Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

From $6,175
Full specs, price & review →
VS
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

From $280
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Head to head

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Price$6,175$280
Our rating7/109/10
Battery5,000 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging45W25W
RAM (max)—16 GB
Storage (max)512 GB512 GB
Screen size6.9 in6.8 in
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Main camera108 MP108 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)220 g227 g
ReleasedMar 2020Jan 2021
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is ahead on wired charging, screen size, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is ahead on our rating.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the cheaper option.

Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.

Display

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
TypeDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak)
Size6.9 inches6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~511 ppi density). Note: 120Hz refresh rate is limited to FHD+ (2400 x 1080) resolution.1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density)
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 6Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Features—Always-on display, adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate

Platform

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
OSAndroid 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5Android 11, upgradable to Android 14
Chipset (International)Exynos 990 (7 nm+)Exynos 2100 (5 nm)
Chipset (USA/Korea)Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (7 nm+)—
CPUOcta-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - Global; Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/Korea—
GPUMali-G77 MP11 - Global; Adreno 650 - USA/Korea—
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 S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
RAM12GB or 16GB—
Internal Storage128GB or 512GB UFS 3.0128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM
Card SlotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) up to 1TBNo
Type—UFS 3.1

Main Camera

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Quad108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), PDAF, OIS; 48 MP, f/3.5, 103mm (periscope telephoto), 4x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, 100x Space Zoom, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), Super Steady video; 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0 (depth)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
FeaturesLED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Video8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, OIS, gyro-EIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS

Selfie Camera

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Single40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), PDAF40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF
FeaturesDual video call, Auto-HDRDual video call, Auto-HDR
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps

Battery

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
TypeLi-Po 5000 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable
Charging45W wired (25W charger included in box), PD3.0; 15W wireless (Qi/PMA); 4.5W reverse wireless25W wired (PD3.0), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless

Body

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Dimensions166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.50 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)
Weight220g - 222g227g (Sub6), 229g (mmWave) (8.01 oz)
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame
SIMSingle SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)—
Water & Dust ResistanceIP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)

Comms

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE5.2, A2DP, LE
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
NFCYesYes
RadioFM radio (Snapdragon model only)No
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG

Launch

Samsung Galaxy S20 UltraSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
AnnouncedFebruary 11, 2020January 14, 2021
StatusReleased March 6, 2020 (US, Australia) / March 13, 2020 (UK)Available. Released 2021, January 29

Frequently asked questions

Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra — 220 g for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra versus 227 g for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — Mar 2020 for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra versus Jan 2021 for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra rated higher?

We rate the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 9/10.

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