vivo iQOO Neo7 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 5G: A Detailed Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iQOO Neo7 takes the crown for sheer speed and charging prowess thanks to its Dimensity 9000+ chipset and 120W charging. However, the Galaxy S21 5G offers a more polished software experience, a potentially better camera, and the prestige of the Samsung brand, especially for those in regions with the Snapdragon variant.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo iQOO Neo7 (China) | Samsung Galaxy S21 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, 18, 19, 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-G991U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G991U1 |
| 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-G991B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, October 20 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, October 31 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 76.9 x 8.5 mm or 8.9 mm | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 197 g / 202 g (6.95 oz) | 169 g (Sub6), 171 g (mmWave) (5.96 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 (~421 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.2 inches, 94.1 cm2 (~87.2% 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 (1x3.20 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.85 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 | Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ (4 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Mali-G710 MC10 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 13, 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 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 2 MP (macro) | 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 | 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), 1/3.1", 1.0µm | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| 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) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, 50% in 9 min | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Orange, Black, Blue | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink |
| Models | V2231A | SM-G991B, SM-G991B/DS, SM-G991U, SM-G991U1, SM-G991W, SM-G991N, SM-G9910, SM-G991Q, SCG09 |
| Price | About 380 EUR | € 194.00 / $ 153.58 / £ 149.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 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 93h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 584055 (v8) GeekBench: 3238 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
vivo iQOO Neo7 (China)
- Blazing-fast 120W charging
- Exceptional performance with Dimensity 9000+
- Excellent value for money
- Good display quality
- Software may lack polish compared to Samsung
- Camera potentially not as versatile
- Limited availability outside of China
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
- Refined software experience (One UI)
- Potentially better camera system
- Established brand reputation
- Good display quality
- Slower charging speed
- Older chipset (performance lags behind)
- Can be more expensive
- Battery life, while good, isn't exceptional
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S21 5G boasts a vibrant AMOLED display with a measured peak brightness of 856 nits, offering excellent outdoor visibility. Its infinite contrast ratio delivers deep blacks and rich colors. The iQOO Neo7 likely features a good quality AMOLED display, but detailed brightness and contrast specs are less readily available. Samsung's display generally wins on refinement and measured performance.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S21 5G generally has a more versatile and refined camera system, particularly in video recording. While the iQOO Neo7's camera is capable, it likely lacks the same level of image processing and features found in the S21. Samsung's color science is also generally preferred by many.
Performance
Here, the iQOO Neo7 absolutely dominates. The Dimensity 9000+ is significantly more powerful than the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 found in the Galaxy S21 5G. Expect smoother gaming, faster app loading, and overall snappier performance on the iQOO Neo7. The Neo7's CPU architecture also lends itself to better sustained performance.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 5G's endurance rating of 93h is impressive, suggesting excellent efficiency. However, the iQOO Neo7's 120W charging is a game-changer, allowing for a 50% charge in just 9 minutes. While the S21 has wireless charging, the Neo7's charging speed is unmatched.
Buying Guide
Buy the iQOO Neo7 if you prioritize gaming performance, incredibly fast charging, and value for money. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G if you want a more established brand, a refined user experience, and a potentially superior camera system, especially if you can find it at a discounted price.