Samsung Galaxy S21 5G vs. Sony XPERIA 5 III

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Sony XPERIA 5 III. 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. Sony XPERIA 5 III Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G991U1 -
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 151.7 mm 157 mm Sony XPERIA 5 III has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Width 71.2 mm 68 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater width than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Depth 7.9 mm 8.2 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Weight 171 g 168 g Sony XPERIA 5 III is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Body Colour Phantom grey | Phantom white Black | Green
Body Material - Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant Dustproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IPX8, IPX5, IP6X
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
Headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
SIM Card Configuration Details - Nano SIM + nano SIM/microSD
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X OLED
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.2" 6.1" Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger screen size than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2400 x 1080 pixels 2520 x 1080 pixels Sony XPERIA 5 III has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Display Format Full HD+ Full HD+
Pixel Density 421 ppi -
Aspect Ratio - 21:9
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10+ -
Display Enhancement Technology Eye Comfort Shield Motion Blur Reduction 240Hz
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz 120 Hz Both phones have the same refresh rate.
Display Features AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper DCI-P3 Wide colour gamut, CinemaWide display, Creator mode powered by CineAlta, X1 for mobile image processing engine, BT.2020, 10 bit tonal gradation, Illuminant D65 White point, L-γ raiser (low gamma raiser)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) Corning Gorilla Glass 6 (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Clock Speed 2.84 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core -
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
RAM LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB 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 -
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) - microSDHC, microSD, microSDXC - up to 1 TB
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
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" 1/1.7" Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better camera sensor size than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Sensor Type - Exmor RS CMOS
Lens Type Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.7 Sony XPERIA 5 III has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (FoV) 79 degree(s) 82 degree(s) Sony XPERIA 5 III has larger lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Pixel Size 1.8 μm -
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 -
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) - 24 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 Slow motion video, Panorama, Pro mode, SteadyShot, Intelligent Active Mode, Bokeh Mode
Light Source High CRI LED flash 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 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 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) Carl Zeiss optic, Object tracking, Dual Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), Stereo Recording, BIONZ X for mobile, ZEISS T Coating, up to 20 fps AF/AE, up to 60 times per second continuous AF / AE calculation, Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals, Dual photo diode, RGB-IR, Cinematography Pro powered by CineAlta, Intelligent wind filter, Hybrid OIS/EIS video stabilisation, Hybrid zoom 12.5x, AI Super Resolution Zoom, Photography Pro, Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Sensor Size (2nd Camera) - 1/2.9"
Sensor Type (2nd Camera) - Exmor RS CMOS
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.2 F/2.3 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (2nd Camera) 120 degree(s) 34 degree(s) Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger second camera lens field of view than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.4 μm -
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) - 70 mm
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 64 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) 1/1.72" 1/2.5" Sony XPERIA 5 III has better third camera sensor size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Sensor Name (3rd Camera) - Sony Exmor RS sensor
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto 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) 124 degree(s) Sony XPERIA 5 III has larger third camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
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.
Minimum Focal Length (3rd Camera) - 16 mm
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 10 Megapixel 8 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better front camera resolution than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Sensor Size (Front) - 1/4"
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.0 Sony XPERIA 5 III has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (Front) 80 degree(s) 78 degree(s) Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger front lens field of view than Sony XPERIA 5 III.
Pixel Size (Front) 1.22 μm -
Focus Adjustment Automatic -
Special Effects (Front) - HDR
Camera Modes (Front) - SteadyShot, Intelligent Active Mode, Selfie portrait
Light Source (Front) - Display flash
Camera Features (Front) Dual Pixel AF Hand Shutter
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4000 mAh 4500 mAh Sony XPERIA 5 III has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Fast Charging Technology Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Xperia-Adaptive Charging Both phones have 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 -
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
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CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
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 -
Payment Technology Samsung Pay -
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, Galileo A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
Data Transmission FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 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 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 17, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 29, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, 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 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N41, n71, n260, n261 N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n77, 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, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.2
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
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 PCM, MP3, FLAC, AAC-LC, AAC +, eAAC+, MIDI, DSD, LDAC, ALAC, OPUS, AMR-WB, AMR-NB, Vorbis, AAC-ELD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby-AC4, 360 Reality Audio Music Format
Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 MPEG-4, H.264, H.263, VP8, VP9, H.265, AV1
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Atmos sound technology, Hi-Res audio, Qualcomm aptX HD audio, DSEE Ultimate, 360 Reality Audio, 360 Reality Audio hardware decoding, 360 Spatial Sound
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
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 -
Security Devices Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition Fingerprint reader
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 TTY compatible, multitasking, PS4 Remote Play, Battery Care, STAMINA Mode, TalkBack, Dynamic vibration system, Game Enhancer, DUALSHOCK 4 control compatibility, Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Sony XPERIA 5 III
Included Accessories SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable Power adapter
Compliant Standards VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification IPX5, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), IPX8, IP6X, ITU-R BT.2020, USB Power Delivery
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m -
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