Specs Appeal: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung took to the stage today to announce a trio of its flagship S series smartphones, the Galaxy S21, S21+, and the top-of-the-line S21 Ultra, alongside other devices such as the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Galaxy SmartTag+. The flagship smartphones debut a new design and a camera bump that blends with the phones’ frame, premium internals such as the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 SoCs, depending on the region, 120Hz high refresh rate screens, 5G connectivity across the range, and much more.

As for photographic prowess, the top-tier Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts of a quad-camera system, headlined by a second-generation 108MP main camera, followed by the 12MP ultra-wide, dual 10MP telephoto lenses good for 3X and 10X levels of zoom, with the latter sporting a periscope lens that offers up to 100X in hybrid zoom. The S21 and S21+ offer triple cameras at the back.

What’s more? The South Korean giant is also reducing the prices of the devices across the range by $200 in comparison to its predecessors, making the offerings available across a wider price range.

With the differences between the S series flagships further widened in terms of specs, it is bound to create confusion when looking to choose the one that best suits you. To help you with just that, here is a complete comparison of the specs between the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra.

Basis of difference	Galaxy S21	Galaxy S21+	Galaxy S21 Ultra
Display	6.2-inch FHD+ (Flat), Dynamic AMOLED 2X	6.7-inch FHD+ (Flat), Dynamic AMOLED 2X	6.8-inch QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
	Infinity-O Display (2400×1080), 421ppi	Infinity-O Display (2400×1080), 394ppi	Infinity-O Display (3200×1440), 515ppi
	120Hz adaptive refresh rate (48Hz - 120Hz)		120Hz adaptive refresh rate (10Hz – 120Hz)
	HDR10+ certified
	Eye Comfort Shield
Dimensions	71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9mm 171g (mmWave), 169g (sub6)	75.6 x 161.5 x 7.8mm 202g (mmWave), 200g (sub6)	75.6 x 165.1 x 8.9mm, 229g (mmWave), 227g (sub6)
Camera (Rear)	Wide-angle: 12MP, F/1.8, 79 degrees, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm pixel, OIS		Wide-angle: 108MP (2nd gen), F/1.8, 83 degrees, Phase detection AF, 0.8 µm pixel, OIS, Nona-binning
	Ultra-wide angle: 12MP, F/2.2, 120 degrees, Fixed focus, 1.22µm pixel		Ultra-wide angle: 12MP, F/2.2, 120 degrees, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4µm pixel
	Telephoto: 64MP, F/2.0, 76 degrees, 3X hybrid zoom, Phase detection AF, 0.8µm pixel, OIS		Telephoto 1: 10MP, F/2.4, 35 degrees, 3X optical zoom, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm pixel, OIS
	-		Telephoto 2: 10MP, F/4.9, 10 degrees, 10X optical zoom, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm pixel, OIS
	-		Laser AF Sensor
Video (Rear)	Up to 8K, 24fps
Camera (Front)	10MP, F/2.2, 80 degrees, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm pixel		40MP, F/2.2, 80 degrees, Phase detection AF, 1.22µm pixel
Processor	5nm Snapdragon 888 (Octa-core, 2.8GHz), 5nm Exynos 2100 (Octa-core, 2.9GHz), depends on the region
RAM	8GB		12GB, 16GB (16GB available only with 512GB storage option)
Storage	128GB, 256GB		128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Storage	No expandable memory
Battery	4,000mAh	4,800mAh	5,000mAh
Charging	USB Power Delivery 3.0
	25W Fast Wired Charging support
	15W (Fast Wireless Charging 2.0) support
	4.5W Wireless PowerShare
OS	Android 11 with One UI 3.1
Connectivity	5G Standalone and Non-Standalone, Sub6/mmWave
	Wi-FI 6		Wi-Fi 6E
	-	Ultra-Wideband	Ultra-Wideband
	Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Type-C
Others	Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor, IP68 water and dust resistance, 4K 60fps Wired video out, Bluetooth Dual Audio
	Gorilla Glass Victus (Front)
	Glasstic back panel	Glass back panel (Exact spec not mentioned)
	-		S Pen support (optional accessory, not included in the box)
Price	$799.99	$999.99	$1,199.99

As is evident from the spec sheet, the three devices share a lot in common but differ in more areas than before. While the phones are powered by the same SoC, the top-tier S21 Ultra can be maxed out with a whopping 16GB RAM. Additionally, the S21 and S21+ are nearly identical when it comes to camera prowess. The S21+ and S21 Ultra, however, add Ultra-Wideband support that will help them work as car keys, with item trackers like Samsung’s SmartTag+, and more.

The entry-tier Galaxy S21 ditches a glass back for a Note20-like plastic back and the non-Ultra devices are also sporting FullHD+ displays, instead of the QHD+ from the S20 series, which are the possible areas that the company has cut costs in. The biggest change in the Ultra model is that it now supports the S Pen. However, unlike the Galaxy Note series, the S Pen is an optional accessory that can be had with a specialized phone case. There are also carrier-specific offers for pre-orders of these devices.

Are you going to pre-order any of the S21 series phones? Which one is it and why? Let us know in the comments below!