In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Samsung Galaxy S23+. 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 | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G991U1 | SM-S916B/DS | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 151.7 mm | 157.8 mm | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Width | 71.2 mm | 76.2 mm | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Depth | 7.9 mm | 7.6 mm | Samsung Galaxy S23+ is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Weight | 171 g | 195 g | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Body Colour | Phantom grey | Phantom white | Lavender | Cream | Green | Phantom black | |
| Body Material | - | PET film, recycled glass, Armour Aluminium frame | |
| Protection | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | |
| Waterproof (Water-resistant) | Yes | Yes | Both phones are waterproof. |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 | |
| Repairability Index | - | 8.2 (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) | 0.766 W/kg (head), 1.453 W/kg (body), 3.01 W/kg (limb) | |
| 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 | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.2" | 6.6" | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 2340 x 1080 pixels | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S23+. |
| Display Format | Full HD+ | Full HD+ | |
| Pixel Density | 421 ppi | 393 ppi | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S23+. |
| Max Brightness | - | 1750 cd/m² | |
| Colour Depth | 16.7 million colours | 16.7 million colours | Both phones have the same color depth. |
| Contrast Ratio | - | 3000000:1 | |
| HDR | Yes | Yes | Both phones have HDR. |
| HDR Technology | HDR10+ | HDR10+ | |
| Display Enhancement Technology | Eye Comfort Shield | Eye Comfort Shield, Vision Booster technology | |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | Both phones have the same refresh rate. |
| Display Features | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper, 100% DCI-P3 | |
| Display Protection (Screen Protector) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (scratch resistant glass) |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Speed | 2.84 GHz | 3.36 GHz | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has higher clock speed than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Processor Core Qty | 8-core | 8-core | Both phones have the same number of phone cores. |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| RAM | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | Both phones have the same RAM size. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) | 128 GB | 256 GB | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has more internal memory than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| User Memory | 101.2 GB | 216.7 GB |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
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| MAIN CAMERA |
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| Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 50 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.76" | - | |
| Lens Type | Wide-angle lens | Wide-angle lens | |
| Lens Aperture | F/1.8 | F/1.8 | Both phones have the same camera lens aperture. |
| Field of View (FoV) | 79 degree(s) | 85 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has larger lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Pixel Size | 1.8 μm | 1 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S23+. |
| 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 | - | |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | 3x | Both phones have the same optical zoom. |
| Digital Zoom | 30x | 30x | Both phones have the same digital zoom. |
| Self-Timer Delay | Yes | Yes | |
| Special Effects | Face retouch, Grid Line | HDR, face retouch, Grid Line, selfie colour tone | |
| HDR Mode | Auto 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, 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, Filter mode, Single Take, Pro Video, Portrait video, Director's View, Expert RAW mode, My Filter mode, Astrolapse | |
| Light Source | High CRI LED flash | High CRI 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 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, Super slow motion video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 960 fps, 7680 x 4320 (UHD 8K) at 24fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps, 7680 x 4320 (UHD 8K) at 30fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) HDR10+ at 60 fps, Director's View 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 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) | Blink detection, QR-code scanner, RAW image capture, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, backlighting detection, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Digital zoom up to 12x for video, Single Take, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Auto framing, UW shape correction, Auto FPS, Adaptive Pixel (12MP 2.0μm), High Bitrate, 360 Audio Recording |
| 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 | 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) | 120 degree(s) | Both phones have the same second camera lens field of view. |
| Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | 1.4 μm | 1.4 μm | Both phones have the same second camera pixel size. |
| THIRD CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) | 64 Megapixel | 10 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than Samsung Galaxy S23+. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (3rd Camera) | 1/1.72" | - | |
| Lens Type (3rd Camera) | Telephoto lens | 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. |
| Field of View (3rd Camera) | 76 degree(s) | 36 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger third camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S23+. |
| Pixel Size (3rd Camera) | 0.8 μm | 1 μm | Samsung Galaxy S23+ 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. |
| FRONT CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution (Front) | 10 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S23+ 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) | 80 degree(s) | Both phones have the same front lens field of view. |
| Pixel Size (Front) | 1.22 μm | 1.12 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger front camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S23+. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Camera Features (Front) | Dual Pixel AF | 2PD AF |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 4000 mAh | 4700 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S23+ 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 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Samsung Super Fast Charging, 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 | WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare | |
| Talk Time | 1800 minutes | 2640 minutes | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| 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 |
Active online usage (LTE): up to 22 hrs Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 23 hrs Playback (wireless video): up to 27 hrs Playback (wireless audio): up to 84 hrs Talk (LTE): up to 2640 min |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| 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 13 | |
| User Interface | - | Samsung One UI 5.1 | |
| Intelligent Assistant | Bixby | Bixby | |
| Payment Technology | Samsung Pay | Samsung Pay | |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 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, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n75, n77, n78, n40, n25, n12 | |
| 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, SDL DL 1500+, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12 | |
| Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Wi-Fi 6E | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments. |
| Ultra-Wideband (UWB) | - | Yes | Samsung Galaxy S23+ has UWB wireless technology. |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| 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, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Digital Video Standards | MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | 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 | Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, Dolby Digital sound, amplify ambient sound |
| FEATURES | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| Phone Functions | 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, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor | |
| 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 | MIMO technology, Smart Select, Three microphones, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Samsung Smart Switch, Bixby key, Samsung Knox Vault, DisplayPort over USB Type-C, dual stereo speakers tuned by Dolby Atmos, Samsung Seamless Codec, Samsung Wallet |
| OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
|---|
| Included Accessories | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification | VDE, IP68 | |
| Max Depth of Water Resistance | 1.5 m | 1.5 m |
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