Samsung Galaxy S8+ vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

Detailed comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. With our comprehensive overview, you can simply compare sizes, functions, but also other key features of both phones and easily decide which one is the right choice for you. Our goal is to help you identify the main differences between products and find the phone that best fits your needs and expectations.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Samsung Galaxy S8+ vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G955FD SM-G998B/DS
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 159.5 mm 161.5 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Width 73.4 mm 75.6 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Depth 8.1 mm 8.9 mm Samsung Galaxy S8+ is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Weight 173 g 227 g Samsung Galaxy S8+ is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Body Colour Gold maple | Midnight black Phantom silver | Phantom black | Phantom navy | Phantom brown | Phantom titanium
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IP68
SAR Value 1 W/kg (body), 0.26 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body), 0.714 W/kg (head), 2.56 W/kg (limb)
Integrated Components Heart rate sensor -
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
Headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm
USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
SIM Card Configuration Details Nano SIM + nano SIM/microSD -
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.2" 6.8" Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2960 x 1440 pixels 3200 x 1440 pixels Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Display Format - QHD+
Pixel Density 529 ppi 515 ppi Samsung Galaxy S8+ has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours 16.7 million colours Both phones have the same color depth.
HDR - Yes Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has HDR.
HDR Technology - HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology - Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate - 120 Hz
Display Features Always-on display Edge Screen, AOD(Always On Display)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (scratch resistant glass) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Processor Type (CPU) Samsung Exynos Samsung Exynos 2100
Processor Number 8895 -
Clock Speed 2.3 GHz 2.9 GHz Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has higher clock speed than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Processor Core Qty 8-core 8-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Samsung Galaxy S8+ has 64-bit architecture.
Graphics System (GPU) Mali-G71 MP20 Mali-G78 MP14
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
RAM LPDDR4 SDRAM - 4 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 12 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has more RAM than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 128 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has more internal memory than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
User Memory 52.3 GB 101.7 GB
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) microSDHC, microSDXC - up to 256 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 1 4
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/2.55" -
Lens Type - Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.7 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy S8+ has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Field of View (FoV) - 120 degree(s)
Pixel Size - 1.4 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic, manual Automatic
Laser Auto Focus - Yes
Optical Zoom - 3x
Digital Zoom 8x 100x Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has better digital zoom than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Self-Timer Delay Yes Yes
Special Effects HDR, Stamp, Bokeh effect, Grid Line, Stickers Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, Timer mode, Virtual Shot, HYPERLAPSE, Food mode 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
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face detection - Samsung Galaxy S8+ has face detection.
White Balance Custom, automatic -
Light Source LED flash High CRI LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps 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
Camera Features (Functions) Selective Focus, Quick Launch, Playback zoom, Dual Pixel technology, Motion photo, Exposure, Shutter speed, geotagging, RAW image capture, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation) 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
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) - 108 Megapixel
Sensor Size (2nd Camera) - 1/1.33"
Lens Type (2nd Camera) - Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) - F/1.8
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 83 degree(s)
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) - 0.8 μm
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation)
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) - 10 Megapixel
Lens Type (3rd Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) - F/2.4
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 35 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) - 1.22 μm
Camera Features (3rd Camera) - Dual Pixel AF
FOURTH CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (4th Camera) - 10 Megapixel
Lens Type (4th Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (4th Camera) - F/4.9
Field of View (4th Camera) - 10 degree(s)
Pixel Size (4th Camera) - 1.22 μm
Camera Features (4th Camera) - Dual Pixel AF
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 8 Megapixel 40 Megapixels Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Sensor Size (Front) 1/3.6" -
Sensor Type (Front) CMOS -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/1.7 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy S8+ has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Field of View (Front) - 80 degree(s)
Pixel Size (Front) - 0.7 μm
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Camera Modes (Front) Wide selfie mode -
Camera Features (Front) - Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF)
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 3500 mAh 5000 mAh Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Fast Charging Technology - Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Samsung Super Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, PMA WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time 1440 minutes 2460 minutes Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Run Time Details Talk (WCDMA): up to 1440 min
Playback (MP3 (AOD on)): up to 50 hrs
Playback (MP3 (AOD off)): up to 78 hrs
Playback (video): up to 18 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 15 hrs
Active online usage (3G): up to 13 hrs
Active online usage (LTE): up to 15 hrs
Talk (4G): up to 2460 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 18 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 18 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 22 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 81 hrs
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Technology TD-SCDMA / WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System Android 7.0 Nougat Android 11
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Bixby
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X, 2100 CDMA2000 1X (AWS) 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
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
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, ANT+/ANT IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 LE Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth Profiles HFP, HSP, OPP, PAN, A2DP, AVRCP, HID, SAP, PBAP, MAP, HOGP -
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, WMA, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, M4A, apt-X, DSF, DSD, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID 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
Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, FLV, AVI, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2 MKV, FLV, AVI, WMV, ASF, 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
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
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, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, RGB sensor, heart rate, pressure sensor, geomagnetic sensor Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor
Security Devices Fingerprint reader, eye scan Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Additional Phone Features Wi-Fi Miracast, MU-MIMO technology, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Samsung DeX support 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, Air Command
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Included Accessories Power adapter, SIM card removal tool, AKG headphones, micro-USB connector (C to B), ear plugs, USB-C to A connector, USB-C cable SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IP68 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 1.5 m
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