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Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S21

6.7 NeoScore #1092 of 6247

Launched February 2021

Overview

NeoScore

6.7

#1092 of 6247

Design & display
8.3
Performance & hardware
7.1
Camera
7.2
Connectivity
5.5
Battery & charging
5.8

Strengths

  • Its 120 Hz display refresh rate is higher than that of most phones of its time.
  • The display's 421 ppi density and 1300-nit peak brightness are among the highest of its time.
  • At 169 g and 7.9 mm thick, it is lighter and thinner than most phones of its time.

Weak points

  • The 12 MP resolution of the rear main camera is lower than that of most phones of its time.
  • Its 4000 mAh battery has less capacity than most phones of its time.
Display
6.2″Dynamic AMOLED 2X1,080 × 2,400 px120 Hz
Design
169 g71.2 mm151.7 mm7.9 mm
Performance
Samsung Exynos 2100Octa-Core8 GB RAM256 GB
AnTuTu
677,991Better than 75% of phones
Battery
4,000 mAh25 W
Cameras
12 Mpx · f/1.864 Mpx · f/212 Mpx · f/2.2selfie 10 Mpx · f/2.2
Network
5G4G3G2G
Software
Android 11

Editorial report

Samsung Galaxy S21 technical sheet

The Samsung Galaxy S21 suits anyone looking for a compact phone with a standout display and willing to accept a smaller battery capacity than most phones of its time. Its 6.2-inch screen reaches 1300 nits and refreshes at 120 Hz; the 421 ppi density is also among the highest of its time. That makes the display a clear priority in a phone measuring 151.7 mm tall and weighing 169 g.

At 7.9 mm thick, the phone is thinner than most phones of its time, and it has IP68 resistance. Its 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage exceed what most phones of its time offer, while its performance is among the best. The camera setup includes 3x optical zoom, among the highest magnifications of its time, and optical stabilization on the rear main camera. That camera's 12 MP resolution, however, is lower than that of most phones from the same period.

The 4000 mAh battery has less capacity than most, while 15 W wireless charging is among the best of its time. It also supports 25 W fast charging and reverse wireless charging. Connectivity is typical. With a NeoScore of 6.7, the Galaxy S21 is a compelling fit for buyers who prioritize an excellent display and a light, compact body and can live with its smaller battery capacity.

Technical index

NeoScore

NeoScore is NeoTeo's technical index: it weighs each phone's verified specifications and compares them with those of the phones of its time.

6.69 /10

Prices in United States

Selected variant

Galaxy S21

Design & display

8.3

Display Technology Dynamic AMOLED 2X
8.7
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz
9.0
Display Pixel Density 421 ppi
8.8
Peak Display Brightness 1,300 nits
8.8
Display Features Gorilla Glass Victus, AMOLED, HDR10, HDR10+, Always-On Display, Touchscreen
4.5
Weight 169 g
9.1
Resistance Features IP68
8.5
Usable Surface 87.2 %
8.6
Body Thickness 7.9 mm
8.2

Performance & hardware

7.1

AnTuTu Score 677,991
3.4
RAM Capacity 8 GB
7.1
Storage Type UFS 4.x
10.0
Processor Process Size 5 nm
7.8
Maximum Storage Capacity 256 GB
7.5
Maximum CPU Clock 2.9 GHz
7.7
RAM Type LPDDR5
8.0

Camera

7.2

Sensor Size 1/1.76″
6.0
Aperture f/1.8
8.0
Optical Image Stabilization Yes
10.0
Resolution 12 Mpx
6.0
Optical Zoom 3 x
7.0
Camera Features LED Flash, HDR, Panorama, Burst Mode, Continuous Autofocus, Telephoto Camera, Manual Exposure, Manual Focus, Manual ISO, Manual Shutter Speed, Manual White Balance, Phase-Detection Autofocus, RAW Capture, Time-Lapse, Touch Focus
0.0

Connectivity

5.5

Connectivity Features Samsung DeX, NFC, FM Radio, USB Type-C, USB OTG, ANT+
2.5
Wi-Fi Standards Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
7.5
Bluetooth Version Bluetooth 5.0
5.0
Navigation Systems GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
7.5
SIM Configurations Single Nano-SIM, Dual Nano-SIM, Nano-SIM + eSIM
7.5

Battery & charging

5.8

Battery Capacity 4,000 mAh
5.9
Fast Charge Power 25 W
5.0
Wireless charging power 15 W
5.9
Battery Features Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator
5.7

Tap a point on the chart to see what makes it up.

Design & display
8.33
Performance & hardware
7.05
Camera
7.24
Connectivity
5.47
Battery & charging
5.76
NeoScore rank
#1092 / 6247

Samsung

Technical specifications

Performance

Processor Model
Samsung Exynos 2100
Processor Process Size
5 nm
Graphics GPU
Mali-G78 MP14
Storage Type
UFS 4.x
Maximum CPU Clock
2.9 GHz
Maximum Storage Capacity
256 GB
AnTuTu Score
677,991
Geekbench 6 Single-Core
1,334
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
3,339
CPU Description
Octa-core CPU with one Cortex-X1, three Cortex-A78, and four Cortex-A55 cores.
Processor Type
Octa-Core
64-Bit Processor
Yes
RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Type
LPDDR5
Expandable Storage
No

Design

Body Colors
Grey, White, Purple, Pink
Body Thickness
7.9 mm
Body Width
71.2 mm
Body Height
151.7 mm
Weight
169 g
Usable Surface
87.2 %
Body Materials
Glass, Plastic, Aluminium Alloy
Resistance Features
IP68
Waterproof Depth
1.5 m
Foldable
No
Rugged Build
No

Battery

Battery Capacity
4,000 mAh
Battery Type
Li-Ion
Fast Charge Power
25 W
Battery Features
Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator
Wireless charging power
15 W
Reverse wireless charging power
4.5 W

Display

Display Aspect Ratio
20:9
Display Technology
Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Peak Display Brightness
1,300 nits
Display Diagonal
6.2″
Display Horizontal Resolution
1,080 px
Display Vertical Resolution
2,400 px
Display Pixel Density
421 ppi
Display Refresh Rate
120 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
Integrated Projector
No

Sensors

Fingerprint Sensor Placement
Under Display

Sensor

Sensor Features
Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, Compass, Barometer

Software

Operating System
Android 11
OS Family
Android
OS Version
11
Direct OS Updates
No

Connectivity

SIM Configurations
Single Nano-SIM, Dual Nano-SIM, Nano-SIM + eSIM
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
Cellular Technologies
GSM, CDMA, HSPA, UMTS, EVDO, LTE, 5G
Wi-Fi Standards
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi Features
Dual Band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth Version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles
A2DP, LE
Navigation Systems
GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
Connectivity Features
Samsung DeX, NFC, FM Radio, USB Type-C, USB OTG, ANT+
USB Version
USB 3.2
Max. download speed
3,000 Mbps
Max. upload speed
422 Mbps

Audio

Microphone Count
3
Audio Features
Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE, Hi-Res Audio

Technical

Model numbers
SM-G990F, SM-G990F/DS

Galaxy S21

Camera system

Every physical camera module is shown separately, with its sensor, lens and capture capabilities.

1

Rear Main Camera

Sensor Features
Back-Illuminated Sensor
Resolution
12 Mpx
Sensor Type
CMOS
Sensor Size
1/1.76″
Pixel Size
1.8 µm
Video Recording
8K at 24 fps, 4K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps, 1080p at 60 fps, 1080p at 120 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, HDR10+, Stereo sound recording, Gyro-EIS
Sensor
Sensor Features
Back-Illuminated Sensor
Resolution
12 Mpx
Sensor Type
CMOS
Sensor Size
1/1.76″
Pixel Size
1.8 µm
Video
Video Recording
8K at 24 fps, 4K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps, 1080p at 60 fps, 1080p at 120 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, HDR10+, Stereo sound recording, Gyro-EIS
Slow Motion Video
Yes
Slow Motion Frame Rate
240 fps
Lens
Aperture
f/1.8
Optical Image Stabilization
Yes
Flash
Flash Type
Dual LED
Flash LED Count
2 LEDs
Features
Camera Features
LED Flash, HDR, Panorama, Burst Mode, Continuous Autofocus, Telephoto Camera, Manual Exposure, Manual Focus, Manual ISO, Manual Shutter Speed, Manual White Balance, Phase-Detection Autofocus, RAW Capture, Time-Lapse, Touch Focus
2

Rear Telephoto Camera

Resolution
64 Mpx
Sensor Size
1/1.72″
Pixel Size
0.8 µm
Optical Zoom
3 x
Aperture
f/2
Sensor
Resolution
64 Mpx
Sensor Size
1/1.72″
Pixel Size
0.8 µm
Lens
Optical Zoom
3 x
Aperture
f/2
3

Rear Ultrawide Camera

Resolution
12 Mpx
Sensor Size
1/2.55″
Pixel Size
1.4 µm
Aperture
f/2.2
Sensor
Resolution
12 Mpx
Sensor Size
1/2.55″
Pixel Size
1.4 µm
Lens
Aperture
f/2.2
4

Front Camera

Resolution
10 Mpx
Sensor Size
1/3.24″
Pixel Size
1.22 µm
Video Recording
4K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps
Aperture
f/2.2
Camera Features
HDR
Sensor
Resolution
10 Mpx
Sensor Size
1/3.24″
Pixel Size
1.22 µm
Video
Video Recording
4K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps
Lens
Aperture
f/2.2
Features
Camera Features
HDR

Compare the Samsung Galaxy S21

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