Huawei Mate 40E vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Detailed Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing camera versatility and a vibrant display, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the superior choice. However, the Huawei Mate 40E delivers excellent performance and faster charging at a potentially lower price point, making it a strong contender for those seeking value and efficiency.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40E | 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 | 1, 3, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 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 | 2021, March 10 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 18 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158.6 x 72.5 x 8.8 mm (6.24 x 2.85 x 0.35 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 | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 188 g (6.63 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2376 pixels (~402 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 102.7 cm2 (~89.3% 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 (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 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 990E 5G (7 nm+) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP14 | 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 | 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) | - |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.9, 27mm (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 85mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide) | - |
| Video | 4K, 1080p, 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) | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K, 720p@240fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | 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 | 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 | 40W wired 40W wireless 5W reverse wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, White, Black | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | OCE-AN50 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 600 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 40E
- Faster 40W wired and wireless charging
- Potentially lower price point
- More compact form factor
- Less powerful chipset (Kirin 990E)
- Inferior camera system
- Limited software support due to US restrictions
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Superior performance (Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100)
- More versatile camera system
- Brighter and more advanced display
- Slower charging speeds
- Higher price
- Potential for Exynos overheating (depending on region)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G dominates in display technology, achieving a measured peak brightness of 1023 nits, significantly outshining the Mate 40E (brightness data unavailable, but expected to be lower). The S21 Ultra’s display also benefits from an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, providing deeper blacks and more vivid colors. While the Mate 40E likely offers a quality OLED panel, it lacks the S21 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate and higher peak brightness, impacting outdoor visibility and overall visual experience.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G offers a far more comprehensive camera system. While both phones feature 'Photo/Video' capabilities, the S21 Ultra’s sensor array and image processing are more advanced. The S21 Ultra’s larger main sensor (specifications not provided in context data, but known to be larger than typical) and sophisticated image stabilization (OIS) deliver superior image quality, especially in low-light conditions. The S21 Ultra’s zoom capabilities are also significantly better, offering multiple telephoto lenses for extended reach. The Mate 40E’s camera system, while competent, is likely to lack the versatility and advanced features of the S21 Ultra.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, depending on the region, utilizes either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm) or the Exynos 2100 (5nm) chipset. Both represent a significant leap over the Huawei Mate 40E’s Kirin 990E 5G (7nm+). The Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 feature newer CPU core designs – Cortex-X1, A78 – offering improved single-core and multi-core performance. The 5nm process node also contributes to better thermal efficiency, potentially reducing throttling during sustained workloads. While the Kirin 990E is a capable performer, it will likely fall behind in demanding tasks like gaming and video editing. The S21 Ultra’s LPDDR5 RAM further enhances performance compared to the Mate 40E’s RAM specification (unspecified, but likely LPDDR4X).
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 114 hours, suggesting comparable overall battery life despite differing battery capacities (Mate 40E capacity unspecified). However, the charging speeds differ significantly. The Huawei Mate 40E supports 40W wired and 40W wireless charging, allowing for much faster top-ups compared to the S21 Ultra’s 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. The Mate 40E also offers 5W reverse wired charging, a feature absent on the S21 Ultra’s 4.5W reverse wireless charging. This makes the Mate 40E more convenient for users who frequently need to quickly recharge their device or top up accessories.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40E if you need a phone that prioritizes efficient performance, fast wired and wireless charging, and a more compact form factor. It’s ideal for users who value a smooth experience without the need for the absolute latest camera technology. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prefer a larger, brighter display, a more versatile camera system with advanced zoom capabilities, and access to the broader Samsung ecosystem. It’s the better choice for content creators and power users.