Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Specs Comparison
Compare mobile phone specifications of up to three devices at once. Our specs comparison tool helps you find and compare the perfect phone for your needs.
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| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
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Released
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Apr 21, 2017
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Released
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Jan 29, 2021
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5.8-inch · 2960 x 1440 px
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6.2-inch · 2400 x 1080 px
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12 MP Main · 8 MP Selfie
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12 MP Main · 10 MP Selfie
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4GB · 64GB
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8GB · 128GB
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3000 mAh
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4000 mAh
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| Check prices |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 5.8-inch | 6.2-inch |
| Resolution | |
| 2960 x 1440 px, 18.5:9 ratio, 570 PPI | 2400 x 1080 px, 20:9 ratio, 424 PPI |
| Technology | |
| Super AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Refresh rate | |
| 120Hz (adaptive) | |
| Screen-to-body | |
| 84.26 % | 86.06 % |
| Peak brightness | |
| 1300 cd/m2 (nit) | |
| Features | |
| HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 (10 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5 nm) |
| Processor | |
| Octa-core, 2350 MHz, Kryo 280, 64-bit | Octa-core, 1x 2.84GHz Kryo 680 + 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680 + 4x 1.80GHz Kryo 680, 64-bit |
| GPU | |
| Adreno 540 | Adreno 660 |
| RAM | |
| 4GB (LPDDR4) | 8GB (LPDDR5) |
| Internal storage | |
| 64GB | 128GB (UFS 3.0), not expandable |
| Storage expansion | |
| microSDXC up to 256 GB | |
| OS | |
| Android (9.0 Pie, 8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat), Samsung One UI | Android (13, 12, 11), Samsung One UI |
| Device type | |
| Smartphone | Smartphone |
Battery
| Capacity | |
|---|---|
| 3000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Type | |
| Li - Ion, Not user replaceable | Li - Polymer, Not user replaceable |
| Charging | |
| Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Qi and Powermat wireless charging | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, USB Power Delivery, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Qi and Powermat wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging |
| Max charge speed | |
| Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
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Battery Life Estimate
Untested
Browsing
Untested
Video
Untested
Gaming
Untested
Battery Life Estimate
4h 28min
Browsing
7h 47min
Video
7h 36min
Gaming
7h 9min
Camera
| Rear | |
|---|---|
| Single camera | Triple camera |
| Main camera | |
| 12 MP (OIS, PDAF) Specifications: Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 26 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
12 MP (OIS, PDAF) Specifications: Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 26 mm Sensor size: 1/1.76" Pixel size: 1.8 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 64 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Specifications: Aperture size: F2.0 Focal Length: 29 mm Sensor size: 1/1.7" Pixel size: 0.8 μm |
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| Third camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide, Autofocus) Specifications: Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
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| Flash | |
| LED | LED |
| Video recording | |
| 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 2560x1440 (QHD), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (240 fps) Features: HDR, Time-lapse video, Hyperlapse, Continuous autofocus, Object tracking, Picture-taking during video recording, Video light, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing |
7680x4320 (8K UHD) (24 fps), 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps) Features: OIS, HDR, Hyperlapse, Continuous autofocus, Video light, EIS |
| Front | |
| 8 MP (Wide Angle, Autofocus, HDR), Video capture: 2560x1440 (QHD) | 10 MP (PDAF, HDR), Video capture: 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps) |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 inches (148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm) |
5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches (151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm) |
| Weight | |
| 5.47 oz(155.0 g) | 6.03 oz(171.0 g) |
| Materials | |
| Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5) Frame: Aluminum | Back: Plastic Frame: Aluminum |
| Resistance | |
| Water, Dust; IP68 | Water, Dust; IP68 |
| Biometrics | |
| Iris scanner, 2D Face unlock, Fingerprint (touch) | 2D Face unlock, Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint |
| Keys | |
| Left: Volume control, Other; Right: Lock/Unlock key | Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key |
| Colors | |
| Midnight black, Orchid gray, Arctic silver, Coral blue, Maple gold, Rose pink, Burgundy red | Phantom pink, Violet, Gray, White |
Cellular
| 5G | |
|---|---|
| Bands n2, n5, n12, n25, n41, n66, n71, n77, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave | |
| 4G (FDD) | |
| Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3) | Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 14(700 PS), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3), 71(600) |
| 4G (TDD) | |
| Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+) | Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46, 48(3600) |
| 3G | |
| Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 5(850), 8(900) | Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900) |
| Data Speed | |
| LTE-A Pro Cat 16 (1000/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS | LTE-A, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS |
| SIM type | |
| Nano SIM | Nano SIM |
| HD Voice | |
| Yes | |
Multimedia
| Headphones | |
|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | |
| Earpiece, Loudspeaker | Earpiece, Multiple speakers |
| Features | |
| 32-Bit DAC, aptX-HD | 32-Bit DAC, Dolby Atmos, aptX, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus |
| Screen mirroring | |
| DLNA,Wireless screen share,MHL | Wireless screen share |
| Radio | |
| FM, Stereo, RDS | |
| Additional microphone(s) | |
| Noise cancellation, Video recording | Noise cancellation, Video recording |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 5.0, Yes | 5.0 |
| Wi-Fi | |
| 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot | 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,ax(Wi-Fi 6),dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot |
| USB | |
| Type-C (reversible), USB 3.1, Features: Charging, Video out, Mass storage device | Type-C (reversible), USB 3.2, Features: Charging, Headphones port, OTG, Video out |
| Hearing aid compatible | |
| M3/T3 | M3/T3 |
| Location | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer |
| Other | |
| NFC, ANT+, UMA (Wi-Fi Calling), Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | NFC, ANT+ |
Regulatory Approval
| FCC approval | |
|---|---|
| Date approved: Apr 06, 2017 FCC ID value: A3LSMG950U | Date approved: Dec 08, 2020 FCC ID value: A3LSMG991U |
| Measured SAR | |
| Head: 0.49 W/kg Body: 0.48 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.53 W/kg Wireless Router: 0.46 W/kg |
Head: 0.36 W/kg Body: 1.08 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 3.96 W/kg Wireless Router: 1.09 W/kg Phablet: 2.49 W/kg |
Buyers information
| MSRP | |
|---|---|
| $ 800 | |
| In The Box | |
| C to C Data Cable, Ejection Pin | |
Availability
| Officially announced | |
|---|---|
| Mar 29, 2017 | Jan 14, 2021 |
Alternative variants
International version
| System chip | Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 8895 (10 nm) |
|---|---|
| Processor | Octa-core, 2300 MHz, Exynos M2 "Mongoose" and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP20 |
| 4G (FDD) | Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 32(1500 L-band), 66(AWS-3) |
| 4G (TDD) | Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+) |
| FCC approval |
Date approved: Sep 05, 2017 FCC ID value: A3LSMG950F |
| Measured SAR |
Head: 0.38 W/kg Body: 0.75 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.55 W/kg Wireless Router: 1.09 W/kg |
with 256GB storage
| Internal storage | 256GB |
|---|---|
for T-Mobile
| 4G (FDD) | Bands 2(1900), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 12(700 a) |
|---|---|
| 3G | Bands 5(850), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) |
| VoLTE | Yes |
for Europe
| System chip | Samsung Exynos 2100 (5 nm) |
|---|---|
| Processor | Octa-core, 2900 MHz, 1x 2.91GHz Cortex-X1 + 3x 2.81GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x 2.2GHz Cortex-A55, 64-bit |
| GPU | Mali G78 MP14 |
| Weight | 5.96 oz(169.0 g) |
| 5G | Bands SA, NSA, Sub-6 |
| FCC approval |
Date approved: Dec 18, 2020 FCC ID value: A3LSMG991B |
| Measured SAR |
Head: 0.42 W/kg Body: 0.94 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 3.96 W/kg Wireless Router: 1.34 W/kg Phablet: 2.37 W/kg |
for Verizon Wireless
| 4G (FDD) | Bands 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 13(700 c), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 26(850+), 28(700 APT) |
|---|---|
| 4G (TDD) | Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+) |
| 3G | Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) |
for U.S. Cellular
| 4G (FDD) | Bands 2(1900), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 25(1900+) |
|---|---|
| 4G (TDD) | Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300) |
| Data Speed | LTE-A, HSPA, UMTS |
with Dual SIM
| System chip | Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 8895 (10 nm) |
|---|---|
| Processor | Octa-core, 2500 MHz, Exynos M2 "Mongoose"and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP20 |
| Dual SIM | Yes |
Links
| Full specifications | |
|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Specs | Samsung Galaxy S21 Specs |
| PhoneArena Review | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Review | Samsung Galaxy S21 Review |
| User Reviews | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 User Reviews | Samsung Galaxy S21 User Reviews |
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