Surface Duo 2 vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive into Two Very Different Android Experiences
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing camera versatility and raw performance, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the clear winner. However, the Surface Duo 2’s unique dual-screen experience offers unparalleled multitasking and productivity for those willing to adapt to its unconventional form factor.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Microsoft Surface Duo 2 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 | 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, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G 6 Gbps DL | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 257, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 22. Released 2021, October 21 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 184.5 x 145.2 x 5.5 mm Folded: 145.2 x 92.1 x 11 mm | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 284 g (10.02 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| Stylus support | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1892 x 2688 pixels (~401 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 8.3 inches, 204.0 cm2 (~152.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR, 800 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| Folded position display: 5.8 inches, AMOLED, 1344 x 1892 pixels (4:3) | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 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 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | 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 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | 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 | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm | - |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 51mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, HDR | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm | 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 | 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, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort | 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 (side-mounted), dual accelerometer, dual gyro, dual proximity, dual 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 | 23W wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4449 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Glacier, Obsidian | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | - | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 1480 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) |
Microsoft Surface Duo 2
- Unique dual-screen multitasking experience
- Excellent for productivity and document editing
- Relatively lightweight and portable for a dual-screen device
- Inferior camera system compared to the S21 Ultra
- Slower charging speeds
- Noticeable crease in the display hinge
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Exceptional camera system with versatile zoom capabilities
- Bright and vibrant display with high peak brightness
- Powerful performance and efficient thermal management
- Less innovative form factor
- Larger and heavier than the Surface Duo 2
- Exynos variant may exhibit more thermal throttling
Display Comparison
The S21 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a measured peak brightness of 1023 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Surface Duo 2 features two 5.8-inch displays, the combined experience, though innovative, doesn’t match the S21 Ultra’s single-panel color accuracy or brightness. The S21 Ultra’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The Duo 2’s hinge, while improved, introduces a crease that is noticeable during content consumption, a factor absent on the S21 Ultra’s seamless display.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra dominates in camera capabilities. While both phones offer photo and video recording, the S21 Ultra’s sensor suite – including a 108MP main sensor – provides significantly greater detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance. The Duo 2’s camera system, while competent, pales in comparison, lacking the telephoto lens versatility of the S21 Ultra. The S21 Ultra’s advanced image processing algorithms and 8K video recording capabilities further solidify its position as a mobile photography leader.
Performance
Both devices utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset (in USA/China variants), but the S21 Ultra’s international variant features the Exynos 2100. While the Cortex-X1 core clock speeds are similar (2.84 GHz on the Duo 2 vs 2.9 GHz on the S21 Ultra’s Exynos), the Exynos 2100 has shown to be slightly less thermally efficient in sustained workloads. The Duo 2’s 8GB of RAM is adequate, but the S21 Ultra’s availability with up to 12GB provides a headroom for demanding multitasking. The S21 Ultra’s LPDDR5 RAM offers faster data transfer rates than the Duo 2’s, contributing to snappier app loading and overall system responsiveness.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 114-hour endurance rating demonstrates superior battery life compared to the Surface Duo 2, which lacks a specific endurance rating. The S21 Ultra’s 25W wired charging, coupled with 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, offers greater flexibility. The Duo 2’s 23W wired charging is comparatively slower. While the Duo 2’s dual-screen design necessitates a larger overall battery capacity, the S21 Ultra’s more efficient chipset and display technology translate to longer real-world usage.
Buying Guide
Buy the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 if you are a power user constantly juggling multiple apps, prioritizing multitasking and document editing on the go, and are willing to trade camera quality and peak performance for a truly innovative form factor. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you demand a top-tier camera system, enjoy mobile gaming, value a vibrant and bright display, and prefer a more conventional, refined smartphone experience.