Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S21
80
out of 100
VS
57
out of 100
Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 6.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy)) that was released on January 17, 2024, against the Samsung Galaxy S21, which is powered by Exynos 2100 and came out 3 years before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- The rear camera has a 5x optical zoom
- 2.2x better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (2341K versus 1081K)
- Has a 0.6 inch larger screen size
- Shows 48% longer battery life (26:30 vs 17:54 hours)
- Comes with 1000 mAh larger battery capacity: 5000 vs 4000 mAh
- Better camera quality (According to DxOMark rating)
- Delivers 69% higher peak brightness (1435 against 848 nits)
- Has 50% more RAM: 12GB versus 8GB
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- Compatible with the latest Wi-Fi 7 wireless networks
- More recent OS version: Android 16 versus 15
- 19% higher pixel density (501 vs 421 PPI)
- Supports higher wattage charging (45W versus 25W)
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
- Has 2 SIM card slots
- Better grip in hands – the body is 7.8 mm narrower
- Weighs 63 grams less
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
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 | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Size | 6.8 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 19.5:9 | 20:9 |
| PPI | 501 ppi | 421 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | Yes (1-120 Hz) | Yes (48-120 Hz) |
| Max rated brightness | 2600 nits | 800 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10+ | Yes, HDR10+ |
| Touch sampling rate | 240 Hz | - |
| Screen protection | Gorilla Glass Armor | Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 88.5% | 85.9% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 - Always-On Display - DC Dimming |
- DCI-P3 - Always-On Display |
| RGB color space | 99.5% | 99.5% |
| PWM | 480 Hz | 240 Hz |
| Response time | 1 ms | 5 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | ∞ Infinity |
Screen space comparison
Galaxy S24 Ultra
6.8″ (19.5:9 ratio) = 17.6 in2
Galaxy S21
6.2″ (20:9 ratio) = 14.4 in2
~22% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 162.3 mm (6.39 inches) | 151.7 mm (5.97 inches) |
| Width | 79 mm (3.11 inches) | 71.2 mm (2.8 inches) |
| Thickness | 8.6 mm (0.34 inches) | 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) |
| Weight | 232 g (8.18 oz) | 169 g (5.96 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP68 |
| Advanced cooling | Vapor chamber | - |
| Rear material | Glass | Plastic |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Black, Gray, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Yellow | White, Gray, Pink, Purple |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-display | Yes, in-display |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy) | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| Max clock | 3390 MHz | 2900 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (1 + 3 + 2 + 2) | 8 (1 + 3 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 2 cores at 2.27 GHz: Cortex-A520 - 2 cores at 2.96 GHz: Cortex-A720 - 3 cores at 3.15 GHz: Cortex-A720 - 1 core at 3.3 GHz: Cortex-X4 |
- 4 cores at 2.2 GHz: Cortex-A55 - 3 cores at 2.81 GHz: Cortex-A78 - 1 core at 2.91 GHz: Cortex-X1 |
| L3 cache | 12 MB | - |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | Samsung |
| Lithography process | 4 nanometers | 5 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Hexagon | Yes |
| Graphics | Adreno 750 | Mali-G78 MP14 |
| GPU shading units | 1536 | 448 |
| GPU clock | 903-1000 MHz | 854 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~2774 GFLOPS | ~765.2 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | 15386 | 6754 |
| Single-core score | 2259 | 1484 |
| Multi-core score | 7330 | 3767 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 717970 | 418023 |
| GPU | 790073 | 191872 |
| Memory | 341284 | 170606 |
| UX | 492067 | 301277 |
| Total score | 2341394 | 1081778 |
| Samples | [42 tests] | [17 tests] |
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
| Stability | 71% | 72% |
| Graphics test | 11 FPS | 2 FPS |
| Graphics score | 1527 | 328 |
3DMark Solar Bay
| Stability | 63% | - |
| Graphics test | 29 FPS | - |
| Section 1 | 36 FPS | - |
| Section 2 | 29 FPS | - |
| Section 3 | 23 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 7748 | - |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Stability | 59% | 64% |
| Graphics test | 27 FPS | 10 FPS |
| Graphics score | 4531 | 1800 |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 18499 | 13238 |
| Video editing | 8001 | 7092 |
| Photo editing | 35916 | 29658 |
| Data manipulation | 15552 | 10433 |
| Writing score | 22696 | 15614 |
AnTuTu 11 Ranking List (#179th place)
Recent User Tests
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-09-05 -> Rabbit5656 | AnTuTu 11 | 2327770 |
| 📘 2026-09-05 (Rabbit5656) | AnTuTu 11 | 2327770 |
| 📘 2026-08-29 (otash_miks) | AnTuTu 11 | 2375215 |
| 📘 2026-08-27 (Ông Năm PT) | AnTuTu 11 | 2383615 |
| 📘 2026-08-10 (Era) | AnTuTu 11 | 2333792 |
Samsung Galaxy S21
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 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 |
| 📘 2026-05-28 (Sulurya) | AnTuTu 11 | 1099324 |
Memory
| RAM size | 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5 |
| Memory clock | 4200 MHz | 2750 MHz |
| Channels | 4 | 2 |
| Storage size | 256 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 |
| Memory card | No | No |
Software
| Operating system | Android 14 (Can be upgraded to Android 16) | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 15) |
| ROM | One UI 8.0 | One UI 7.0 |
| OS size | 28 GB | 28.1 GB |
| OS updates | 7 years | 2 years |
| Security updates | 7 years | 4 years |
Battery
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 45 W | 25 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes (15 W) | Yes (15 W) |
| Reverse charging | Yes, (wireless) | Yes, (wireless) |
| Bypass charging | Yes | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (69% in 30 min) | Yes (55% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:05 hr | 1:13 hr |
| Web browsing | 10:18 hr | 06:01 hr |
| Watching video | 18:00 hr | 11:06 hr |
| Gaming | 05:51 hr | 04:21 hr |
| Standby | 122 hr | 95 hr |
General battery life
Smartphones With Long Battery Life (#121st place)
Main camera
| Matrix | 200 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 16320 x 12240 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Zoom | Optical, 5x | Optical, 1.1x |
| Flash | LED | Dual LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| 8K video recording | Up to 30FPS | Up to 24FPS |
| 4K video recording | Up to 120FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 240FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 240 FPS (1080p) | 960 FPS (720p) |
| Angle of widest lens | 120° | 120° |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 200 MP 2) Telephoto: 50 MP 3) Telephoto: 12 MP 4) Ultrawide: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP 2) Telephoto: 64 MP 3) Ultrawide: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
| Image resolution | 200 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 23 mm | 26 mm |
| Sensor | Samsung ISOCELL HP2 | Sony IMX555 |
| Sensor size | 1/1.3" (≈ 0.77 inch) | 1/1.76" (≈ 0.57 inch) |
| Pixel size | 0.6 micron | 1.8 micron |
| Autofocus | Laser autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| Image resolution | 50 MP | 64 MP |
| Aperture | f/3.4 | f/2.0 |
| Focal length | 111 mm | 28 mm |
| Sensor | Sony IMX854 | Samsung Bright S5KGW2 |
| Sensor size | 1/2.52" (≈ 0.4 inch) | 1/1.72" (≈ 0.58 inch) |
| Pixel size | 0.7 micron | 0.8 micron |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 13 mm | 13 mm |
| Sensor | Sony IMX564 | Sony IMX563 |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" (≈ 0.39 inch) | 1/2.55" (≈ 0.39 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.4 micron | 1.4 micron |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
DxOMark main camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic main camera score
| Bokeh | 70 | 70 |
| Preview | 82 | 61 |
| Zoom | 145 | 114 |
| Samples | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from DxOMark | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S21 from DxOMark |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 12 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 3872 x 2592 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | 26 mm |
| Sensor | Samsung S5K3LU | Sony IMX374 |
| Sensor size | 1/3.2" (≈ 0.31 inch) | 1/3.24" (≈ 0.31 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.12 micron | 1.22 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | LE | LE, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - USB-Host mode - OTG |
| DisplayPort | Yes, DP 1.2 | - |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC* | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 1 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | - | Standby |
| eSIM support* | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | 20 | 24 |
| 5G support | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | January 2024 | January 2021 |
| Release date | January 2024 | February 2021 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1299 | $800 |
| Successor | - Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | - Samsung Galaxy S22 |
| SAR (head) | 1.06 W/kg | 0.46 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.3 W/kg | 1.51 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Hall-effect sensor - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Hall-effect sensor - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | Not included | - |
Further details
Notes on Galaxy S24 Ultra:
- There is a model with two physical SIM cards and no eSIM, and another with one physical SIM card and eSIM support.
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is definitely a better buy.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 38