vivo X70 Pro+ vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-day battery life and a consistently smooth experience, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G emerges as the better choice. Its larger battery and more efficient chipset (depending on region) provide a tangible advantage. However, the vivo X70 Pro+ offers a compelling alternative for those who prioritize extremely fast charging and a potentially more vibrant camera experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X70 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, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 66 | 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, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 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 / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 09 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 17 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or silicone polymer back (eco leather), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.5 x 75.2 x 8.9 mm (6.48 x 2.96 x 0.35 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 | 209 g / 213 g (7.37 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 | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~517 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.4 cm2 (~90.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 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 | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, Funtouch OS 14 (International), OriginOS 1.0 (China) | 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 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.6, (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.6, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, AF, gimbal OIS | 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 |
| Video | 8K@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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 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 |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, 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 | 55W wired 50W wireless 10W reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Blue, Orange | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | V2145A, V2114 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 720 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 X70 Pro+
- Extremely fast 55W wired and 50W wireless charging
- Potentially superior low-light camera performance
- Snapdragon 888+ offers better sustained performance than the base 888
- Significantly shorter battery life than the S21 Ultra
- Image processing can be overly saturated for some users
- Less established brand recognition and software support
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Excellent battery life (114h endurance rating)
- Versatile camera system with strong zoom capabilities
- Wider ecosystem and software support from Samsung
- Slower charging speeds (25W wired)
- Exynos variant can suffer from thermal throttling
- Higher initial price (though now often discounted)
Display Comparison
Both devices feature excellent displays, with measured peak brightness hitting 1022 nits on the vivo X70 Pro+ and 1023 nits on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. This near-identical brightness ensures excellent visibility outdoors. The S21 Ultra boasts an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (nominal), suggesting a superior OLED panel capable of deeper blacks. While both likely employ LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, Samsung's implementation is generally considered more refined, offering smoother transitions and potentially better power efficiency. Bezels are similarly minimal on both devices, contributing to an immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. Both offer versatile camera systems, but detailed sensor information beyond 'Photo/Video' is missing. The S21 Ultra's strength lies in its consistent performance across all lenses and its excellent zoom capabilities. The X70 Pro+ is known for its vibrant, often more saturated, image processing, particularly in low-light scenarios. The vivo's image processing tends to prioritize detail and dynamic range, sometimes at the expense of natural color reproduction. Without specific sensor size data, it's difficult to definitively declare a winner, but the X70 Pro+'s reputation for low-light performance suggests a potential advantage in challenging conditions. The 2MP macro cameras on both devices are largely superfluous and offer minimal benefit.
Performance
The performance landscape is complex. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G shipped with either the Exynos 2100 (International) or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (USA/China). The vivo X70 Pro+ exclusively uses the Snapdragon 888+ 5G. The 888+ offers a slight clock speed bump (3.0 GHz vs 2.9/2.84 GHz on the Exynos/Snapdragon 888) and improved thermal management. While CPU scores are close, the 888+ generally sustains peak performance for longer. The Exynos 2100 has historically faced criticism for thermal throttling under sustained load, a potential issue for gamers. Both phones utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the S21 Ultra offers configurations up to 12GB, while the X70 Pro+ is also capped at 12GB. This RAM difference is unlikely to be noticeable for most users.
Battery Life
Battery life is a clear win for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, achieving an endurance rating of 114 hours compared to the vivo X70 Pro+'s 84 hours. This translates to a significant advantage in real-world usage, allowing the S21 Ultra to comfortably last a full day even with heavy use. While the X70 Pro+ compensates with incredibly fast 55W wired charging (fully charging in under 40 minutes), the S21 Ultra's 25W charging, while slower, is still respectable and supports the PD3.0 standard. The X70 Pro+ also offers 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging, significantly outpacing the S21 Ultra's 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless capabilities.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo X70 Pro+ if you need blazing-fast 55W wired and 50W wireless charging, and frequently capture photos and videos in challenging lighting conditions where its image processing excels. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prefer a more balanced experience with exceptional battery life, a versatile camera system, and the broader ecosystem benefits of the Samsung brand, particularly if you can find it at a discounted price.