Sony Xperia Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S21 Ultra offers a more well-rounded experience with its stunning display, versatile camera system, and faster charging. The Xperia Pro caters to professional content creators with its HDMI input and dedicated broadcast capabilities, but sacrifices some mainstream features.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 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, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 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 | 2, 5, 66, 260, 261 Sub6, mmWave | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | 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. Released 2021, January 27 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 170.2 x 76.2 x 10.2 mm (6.70 x 3.00 x 0.40 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 | 225.1 g (7.94 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 (~76.0% 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 | 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.X | 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@24/25/30/60fps 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 | 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 | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, micro HDMI | 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 |
| Native Sony Alpha camera 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 | 21W wired, PD | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black | 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 2000 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 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) |
Sony Xperia Pro
- Dedicated HDMI input for external monitoring
- Broadcast capabilities
- Professional-grade workflow features
- Compact design
- Less vibrant display
- Slower charging
- Higher price for limited mainstream appeal
- Unspecified battery life
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
- Versatile camera system with excellent zoom
- Long battery life
- Faster charging (including wireless and reverse wireless)
- More mainstream appeal
- Large size
- Can be expensive depending on configuration
- Exynos variant may have slightly lower performance than Snapdragon
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display shines with its incredible brightness (1023 nits) and infinite contrast ratio, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks. The Xperia Pro’s display is good, but lacks the same level of vibrancy and peak brightness. The S21 Ultra wins here.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera system is incredibly versatile, offering excellent zoom capabilities and impressive low-light performance. The Xperia Pro’s camera is competent, but its focus is on professional workflows with features like HDMI input for external monitoring. The S21 Ultra provides a more compelling overall camera experience for most users.
Performance
Both phones offer flagship-level performance. The S21 Ultra, depending on region, uses either the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888, both powerful chips. The Xperia Pro utilizes the Snapdragon 865. While the S21 Ultra’s newer chips offer a slight edge in raw power and efficiency, both handle demanding tasks with ease. The S21 Ultra's CPU has a slight edge.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts an endurance rating of 114 hours, indicating excellent battery life. The Xperia Pro's battery life is not officially specified, but reviews suggest it's adequate but not exceptional. The S21 Ultra clearly wins in battery endurance.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia Pro is ideal for professional photographers and videographers needing a mobile monitor and direct broadcast capabilities. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is perfect for users seeking a premium all-around smartphone with a fantastic display, powerful performance, and a top-tier camera for everyday use.