With the arrival of Samsung Galaxy S21 family, comparisons with previous generations of Samsung phones are inevitable. And the most natural comparison seems to be how this year’s models compare to the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus. After all, if you bought one of these two phones when they launched in 2019, you’re probably considering an upgrade to the new models.
While launch prices have remained remarkably similar over the two-year period, Samsung has implemented several major updates to its latest smartphone lineup. Both the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus offer impressive screens, a huge increase in speed thanks to the Snapdragon 888 processor, significant camera improvements and 5G support as standard instead of requiring a separate and more expensive model.
Two years makes a big difference, so it is obvious that the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus would have a high position compared to their S10 cousins. And while the newer devices have lost some features that you can find on older Samsung phones, our Galaxy S21 showdown. Galaxy S10 thinks that now is a great time to update.
We will share everything so that you can decide for yourself.
Galaxy S21 vs specifications. Galaxy S10
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21 Plus | Galaxy S10 | Galaxy S10 + | |
| Launch price | $ 799 | $ 999 | $ 899 | $ 999 |
| Screen size | 6.2 inch dynamic AMOLED (2400 x 1080; 48 Hz – 120 Hz) | 6.7-inch dynamic AMOLED (2400 x 1080; 48 Hz – 120 Hz) | 6.1-inch dynamic AMOLED (3040 x 1440; 60 Hz) | 6.4 inch dynamic AMOLED (3040 x 1440; 60 Hz) |
| CPU | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB | 8 GB, 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Micro SD | Not | Not | yea | yea |
| Rear cameras | 12 MP (f / 1.8) wide; 12MP (f / 2.2) ultra wide; 64MP telephoto (f / 2.0) with 3x optical zoom | 12 MP (f / 1.8) wide; 12MP (f / 2.2) ultra wide; 64MP telephoto (f / 2.0) with 3x optical zoom | 12 MP (f / 1.5, f / 2.4) wide; 16MP (f / 2.2) ultra wide; 12MP telephoto (f / 2.4) with 2x optical zoom | 12 MP (f / 1.5, f / 2.4) wide; 16MP (f / 2.2) ultra wide; 12MP telephoto (f / 2.4) with 2x optical zoom |
| Front cameras | 10 MP (f / 2.2) | 10 MP (f / 2.2) | 10 MP (f / 1.9) | 10 MP (f / 1.9); 8 MP (f / 2.2) |
| Battery size | 4,000mAh | 4,800mAh | 3,400mAh | 4,100mAh |
| Wireless | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB | LTE, Wi-Fi 6 | LTE, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Size | 6 x 2.8 x 0.31 inches | 6.4 x 3 x 0.31 inches | 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.31 inches | 6.2 x 2.92 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 6.07 ounces | 7.13 ounces | 5.54 ounces | 6.17 ounces |
| Colors | Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, Phantom White | Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, Phantom Black | Prism white, Prism black, Prism green, Prism blue, Canary yellow, Flamingo pink, Cardinal red, Smoke blue | Prism white, Prism black, Prism green, Prism blue, Canary yellow, Flamingo pink, Ceramic black, Ceramic white, Cardinal red, Smoke blue |
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: prices
Samsung chose to introduce the Galaxy S21 family at lower prices this year, dropping from what many considered too high with the S20 series. At the bottom of the package is the Galaxy S21 with 128 GB of storage, which will cost $ 799. Add another $ 50 to get the 256 GB variant. Meanwhile, the S21 Plus comes to $ 999 for the base model and another $ 50 for the 256 GB version.
So for the Plus models, Samsung kept the starting prices equal at $ 999, but the S21 is $ 100 cheaper than the S10 was at launch, which is nice to see. Of course, last year, Samsung cut prices for the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus to $ 749 and $ 849, respectively, with prices falling further since then.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: Design
Samsung changed its design language with the S20 series, enhancing it for the S21. The rear cameras are confined to a corner at the rear, instead of being a bar. The front camera cutout is centered along the top instead of to one side. In short, some similarities remain between the two device families, but you really need to look for them.
The S10 and S10 Plus have received many fun and eccentric color options, especially yellow, while the S21 and S21 Plus are more reserved in their Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink (S21), Phantom Black (S21 Plus) and Phantom White (S21) colorways.
Both the S21 and the S21 Plus are heavier than the S10 and S10 Plus – the S21 is almost as heavy as the S10 Plus, in fact. All of these phones are the same thickness at 0.31 inches, but the S21 and S21 Plus are larger at 6 x 2.8 inches and 6.4 x 3 inches, respectively. Compare that to the 5.9 x 2.77 inch S10 and the 6.2 x 2.92 inch S10 Plus. It is a moderate difference, especially considering that the batteries in the S21 and Plus are larger than those found in the S10 and S10 Plus.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: screen
Samsung has had some of the best smartphone screens for years, but with the S20 series, it has adopted high refresh rates. For the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus, it reduced the resolution to full HD (1080p), but offered a variable refresh rate, reaching 120Hz. So, while the total resolution is not as high as the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, the S21 and S21 Plus can be locked to 120 Hz all the time or adapted to save battery.
Leaving before high refresh rates on smartphones became more common, the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus are QHD and locked at 60Hz. You still have incredible screens on these phones, but after seeing Android at 90 frames per second or more (120 fps in the case of the S21 / Plus), it’s hard to go back to 60. The difference is very noticeable and it is for the Best.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: cameras
Samsung maintained a triple camera configuration on the S21 and S21 Plus – which is basically the same as the Galaxy Note 20’s – although there have been improvements in the telephoto lens. It now features 3x versus 2x optical zoom on the S10 and S10 Plus, while Samsung’s Space Zoom feature can result in 30x photos on newer phones. It is quite impressive.
All of these phones have ultra-wide lenses to get those dramatic shots, especially for nature scenes. The big differences are likely to boil down to software-driven camera features, like the crazy Space Zoom feature, which can render photos at 30x zoom, or the Super Steady mode that uses AI to keep the video steady. Samsung may transport some of these to the S10 series at some point in the future. For now, if smartphone photography is important to you and you are loyal to Samsung, this is an upgrade to get.
For the front cameras, all four phones have a 10MP sensor, although the Galaxy S10 Plus adds an additional 8MP sensor on the side. If the game of selfies is important to you, you will not be disappointed with the S21 and S21 Plus, although the differences in photo quality from the S10 and S10 Plus may not be apparent to most people, especially after posted on the social networks .
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: Performance
It may seem obvious, but the performance metrics will be very different between the S21 and S10 families. The new Snapdragon 888 on the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus is a beast and is the best performing CPU in the land of Android. On the other hand, the S10 and S10 Plus rock the Snapdragon 855, which is still more than good for the vast majority of people, but two years older than the Snapdragon 888. Basically, unless you are an addict in specs, there’s no need to jump to the S21 just to get a performance boost.
The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are the fastest Android phones we’ve tested. We have a complete analysis of the Galaxy S21 benchmarks if you are interested in checking this out. Paired with 8 GB of RAM, you won’t find anything that the S21 and S21 Plus can’t do when it comes to smartphones. The latest generation version of the S10 Plus came with 12 GB of RAM as an option, which can be useful for keeping more applications in memory. That said, we are confident that most of you will be fine with the S21 / Plus’ 8 GB.
Storage on all these phones starts at 128 GB. The S21 and S21 Plus go up to 256 GB, while the S10 reached 512 GB. This is nowhere near what the first-rate S10 Plus saw: a whopping 1TB. All of this on top of a microSD card slot, missing from the S21 series. So, if you store everything on your phone and have chosen the 512 GB or 1 TB option on your S10 or S10 Plus, you may want to find a backup solution elsewhere if you are upgrading to an S21 or S21 Plus.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: battery and charging
Both the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus have larger batteries than their S10 counterparts. The smaller S21 has a 4,000 mAh battery compared to the S10’s 3,400 mAh; the S21 Plus accommodates a 4,800 mAh battery versus 4,100 mAh of the S10 +.
The batteries are not only physically bigger in the S21 series, but also combined with the more energy efficient Snapdragon 888. Samsung also talked about the new AI features in the S21 and S21 Plus, saying it will learn its usage patterns and adjust power consumption accordingly.
The S21 family has a 25 W fast charge, which means that you can recharge your phone very quickly, assuming you buy the charger separately, as it is not included with the phones. The S10 and S10 Plus saw 15W of charging out of the box (the S10 5G had fast charging of 25W).
It is important to note that none of the Galaxy S21 phones come with a charger, so to get the full fast charging experience, you will need to pay separately for a charger. Some present arguments in favor of reducing electronic waste and packaging, but we understand why some may find this decision irritating.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: Result
If you’re still using a Galaxy S10 or S10 Plus, the S21 and S21 Plus are great options if you’re looking for, or are ready for, an update. You’ll get even better screens, 5G, camera improvements, faster charging and bigger batteries. Plus, you get the latest in Qualcomm with the Snapdragon 888 processor.
Coming from the S20 series is a much smaller leap, so, unless you really want the latest from Samsung, there’s not much you are missing out on. It is incredible, however, the difference that two years can make in smartphone technology.
It is a bummer that the S21 and S21 Plus do not include a charger, but what is truly notorious is the removal of the microSD card slot. Why Samsung did this remains a mystery, but it will not be to the liking of some of you out there. If you need expandable storage, it’s probably best to stick with your S10 or S10 Plus, or pick up one of the S20 phones now that their prices have dropped.
Still, it’s no surprise that the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are superior to their S10 cousins. If you’re ready to upgrade, these may be the Samsung models that finally push you to change your phone.