vivo iQOO 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: A Head-to-Head Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iQOO 9 delivers blazing-fast charging and raw performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The Galaxy S21+ 5G boasts a more refined software experience, a brighter display, and a more established ecosystem. Ultimately, the iQOO 9 wins on speed and value, while the S21+ shines in overall polish.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo iQOO 9 (China) | 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, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 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-G996U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G996U1 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G996B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January 05 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, January 12 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.5 x 76.7 x 8.4 mm (6.48 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) | 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm (6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 206 g (7.27 oz) | 200 g (Sub6), 202 g (mmWave) (7.05 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~88.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 107.8 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10, 1500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | 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 SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 12, OriginOS Ocean | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide) | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 47mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) | 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@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide) | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with dual speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | 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 (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, 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 | 120W wired, 100% in 19 min 10W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 4700 mAh | Li-Ion 4800 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | White (BMW M branding), Orange, Black | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red |
| Models | V2171A | SM-G996B, SM-G996B/DS, SM-G996U, SM-G996U1, SM-G996W, SM-G996N, SM-G9960 |
| Price | About 560 EUR | $ 162.99 / £ 185.00 / € 199.00 |
| SAR | - | 0.65 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.54 W/kg (head) 1.33 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 622276 (v8) GeekBench: 3476 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
vivo iQOO 9 (China)
- Blazing-fast 120W charging
- Superior performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1)
- Excellent value for money
- Smooth display
- Camera performance slightly inconsistent
- Software experience less polished than Samsung
- Availability limited outside China
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Refined software experience (One UI)
- Established ecosystem
- Consistent camera performance
- Slower charging (25W)
- Performance slightly behind iQOO 9
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G takes the display crown with its measured 883 nits peak brightness, offering excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the iQOO 9 has a good display, it doesn't reach the same level of brightness. Both offer vibrant colors and smooth refresh rates, but the S21+'s brightness gives it an edge.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but the Galaxy S21+ 5G generally produces more consistent and pleasing results, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The iQOO 9's camera is good, but can sometimes struggle with color accuracy and dynamic range. Samsung's image processing is more refined.
Performance
The iQOO 9's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset provides a significant performance advantage over the Galaxy S21+'s Exynos 2100 (International version) or Snapdragon 888 (USA/China). Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the iQOO 9. The S21+ is still capable, but the iQOO 9 is noticeably quicker.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21+ 5G boasts an impressive endurance rating of 114h, suggesting excellent battery life. While the iQOO 9's battery capacity is comparable, its 120W charging significantly outweighs any potential battery life advantage. You'll spend far less time plugged in with the iQOO 9.
Buying Guide
The vivo iQOO 9 is ideal for gamers and power users who prioritize performance and rapid charging. The Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G is a better fit for users who value a polished user experience, a vibrant display, and seamless integration with the Samsung ecosystem.