vivo S16 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S21 Ultra remains a formidable contender with its superior display, camera versatility, and longer software support. However, the vivo S16 Pro offers impressive performance for its price and significantly faster charging, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users prioritizing speed and style.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo S16 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, 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-G998U1 |
| 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-G998U1 |
| 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-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, December 22 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 30 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.1 x 74.8 x 7.4 mm (6.46 x 2.94 x 0.29 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 | 182 g (6.42 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~90.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x3.0 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 8200 (4 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 13, OriginOS 3 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, Ring-LED flash, panorama, HDR | 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 |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.5, (wide), AF | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR | HDR |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.5, (wide), AF | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, (unconfirmed stereo speakers) | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, NavIC | 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/6e, 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 | 66W wired, 50% in 19 min | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 4600 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Mint | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | V2245A | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 400 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) |
vivo S16 Pro
- Fast Charging (66W)
- Stylish Design
- Strong Performance for Price
- Excellent Selfie Camera
- Camera Not as Versatile as S21 Ultra
- Less Established Brand
- Software Support May Be Limited
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Exceptional Display
- Versatile Camera System
- Premium Build Quality
- Longer Software Support (Historically)
- Slower Charging (25W)
- Higher Price
- Older Model (Potential for Reduced Support in the Future)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a truly exceptional display, reaching a peak brightness of 1023 nits and offering an infinite contrast ratio. Its Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel is vibrant and sharp. The vivo S16 Pro's display is good, but doesn't reach the same level of brilliance or color accuracy. It's likely an AMOLED panel, but lacks the S21 Ultra's peak brightness and advanced features.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S21 Ultra's camera system is a major selling point, offering incredible versatility with its multiple lenses and advanced features. It excels in both photo and video quality. The vivo S16 Pro focuses on selfie capabilities, with a high-resolution front-facing camera. While its rear cameras are capable, they don't match the S21 Ultra's overall performance and feature set.
Performance
The vivo S16 Pro's Dimensity 8200 is a powerful chipset, offering excellent performance for everyday tasks and gaming. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, with its Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 (depending on region), still holds its own, providing a smooth and responsive experience. While the S21 Ultra's CPU has a slightly higher peak clock speed, the Dimensity 8200's efficiency is notable.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 Ultra's endurance rating of 114h is impressive, indicating excellent battery life. The vivo S16 Pro, while not having a published endurance rating, benefits from its 66W wired charging, allowing it to reach 50% in just 19 minutes – a significant advantage.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the vivo S16 Pro? Users seeking a stylish phone with fast charging and strong performance at a mid-range price point. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G? Those prioritizing a top-tier camera system, a stunning display, and a more premium, established brand experience, even if it comes at a higher cost.