Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing future-proofing and widespread network compatibility, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the better choice. Its 5G connectivity, coupled with a brighter display and more readily available software updates, outweighs the Mate 40 Pro 4G’s faster charging and potentially superior image processing in certain scenarios.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G | 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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 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 | - | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, June 28 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, July 09 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 75.5 x 9.1 mm (Glass) / 9.5mm (Leather) | 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 | 212 g (7.48 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant | 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 (~94.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10, 90Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.13 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.54 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.05 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 | Kirin 9000 (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP24 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | HarmonyOS 2.0 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, 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 |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 20 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), PDAF | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480fps, 720p@960fps, 720p@3840fps, HDR, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 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 | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC | 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 | Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, 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 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4400 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Silver, White, Black, Green, Yellow | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | NOH-AL00, NOH-AL10 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 800 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) |
Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (66W/50W)
- Potentially superior image processing in certain scenarios
- Powerful Kirin 9000 chipset
- Limited to 4G connectivity
- Software ecosystem and updates are less consistent
- Availability may be restricted
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- 5G connectivity (region dependent)
- Brighter and more color-accurate display
- Wider software support and updates
- Slower charging speeds (25W wired, 15W wireless)
- Exynos 2100 variant may experience thermal throttling
- Higher price point for comparable storage
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G features a significantly brighter display, peaking at 1023 nits measured, compared to the Mate 40 Pro 4G (brightness data unavailable). This translates to better outdoor visibility. While the Mate 40 Pro’s display quality is likely excellent given Huawei’s history, the S21 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio and higher peak brightness provide a more immersive viewing experience. The S21 Ultra’s panel likely utilizes LTPO technology for variable refresh rates, potentially improving battery efficiency, a feature not confirmed for the Mate 40 Pro.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. While detailed sensor information is missing for the Mate 40 Pro, Huawei’s computational photography is renowned. The S21 Ultra’s camera system, with its multiple lenses, offers versatility. The larger main sensor on the S21 Ultra (spec not provided in context) likely captures more light, improving low-light performance. Both devices offer video recording capabilities, but the S21 Ultra’s 8K video recording provides a higher resolution option. The Mate 40 Pro’s image processing tends towards more vibrant colors, while Samsung typically aims for a more natural look.
Performance
Both devices utilize 5nm fabrication processes, but the chipsets differ significantly. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G’s Kirin 9000 employs a Cortex-A77 based CPU architecture, while the S21 Ultra’s Exynos 2100 (International) or Snapdragon 888 (USA/China) utilizes the newer Cortex-X1 and A78 cores. The Cortex-X1 in the S21 Ultra offers a performance advantage in single-core tasks. The S21 Ultra’s RAM configuration, offering up to 12GB, is comparable to the Mate 40 Pro. However, the Exynos 2100 has faced criticism regarding thermal throttling, potentially impacting sustained performance, a concern less prevalent with the Snapdragon 888 variant and the Kirin 9000.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G boasts an endurance rating of 114 hours, indicating excellent battery life. While the Mate 40 Pro 4G’s battery capacity is unknown, the S21 Ultra’s 25W wired charging is significantly slower than the Mate 40 Pro’s 66W wired charging. The Mate 40 Pro also offers 50W wireless charging, dwarfing the S21 Ultra’s 15W wireless charging. This means the Mate 40 Pro can achieve a full charge much faster, a significant advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery. The 4.5W reverse wireless charging on the S21 Ultra is also slower than the Mate 40 Pro’s 5W reverse wireless charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G if you prioritize camera versatility, exceptionally fast 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, and are comfortable with a 4G-only experience. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you need 5G connectivity, a brighter and more color-accurate display, and a broader ecosystem of software support and accessories.