Huawei Mate 40 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G emerges as the more practical choice. Its superior battery life (114h vs 97h), brighter display (1023 nits), and wider availability outweigh the Mate 40 Pro’s impressive charging speeds and Kirin 9000’s raw performance.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 | 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, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79, 80, 84 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 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 |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 22 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, November 01 | 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 + eSIM· 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 5G (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 | Android 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play Services | 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 |
| 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-NX9, NOH-AN00, NOH-AN01 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 790 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 97h | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.9 LUFS (Very good) | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 686835 (v8) GeekBench: 3704 (v5.1) GFXBench: 43fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
- Extremely fast 66W wired charging
- Powerful Kirin 9000 chipset
- Unique and refined design
- Lack of Google Mobile Services
- Shorter battery life compared to S21 Ultra
- Limited app ecosystem
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Brighter and more versatile display
- Longer battery life
- Wider app compatibility and Google services
- Slower charging speeds
- Potential for thermal throttling (Snapdragon variant)
- Software can be bloated
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1023 nits compared to the Mate 40 Pro’s 807 nits. This translates to better outdoor visibility. Both displays share an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, but the S21 Ultra’s higher peak brightness provides a more vibrant and punchy image. While both are excellent, the S21 Ultra’s display is demonstrably superior for content consumption in bright environments.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. While detailed sensor specs are missing, both offer comprehensive camera systems. The S21 Ultra’s versatility, with its multiple lenses and advanced processing, provides more creative options. The Mate 40 Pro’s image processing leans towards a more saturated look, while Samsung aims for a more natural, albeit sometimes over-sharpened, aesthetic. The S21 Ultra’s larger sensor size (implied by its flagship status) likely contributes to better low-light performance.
Performance
Both phones utilize 5nm fabrication processes, but the chipsets differ significantly. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro’s Kirin 9000 features a tri-cluster architecture with Cortex-A77 cores, while the S21 Ultra employs either the Exynos 2100 (international) or Snapdragon 888 (USA/China), both utilizing the newer Cortex-X1 prime core. The Cortex-X1 offers a performance advantage in single-core tasks. The S21 Ultra’s chipset choice also impacts thermal management; the Snapdragon 888 is known to throttle under sustained load, a potential issue the Kirin 9000 largely avoids. However, the S21 Ultra’s LPDDR5 RAM provides fast memory access, complementing the CPU’s capabilities.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G delivers a substantial battery life advantage with an endurance rating of 114 hours, compared to the Mate 40 Pro’s 97 hours. While the Mate 40 Pro compensates with incredibly fast 66W wired charging (fully charging in under 40 minutes) and 50W wireless charging, the S21 Ultra’s 25W wired charging is considerably slower. The S21 Ultra’s larger battery capacity, combined with the efficiency of the Snapdragon or Exynos chipset, results in a more reliable all-day experience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 Pro if you prioritize extremely fast charging (66W wired, 50W wireless) and are comfortable with the limitations of the Huawei ecosystem, including the absence of Google Mobile Services. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you value a brighter, more versatile display, longer battery life, a more established software experience, and broader compatibility with apps and services.