vivo X60t Pro+ vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: Which Flagship Delivers More?

The vivo X60t Pro+ and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G represent distinct approaches to the high-end smartphone market. The X60t Pro+ arrived as a late-2020/early-2021 contender, while the S21 Ultra was Samsung’s 2021 flagship. Now, with price drops on the S21 Ultra, the competition is fiercer than ever. This comparison dissects their core components to determine which phone offers the best experience for different user needs.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G emerges as the stronger overall package. Its brighter display, more versatile camera system, and wider availability, coupled with competitive pricing, outweigh the X60t Pro+'s faster charging. However, the X60t Pro+ remains a compelling option for those prioritizing raw performance and a more compact form factor.

PHONES
Phone Names vivo X60t Pro+ Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 411, 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 bands1, 3, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 -1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B
Launch
Announced2021, June 282021, January 14
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, June 28Available. Released 2021, January 29
Body
BuildGlass front, eco leather back, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame
Dimensions158.6 x 73.4 x 9.1 mm (6.24 x 2.89 x 0.36 in)165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight191 g (6.74 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
Resolution1080 x 2376 pixels (~398 ppi density)1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density)
Size6.56 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeSuper AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55Octa-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
ChipsetQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China
GPUAdreno 660Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China
OSAndroid 11, OriginOS 1.0Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM
 -UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad50 MP, f/1.6, (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 48 MP, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, gimbal OIS, PDAF108 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
Video8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack -No
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker YesYes, with stereo speakers
 -32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, NavICGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoFM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent)
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compassFingerprint (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
Charging55W wired25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Type4200 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsOrange, Emperor BluePhantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy
ModelsV2056ASM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980
PriceAbout 650 EUR$ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99
SAR0.80 W/kg (head)     0.47 W/kg (body)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 X60t Pro+

  • Faster 55W wired charging
  • Potentially more compact design
  • Strong CPU performance with Snapdragon 888

  • Less versatile camera system
  • Lower display brightness
  • Limited availability

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

  • Brighter and more refined display
  • More versatile camera system with superior zoom
  • Wider availability and Samsung ecosystem

  • Slower 25W wired charging
  • Potential for Exynos thermal throttling (international variant)
  • Larger and heavier design

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1023 nits, compared to an unspecified brightness for the X60t Pro+. This difference is crucial for outdoor visibility. While both likely utilize AMOLED technology, the S21 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio suggests a more refined panel. The S21 Ultra’s adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, likely utilizing LTPO technology (though not explicitly stated), dynamically adjusts for smoother scrolling and improved power efficiency, a feature not confirmed on the X60t Pro+.

Camera Comparison

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera system is more comprehensively equipped, offering a wider range of focal lengths and features. While both phones are described as having ‘Photo / Video’ capabilities, the S21 Ultra’s sensor details are more readily available, suggesting a more advanced system. The S21 Ultra’s superior zoom capabilities, a hallmark of the series, are absent in the X60t Pro+’s specifications. The X60t Pro+’s camera performance will likely rely heavily on computational photography, while the S21 Ultra benefits from a more robust hardware foundation.

Performance

Both phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm), but the S21 Ultra’s international variant uses the Exynos 2100 (5nm). The S21 Ultra’s CPU configuration features a slightly higher peak clock speed (2.9 GHz Cortex-X1) compared to the X60t Pro+ (2.84 GHz Cortex-X1), though the core architecture is largely identical. The S21 Ultra’s availability with Snapdragon in key markets like the USA and China mitigates concerns about Exynos’s historical thermal throttling issues. Both utilize octa-core configurations with similar A78 and A55 core arrangements, suggesting comparable multi-core performance, but the S21 Ultra’s potentially better thermal management could sustain peak performance for longer.

Battery Life

Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 114 hours, indicating similar overall battery life despite differing charging capabilities. However, the X60t Pro+’s 55W wired charging is significantly faster than the S21 Ultra’s 25W wired charging, allowing for a much quicker 0-100% charge. The S21 Ultra adds the convenience of 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent in the X60t Pro+. The faster charging of the X60t Pro+ is a significant advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly.

Buying Guide

Buy the vivo X60t Pro+ if you prioritize peak CPU performance for demanding tasks and gaming, and prefer a slightly more manageable phone size. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you value a superior display, a more comprehensive camera experience with greater zoom capabilities, and the broader ecosystem of Samsung features and support.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 2100 in the international S21 Ultra overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
While the Exynos 2100 historically faced thermal throttling concerns, Samsung implemented optimizations in the S21 Ultra. However, the Snapdragon variant consistently demonstrates better sustained performance. Users planning intensive gaming should prioritize the Snapdragon version if available in their region.
❓ Is the 55W charging on the vivo X60t Pro+ truly faster in real-world use?
Yes, the X60t Pro+'s 55W charging significantly reduces charging times. Expect a full charge in under 40 minutes, compared to approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes for the S21 Ultra’s 25W charging. This is a major benefit for users who need a quick power boost.
❓ How does the camera processing differ between the two phones?
Samsung typically employs a more saturated and contrast-rich image processing style, while vivo often aims for a more natural look. The S21 Ultra’s processing excels in dynamic range and detail preservation, while the X60t Pro+ may prioritize color accuracy.
❓ What kind of storage does each phone use, and is it expandable?
Both phones utilize UFS 3.1 storage for fast read/write speeds. Neither device offers microSD card expansion, so choosing the appropriate storage capacity at purchase is crucial.