Nokia XR21 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the clear winner in almost every category, boasting superior performance, a stunning display, and a top-tier camera system. However, the Nokia XR21 offers exceptional durability and value for those prioritizing ruggedness and affordability.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Nokia XR21 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, May 03 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, June 11 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 168 x 78.6 x 10.5 mm (6.61 x 3.09 x 0.41 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 231 g (8.15 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68/IP69K dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 60 min) Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.8m MIL-STD-810H compliant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~406 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.49 inches, 101.7 cm2 (~77.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, 120Hz, 450 nits (typ), 550 nits (HBM) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Unspecified | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 64 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.0", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, second LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4 (wide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | Unspecified | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | 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 | 33W wired, PD2.0, QC3 | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight Black, Pine Green | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | - | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 570 EUR | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Nokia XR21
- Rugged and durable design
- Affordable price
- Decent battery life
- 5G connectivity
- Lower performance
- Less impressive camera
- Mediocre display
- Slower charging
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional performance
- Stunning display
- Top-tier camera system
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- Wireless charging
- Reverse wireless charging
- High price
- Large size
- Can be overwhelming for some users
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1274 nits is simply unmatched. Its infinite contrast ratio delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks. The XR21's display, while functional, lacks the same level of visual fidelity and brightness. It's a smaller 6.49-inch display, likely LCD, and lacks the adaptive refresh rate.
Camera Comparison
Samsung's camera system is a standout feature, offering incredible detail, dynamic range, and versatility with its multiple lenses and advanced features. The XR21's camera is adequate for everyday shots, but it falls short in low-light conditions and overall image quality. The S23 Ultra's zoom capabilities are also significantly better.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra provides blistering performance, easily handling demanding games and multitasking. The XR21's Snapdragon 695 5G is a capable mid-range chip, but it's no match for the S23 Ultra's raw power. Expect smoother performance and faster app loading times on the Samsung.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates exceptional battery life, consistently achieving over 13 hours of active use and an endurance rating of 126 hours. The XR21 offers decent battery life, but it doesn't reach the same level of longevity as the S23 Ultra. Both support fast charging, but the S23 Ultra's 45W charging is faster than the XR21's 33W.
Buying Guide
The Nokia XR21 is ideal for users who need a durable phone for outdoor activities or demanding work environments and are on a tighter budget. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is perfect for power users, photography enthusiasts, and anyone who wants the absolute best Android experience, regardless of price.