Honor V40 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-around flagship features and a refined software experience, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the superior choice. However, the Honor V40 5G delivers exceptional value with its blazing-fast 66W charging and capable performance, making it ideal for power users who prioritize speed and affordability.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor V40 5G | 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) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 18, 19, 26, 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, 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 / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, January 22 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, January 22 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.1 x 74.3 x 8 mm (6.42 x 2.93 x 0.31 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 | 189 g (6.67 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 | 1236 x 2676 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~440 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.72 inches, 110.4 cm2 (~91.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 120Hz, 800 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.6 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.0 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 | Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ (7 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MC9 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 10, Magic UI 4.0, no Google Play Services | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 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 |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 17mm (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) | - |
| Video | 4K, 1080p, 720p@1920fps, HDR, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide) Color spectrum sensor | - |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | - | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C, 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), 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, 60% in 15 min, 100% in 35 min 50W wireless, 50% in 35 min 5W reverse wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight Black, Rose Gold, Titanium Silver | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | YOK-AN10 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 460 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 V40 5G
- Blazing-fast 66W wired charging
- Impressive 50W wireless charging
- Competitive performance with Dimensity 1000+
- Less refined software experience
- Camera system likely less versatile than S21 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Superior display brightness and color accuracy
- More powerful processor (Snapdragon/Exynos)
- Versatile and highly-rated camera system
- Slower charging speeds (25W wired, 15W wireless)
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1023 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the Honor V40 5G. While the Honor V40 5G’s display quality isn’t detailed, Samsung’s panel benefits from an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, suggesting deep blacks and vibrant colors. The S21 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate, likely utilizing LTPO technology (though not explicitly stated), dynamically adjusts for smoother scrolling and improved battery efficiency, a feature not confirmed for the Honor V40 5G. Bezels are likely comparable, but Samsung’s display is generally considered best-in-class.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are equipped with sophisticated camera systems, but details on the Honor V40 5G’s camera are limited. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is renowned for its versatile camera setup, including a high-resolution main sensor (resolution unspecified in context data, but known to be 108MP in the market) and advanced image processing. The S21 Ultra’s OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) is crucial for stable video recording and low-light photography. While the Honor V40 5G likely offers a competent camera experience, the S21 Ultra’s reputation and feature set – including 8K video recording – position it as the superior choice for photography enthusiasts. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the Honor V40 5G is likely a marketing feature with limited real-world benefit.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, depending on the region, utilizes either the Exynos 2100 (5nm) or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm) chipset, both built on a more advanced 5nm process compared to the Honor V40 5G’s Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ (7nm). This process node difference translates to improved thermal efficiency and potentially higher sustained performance in the S21 Ultra. The S21 Ultra’s CPU configuration, featuring a Cortex-X1 prime core, offers a performance advantage over the Honor V40 5G’s Cortex-A77 cores. While both phones feature 12GB of RAM options, the S21 Ultra likely utilizes faster LPDDR5 RAM, further enhancing performance. The Dimensity 1000+ is still a capable performer, but the S21 Ultra holds a clear edge in raw processing power.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G achieves an endurance rating of 114 hours, indicating solid battery life. However, the Honor V40 5G’s standout feature is its charging speed. With 66W wired charging, it can reach 60% charge in just 15 minutes and 100% in 35 minutes, significantly faster than the S21 Ultra’s 25W charging. The Honor V40 5G also supports 50W wireless charging, dwarfing the S21 Ultra’s 15W wireless charging. While the S21 Ultra’s battery life is respectable, the Honor V40 5G’s charging speed offers a compelling advantage for users who prioritize quick top-ups.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor V40 5G if you need incredibly fast charging – 66W wired and 50W wireless are unmatched in this comparison – and a strong processor for everyday tasks and gaming, all while staying within a more budget-conscious price range. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prefer a more polished software experience, a versatile and highly-rated camera system, and a brighter, more color-accurate display, and are willing to pay a premium for these features.