Side-by-side technical data
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G
Comparison between Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G: camera, battery, fast charging, display, performance and colors, side by side. More phones from Samsung.
The verdict
Neither runs away with it: each wins something.
| Category | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 8.3 | 7.3 |
| Performance & hardware | 7.0 | 6.3 |
| Camera | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| Connectivity | 5.5 | 6.4 |
| Battery & charging | 5.8 | 6.3 |
Which one is for you?
Samsung Galaxy S21, if you care about…
- Storage Type
- UFS 4.x
- against UFS 3.0
- Display Refresh Rate
- 120 Hz
- against 60 Hz
- Display Pixel Density
- 421 ppi
- against 393 ppi
- Weight
- 169 g
- against 192 g
Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G, if you care about…
- Battery Capacity
- 4,300 mAh
- against 4,000 mAh
- RAM Type
- DDR5
- against LPDDR5
- Display Diagonal
- 6.7″
- against 6.2″
Specification comparison
Performance
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Model | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 990 |
| Processor Process Size | 5 nm Best value | 7 nm |
| Graphics GPU | Mali-G78 MP14 | ARM Mali-G77 MP11 |
| Storage Type | UFS 4.x Best value | UFS 3.0 |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 2.9 GHz | 3 GHz Best value |
| Maximum Storage Capacity | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| AnTuTu Score | 677,991 | 515,090 |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | 1,334 Best value | 984 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | 3,339 Best value | 2,722 |
| CPU Description | Octa-core CPU with one Cortex-X1, three Cortex-A78, and four Cortex-A55 cores. | Octa-core CPU with regional Mongoose M5/Cortex-A76/Cortex-A55 or Kryo 585/Cortex-A77/Cortex-A55 configurations. |
| Processor Type | Octa-Core | Octa-Core |
| 64-Bit Processor | Yes | Yes |
| RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| RAM Type | LPDDR5 | DDR5 Best value |
Design
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Grey, White, Purple, Pink | Green, Bronze, Grey, Red, Blue |
| Body Thickness | 7.9 mm Best value | 8.3 mm |
| Body Width | 71.2 mm | 75.2 mm |
| Body Height | 151.7 mm | 161.6 mm |
| Weight | 169 g Best value | 192 g |
| Usable Surface | 87.2 % | 89.2 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Glass, Plastic, Aluminium Alloy Best value | Glass, Plastic |
| Resistance Features | IP68 | IP68 |
| Waterproof Depth | 1.5 m | 1.5 m |
Battery
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 4,000 mAh | 4,300 mAh Best value |
| Battery Type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Fast Charge Power | 25 W | 25 W |
| Battery Features | Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator | Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Battery Level Indicator, Rechargeable |
| Wireless charging power | 15 W | 15 W |
| Reverse wireless charging power | 4.5 W | 4.5 W |
Display
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | 20:9 |
| Display Technology | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Super AMOLED |
| Peak Display Brightness | 1,300 nits | — |
| Display Diagonal | 6.2″ | 6.7″ Best value |
| Display Horizontal Resolution | 1,080 px | 1,080 px |
| Display Vertical Resolution | 2,400 px | 2,400 px |
| Display Pixel Density | 421 ppi Best value | 393 ppi |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz Best value | 60 Hz |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 240 Hz | — |
| Display Contrast Ratio | 3,000,000 :1 | — |
| Display Features | Gorilla Glass Victus, AMOLED, HDR10, HDR10+, Always-On Display, Touchscreen | Gorilla Glass 5, HDR10+, HDR10, Always-On Display, Touchscreen, Stylus Support |
Sensors
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Under Display | Under Display |
Sensor
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, Compass, Barometer | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, Compass, Barometer |
Software
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 11 | Android 10 |
| OS Family | Android | Android |
| OS Version | 11 Best value | 10 |
Connectivity
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| SIM Configurations | Single Nano-SIM, Dual Nano-SIM, Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM, Dual Nano-SIM |
| Cellular Bands | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B2, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B7, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B12, 4G LTE B13, 4G LTE B17, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B20, 4G LTE B25, 4G LTE B26, LTE B28, 4G LTE B32, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B39, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41, 4G LTE B66 | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS B850, 3G UMTS B900, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 3G UMTS 1900, 3G UMTS 2100, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B2, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B7, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B12, 4G LTE B13, 4G LTE B14, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B20, 4G LTE B25, 4G LTE B26, LTE B28, 4G LTE B29, 4G LTE B30, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B39, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41, 4G LTE B46, 4G LTE B48, 4G LTE B66, 4G LTE B71, 5G NR n2, 5G NR n5, 5G NR n41, 5G NR n66, 5G NR n71, 5G NR n260, 5G NR n261 |
| Cellular Technologies | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, UMTS, EVDO, LTE, 5G | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 5G |
| Wi-Fi Standards | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Direct | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, LE | A2DP, LE, aptX |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo |
| Connectivity Features | Samsung DeX, NFC, FM Radio, USB Type-C, USB OTG, ANT+ | Samsung DeX, ANT+, NFC, FM Radio, USB Type-C, USB OTG |
| USB Version | USB 3.2 | USB 3.2 |
| SAR American Head | — | 0.95 W/kg |
| SAR American Body | — | 0.72 W/kg |
| SAR (EU) head | — | 0.68 W/kg |
| SAR (EU) body | — | 1.37 W/kg |
| Max. download speed | 3,000 Mbps Best value | 1,000 Mbps |
| Max. upload speed | 422 Mbps Best value | 200 Mbps |
Audio
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone Count | 3 | 3 |
| Audio Features | Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE, Hi-Res Audio | Stereo Speakers, Hi-Res Audio, High-Bitrate Audio Support |
Technical
| Specification | Galaxy S21 | Galaxy Note20 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Model numbers | SM-G990F, SM-G990F/DS | SM-N981B, SM-N981B/DS, SM-N981U, SM-N981U1, SM-N981W, SM-N9810, SM-N981N |
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