Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. S21 Ultra: A Comprehensive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the superior choice. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset delivers significantly improved performance and efficiency, translating to smoother multitasking and longer battery life. While the S21 Ultra remains a capable device, the S23 Ultra’s advancements justify the price premium.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | 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, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 | 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 | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, January 14 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, January 29 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | 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 | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | 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 | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-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 | 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 | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 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 | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), 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 | 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 | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 |
| SAR | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 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 | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Lower price point (especially used/refurbished)
- Still a very capable camera system
- Excellent display quality
- Less efficient processor
- Shorter battery life
- Potential for throttling under heavy load
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Significantly faster and more efficient processor
- Improved battery life and faster charging
- Enhanced camera performance and features
- Higher price
- Large and heavy design
- Software bloat (typical of Samsung)
Display Comparison
Both the S21 Ultra and S23 Ultra feature stunning displays with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio. However, the S23 Ultra edges ahead with a measured peak brightness of 1274 nits compared to the S21 Ultra’s 1023 nits, resulting in better visibility in direct sunlight. While both utilize adaptive refresh rates, the S23 Ultra’s improved efficiency contributes to overall battery savings. The panel technology is similar, but the S23 Ultra’s brighter display provides a more vibrant viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but the S23 Ultra refines the experience. While both are capable of excellent photo and video, the S23 Ultra benefits from improved image processing algorithms and potentially larger sensor sizes (details not provided in context data, but expected). The S23 Ultra’s enhanced processing allows for better low-light performance and more accurate color reproduction. The S21 Ultra’s camera is still excellent, but the S23 Ultra delivers a more consistently polished result. The inclusion of advanced features like astrophotography modes further differentiates the S23 Ultra.
Performance
The performance gap between these two devices is substantial. The S23 Ultra’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) chipset represents a significant leap over the S21 Ultra’s Exynos 2100 (5nm) or Snapdragon 888 (5nm). The S23 Ultra’s CPU, featuring the Cortex-X3 prime core clocked at 3.36 GHz, outperforms the S21 Ultra’s Cortex-X1. This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and improved gaming performance. The 4nm process node of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also offers better thermal efficiency, minimizing throttling during sustained workloads. The S23 Ultra’s newer CPU architecture (Cortex-A715/A710) is more efficient than the S21 Ultra’s A78 cores.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates a clear advantage in battery life. While the S21 Ultra achieved an endurance rating of 114 hours, the S23 Ultra boasts 126 hours. This improvement is attributable to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and optimized software. The S23 Ultra also supports 45W wired charging, allowing it to reach 65% charge in just 30 minutes, a significant improvement over the S21 Ultra’s 25W charging. The active use score of 13:24h for the S23 Ultra further highlights its superior endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prioritize value and can find it at a significantly discounted price. It remains a very capable phone for everyday tasks and photography. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you demand the absolute best performance, extended battery life, and the latest camera technology, especially if you're a power user or mobile gamer.