Samsung Galaxy S9 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.

9.0
Samsung Galaxy S9
8.5
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung Galaxy S21
Released · Mar 16, 2018
Released · Jan 29, 2021
5.8-inch · 2960 x 1440 px
6.2-inch · 2400 x 1080 px
12 MP Main · 8 MP Selfie
12 MP Main · 10 MP Selfie
4GB · 64GB
8GB · 128GB
3000 mAh
4000 mAh
Check prices Check prices

Display

Size
5.8-inch 6.2-inch
Resolution
2960 x 1440 px, 18.5:9 ratio, 568 PPI 2400 x 1080 px, 20:9 ratio, 424 PPI
Technology
Super AMOLED Dynamic AMOLED
Refresh rate
120Hz (adaptive)
Screen-to-body
84.36 % 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 845 SDM845 (10 nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5 nm)
Processor
Octa-core, 2800 MHz, Kryo 385, 64-bit Octa-core, 1x 2.84GHz Kryo 680 + 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680 + 4x 1.80GHz Kryo 680, 64-bit
GPU
Adreno 630 Adreno 660
RAM
4GB (LPDDR4) 8GB (LPDDR5)
Internal storage
64GB 128GB (UFS 3.0), not expandable
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 400 GB
OS
Android (10, 9.0 Pie, 8.0 Oreo), 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, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, 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
PhoneArena Battery Tests
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: F1.5/F2.4
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
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
Flash
LED LED
Video recording
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps)
Features:
HDR, Time-lapse video, Hyperlapse, Continuous autofocus, Object tracking, Picture-taking during video recording, 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 (Autofocus, HDR), Video capture: 2560x1440 (QHD) (30 fps) 10 MP (PDAF, HDR), Video capture: 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps)

Design

Dimensions
5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 inches
(147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm)
5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches
(151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm)
Weight
5.75 oz(163.0 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
Features
Notification light
Keys
Left: Volume control, Other; Right: Lock/Unlock key Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Midnight black, Coral blue, Titanium gray, Lilac purple, Burgundy red, Sunrise gold, Ice blue 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), 14(700 PS), 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), 71(600) 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+), 46 Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46, 48(3600)
3G
Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900)
Data Speed
LTE-A Pro Cat 18 (1200/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA LTE-A, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS
SIM type
Nano SIM Nano SIM

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack No 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Multiple speakers Earpiece, Multiple speakers
Features
32-Bit DAC, aptX-HD 32-Bit DAC, Dolby Atmos, aptX, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Screen mirroring
Wireless screen share Wireless screen share
Radio
FM FM, Stereo, RDS
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation Noise cancellation, Video recording

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
5.0 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, OTG, Video out Type-C (reversible), USB 3.2, Features: Charging, Headphones port, OTG, Video out
Hearing aid compatible
M3/T3
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou 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+ NFC, ANT+

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Jan 11, 2018
FCC ID value: A3LSMG960U
Date approved: Dec 08, 2020
FCC ID value: A3LSMG991U
Measured SAR
Head: 0.35 W/kg
Body: 0.96 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.59 W/kg
Wireless Router: 0.95 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
$ 720 $ 800
In The Box
C to C Data Cable, Ejection Pin

Availability

Officially announced
Feb 25, 2018 Jan 14, 2021

Alternative variants

International version
System chip Samsung Exynos 9 9810 (10 nm)
Processor Octa-core, 2900 MHz, Exynos M3 and ARM Cortex-A55, 64-bit
GPU Mali-G72 MP18
FCC approval Date approved: Dec 27, 2017
FCC ID value: A3LSMG960F
Measured SAR Head: 0.26 W/kg
Body: 1.00 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.56 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.04 W/kg
with 256GB storage
Internal storage 256GB
with Dual SIM
System chip Samsung Exynos 9 9810 (10 nm)
Processor Octa-core, 2900 MHz, Exynos M3 and ARM Cortex-A55, 64-bit
GPU Mali-G72 MP18
Dual SIM 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
with 256 GB storage
Internal storage 256GB
MSRP $ 820
with 128 GB storage
Internal storage 128GB
MSRP $ 770
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