Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Pixel 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Price | $149 | $141 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 4,080 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 18W | 25W |
| RAM (max) | — | 8 GB |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 6 in | 6.2 in |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 16 MP | 64 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 151 g | 169 g |
| Released | Oct 2020 | Jan 2021 |
Summary: Google Pixel 5 is ahead on battery, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is ahead on wired charging, storage (max), screen size, refresh rate.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Type | OLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.0 inches, 85.9 cm2 (~83.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.2 inches, 94.1 cm2 (~87.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~432 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Features | — | Always-on display, Eye Comfort Shield |
Platform
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - International; Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - International; Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 620 | Mali-G78 MP14 - International; Adreno 660 - USA/China |
Memory
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4x | — |
| Internal Storage | 128GB UFS 2.1 | — |
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | — | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Type | — | UFS 3.1 |
Main Camera
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Dual | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS | — |
| Ultrawide | 16 MP, f/2.2, 107˚ (ultrawide), 1.0µm | — |
| Features | LED flash, Auto-HDR, panorama, Live HDR+ | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; OIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Triple | — | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
Selfie Camera
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 4080 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0 | 25W wired (PD3.0), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Dimensions | 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm (5.70 x 2.77 x 0.31 in) | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 151 g (5.33 oz) | 169 g (Sub6), 171 g (mmWave) (5.96 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum back, aluminum frame (100% recycled aluminum enclosure with bio-resin finish) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and/or eSIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Launch
| Google Pixel 5 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 30 | January 14, 2021 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 15 | — |
| Released | — | January 29, 2021 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Pixel 5 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G?
Google Pixel 5 — 4,080 mAh for the Google Pixel 5 versus 4,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Which has the smoother screen, Google Pixel 5 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G?
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G — 90 Hz for the Google Pixel 5 versus 120 Hz for the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Which is lighter, Google Pixel 5 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G?
Google Pixel 5 — 151 g for the Google Pixel 5 versus 169 g for the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Which is newer, Google Pixel 5 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G?
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G — Oct 2020 for the Google Pixel 5 versus Jan 2021 for the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Is the Google Pixel 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G rated higher?
We rate the Google Pixel 5 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G 8/10.
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