Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S9
Short Description
Samsung Galaxy S21
Screen size: 6.2" / Resolution: 1080 x 2400 px / Main camera: 64 MP & 12 MP & 12 MP / Front camera: 10MP / RAM: 8GB / Battery power: 4000 mAh / Has 5G support: ✔ / Internal storage: 128GB, 256GB / SIM cards: 1 SIM, 1 eSIM
Samsung Galaxy S9
Screen size: 5.8" / Resolution: 1440 x 2960 px / Main camera: 12 MP / Front camera: 8MP / RAM: 4GB / Battery power: 3000 mAh / Internal storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB / SIM cards: 1 SIM
Key Differences
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
How is Samsung Galaxy S21 better than Samsung Galaxy S9?
Bigger battery capacity: 4000 mAh vs 3000 mAh
Faster CPU speed: 1 x 2.9 GHz & 3 x 2.8 GHz & 4 x 2.2 GHz vs 4 x 2.9 GHz & 4 x 1.9 GHz
More RAM memory capacity in max option: 8GB vs 4GB
AnTuTu score is about 92% higher
More megapixels main camera: 64 MP & 12 MP & 12 MP vs 12 MP
More megapixels front camera: 10MP vs 8MP
Has a larger display diagonal: 6.2" vs 5.8"
Higher charging speed: 25W vs 15W
The phone is 2 years and 10 months newer
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
How is Samsung Galaxy S9 better than Samsung Galaxy S21?
Better display resolution: 1440 x 2960 px vs 1080 x 2400 px
Lighter: 163 g (5.75 ounces) vs 171 g (6.03 ounces)
Narrower: 68.7 mm (2.7 inches) vs 71.2 mm (2.8 inches)
Shorter: 147.7 mm (5.81 inches) vs 151.7 mm (5.97 inches)
More color options: Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue vs Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink
Size Comparison
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Height
151.7 mm
(5.97 inches)
Width
71.2 mm
(2.8 inches)
Thickness
7.9 mm
(0.31 inches)
Screen size
6.2"
Weight
171 g
(6.03 ounces)
6.2"
5.8"
Height
147.7 mm
(5.81 inches)
Width
68.7 mm
(2.7 inches)
Thickness
8.5 mm
(0.33 inches)
Screen size
5.8"
Weight
163 g
(5.75 ounces)
Height
151.7 mm
(5.97 inches)
Width
71.2 mm
(2.8 inches)
Thickness
7.9 mm
(0.31 inches)
Screen size
6.2"
Weight
171 g
(6.03 ounces)
Height
147.7 mm
(5.81 inches)
Width
68.7 mm
(2.7 inches)
Thickness
8.5 mm
(0.33 inches)
Screen size
5.8"
Weight
163 g
(5.75 ounces)
3D comparison
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Expert Score
Score 3.9
Score 4.1
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Score 3.9
Score 4.1
TechRadar
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Tech Advisor
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
PCMag
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Smartprix
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Vote for Your option
Samsung Galaxy S21
Vote for Your option
Samsung Galaxy S9
Benchmarks
AnTuTu Score
Samsung Galaxy S21
903,780 +92.09%
Samsung Galaxy S9
470,496
The score reflects a device's overall performance by summing up results from tests of RAM speed, CPU, and 2D/3D graphics.
CPU
Samsung Galaxy S21
253,391 +84.11%
Samsung Galaxy S9
137,633
Measures the performance of a device's processor, focusing on tasks such as computing power and multi-core efficiency.
GPU
Samsung Galaxy S21
281,676 +67.51%
Samsung Galaxy S9
168,155
Measures the graphical performance of a device's GPU, evaluating its ability to handle graphics-intensive tasks such as gaming and rendering.
Memory
Samsung Galaxy S21
158,352 +83.74%
Samsung Galaxy S9
86,184
Measures the performance of a device's memory (RAM), measuring its speed and efficiency in handling multitasking and data-intensive applications.
UX
Samsung Galaxy S21
210,361 +167.89%
Samsung Galaxy S9
78,524
Measures the overall user experience performance of a device, including factors like system responsiveness, touch sensitivity, and app launching speed.
3DMark Wild Life benchmark
Samsung Galaxy S21
5,490 +141.64%
Samsung Galaxy S9
2,272
Is a cross-platform benchmark designed to test the graphical performance of devices under high GPU load.
3DMark Wild Life Unlimited benchmark
Samsung Galaxy S21
5,760 +146.36%
Samsung Galaxy S9
2,338
Is a cross-platform graphical benchmark that tests a device's performance while eliminating the impact of screen resolution for more objective platform comparisons.
Geekbench 5 · Multi-Core
Samsung Galaxy S21
3,715 +106.85%
Samsung Galaxy S9
1,796
Measures the aggregate performance of all processor cores in a device, simulating tasks optimized for multi-threaded processing in Geekbench 5.
Geekbench 5 · Single-Core
Samsung Galaxy S21
1,093 +95.53%
Samsung Galaxy S9
559
Measures the performance of a single processor core in a device, evaluating its efficiency in handling single-threaded tasks in Geekbench 5.
Battery Performance
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Battery Life
Charging timeComparison videos
80,000+ views
Samsung Galaxy S21 Vs Samsung Galaxy S9! (Comparison) (Review)
40,000+ views
Samsung Galaxy S21+ Vs Samsung Galaxy S9+! (Comparison) (Review)
20,000+ views
Samsung Galaxy S21 Vs Samsung Galaxy S9! (Quick Comparison)
10,000+ views
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S9 in 2022
Technical Specifications
Show differences
Show differences
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S9
Design
Weight
171 g (6.03 ounces)
163 g (5.75 ounces)
Thickness
7.9 mm (0.31 inches)
8.5 mm (0.33 inches)
Width
71.2 mm (2.8 inches)
68.7 mm (2.7 inches)
Height
151.7 mm (5.97 inches)
147.7 mm (5.81 inches)
Is weather-sealed (splashproof)
✔
✔
Ingress Protection (IP) rating
IP68
IP68
Waterproof depth rating
1.5 m
1.5 m
Volume
85.33 cm³
86.25 cm³
Is dustproof and water-resistant
✔
✔
Color options
Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink
Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue
French Repairability Index
1
-
Display
Screen size
6.2"
5.8"
Display type
OLED/AMOLED
OLED/AMOLED
Pixel density
421 ppi
570 ppi
Resolution
1080 x 2400 px
1440 x 2960 px
Refresh rate
120Hz
60Hz
Touch sampling rate
240Hz
-
Brightness (typical)
1300 nits
-
Has branded damage-resistant glass
✔
✔
Gorilla Glass version
Gorilla Glass Victus
Gorilla Glass 5
Supports HDR10
✔
✔
Supports HDR10+
✔
-
Always-On Display
✔
✔
Contrast ratio
3000000:1
-
Has a curved display
-
✔
Has a touch screen
✔
✔
Performance
Internal storage
128GB, 256GB
64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM
8GB
4GB
Android version
Android 11
Android 10
CPU speed
1 x 2.9 GHz & 3 x 2.8 GHz & 4 x 2.2 GHz
4 x 2.9 GHz & 4 x 1.9 GHz
GPU clock speed
-
572 MHz
Has integrated LTE
✔
✔
RAM speed
3200 MHz
1800 MHz
Semiconductor size
5 nm
10 nm
Supports 64-bit
✔
✔
DirectX version
DirectX 12
DirectX 12
Has integrated graphics
✔
✔
OpenGL ES version
3.2
-
Uses big.LITTLE technology
✔
✔
CPU threads
8 threads
8 threads
Uses HMP
✔
✔
Has TrustZone
✔
✔
Maximum memory bandwidth
51.2 GB/s
28.7 GB/s
OpenCL version
2
2
L2 cache
-
2 MB
DDR memory version
5
-
Maximum memory amount
16GB
8GB
L3 cache
-
4 MB
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
9W
-
Release date
2021
2018
Has NX bit
✔
✔
Memory channels
4
4
GPU turbo
854 MHz
-
Has an external memory slot
-
✔
Maximum amount of external memory supported
-
256GB
L1 cache
-
384 KB
Bits executed at a time
-
128
Number of transistors
-
5.3 million
VFP version
-
4
Cameras
Main camera
64 MP & 12 MP & 12 MP
12 MP
Front camera
10MP
8MP
Has built-in optical image stabilization
✔
✔
Video recording (main camera)
4320 x 24 fps
2160 x 60 fps
Wide aperture (main camera)
f/1.8 & f/2 & f/2.2
f/1.5
Has a dual-tone LED flash
✔
-
Has a BSI sensor
✔
✔
Has continuous autofocus when recording movies
✔
✔
Has phase-detection autofocus for photos
✔
✔
Supports slow-motion video recording
✔
✔
Has a built-in HDR mode
✔
✔
Has a flash
✔
✔
Has manual exposure
✔
✔
Has a dual-lens (or multi-lens) main camera
✔
-
Optical zoom
1.1x
0x
Number of flash LEDs
2
1
Has a CMOS sensor
✔
✔
Has manual ISO
✔
✔
Has a serial shot mode
✔
✔
Has manual focus
✔
✔
Has a front camera
✔
✔
Has manual white balance
✔
✔
Shoots raw
✔
✔
Has touch autofocus
✔
✔
Has manual shutter speed
✔
-
Can create panoramas in-camera
✔
✔
Wide aperture (front camera)
f/2.2
f/1.7
Has timelapse function
✔
✔
Sensor size
-
5.76 x 4.29 mm
Pixel size (main camera)
1.8 µm & 0.8 µm & 1.4 µm
1.4 µm
Shoots 360° panorama
-
✔
Operating system
Has location privacy options
✔
-
Has camera/microphone privacy options
✔
-
Has theme customization
✔
✔
Has dark mode
✔
✔
Has Wi-Fi password sharing
✔
-
Has focus modes
✔
-
Has customizable notifications
✔
✔
Supports split screen
✔
✔
Supports instant markup
✔
✔
Supports PiP and PaP
✔
✔
Can be used as a PC
✔
✔
Has sharing intents
✔
✔
Has a child lock
✔
✔
Is free and open source
✔
✔
Tracks the current position of a mobile device
✔
✔
Is a multi-user system
✔
✔
Supports widgets
✔
✔
More languages supported
125
125
Has offline voice recognition
✔
✔
The browser has word wrap
✔
✔
Has voice commands
✔
✔
Battery
Battery power
4000 mAh
3000 mAh
Has wireless charging
✔
✔
Supports fast charging
✔
✔
Charging speed
25W
15W
Wireless charging speed
15W
-
Has reverse wireless charging
✔
-
Reverse wireless charging speed
4.5W
-
Has a battery level indicator
✔
✔
Has a rechargeable battery
✔
✔
Battery life
-
24 hours
Audio
Has stereo speakers
✔
✔
Has LDAC
-
✔
Has aptX
-
✔
Number of microphones
2
2
Has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack
-
✔
Has a radio
-
✔
Features
Has 5G support
✔
-
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Download speed
3000 MBits/s
1200 MBits/s
Upload speed
422 MBits/s
200 MBits/s
Has USB Type-C
✔
✔
USB version
3.2
3.1
Has NFC
✔
✔
SIM cards
1 SIM, 1 eSIM
1 SIM
Has a fingerprint scanner
✔
✔
Bluetooth version
5.1
5
Has a gyroscope
✔
✔
Has GPS
✔
✔
Has a compass
✔
✔
Supports Wi-Fi
✔
✔
Has a cellular module
✔
✔
Has a barometer
✔
✔
Supports Galileo
✔
✔
Has an accelerometer
✔
✔
Supports ant+
✔
✔
Has an iris scanner
-
✔
Head SAR (eu)
-
0.32W/kg
Is DLNA-certified
-
✔
Has a heart rate monitor
-
✔
Body SAR (US)
-
0.75W/kg
Head SAR (US)
-
0.44W/kg
Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Vote for Your option
Samsung Galaxy S21
Vote for Your option
Samsung Galaxy S9
Popular Samsung Galaxy S21 comparisons
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S22
See comparison
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
See comparison
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S23
See comparison
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S24
See comparisonPopular Samsung Galaxy S9 comparisons
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Google Pixel 3
See comparison
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S8
See comparison
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7
See comparison
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S10
See comparison
