The Nokia 3110 Evolve evokes nostalgia with its classic design, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G represents the pinnacle of modern smartphone technology. This comparison explores how these two vastly different devices stack up against each other, catering to distinct user needs and budgets.
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the clear winner in terms of features, performance, and camera capabilities. However, the Nokia 3110 Evolve offers incredible value and simplicity for those seeking a basic, reliable phone for calls and texts, prioritizing longevity and ease of use over advanced functionality.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | - | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | - | 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 |
| EDGE | Class 10 | - |
| GPRS | Class 10 | - |
| Speed | - | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2007, December. Released 2008 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 108.5 x 45.7 x 15.6 mm, 72 cc (4.27 x 1.80 x 0.61 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 87 g (3.07 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 | 128 x 160 pixels (~114 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 1.8 inches, 10.2 cm2 (~20.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | TFT, 256K colors | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| | 5-way navigation key
Downloadable wallpapers, screensavers | Always-on display |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | - | 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 | - | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | - | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | - | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Call records | 20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls | - |
| Card slot | microSD (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 9MB | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| Phonebook | Yes | - |
| | - | UFS 3.1
|
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | - | 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 | 1.3 MP | - |
| Video | Yes | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | - | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| | No | - |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Alert types | Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones | - |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
Tuned by AKG |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 2.0, A2DP | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | - | Yes |
| Positioning | No | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | miniUSB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | No | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Browser | WAP 2.0/xHTML | - |
| Games | Downloadable | - |
| Java | Yes, MIDP 2.0 | - |
| Messaging | SMS, MMS, Email | - |
| Sensors | - | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| | MP3/MP4/AAC+/3gp/WMA player
Organizer
Voice memo
Voice command
Predictive text input
Push to talk | 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 | - | 25W wired, PD3.0
15W wireless (Qi)
4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | Up to 380 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 3 h 30 min | - |
| Type | Removable Li-Ion 1020 mAh battery (BL-5C) | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Grey | 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 100 EUR | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 |
| SAR | 1.10 W/kg (head) 0.33 W/kg (body) | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.96 W/kg (head) | 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) |
| OUR TESTS |
|---|
| Battery (old) | - | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | 1023 nits max brightness (measured) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8)
GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Nokia 3110 Evolve
- Extremely long battery life
- Durable and reliable
- Simple and easy to use
- Affordable
- Classic Nokia design
- Limited functionality
- Basic camera
- Low-resolution display
- No advanced features (e.g., 5G, NFC)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Stunning display
- Powerful performance
- Exceptional camera system
- 5G connectivity
- Ample storage options
- Expensive
- Complex interface
- Battery life, while good, isn't as exceptional as the Nokia
- Larger and heavier
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G boasts a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1023 nits, offering vibrant colors and exceptional clarity. The Nokia 3110 Evolve features a small, basic LCD screen, suitable for simple tasks but lacking the resolution and visual fidelity of the Samsung.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G's camera system is a standout feature, offering incredible versatility with multiple lenses and advanced features like 108MP main sensor, 3x and 10x optical zoom. The Nokia 3110 Evolve has a basic VGA camera, suitable for very low-resolution snapshots.
Performance
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G's Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 chipset delivers blazing-fast performance, effortlessly handling demanding apps and games. The Nokia 3110 Evolve's processor is designed for basic functions like calls and texts, offering limited processing power.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G offers excellent battery life with an endurance rating of 114 hours. The Nokia 3110 Evolve, due to its limited functionality, provides exceptional battery life, potentially lasting for days or even weeks on a single charge.
Buying Guide
The Nokia 3110 Evolve is ideal for users who want a simple, durable phone for basic communication, those seeking a secondary device for travel or emergencies, or individuals nostalgic for classic Nokia phones. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is perfect for power users, photography enthusiasts, and anyone who demands the latest technology, a stunning display, and top-tier performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Nokia 3110 Evolve a smartphone?
No, the Nokia 3110 Evolve is a feature phone, offering basic functionalities like calls, texts, and a simple camera. It does not run a full smartphone operating system.
❓ What is the price difference between the two phones?
The Nokia 3110 Evolve is significantly more affordable, typically costing under $100. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G can range from $385 to over $1180 depending on storage configuration.