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
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.
| 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 |
Camera
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.
| Camera | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 108.0 MP | |
| Resolution | 12000x9000 |
Screen
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.
| Display | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1440x3200 | |
| Screen Size | 173 mm 6.8 in | |
| Pixels Per Inch | 516 ppi | ppi |
Battery
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.
| Battery | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | mAh |
| Longevity | 18 hours | hours |
| USB | USB-C |
Processing
| Processor | Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Galaxy S23 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Samsung Exynos 2100 5G S5E9840 |
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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