Samsung Galaxy S21 vs A26 5G
57
out of 100
VS
55
out of 100
Here we compared two smartphones: the 6.2-inch Samsung Galaxy S21 (with Exynos 2100) that was released on January 14, 2021, against the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G, which is powered by Exynos 1380 and came out 4 years and 3 months after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
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Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Has 2x more RAM: 8GB versus 4GB
- 41% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (1081K versus 768K)
- Handles wireless charging up to 15W
- The rear camera has a 1.1x optical zoom
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- Uses a faster type of memory: LPDDR5 2750 MHz
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 6 wireless networks
- Stereo speakers
- Delivers 11% higher peak brightness (861 against 779 nits)
- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G
- Comes with 1000 mAh larger battery capacity: 5000 vs 4000 mAh
- Shows 9% longer battery life (19:28 vs 17:54 hours)
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- Expandable storage via MicroSD card up to 2048GB
- Has a 0.5 inch larger screen size
- The phone is 4 years and 3 months newer
- More recent OS version: Android 16 versus 15
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 6.2 inches | 6.7 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2340 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 20:9 | 19.5:9 |
| PPI | 421 ppi | 385 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | Yes (48-120 Hz) | Yes (60-120 Hz) |
| Max rated brightness | 800 nits | 800 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10+ | No |
| Screen protection | Gorilla Glass Victus | Gorilla Glass Victus Plus |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 85.9% | 86.7% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 - Always-On Display |
- DCI-P3 - Always-On Display |
| RGB color space | 99.5% | 100% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | 240 Hz |
| Response time | 5 ms | 2 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | ∞ Infinity |
Screen space comparison
Galaxy A26 5G
6.7″ (19.5:9 ratio) = 17.1 in2
Galaxy S21
6.2″ (20:9 ratio) = 14.4 in2
~18% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 151.7 mm (5.97 inches) | 164 mm (6.46 inches) |
| Width | 71.2 mm (2.8 inches) | 77.5 mm (3.05 inches) |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) | 7.7 mm (0.3 inches) |
| Weight | 169 g (5.96 oz) | 200 g (7.05 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP67 |
| Rear material | Plastic | Glass |
| Frame material | Metal | Plastic |
| Colors | White, Gray, Pink, Purple | White, Black, Green, Pink |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-display | Yes, in-button |
| Repairability | - | Good (3.22/5) |
| Drop resistance | - | Very good (B) · 269 drops |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 1380 |
| Max clock | 2900 MHz | 2400 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (1 + 3 + 4) | 8 (4 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 2.2 GHz: Cortex-A55 - 3 cores at 2.81 GHz: Cortex-A78 - 1 core at 2.91 GHz: Cortex-X1 |
- 4 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55 - 4 cores at 2.4 GHz: Cortex-A78 |
| L3 cache | - | 4 MB |
| Manufacturing | Samsung | Samsung |
| Lithography process | 5 nanometers | 5 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Yes | Yes |
| Graphics | Mali-G78 MP14 | Mali-G68 MP5 |
| GPU shading units | 448 | 160 |
| GPU clock | 854 MHz | 949 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~765.2 GFLOPS | ~303.7 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | 6754 | 3046 |
| Single-core score | 1484 | 1015 |
| Multi-core score | 3767 | 2899 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 418023 | 320350 |
| GPU | 191872 | 83203 |
| Memory | 170606 | 129434 |
| UX | 301277 | 230611 |
| Total score | 1081778 | 768287 |
| Samples | [17 tests] | [27 tests] |
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
| Stability | 72% | 98% |
| Graphics test | 2 FPS | 2 FPS |
| Graphics score | 328 | 274 |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Stability | 64% | - |
| Graphics test | 10 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 1800 | - |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 13238 | 11515 |
| Video editing | 7092 | 7315 |
| Photo editing | 29658 | 24850 |
| Data manipulation | 10433 | 10288 |
| Writing score | 15614 | 17482 |
Recent User Tests
Samsung Galaxy S21
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-09-30 (Luckyy) | AnTuTu 12 | 1281558 |
| 📘 2026-07-10 (TechNova0627) | Geekbench 6 CPU | 1446 / 3772 |
| 📘 2026-07-10 (TechNova0627) | AnTuTu 11 | 1115971 |
| 📘 2026-07-05 (Luckyy) | AnTuTu 11 | 1086158 |
| 📘 2026-06-28 (forneusgang) | AnTuTu 11 | 1087003 |
Samsung Galaxy A26 5G
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-09-29 (Saveloy) | AnTuTu 12 | 717743 |
| 📘 2026-09-26 (maks🇰🇿) | AnTuTu 12 | 871135 |
| 📘 2026-08-29 -> Jm2ret | AnTuTu 11 | 781013 |
| 📘 2026-08-29 -> Jm2ret | AnTuTu 11 | 781013 |
| 📘 2026-08-21 (Nur) | AnTuTu 11 | 760055 |
Memory
| RAM size | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 2750 MHz | 2133 MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 2.2 |
| Memory card | No | MicroSD |
| Memory card max size | - | Up to 2048 GB |
Software
| Operating system | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 15) | Android 15 (Can be upgraded to Android 16) |
| ROM | One UI 7.0 | One UI 8.5 |
| OS size | 28.1 GB | 21.7 GB |
| OS updates | 2 years | 6 years |
| Security updates | 4 years | 6 years |
Battery
| Capacity | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 25 W | 25 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes (15 W) | No |
| Reverse charging | Yes, (wireless) | No |
| Bypass charging | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (55% in 30 min) | Yes (51% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:13 hr | 1:26 hr |
| Battery cycles | - | 1200 cycles |
| Web browsing | 06:01 hr | 06:42 hr |
| Watching video | 11:06 hr | 12:14 hr |
| Gaming | 04:21 hr | 05:11 hr |
| Standby | 95 hr | 100 hr |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 50 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 8192 x 6144 |
| Zoom | Optical, 1.1x | Digital |
| Flash | Dual LED | LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| 8K video recording | Up to 24FPS | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 30FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 960 FPS (720p) | 480 FPS (720p) |
| Angle of widest lens | 120° | 120° |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 12 MP 2) Telephoto: 64 MP 3) Ultrawide: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 50 MP 2) Ultrawide: 8 MP 3) Macro: 2 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode - Pro mode |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 50 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | 27 mm |
| Sensor | Sony IMX555 | Samsung ISOCELL S5KJN1 |
| Sensor size | 1/1.76" (≈ 0.57 inch) | 1/2.76" (≈ 0.36 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.8 micron | 0.64 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| Image resolution | 64 MP | - |
| Aperture | f/2.0 | - |
| Focal length | 28 mm | - |
| Sensor | Samsung Bright S5KGW2 | - |
| Sensor size | 1/1.72" (≈ 0.58 inch) | - |
| Pixel size | 0.8 micron | - |
| Stabilization | Optical | - |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 8 MP |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 13 mm | - |
| Sensor | Sony IMX563 | Samsung S5K4HA |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" (≈ 0.39 inch) | 1/4" (≈ 0.25 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.4 micron | 1.12 micron |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Image resolution | - | 2 MP |
| Aperture | - | f/2.4 |
| Sensor | - | GalaxyCore GC02M1 |
| Sensor size | - | 1/5" (≈ 0.2 inch) |
| Pixel size | - | 1.75 micron |
| Stabilization | - | Digital |
DxOMark main camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic main camera score
| Bokeh | 70 | - |
| Preview | 61 | - |
| Zoom | 114 | - |
| Samples | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S21 from DxOMark | - |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 10 megapixels | 13 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 3872 x 2592 | 4160 x 3120 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | - |
| Sensor | Sony IMX374 | Hynix Hi-1339 |
| Sensor size | 1/3.24" (≈ 0.31 inch) | 1/3.06" (≈ 0.33 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.22 micron | 1.12 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth features | LE, A2DP | LE |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.2 | 2 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - USB-Host mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| DisplayPort | - | No |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS |
| NFC* | Yes | Depends on the region |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 2 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | Standby |
| eSIM support* | Yes | No |
| Hybrid slot | No | Yes |
| LTE Cat* | 24 | - |
| 5G support | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Mono |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | - |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Mid-range |
| Announced | January 2021 | March 2025 |
| Release date | February 2021 | March 2025 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $800 | $190 |
| Successor | - Samsung Galaxy S22 | - |
| SAR (head) | 0.46 W/kg | 0.41 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.51 W/kg | 0.96 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Hall-effect sensor - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | - | Not included |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
If the camera, performance, gaming, connectivity, and sound are more important to you, then choose the Samsung Galaxy S21. But if the battery life, software, and design are more of a priority – go for the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 21