Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G vs Galaxy S21 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S21 5G offers superior performance, a longer battery life, and faster charging. However, the Z Flip3 5G’s unique foldable design and compact form factor make it a standout choice for those prioritizing style and portability. Ultimately, the best phone depends on your priorities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
| 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, 78, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International | 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-G991U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 66 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G991U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 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 |
| 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G991B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, August 11 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, August 27 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Plastic front, glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 166 x 72.2 x 6.9 mm Folded: 86.4 x 72.2 x 15.9-17.1 mm | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 183 g (6.46 oz) | 169 g (Sub6), 171 g (mmWave) (5.96 oz) |
| IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2640 pixels (~426 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 101.5 cm2 (~84.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.2 inches, 94.1 cm2 (~87.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Cover display: Super AMOLED, 1.9 inches, 260 x 512 pixels | 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, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6.1 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm | - |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm | - |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@60/240fps, HDR10+ | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@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 | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| 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 Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired 10W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 3300 mAh | Li-Ion 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream, White, Pink, Gray, Thom Browne Edition, Bespoke Edition, Wooyoungmi Edition, Dream White | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink |
| Models | SM-F711B, SM-F711N, SM-F711U, SM-F711U1, SM-F711W, SM-F7110 | SM-G991B, SM-G991B/DS, SM-G991U, SM-G991U1, SM-G991W, SM-G991N, SM-G9910, SM-G991Q, SCG09 |
| Price | € 279.00 / $ 208.04 / £ 215.00 | € 194.00 / $ 153.58 / £ 149.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | 0.46 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 249.00 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 289.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 317.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 69h | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.8 LUFS (Very good) | -26.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 596866 (v8) | 682223 (v9) GeekBench: 3441 (v5.1) GFXBench: 40fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 584055 (v8) GeekBench: 3238 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
- Unique foldable design
- Compact and pocketable
- Vibrant display
- Stylish and eye-catching
- IPX8 water resistance
- Shorter battery life
- Slower charging
- Smaller cover screen
- Less powerful than S21
- Durability concerns (foldable screen)
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
- Excellent performance
- Longer battery life
- Faster charging
- Versatile camera system
- More traditional smartphone experience
- Less unique design
- Larger size
- No expandable storage
- Can be pricier
Display Comparison
The Z Flip3 boasts a vibrant 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X foldable display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a unique viewing experience. However, the external cover screen is small. The S21 features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering excellent color accuracy and brightness, though slightly less immersive than the Z Flip3's unfolded screen. The S21's measured brightness of 856 nits is slightly lower than the Z Flip3's 935 nits.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems. The S21 typically produces slightly better image quality, especially in low light, due to its more advanced processing. Both have a main wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lens. The Z Flip3's camera is good, but the S21's is more versatile.
Performance
The Galaxy S21 5G generally delivers better performance thanks to its more powerful chipset (Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 depending on region) and potentially more RAM. While the Z Flip3's Snapdragon 888 is capable, the S21's CPU has slightly higher clock speeds. Expect smoother multitasking and faster app loading on the S21.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 5G has a clear advantage in battery life, offering an endurance rating of 93 hours compared to the Z Flip3's 69 hours. The S21 also supports 25W wired charging, significantly faster than the Z Flip3's 15W wired charging.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is ideal for fashion-conscious users who want a compact, eye-catching phone and don't mind slightly reduced performance and battery life. The Galaxy S21 5G is a better choice for users who prioritize raw power, all-day battery life, and a more traditional smartphone experience.