Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $223 | $280 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 45W | 25W |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.8 in | 6.8 in |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 16 MP | 108 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 196 g | 227 g |
| Released | Aug 2019 | Jan 2021 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is ahead on wired charging, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is ahead on our rating, battery, ram (max), main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the cheaper option.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~498 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Features | Always-on display | Always-on display, adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 |
| Chipset | Exynos 9825 (7 nm) - Global; Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | — |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) - Global; Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China | — |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP12 - Global; Adreno 640 - USA/China | — |
| Chipset (International) | — | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) |
| Chipset (USA/China) | — | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| CPU (Exynos) | — | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| CPU (Snapdragon) | — | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU (Exynos) | — | Mali-G78 MP14 |
| GPU (Snapdragon) | — | Adreno 660 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - up to 1TB | — |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | — |
| Type | UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 |
| Internal Storage | — | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| Card Slot | — | No |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Quad | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.1, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom; 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video; TOF 3D VGA camera (DepthVision Camera) | 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 | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, OIS, EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 45W wired (charger sold separately, 25W charger in box), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 9W reverse wireless (PowerShare) | 25W wired (PD3.0), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm (6.39 x 3.04 x 0.31 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.50 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 227g (Sub6), 229g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | — |
| Protection | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | — |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | August 7, 2019 | January 14, 2021 |
| Status | Released August 23, 2019 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — 4,300 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus versus 5,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Which has more RAM, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — 12 GB for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus versus 16 GB for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus — 196 g for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus versus 227 g for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — Aug 2019 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus versus Jan 2021 for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 9/10.