Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – Specs Comparison and Differences

ByOpe Yemi Last updated Samsung Comparison

Comparing Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra using their specifications. Also, the main differences between them.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Specs

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
DESIGN AND DISPLAYSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
Screen Size6.8-inches6.8-inches
Display TypeDynamic AMOLED 2XDynamic AMOLED 2X
High Refresh Rate120Hz120Hz
Screen Resolution3088 x 1440 pixels3200 x 1440 pixels
Pixel Density500 PPI515 PPI
Brightness1750 nits1500 nits
Weight234 grams227 grams (sub6),
229 grams (mmWave)
Height163.4 mm165.1 mm
Width78.1 mm75.6 mm
Thickness8.9 mm8.9 mm
Front MaterialCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Side MaterialArmor AluminumAluminum
Back MaterialCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Water ResistantIP68IP68
Stylus PenYes (Built-In)Yes (Not Built-in)
Available ColorPhantom Black,
Cream,
Green,
Lavender,
Lime,
Red,
Sky Blue,
Graphite		Phantom Black,
Phantom Titanium,
Phantom Silver,
Phantom Navy,
Phantom Brown,
Navy
NETWORKSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
2GYesYes
3GYesYes
4GYesYes
5GYesYes
Sim TypeNano and eSIMNano and eSIM
OPERATING SYSTEMSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
UI VersionOne UI 5.1Upgradable to One UI 5.1
OS VersionAndroid 13Android 11,
Upgradable to Android 13
PROCESSOR/CHIPSETSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
Processor Type4nm, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 25nm, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
Processor SpeedOcta-core,
1 (3.36 GHz Cortex-X3),
2 (2.80 GHz Cortex-A715),
2 (2.80 GHz Cortex-A710),
and
3 (2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)		Octa-core,
1 (2.84 GHz Cortex-X1),
3 (2.42 GHz Cortex-A78),
and
4 (1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
Graphics ProcessorAdreno 740Adreno 660
REAR CAMERASamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
Main (wide)200 MP, f/1.7 with OIS, Laser AF, multi-directional PDAF108 MP, f/1.8 with OIS, Laser AF, PDAF
Ultrawide12 MP, f/2.2 with Dual Pixel PDAF12 MP, f/2.2 with Dual Pixel PDAF
Telephoto10 MP, f/2.4 with OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, and 3x Optical Zoom10 MP, f/2.4 with OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, and 3x Optical Zoom
Periscope Telephoto10 MP, f/4.9 with OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, and 10x Optical Zoom10 MP, f/4.9 with OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, and 10x Optical Zoom
MacroNoNo
DepthNoNo
Video Recording8K @24/30fps,
4K @30/60fps,
1080P @30/60/240fps,
1080P @960fps,
HDR10+,
Stereo Sound Recording, gyro-EIS		8K @24fps,
4K @30/60fps,
1080P @30/60/240fps,
720P @960fps,
HDR10+,
Stereo Sound Recording, gyro-EIS
FRONT CAMERASamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
Wide12 MP, f/2.240 MP, f/2.2
UltrawideNoNo
Video Recording4K @30/60fps,
1080P @30fps		4K @30/60fps,
1080P @30fps
MEMORYSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
RAM8GB,
12GB		12GB,
16GB
Internal Storage256GB – UFS 4.0,
512GB – UFS 4.0,
1TB – UFS 4.0		128GB – UFS 3.1,
256GB – UFS 3.1,
512GB – UFS 3.1
microSD CardNoNo
BATTERYSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
TypeLi-Ion Non-removableLi-Ion Non-removable
Capacity5000 mAh5000 mAh
Wired Charging45 Watts, PD 3.025 Watts, PD 3.0
Wireless Charging15 Watts, Qi/PMA15 Watts, Qi/PMA
Reverse Wireless Charging4.5 Watts4.5 Watts
SENSORSSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
AccelerometerYesYes
ProximityYesYes
CompassYesYes
GyroscopeYesYes
BarometerYesYes
FingerprintUnder Display, UltrasonicUnder Display, Ultrasonic
CONNECTIVITYSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
Bluetoothv5.3, A2DP, LEv5.2, A2DP, LE
USBType-C 3.2Type-C 3.2
GPSGPS,
BDS,
GLONASS,
GALILEO		GPS,
BDS,
GLONASS,
GALILEO
WiFiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e,
tri-Band,
Wi-Fi Direct		Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e,
dual-Band,
Wi-Fi Direct
NFCYesYes
MULTIMEDIASamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
LoudspeakerYes, Stereo SpeakersYes, Stereo Speakers
FM RadioNoYes, Market Dependent
3.5mm Headphone JackNoNo
AVAILABILITYSamsung S23 UltraSamsung S21 Ultra
Released Date17th of February 202329th of January 2021

7 Main Differences Between Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra

1.) Display and Design

While both the S23 Ultra and S21 Ultra have a 6.8 inches display size, the S23 Ultra is equipped with a 3088 x 1440 pixels screen resolution, and the S21 Ultra is equipped with a 3200 x 1440 pixels screen resolution.

Samsung S23 Ultra has a peak brightness of 1750 nits while the S21 Ultra has a peak brightness of 1500 nits.

Samsung S21 Ultra has its display and back protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus while the S23 Ultra has its display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The design of the S23 Ultra is quite different from that of the S21 Ultra. The S23 Ultra has a flat display and flat edges while the S21 Ultra has a curved display and curved edges.

At the rear, the S23 Ultra’s cameras stand on their own while the ones of the S21 Ultra are joined together by a module/chassis.

Samsung S23 Ultra comes with an in-built stylus pen while the S21 Ultra supports S-Pen, there is no slot for it in the phone.

2.) Camera

Samsung S23 Ultra is equipped with a Quad rear camera which comprises a 200MP primary camera, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, and 10MP periscope telephoto.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is also equipped with a quad camera set up at the back which comprises 108MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, and 10MP periscope telephoto.

Samsung S23 Ultra can shoot videos in up to 8K quality at 24fps and 30fps while the S21 Ultra can only shoot videos in up to 8K quality at 24 fps.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra can shoot slow-motion videos in 720P @960fps while the S23 Ultra can shoot slow-mo videos in 1080P @960fps.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra uses a 12MP selfie camera while the S21 Ultra has a 40MP selfie camera.

3.) Processor

Samsung S23 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with Adreno 740 GPU while the S21 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processor with Adreno 660 GPU.

4.) RAM and Internal Storage

Samsung S23 Ultra comes with 8GB and 12GB RAM while the Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with 12GB and 16GB RAM.

The S23 Ultra is equipped with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB UFS 4.0 internal storage options while the S21 Ultra has 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB UFS 3.1 internal storage.

5.) Charging Speed

Both Samsung S23 Ultra and S21 Ultra are packed with a 5000 mAh battery capacity and support 4.5 watts of reverse wireless charging but while the S23 Ultra supports 45 watts of wired charging and 15 watts of wireless charging, the S21 Ultra supports 25 watts of wired charging and 15 watts of wireless charging.

6.) Bluetooth and WiFi

Samsung S21 Ultra comes with Bluetooth 5.2 and dual-band WiFi 6e while the S23 Ultra comes with Bluetooth 5.3 and tri-band WiFi 6e.

7.) FM Radio

Samsung S23 Ultra does not support FM Radio while the Snapdragon variant of the S21 Ultra does but whether it is activated or not depends on the region you are in.

You might also be interested in the comparison between Samsung Galaxy S23 and Samsung Galaxy S21.

Ope Yemi

My name is Ope Yemi, I have been a Samsung mobile enthusiast and user for years.

Combining that with my deep research skills, makes me your best go to for any information you are looking for about this smartphone titan and its products.

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