Sony Xperia 1 II vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: A Deep Dive for Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the superior choice. Its significantly longer battery life (114h vs 83h), brighter display (1023 nits vs 611 nits), and more versatile camera system offer a more compelling package. However, the Xperia 1 II remains a strong contender for dedicated content creators.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 1 II | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 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, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 | 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, 3, 28, 77, 78 NSA/Sub6 | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat19 1600/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 24 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, May 22 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm (6.5 x 2.80 x 0.30 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 181.4 g (6.38 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, HDR BT.2020 | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 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 SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | 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 |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, 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 | 21W wired, PD 11W wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Purple, Mirror Lake Green | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | XQ-AT51, XQ-AT52, SOG01, XQ-AT42 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 700 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 83h | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.3 LUFS (Good) | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 534701 (v8) GeekBench: 3295 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 1 II
- Dedicated shutter button for enhanced photography experience
- More compact and manageable form factor
- Emphasis on manual camera controls and pro-level features
- Significantly shorter battery life compared to the S21 Ultra
- Less bright display, impacting outdoor visibility
- Older chipset with less efficient power consumption
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Exceptional battery life for all-day usage
- Brighter and more vibrant display for superior viewing
- Faster charging speeds and reverse wireless charging capability
- Larger and heavier form factor
- Software can be perceived as bloated by some users
- Less emphasis on manual camera controls compared to the Xperia 1 II
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display at 1023 nits compared to the Xperia 1 II’s 611 nits. This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels, but the S21 Ultra’s higher peak brightness provides a more dynamic visual experience. While both are excellent, the S21 Ultra’s panel is more easily viewable outdoors. The S21 Ultra also benefits from a dynamic refresh rate (LTPO) which the Xperia 1 II lacks, potentially improving battery efficiency.
Camera Comparison
Both devices excel in camera capabilities, but approach it differently. While both offer photo and video functionality, the Xperia 1 II emphasizes manual control and a dedicated shutter button for a more DSLR-like experience. The S21 Ultra, however, offers a more versatile system with multiple lenses and advanced computational photography. The S21 Ultra’s larger main sensor (spec not provided, but generally larger than Xperia 1 II) captures more light, resulting in better low-light performance. The S21 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom is a notable feature absent on the Xperia 1 II. The Xperia 1 II’s strength lies in its video recording capabilities and real-time tracking autofocus.
Performance
Both phones utilize octa-core processors, but differ in architecture and fabrication. The S21 Ultra, depending on region, features either the Exynos 2100 (5nm) or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm), both built on a smaller 5nm process compared to the Xperia 1 II’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+). This process advantage gives the S21 Ultra a theoretical edge in power efficiency and thermal management. The S21 Ultra’s Cortex-X1 core (2.9 GHz or 2.84 GHz depending on region) offers higher peak performance than the Xperia 1 II’s Cortex-A77 core (2.84 GHz). The S21 Ultra’s LPDDR5 RAM also provides faster memory speeds, contributing to smoother multitasking.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra delivers a substantial battery life advantage with an endurance rating of 114 hours, compared to the Xperia 1 II’s 83 hours. This difference is partially attributable to the S21 Ultra’s larger battery capacity (spec not provided, but generally larger) and the more efficient 5nm chipset. The S21 Ultra also supports faster wired charging at 25W (PD3.0) versus the Xperia 1 II’s 21W (PD), and offers reverse wireless charging, a feature missing on the Xperia 1 II. While both support wireless charging, the S21 Ultra’s 15W rate is faster than the Xperia 1 II’s 11W.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia 1 II if you prioritize manual camera controls, a dedicated shutter button, and a more compact form factor for a flagship. You'll benefit from its focus on photography and videography features. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you value all-day battery life, a brighter and more vibrant display, faster charging, and a more feature-rich software experience. It's the better choice for users who want a top-tier phone for everything.