Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20

J. Satya January 11, 2021

3 minutes read

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The Samsung Galaxy S21 series will be unveiled on Thursday, January 14. With its imminent release approaching, you may be curious whether there will be any solid reasons to upgrade to the Galaxy S21 5G from your Galaxy S20. Or maybe you’re planning on buying the S20 right now, but are wondering if you should wait for the Galaxy S21 instead.

We can help with your decision by comparing the two Samsung flagship phones side-by-side, in order to show you exactly what the Galaxy S21 is expected to bring over the S20.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 price, colors and design, storage

A December rumor suggested that the S21 series could see a price decrease over the S20, making it likely to be priced at about $899, while the Galaxy S20 launched at $999. So if you don’t have an S20 yet and are choosing between it and the S21, waiting for the Galaxy S21 may actually save you some money.

The Galaxy S21 color options (Gray, Violet, Pink, and White)

Samsung Galaxy S21 expected color options:

Phantom Gray
Phantom Violet
Phantom Pink
Phantom White

Cosmic Grey
Cloud Blue
Cloud Pink
Cloud White

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 size differences:

When it comes to the Galaxy S21’s storage options, some rumors have suggested that there could be a bump up from the S20 and we’d be happy to see that. But at the moment, the safest bet is that we’ll get the exact same storage options on the Galaxy S21 as on the S20.

Samsung Galaxy S21 and S20 storage options:

128 GB
256 GB
512 GB

While the S20 additionally has an SD Card slot (microSDXC), allowing the user to add up to 1000 GB of expandable storage, the latest rumors suggest that the S21 will not have that option.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 display size and specs

The Galaxy S21 will sport a punch-hole selfie camera, just like the S20 before it

The Galaxy S21’s display size will remain at 6.2 inches in size, much like the one on the S20. It is again going to be an AMOLED display, capable of super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. However, the S21’s display resolution will be 2400 x 1080 pixels (Full HD+), which is a downgrade from the S20. For a cleaner comparison, below are the Galaxy S21 specs as we currently expect them, against the Galaxy S20’s specs.

Samsung Galaxy S21 specs:

6.2-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080
Snapdragon 888 chipset / Exynos 2100 chipset
8 GB of RAM
12 MP + 64 MP + 12 MP cameras
10 MP punch-hole selfie camera
128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB of storage, no microSD card slot
4,000 mAh battery, fast 30W wired charging, no charger in the box
5G connectivity
S Pen stylus support

Samsung Galaxy S20 specs:

6.2-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, 3200 x 1440
Snapdragon 865 chipset / Exynos 990 chipset
8 GB of RAM
12 MP + 64 MP + 12 MP cameras
10 MP punch-hole selfie camera
128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB of storage, microSD card slot
4,000 mAh battery, fast 25W wired charging, charger included
5G connectivity

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 battery life and charging speeds

In our Galaxy S20 review, the phone proved to be capable of solid battery life (about 12 hours) during our internet browsing test, with the display set to 60Hz. However, when the S20’s display was set to its maximum of 120Hz, that same test gave significantly lower results at about 7 hours and 45 minutes, before the phone ran out of battery.

The Galaxy S21 is expected to have the exact same battery capacity as its predecessor, although the S21’s chipset could contribute for better battery life performance regardless. Another slight improvement the S21 will get over the S20 is faster wired charging speeds, at 30 watts over 25. In addition, the Galaxy S21’s wireless charging may be faster than the S20’s 15 watts.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 camera comparison

The Galaxy S21 camera module is shown on the left, S20 camera module on the right

As always, we expected to see incremental camera upgrades for the Galaxy S21, although it appears that we might be getting the exact same cameras from last year’s S20 instead. Based on rumors, the S21 is to have the same 12-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide one and 64-megapixel telephoto camera capable of 1.1x optical zoom and 3x hybrid zoom. And on the front of the phone, we again expect the same 10-megapixel punch-hole selfie camera.

4K video recording capabilities at 60 FPS are basically for certain, with higher 8K video recording at 30 FPS also being a possibility.

Source PhoneArena – Reviews