 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size | 1.8 μm | 1.12 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than OnePlus 9. |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Laser Auto Focus | Yes | Yes | |
| Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) | - | 23 mm | |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | - | |
| Digital Zoom | 30x | - | |
| 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 | Panorama, Time-lapse mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Nightscape capture mode, Portrait, Filter mode, Super Macro, Portrait video, UltraShot HDR, Smart Scene Recognition, Tilt-shift mode, Focus Peaking, Cat/Dog Face Focus, Super Stable, Video Nightscape | |
| 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, Super slow motion video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 480 fps, 7680 x 4320 (8K) at 30fps | |
| 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) | Tracking Focus, Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), Continuous Auto Focus (CAF), RAW image capture, Dual Native ISO, 2x2 On-Chip Lens (OCL), Hasselblad Camera, Natural Color Calibration, 12-bit RAW |
| SECOND CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) | 12 Megapixel | 50 Megapixel | OnePlus 9 has better second camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (2nd Camera) | - | 1/1.56" | |
| Sensor Name (2nd Camera) | - | Sony Exmor RS IMX766 sensor | |
| 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. |
| Lens Element Qty (2nd Camera) | - | 7-element | |
| Field of View (2nd Camera) | 120 degree(s) | 119 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger second camera lens field of view than OnePlus 9. |
| Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | 1.4 μm | - | |
| Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) | - | 14 mm | |
| Camera Features (2nd Camera) | - | 2x2 On-Chip Lens (OCL), Freeform Lens |
| THIRD CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) | 64 Megapixel | 2 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than OnePlus 9. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (3rd Camera) | 1/1.72" | - | |
| Lens Type (3rd Camera) | Telephoto lens | - | |
| Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) | F/2.0 | F/2.4 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Lens Element Qty (3rd Camera) | - | 3-element | |
| 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. |
| Camera Functions (3rd Camera) | - | Monochrome |
| FRONT CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution (Front) | 10 Megapixel | 16 Megapixel | OnePlus 9 has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Sensor Name (Front) | - | Sony Exmor RX IMX471 sensor | |
| Lens Aperture (Front) | F/2.2 | F/2.4 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G 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 OnePlus 9. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Focus free | |
| Special Effects (Front) | - | HDR, face retouch | |
| Camera Modes (Front) | - | Time-lapse mode | |
| Light Source (Front) | - | Display flash | |
| Video Resolutions (Front) | - | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps | |
| Camera Features (Front) | Dual Pixel AF | Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS) |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 4000 mAh | 4500 mAh | OnePlus 9 has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Charging Technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 | Qualcomm Quick Charge, Warp Charge 65T technology | Both phones have fast charging technology. |
| Recharge Time (Charging Time) | - | 29 min | |
| 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 |
- |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| 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 | OxygenOS (based on Android 11) | |
| Intelligent Assistant | Bixby | - | |
| Payment Technology | Samsung Pay | - | |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| Data Transmission | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 | 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, Band 9, Band 19 | |
| 3G UMTS Frequency | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900, 1700, 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 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 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 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 | N41, n71, n260, n261 | N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n78, n40 | |
| 5G NR Frequency | TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz | 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 3500, TDD 2300 | |
| Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.2 | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments. |
| Modem | - | Snapdragon X55 5G |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| 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, WMA, AAC, MP3, FLAC, AC-3, AAC +, OGG, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, LDAC, IMY, EAC3, MID, AMR-WB, AMR-NB, EAC3-JOC, AC-4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Digital Video Standards | MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | MKV, FLV, AVI, MOV, WMV, 3GP, TS, WebM, H.265 HEVC, MP4 | |
| Sound Enhancements | Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound | Qualcomm aptX audio, Qualcomm aptX HD audio, Dolby Atmos Surround Sound |
| FEATURES | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| 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 | Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, digital compass, gyro sensor, flicker sensor, sensor core | |
| Security Devices | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | |
| 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 | Noise Cancellation Technology, MIMO technology, Gesture Controls, OnePlus Switch, Alert Slider, dual stereo speakers, Zen mode 2.0, OnePlus Games |
| OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | OnePlus 9 |
|---|
| Included Accessories | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | SIM card removal tool, sticker, screen protector, USB-C to USB-C cable, protective case, Warp Charge 65 power adapter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification | SGS | |
| Max Depth of Water Resistance | 1.5 m | - |
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