Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S21 Ultra
80
out of 100
VS
62
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 Ultra, which is powered by Exynos 2100 and came out 3 years and 1 month before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
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Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- 2.2x better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (2341K versus 1074K)
- Better camera quality (According to DxOMark rating)
- Shows 20% longer battery life (26:30 vs 22:05 hours)
- Delivers 42% higher peak brightness (1443 against 1013 nits)
- Has 50% more RAM: 12GB versus 8GB
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- More recent OS version: Android 17 versus 15
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 7 wireless networks
- Supports higher wattage charging (45W versus 25W)
- The phone is 3 years and 1 month newer
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- The rear camera has a 10x optical zoom
- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
- Has 2 SIM card slots
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 DeviceFacts Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Size | 6.8 inches | 6.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels | 1440 x 3200 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 19.5:9 | 20:9 |
| PPI | 501 ppi | 515 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | Yes (1-120 Hz) | Yes (10-120 Hz) |
| Max rated brightness | 2600 nits | 1500 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% | 89.5% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 - Always-On Display - DC Dimming |
- DCI-P3 - Always-On Display |
| RGB color space | 99.5% | - |
| PWM | 480 Hz | - |
| Response time | 1 ms | - |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | - |
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 162.3 mm (6.39 inches) | 165.1 mm (6.5 inches) |
| Width | 79 mm (3.11 inches) | 75.6 mm (2.98 inches) |
| Thickness | 8.6 mm (0.34 inches) | 8.9 mm (0.35 inches) |
| Weight | 232 g (8.18 oz) | 227 g (8.01 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP68 |
| Advanced cooling | Vapor chamber | - |
| Rear material | Glass | Glass |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Black, Gray, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Yellow | Black, Silver, Gray, Blue |
| 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 | 6870 |
| Single-core score | 2259 | 1486 |
| Multi-core score | 7330 | 3800 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 717970 | 420330 |
| GPU | 790073 | 186151 |
| Memory | 341284 | 193925 |
| UX | 492067 | 273776 |
| Total score | 2341394 | 1074182 |
| Samples | [42 tests] | [11 tests] |
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
| Stability | 71% | - |
| Graphics test | 11 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 1527 | - |
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% | - |
| Graphics test | 27 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 4531 | - |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 18499 | - |
| Video editing | 8001 | - |
| Photo editing | 35916 | - |
| Data manipulation | 15552 | - |
| Writing score | 22696 | - |
AnTuTu 11 Ranking List (#190th place)
Recent User Tests
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-10-14 (Riflessione) | AnTuTu 12 | 2005418 |
| 📘 2026-10-08 (Lello75) | CPU Throttle | 73% |
| 📘 2026-09-29 (Ratiii) | Geekbench 7 CPU | 1995 / 6875 |
| 📘 2026-09-29 (gunissus) | AnTuTu 12 | 2654412 |
| 📘 2026-09-24 (Denislav Antimov) | AnTuTu 12 | 2573019 |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-10-06 (Nurik) | AnTuTu 12 | 900228 |
| 📘 2026-09-30 -> fh_hxx19 | AnTuTu 12 | 1191592 |
| 📘 2026-09-30 -> fh_hxx19 | AnTuTu 12 | 1191592 |
| 📘 2026-07-22 (Squizzyyy) | AnTuTu 11 | 857016 |
| 📘 2026-06-02 (My name) | AnTuTu 11 | 1271841 |
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 17) | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 15) |
| ROM | One UI 9.0 | One UI 7.0 |
| OS size | 28 GB | 26.4 GB |
| OS updates | 7 years | 2 years |
| Security updates | 7 years | 4 years |
Battery
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 5000 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 | - |
| Fast charging | Yes (69% in 30 min) | Yes (54% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:05 hr | 1:11 hr |
| Web browsing | 10:18 hr | 07:58 hr |
| Watching video | 18:00 hr | 13:59 hr |
| Gaming | 05:51 hr | 05:14 hr |
| Standby | 122 hr | 111 hr |
General battery life
Smartphones With Long Battery Life (#122nd place)
Main camera
| Matrix | 200 megapixels | 108 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 16320 x 12240 | 12000 x 9000 |
| Zoom | Optical, 5x | Optical, 10x |
| 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: 108 MP 2) Telephoto: 10 MP 3) Telephoto: 10 MP 4) Ultrawide: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
| Image resolution | 200 MP | 108 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 23 mm | 26 mm |
| Sensor | Samsung ISOCELL HP2 | Samsung S5KHM3 |
| Sensor size | 1/1.3" (≈ 0.77 inch) | 1/1.33" (≈ 0.75 inch) |
| Pixel size | 0.6 micron | 0.8 micron |
| Autofocus | Laser autofocus | Laser autofocus |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| Image resolution | 50 MP | 10 MP |
| Aperture | f/3.4 | f/4.9 |
| Focal length | 111 mm | 240 mm |
| Sensor | Sony IMX854 | Samsung S5K3J1 |
| Sensor size | 1/2.52" (≈ 0.4 inch) | 1/2.65" (≈ 0.38 inch) |
| Pixel size | 0.7 micron | 1.22 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 | 67 |
| Zoom | 145 | 106 |
| Samples | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from DxOMark | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra from DxOMark |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 12 megapixels | 40 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 7864 x 5200 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | 26 mm |
| Sensor | Samsung S5K3LU | Samsung S5KGH1 |
| Sensor size | 1/3.2" (≈ 0.31 inch) | 1/2.65" (≈ 0.38 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.12 micron | 0.7 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
DxOMark front camera
| Photo | - | 133 |
| Video | - | 140 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) | Wi-Fi 6E (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 | 5.2 |
| 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 | $1200 |
| Successor | - Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | - Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
| SAR (head) | 1.06 W/kg | 0.71 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.3 W/kg | 1.58 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: 631
