Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S20: What Difference Does a Year Make?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 has arrived, and at first look, you could ponder whether it’s actually that a lot totally different from final yr’s Samsung, the Galaxy S20. The new cellphone advantages from a extra highly effective processor, enhanced digital camera software program, and a barely finessed design. On the opposite hand, the display screen has a lowered decision, whereas it additionally does away with the S20’s microSD card slot. As such, it’s not instantly apparent whether or not it’s a greater cellphone general than the S20.

To show you how to determine which of those telephones you’d desire, we’ve put the Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S20 by a rigorous comparability check. We take a look at their specs, designs, shows, efficiency, cameras, and software program, which collectively ought to provide you with a clearer indication of which is the appropriate Galaxy for you.

Specs

Design, show, and sturdiness

The Samsung Galaxy S21 might look very similar to the Galaxy S20 to the informal observer, however there are a selection of variations price highlighting. Most notably, the S21 options razor-thin bezels round its edge-to-edge show, making it look much more spectacular than the S20. It additionally comes with a brand new digital camera module, which slopes across the close to fringe of the cellphone’s rear, giving it a pleasant modern look (not that the S20 seems outdated).

That mentioned, the S21 is sort of 10 grams heavier than the S20, in addition to 2mm wider. This isn’t an enormous distinction, however when the S20 was already pretty massive (significantly for a mannequin that was alleged to be the “smallest” of its sequence), you could really feel a really slight drop in consolation. Added to this, the S21 incorporates a plastic again, whereas the S20 boasts a really modern glass again, one thing which makes it appear extra refined.

More noticeably, Samsung has determined, for no matter cause, to scale back the S21’s show high quality. Its display screen gives 2400 x 1080 pixels, which is sweet sufficient because it stands. However, it falls noticeably in need of the S20’s show, which packs 3200 x 1440 pixels, offering you with 563 ppi. By distinction, with the identical sized display screen (6.2 inches) however fewer pixels, the S21 musters solely 421 ppi.

Both telephones include an IP68 ranking, that means they’ll stand up to immersion in as much as 1.5 meters of water for as much as half-hour. You may argue that having a plastic, somewhat than glass, again offers the S21 with just a little extra sturdiness than the S20. This could also be true, however with its superior decision and extra subtle glass rear, this opening spherical goes to the S20.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S20

Performance, battery life, and charging

In the United States, the Samsung Galaxy S20 shipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, which continues to be a mighty processor. It isn’t fairly as highly effective because the newer Snapdragon 888, thoughts you, however in case you are (as soon as once more) within the U.S., the S20 ships with 12GB of RAM as normal, in comparison with the 8GB you get in the remainder of the world. This can be the quantity of RAM the S21 ships with (within the U.S. and elsewhere), so even when it does have a more moderen chip, the 4GB distinction will cancel out any benefit it would in any other case have had.

Things get even worse for the S21 in relation to inner reminiscence. Both it and the S20 present 128GB of inner storage, but the older cellphone incorporates a microSD card slot, whereas the newer doesn’t. This is probably going a giant downside in case you occur to wish additional cupboard space, and in case you are inclined to take pictures and movies at a wholesome tempo, you could discover that your cellphone’s inner storage fills up pretty shortly.

Our overview of the S20 discovered that its battery was reliable if just a little underwhelming, lasting a couple of full day underneath moderate-to-heavy utilization. This can be more likely to be the case for the S21 because it makes use of a battery of precisely the identical measurement, coming in at 4,000mAh. However, with out giving the newer cellphone a full overview, we received’t know for positive since software program adjustments might lead to larger effectivity.

Winner: Tie

Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S20 characteristic the identical primary digital camera setup. Equipped with 12MP large and 12MP ultrawide lenses, in addition they each provide a 64MP telephoto lens. This beefy telephoto digital camera offers a 3x optical zoom, supplying you with extra element with close-up photographs. However, the help for a 30x digital zoom is extra of a pleasant gimmick than anything, given the relative lack of readability.

Our overview discovered that the S20 is an excellent all-around digital camera cellphone, taking very good photos in most settings. The identical is more likely to be true for the S21 since its {hardware} is mainly equivalent to the S20’s. Its three rear lenses (and in addition its selfie digital camera) provide the identical variety of megapixels because the S20’s, whereas in addition they characteristic the identical aperture sizes and the identical parts (reminiscent of dual-pixel autofocus).

This could also be modified, nevertheless, by software program enhancements, with Samsung including a brand new model of its helpful Single Take mode, in addition to including a Vlogger View mode that permits you to shoot video with entrance and rear lenses on the identical time. Without giving the S21 a full highway check, we received’t know if such options really present a greater digital camera general, though it might be the case that the S21 is barely higher than the S20. At the second, we’ll belief Samsung that it’s improved the cameras within the S21 and award it the win by default, however that might change after our overview.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S21

Software and updates

While the Galaxy S20 launched with OneUI 2/Android 10, it’s now supporting OneUI 3, which is Samsung’s pores and skin of Android 11. Likewise, the S21 will launch with OneUI 3 and Android 11 out of the field, so that you received’t discover any distinction in relation to software program.

Both telephones will even obtain updates on the identical time. In the previous, Samsung’s observe document in rolling out Android updates has been just a little patchy, though S20 customers acquired Android 11 inside about 4 months of Google releasing the OS, which was additionally the timeframe inside which Samsung delivered Android 10 to its customers.

Winner: Tie

Special options

When it involves particular options, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S20 are largely the identical. They each help 5G, though the S20 helps the sooner mmWave band provided that you employ it with Verizon. By distinction, the S21 helps mmWave as normal, that means that you’ve a greater likelihood of having fun with the quickest 5G speeds with it.

Aside from 5G, each telephones help a silky clean 120Hz refresh price. As the time period suggests, this refreshes the screens of every cellphone at a a lot sooner price, making it appear rather more fluid and real looking. The S21 has a dynamically altering show, but it surely stays to be seen how massive a distinction this makes.

The S21 additionally options the aforementioned Vlogger View mode, in addition to a Director’s View mode, which helps you to see thumbnails of the entire cellphone’s lenses whereas taking pictures video so as to swap intuitively from one to the opposite. This is one thing the S20 doesn’t have, but the steadiness is restored by the straightforward proven fact that the S20 ships with a charger, when you’ll have to purchase one individually (or have one left over) with the S21.

Winner: Tie

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is on the market for preorder from January 14 and begins from $799, with a 256GB mannequin obtainable for $849. It will help all main carriers and will probably be offered just about all over the place.

The final time we checked, the Galaxy S20 is offered out on Samsung’s official retailer. However, we’ve seen it being offered by on-line retailers reminiscent of Amazon and Best Buy, the place you could possibly discover it unlocked for round $749 (it was launched at $999). It’s additionally supported by all main carriers.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S21

It’s a narrower win than you may anticipate, however the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the higher cellphone — simply not by a lot. The Samsung Galaxy S20 boasts a sharper show, a extra elegant-looking glass rear, an solely slightly-worse digital camera, a lot the identical battery life, a microSD card slot, 4GB extra RAM (in case you’re within the U.S.), and it comes with a brand new charger.

By comparability, the Galaxy S21 has a number of software program updates for its digital camera, a barely extra highly effective processor, smaller bezels round its display screen, and, um, that’s about it. Samsung got down to higher the final era, and it has — simply — however for lots of people, it’s going to make extra sense to stay with their current Galaxy S20 or to purchase the older cellphone in case you’re searching for a brand new every day driver.

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