Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs Galaxy S23 Plus

Swappasaurus says...
Samsung released the Galaxy S21 Ultra in January 2021. The Galaxy S23+ was released a little more than two years later, in February 2023. The Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy S23+ both feature large batteries, large displays, and up to 512GB of storage. The Galaxy S23+ has an advantage with a newer and more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra has an advantage when it comes to S Pen support.
Price Comparison
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs Galaxy S23 Plus Pricing
Specs Comparison
The Galaxy S21 Ultra feature set includes a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ display, a Snapdragon 888 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, Adreno 660 GPU, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 5000 mAh battery. The Galaxy S23+ feature set includes a 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X FHD+ display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, Adreno 740 GPU, Bluetooth 5.3, and a 4700 mAh battery.
Common specs include 5G cellular connectivity, up to 512GB of storage, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, stereo speakers, WiFi 6E, NFC, USB-C, and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor for device security. Additionally, the Galaxy S21 Ultra supports the Samsung S Pen.
Size | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
---|---|---|
Width | 76 mm 3.0 inches | |
Height | 165 mm 6.5 inches | |
Depth | 9 mm 0.4 inches | |
Weight | 227 g 8.0 ounces |
The Galaxy S21 Ultra features a larger display than the Galaxy S23+, and it is also bigger and heavier than the Galaxy S23+. The Galaxy S21 Ultra measures 6.5” (H) x 2.98” (W) x 0.35” (D), weighs 8.0 ounces, and features a 6.8” display size. And to compare, the Galaxy S23+ measures 6.21” (H) x 3.0” (W) x 0.30” (D), weighs 6.9 ounces and features a 6.6” display size.
Camera | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
---|---|---|
Primary | 108.0 MP | |
Resolution | 12000x9000 |
The Galaxy S21 Ultra features a single camera on the front, and a quad camera system on the back, and the Galaxy S23+ features a single camera on the front and a triple camera system on the back.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra features a 40MP wide-angle camera on the front, and the Galaxy S23+ features a 12MP wide-angle camera on the front.
On the back, the Galaxy S21 Ultra features a 108MP wide, 10MP periscope telephoto, 10MP telephoto, and 12MP ultra-wide camera array. And in comparison, the Galaxy S23+ features a 50MP wide, 10MP telephoto, and 12MP ultra-wide camera array.
Display | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
---|---|---|
Resolution | 1440x3200 | |
Screen Size | 173 mm 6.8 in | |
Pixels Per Inch | 516 ppi | ppi |
The Galaxy S21 Ultra features an always-on 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 at 515 pixels per inch and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The Galaxy S21 Ultra display also supports Samsung’s S Pen.
The Galaxy S23+ features an always-on 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 at 393 pixels per inch and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9
The Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy S23+ both support refresh rates up to 120Hz and are HDR10+ certified.
Battery | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
---|---|---|
Capacity | 5000 mAh | mAh |
Longevity | 18 hours | hours |
USB | USB-C |
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is powered by a 5000 mAh battery and the Galaxy S23+ is powered by a 4700 mAh battery.
The Galaxy S23+ supports super-fast wired charging at 45W speeds. Otherwise, the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy S23+ support fast wired charging at 25W, standard wired charging at 15W, Qi wireless charging at 15W speeds, and Wireless Powershare (reverse wireless charging) at 4.5W speeds.
Color Choices
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Available in 5 colors:
-
Black
-
Brown
-
Navy Blue
-
Silver
-
Titanium
Galaxy S23 Plus
Available in 6 colors:
-
Black
-
Cream
-
Graphite
-
Green
-
Lavender
-
Lime Green
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs Galaxy S23 Plus Colors

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is available in the following colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown. And in comparison, the Galaxy S23+ is available in Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream, Lime, and Graphite.
Storage Options
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Choose from 3 storage options:
-
128GB
-
256GB
-
512GB
Galaxy S23 Plus
Choose from 2 storage options:
-
256GB
-
512GB
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs Galaxy S23 Plus Storage

The Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy S23+ are available in 256GB and 512GB storage configurations. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is also available in a 128GB storage configuration.
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs Galaxy S23 Plus Reviews
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