Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Comparison and Differences
Smartphone 1
Samsung Galaxy S24
Smartphone 2
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Smartphone 3
Differences between Samsung Galaxy S24 and Samsung Galaxy S21 5G - Which to Choose?
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S24:
- Newer model with more recent technology (2024 vs. 2021)
- Updated operating system (Android 14 & One UI 6.1)
- More powerful chipset options (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 & Exynos 2400)
- Higher Antutu v10 benchmark scores indicating better overall performance
- Higher resolution main camera sensor (50 MP)
- Improved selfie camera resolution (12 MP)
- More memory and RAM configurations available
- Better Bluetooth version (5.3)
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for improved durability
- Updated GPU options for better gaming and graphics performance
- More options for 5G connectivity including mmWave in the USA
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G:
- Slightly lighter weight (169g vs. 167g)
- Optional FM radio (Snapdragon model)
- More affordable at the time of launch ($800 vs. $799.99)
- Proven track record with many user reviews due to being on the market longer
- Slightly higher screen PPI (421 vs. 416)
- Higher selfie camera pixel size (1.22µm vs. 1.0µm)
- Earlier availability of the device may mean better deals and discounts
Each model has its own advantages. The Samsung Galaxy S24 offers newer technologies and improved performance, while the Galaxy S21 5G could be more cost-effective for users who don't require the absolute latest specs.
Samsung Galaxy S24 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Specs Comparison
or
Common specs
| Brand and model | Samsung Galaxy S24 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | |
| Rating | (+0) | (+0) | |
| Release date | 2024, January 17 | 2021, January 14 | |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm | 5.79 x 5.79 x 2.78 in | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm | 5.97 x 5.97 x 2.8 in | |
| Weight | 167 g | 5.89 oz | 169 g | 5.96 oz | |
| Body Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | |
| Case | buy from Amazon | buy from Amazon | |
| Colors | Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink | |
| Battery | 4000 mAh, Li-Ion, non-removable | 4000 mAh, Li-Ion, non-removable | |
| Approximate price | € 648.4 | $ 800 | |
| Check price | from Amazon | from Amazon |
Screen
| Technology | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | |
| Touchscreen | capacitive touchscreen | capacitive touchscreen | |
| Display colors | 16M | 16M | |
| Screen size | 6.2" in | 6.2" in | |
| Screen area | 94.4 cm2 | 94.1 cm2 | |
| Screen format | 19.5:9 (height:width) | 20:9 (height:width) | |
| Screen to body ratio | 90.9% | 87.2% | |
| Screen resolution | 1080 x 2340 px | 1080 x 2400 px | |
| Screen PPI /points per inch/ | 416 PPI | 421 PPI | |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | |
| Other specs | - 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) -Always-on display |
- Always-on display -120Hz -HDR10+ -1300 nits (peak) |
|
| Screen protector | buy from Amazon | buy from Amazon |
Camera and Video
| Rear camera, main | 50 MP, Triple | 12 MP, Triple | |
| Camera specs | -50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS -10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom -12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
-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 |
|
| Functions | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | |
| DxOMark Main Score | 133 | 116 | |
| DxOMark Photo | 134 | 123 | |
| DxOMark Video | 125 | 93 | |
| Front camera, selfie | 12 MP, Single | 10 MP, Single | |
| Specifications | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), dual pixel PDAF | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24'', 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF | |
| Functions | HDR, HDR10+ | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | |
| DxOMark Selfie Score | 98 | ||
| DxOMark Photo | 100 | ||
| DxOMark Video | 95 |
Performance
| Operating system - OS | Android 14, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1.1 | Android 11, One UI 3.1 | |
| Chipset | - Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) - Exynos 2400 (4 nm) - International |
- Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (5 nm) - USA/China |
|
| CPU | - 8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) -10-core (1x3.2GHz Cortex-X4 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.6GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.95GHz Cortex-A520) |
- Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - International -Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680 - USA/China |
|
| GPU | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) - USA/Canada/China Xclipse 940 - International |
Mali-G78 MP14 - International Adreno 660 - USA/China |
|
| External memory | No | No | |
| Internal memory | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
Benchmark
| Antutu 10 Total | 1733431 | 715197 | |
| Antutu 10 CPU | 421508 | 205401 | |
| Antutu 10 GPU | 669480 | 214138 | |
| Antutu 10 Mem | 321991 | 131954 | |
| Antutu 10 UX | 421508 | 205401 | |
| Antutu 9 Total | 755368 | ||
| Antutu 8 Total | 601547 | ||
| GeekBench 6 Single Core | 2198 | ||
| GeekBench 6 Multi Core | 6922 | ||
| GeekBench 5 Single Core | 945 | ||
| GeekBench 5 Multi-Core | 3061 |
Communication and Connectivity
| SIM card | Nano-SIM and eSIM/ Dual eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM)Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM, dual stand-by) | |
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | |
| Bands | -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO -4G - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International -5G - 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA |
-2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO -4G - LTE -5G - SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave |
|
| Speed | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (CA), 5G | |
| GPRS | Yes | Yes | |
| Edge | Yes | Yes | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, USB On-The-Go | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE | |
| Harmful irradiation |
SAR - 1.23 W/kg (head) 1.10 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.87 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
SAR - 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.46 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) |
Music and Audio
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon only) | |
| Headphone jack | No | No | |
| Others | - 32-bit/384kHz audio -Tuned by AKG |
- 32-bit/384kHz audio -Tuned by AKG |
Other features
| Sensors | - Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | - Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | |
| Other extras |
- Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) -Circle to Search - 25W Fast charging, Power Delivery 3.0, 50% in 30 min -15W Wireless charging (Qi/PMA) -4.5W Reverse wireless charging - IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) -Armor aluminum 2 frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance |
- Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) -ANT+ -Bixby natural language commands and dictation - Fast charging 25W -USB Power Delivery 3.0 -Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W -Reverse wireless charging 4.5W - Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
|
| Versions |
- Versions: SM-G991B, SM-G991B/DS (International); SM-G991U (USA); SM-G991U1 (USA unlocked); SM-G991W (Canada); SM-G991N (Korea); SM-G9910 (China) |
Reviews and Opinions on Samsung Galaxy S24 and Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
If you had to recommend one of these phones to a friend, which one would it be and why? Share your arguments using the Add Opinion button!