vivo S15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: A Detailed Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The vivo S15 Pro offers blazing-fast 80W charging and a powerful Dimensity 8100 chipset, making it a strong contender for performance and value. However, the Galaxy S21+ boasts a brighter display, a more established camera system, and a longer software support lifespan, giving it a slight edge overall.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo S15 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 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, May 19 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, May 27 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158.9 x 73.5 x 8.6 mm (6.26 x 2.89 x 0.34 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 | 188 g (6.63 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 2376 pixels (~398 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.56 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~89.6% 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 (4x2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 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 | Mediatek Dimensity 8100 (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Mali-G610 MC6 | 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 | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, (wide), AF | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 116˚ (ultrawide) Auxiliary lens | 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 | 32 MP, f/2.5, (wide), AF | 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, with dual speakers (closed type) | 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 |
| 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 | 80W wired, 70% in 18 min | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4800 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Blue, Black | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red |
| Models | V2207A | SM-G996B, SM-G996B/DS, SM-G996U, SM-G996U1, SM-G996W, SM-G996N, SM-G9960 |
| Price | About 480 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 S15 Pro
- Blazing-fast 80W charging
- Powerful Dimensity 8100 chipset
- Stylish design
- Excellent value for money
- Camera performance potentially lags behind the S21+
- Display brightness likely lower than S21+
- Software support potentially shorter than Samsung's
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
- Brighter display (883 nits)
- Versatile and well-regarded camera system
- Longer software support from Samsung
- Excellent battery life (114h endurance rating)
- Slower charging (25W wired)
- Potentially higher price
- Performance slightly behind the Dimensity 8100 in some scenarios
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ takes the display crown with its measured 883 nits peak brightness, offering significantly better visibility in direct sunlight. While the vivo S15 Pro's display is likely good, specific brightness figures are unavailable, but it's generally expected to be less bright. Both offer vibrant colors and smooth refresh rates, but the S21+'s brightness is a key advantage.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has a more established and generally praised camera system. While the vivo S15 Pro likely features a capable camera setup, the S21+'s versatility, image processing, and video recording capabilities are likely superior. Samsung's camera software is also more refined. Specific camera specs for the S15 Pro are limited, but the S21+ is a safer bet for photography enthusiasts.
Performance
The vivo S15 Pro's Mediatek Dimensity 8100 is a formidable chipset, delivering excellent performance for gaming and multitasking. The Galaxy S21+ utilizes either the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888, both powerful processors. While benchmarks might show slight variations depending on the region (Exynos vs Snapdragon), both phones offer flagship-level performance. The Dimensity 8100 is generally considered to be very efficient.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21+ boasts an impressive endurance rating of 114 hours, suggesting excellent battery life. The vivo S15 Pro's battery capacity is unknown, but its 80W charging is a massive advantage, allowing for incredibly quick top-ups. While the S21+ lasts longer, the S15 Pro can recover from low battery much faster.
Buying Guide
The vivo S15 Pro is ideal for users prioritizing fast charging, smooth performance for everyday tasks and gaming, and a stylish design. The Samsung Galaxy S21+ is a better choice for those who value a premium display, a versatile camera system, and the reliability of Samsung's software support and ecosystem.