OnePlus 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
A spec-by-spec comparison of the OnePlus 9 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $969 | $280 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 65W | 25W |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.7 in | 6.8 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 108 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 197 g | 227 g |
| Released | Mar 2021 | Jan 2021 |
Summary: OnePlus 9 Pro is ahead on wired charging, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is ahead on our rating, battery, storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Display
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Features | — | Always-on display, 10-120Hz adaptive refresh rate |
Platform
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 (One UI 6.1) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (International) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (USA/China) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680) | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Exynos 2100; Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Snapdragon 888 |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Mali-G78 MP14 (International) or Adreno 660 (USA/China) |
Memory
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM (UFS 3.1) | — |
| RAM | — | 12GB, 16GB |
| Internal Storage | — | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Main Camera
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Quad | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS (Sony IMX789); 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, AF (Sony IMX766); 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom; 2 MP, f/2.4, (monochrome) | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom; 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Features | Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, OIS, stereo sound rec. |
Selfie Camera
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Features | Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps |
Battery
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 65W wired, PD, 1-100% in 29 min (advertised); 50W wireless, 1-100% in 43 min (advertised); Reverse wireless | 25W wired (PD3.0), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.50 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 197 g | 227g (Sub6), 229g (mmWave) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | — |
| IP Rating | IP68 dust/water resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), SBAS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Launch
| OnePlus 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | March 23, 2021 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Released March 30, 2021 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| SIM | — | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, OnePlus 9 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G?
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G — 4,500 mAh for the OnePlus 9 Pro versus 5,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Which is lighter, OnePlus 9 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G?
OnePlus 9 Pro — 197 g for the OnePlus 9 Pro versus 227 g for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Which is newer, OnePlus 9 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G?
OnePlus 9 Pro — Mar 2021 for the OnePlus 9 Pro versus Jan 2021 for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Is the OnePlus 9 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G rated higher?
We rate the OnePlus 9 Pro 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G 9/10.