Honor Magic3 Pro+ vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: The Ultimate Flagship Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing raw speed, especially gaming, and incredibly fast charging – both wired and wireless – the Honor Magic3 Pro+ takes the lead. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G offers a more refined software experience, broader availability, and a proven track record, making it the better all-rounder for most.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic3 Pro+ | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, August 12 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 19 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm (6.41 x 2.95 x 0.39 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 236 g (8.32 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.99 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 11, Magic UI 5 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 64 MP, f/1.8, (monochrome) 64 MP, f/2.4, 11mm 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF TOF 3D (depth) | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 66W wireless 5W reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ceramic Black, Ceramic White | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | ELZ-AN20 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 1070 EUR | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 384.99 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 998.00 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 1,179.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 459.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor Magic3 Pro+
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (66W vs 25W/15W)
- Slightly faster processor (Snapdragon 888+)
- Potential for better sustained performance due to thermal management
- Less established brand recognition
- Software experience may not be as refined as Samsung’s
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- More polished and feature-rich software experience
- Versatile camera system with proven performance
- Wider availability and support network
- Slower charging speeds
- Potential for throttling with Exynos variant
- Higher price point (depending on configuration)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G boasts a measured peak brightness of 1023 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Honor Magic3 Pro+’s display specs aren’t explicitly provided, Honor typically prioritizes color accuracy and high refresh rates in its flagships. The S21 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of AMOLED panels, delivers deep blacks. The S21 Ultra’s adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, likely utilizing LTPO technology, dynamically adjusts to conserve battery, a feature we expect to be present on the Magic3 Pro+ as well, though specifics are missing. The S21 Ultra’s larger screen size may appeal to media consumers.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are equipped with sophisticated camera systems, but differ in approach. The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera is renowned for its versatility, offering multiple lenses and advanced software processing. While specific sensor details for the Magic3 Pro+ are missing, Honor has historically focused on computational photography and color science. The S21 Ultra’s 108MP main sensor and advanced OIS system provide excellent detail and low-light performance. The Magic3 Pro+’s camera system likely emphasizes fast autofocus and intelligent scene recognition. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the S21 Ultra is largely a marketing feature, offering limited practical benefit compared to the main sensors.
Performance
Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 series, but with key differences. The Honor Magic3 Pro+ features the Snapdragon 888+ 5G, a slightly overclocked version with a Cortex-X1 prime core running at 2.99 GHz versus the S21 Ultra’s 2.9 GHz (International version) or 2.84 GHz (USA/China). This marginal CPU clock speed increase, combined with potentially more aggressive thermal management, could give the Honor a slight edge in sustained performance. The S21 Ultra’s availability with the Exynos 2100 internationally introduces a potential variable; the Exynos chip has historically shown a tendency to throttle under prolonged load compared to the Snapdragon, impacting gaming performance. Both devices feature 12GB of RAM, but the type (LPDDR5 vs LPDDR5x) isn’t specified for the Magic3 Pro+, potentially impacting memory bandwidth.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has an endurance rating of 114 hours, indicating solid battery life. However, the Honor Magic3 Pro+ significantly differentiates itself with its charging capabilities. 66W wired charging is substantially faster than the S21 Ultra’s 25W, allowing for a full charge in under 40 minutes. More impressively, the Magic3 Pro+ supports 66W wireless charging, dwarfing the S21 Ultra’s 15W wireless charging. While the S21 Ultra’s larger battery capacity (not specified for the Magic3 Pro+) might offer slightly longer runtime, the Magic3 Pro+’s charging speed provides a significant convenience advantage. The inclusion of 5W reverse wireless and wired charging on the Magic3 Pro+ is a bonus for topping up accessories.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic3 Pro+ if you need the absolute fastest charging speeds available on a smartphone, coupled with a Snapdragon 888+ for peak performance in demanding applications. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prefer a more polished software experience, a versatile camera system with extensive features, and the peace of mind of a globally recognized brand with widespread support.