In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. 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 Ultra |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G996B/DS | SM-S918B/DS | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 161.5 mm | 163.4 mm | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Width | 75.6 mm | 78.1 mm | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Depth | 7.8 mm | 8.9 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Weight | 200 g | 233 g | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Body Colour | Phantom black | Phantom silver | Phantom violet | Phantom gold | Phantom red | 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 | 1.335 W/kg (body), 0.541 W/kg (head), 2.23 W/kg (limb) | 1.398 W/kg (body), 0.963 W/kg (head), 2.95 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 Ultra |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.7" | 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 3088 x 1440 pixels | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Display Format | Full HD+ | QHD+ | |
| Pixel Density | 394 ppi | 500 ppi | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| 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 | Vision Booster technology | |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | Both phones have the same refresh rate. |
| Touch Sampling Rate | - | 240 Hz | |
| Display Features | AOD(Always On Display) | 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 Ultra |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Speed | 2.9 GHz | 3.36 GHz | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 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. |
| Graphics System (GPU) | Mali-G78 MP14 | - |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|
| 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 Ultra has more internal memory than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| User Memory | 102.2 GB | 216.6 GB |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
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| MAIN CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 200 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Lens Type | Ultra wide-angle lens | Wide-angle lens | |
| Lens Aperture | F/2.2 | F/1.7 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Field of View (FoV) | 120 degree(s) | 85 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has larger lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. |
| Pixel Size | 1.4 μm | 0.6 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) | Both phones have optical image stabilization. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Laser Auto Focus | - | Yes | |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | - | |
| Digital Zoom | 30x | - | |
| Self-Timer Delay | Yes | Yes | |
| Special Effects | Face retouch, Grid Line | Super 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, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro 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 (UHD 8K) at 24fps, 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, blink detection, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, 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 | Blink detection, QR-code scanner, RAW image capture, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Quick Share, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, backlighting detection, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Single Take, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Auto framing, UW shape correction, Auto FPS, object eraser, Digital zoom up to 20x for video, High Bitrate, 360 Audio Recording |
| SECOND CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) | 12 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Both phones have the same second camera resolution. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (2nd Camera) | 1/1.76" | - | |
| Lens Type (2nd Camera) | Wide-angle lens | Ultra wide-angle lens | |
| Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) | F/1.8 | F/2.2 | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Field of View (2nd Camera) | 79 degree(s) | 120 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has larger second camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | 1.8 μm | 1.4 μm | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has larger second camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. |
| Camera Features (2nd Camera) | OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), Super Speed Dual Pixel AF | - |
| THIRD CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) | 64 Megapixel | 10 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has higher resolution third camera than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (3rd Camera) | 1/1.72" | - | |
| Lens Type (3rd Camera) | Telephoto lens | Telephoto lens | |
| Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) | F/2.0 | F/4.9 | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Field of View (3rd Camera) | 76 degree(s) | 11 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has larger third camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. |
| Pixel Size (3rd Camera) | 0.8 μm | 1.12 μm | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has larger third camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Optical Zoom | - | 10x | |
| Camera Features (3rd Camera) | Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF) | 100x Super Resolution Zoom, Space Zoom |
| FOURTH CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (4th Camera) | - | 10 Megapixel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lens Type (4th Camera) | - | Telephoto lens | |
| Lens Aperture (4th Camera) | - | F/2.4 | |
| Field of View (4th Camera) | - | 36 degree(s) | |
| Pixel Size (4th Camera) | - | 1.12 μm | |
| Optical Zoom | - | 3x |
| FRONT CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution (Front) | 10 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 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 Ultra. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Camera Features (Front) | Dual Pixel AF | 2PD AF |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|
| Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 4800 mAh | 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Charging Technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Samsung Super 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 | 2400 minutes | 2940 minutes | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. |
| Run Time Details | Talk (4G): up to 2400 min Active online usage (LTE): up to 15 hrs Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 17 hrs Playback (wireless video): up to 22 hrs Playback (wireless audio): up to 75 hrs |
Talk (4G): up to 2940 min Active online usage (LTE): up to 25 hrs Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 25 hrs Playback (wireless video): up to 26 hrs Playback (wireless audio): up to 99 hrs |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|
| Technology | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | 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, BeiDou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|
| Data Transmission | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1 | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2G Band | 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM | 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 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 | 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 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 | 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 | N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n40 | N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n75, n77, n78, n40, n25, n12 | |
| 5G NR Frequency | 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 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300 | 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 Ultra has UWB wireless technology. |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
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| Supported Digital Audio Standards | WAV, WMA, 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 | 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, WMV, ASF, 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 Ultra |
|---|
| 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 | Air View, MIMO technology, Smart Select, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Bixby Vision, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, AR Doodle, PENUP, Bixby key, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster | S Pen multi-input, Air View, MIMO technology, Screen Write, notification flashlight, Smart Select, Three microphones, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Secure Folder function, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Samsung Smart Switch, AR Doodle, PENUP, Bixby key, Bluetooth Scalable Codec, 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 Ultra |
|---|
| Included Accessories | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | SIM card removal tool, S Pen, USB-C to USB-C cable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), EcoLogo, IEC 61960, Carbon Trust | |
| Max Depth of Water Resistance | 1.5 m | 1.5 m |
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