| Samsung Galaxy S23 | Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Screen | 6.1 inches with Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, 19.5: 9 format, FullHD+ resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, 240 Hz touch sampling rate, maximum brightness of 1,300 nits, HDR10+ and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection 2 | 6.2 inches with Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, 19.5:9 format, FullHD+ resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, 240 Hz touch sampling rate, maximum brightness of 1,300 nits, HDR10+ and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection |
| main chamber | – 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 focal aperture with the ability to record video in 8K resolution at 24 frames per second – Secondary 10 megapixel telephoto sensor and 3 magnifications (3X) with f/2.4 focal aperture – 12-megapixel wide-angle tertiary sensor with f/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view |
– 12-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 focal aperture with the ability to record video in 8K resolution at 24 frames per second – Secondary sensor with 64-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.0 focal aperture and 3X optical zoom – Tertiary sensor with 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with f/2.4 focal aperture and 120° field of view |
| selfie camera | 12-megapixel main sensor with f/2.2 focal aperture with video recording capability in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second | 10-megapixel main sensor with f/2.2 focal aperture with video recording capability in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second |
| Internal memory | – 128 (UFS 3.1) – 256 or 512 GB (UFS 4.0) |
128 or 256 GB UFS 3.1 |
| Extension | Not available | Not available |
| Processor and RAM | – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy 4-nanometer octa-core 3.36 GHz max. – 8 GB of LPDDR5 type RAM |
– Exynos 2200 5 nanometers and eight cores at 2.9 GHz max. (Europe and other regions) – Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5-nanometer eight-core 2.84 GHz max. (United States / China / Latin America) – 8 GB of LPDDR4 type RAM |
| Battery | 3,900 mAh with 25W fast wired charging, 10W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging (charger not included in box) | 4,000 mAh with 25W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging (charger not included in box) |
| Operating system | Android 13 under One UI 5.1 | Android 12 under One UI 5 |
| connections | 5G, 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6E dual-band, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS + GLONASS, NFC for contactless payments and USB Type-C input | 5G, 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 dual-band, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS + GLONASS, NFC for contactless payments and USB Type-C input |
| SIM | Dual nano SIM | Dual nano SIM |
| Design | Colors: black, white, grey, green, lavender and blue | Colors: white, grey, purple and pink |
| Dimensions and weight | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 millimeters and 168 grams | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm millimeters and 169 grams |
| Featured Features | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the screen, AKG stereo speakers and IP68 water resistance (submersion proof) | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the screen, AKG stereo speakers, IP68 water resistance (submersion proof) and FM radio (Snapdragon processor model only) |
| Release date | Available from February 17, 2023 | Available |
| Price | From 960 euro | from 500 euro |
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has just been presented as the new Samsung flagship for this 2023. This mobile renews the manufacturer’s high-end and presents some interesting news, but… how much has it changed compared to the Galaxy S21 from two years ago? This is what we see in this comparison, since we compare them thoroughly based on its characteristics, technical specifications, prices and everything that both mobiles have to offer.
The prices indicated in the article could vary over time, therefore, from tuexperto.com, we limit ourselves to analyzing the differences as of the publication date.
Similar designs and screens without major differences
Samsung Galaxy S23
The new Samsung Galaxy S23 is committed to continuity in terms of design, being very similar to the Galaxy S21, but not only to this one, but also to the Galaxy S22, which last year did not present major changes at the appearance level. Of course, now it abandons the rear camera module of the aforementioned mobiles, with which it achieves that its three sensors are divided among themselves and give it a renewed aesthetic and different from that of its predecessors.
For its part, the Galaxy S21 has a design that we all know, which has the island of cameras in the upper left corner of its rear. In this mobile we also have slightly rounder edges than those we found in the Galaxy S23, which are now slightly squarer; this makes the S21 offer a better feeling in the hand by being a little more ergonomic.
If we take a look at the dimensions and weight of both mobiles, we will realize that They measure and weigh almost the same.since they have screens of almost the same size and thin bezels that make good use of the front space.
And it is that the screen of the Galaxy S23 is the same as last year’s Galaxy S22as it comes with a 6.1-inch diagonal, FullHD + resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels (19.5: 9), a variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz that can be reduced to 48 Hz, depending on use, and a touch sampling rate 240 Hz. It also comes with HDR10+, for brighter, better-rendered colors, and features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, Corning’s most advanced to date.
However, the Galaxy S21 has a panel slightly larger than 6.2 inches which bets on a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels (20:9), but still opts for the same variable 120 Hz refresh rate, as well as the 240 Hz touch response rate. It also comes with HDR10 +, but has a less resistant protective glass, which is the first generation Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
Two mobiles with a lot of power to give
This is the Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung has done something that has been rumored for months, but was in doubt… We talked about abandoning the Exynos chipsets, which previously have not been able to offer the highest performance in the high-end, for which they have been a step behind Qualcomm Snapdragons in previous years, especially in the gaming section. It is because of that the new Samsung Galaxy S23 bets only on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2processor with which it will be sold in Europe, the United States, Latin America, China and the rest of the world.
This chipset has a node size of 4 nanometers and has an octa-core configuration that, in theory, can work at a maximum clock frequency of 3.2 GHz. But the curious thing about this SoC, which has been named as ” Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy”, is that in the Galaxy S23 series it is overclocked to 3.36 GHz, so it offers better performance than usual. This is thanks to the customization that Samsung has made to it.
The Samsung Galaxy S21, on the other hand, is sold with the Exynos 2100 in Europe, while in the United States, China and Latin America it is offered with the mythical Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. Both processors were among the most powerful for the high-end of 2021, it is worth noting, but they fall somewhat short in terms of power if we compare them with the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the S23.
In addition, the Galaxy S23 comes with 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM and an internal memory that, in the case of the 128 GB model, is of the UFS 3.1 type, while in the 256 and 512 GB models it is of the UFS 4.0 type. The Galaxy S21, on the other hand, comes with 8 GB LPDDR4 RAM and a 128 or 256 GB UFS 3.1 ROM. Of course, none supports memory expansion through a microSD card.
Excellent cameras for high-quality photos
The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes with a triple camera that has a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture and support for 8K video recording at 24 frames per second. The telephoto lens it has is 10 megapixels, has a 3X optical zoom and comes with an f/2.4 focal aperture, while its wide angle is 12 megapixels and has an f/2.4 aperture.
The camera of the Samsung Galaxy S21 makes use of a 12 megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture that can also record videos in 8K resolution at 24 frames per second. However, its telephoto lens is 64-megapixel, has an f/2.0 aperture, and 1.1X optical zoom with support for 3X hybrid zoom. As far as its wide angle is concerned, it is a 12-megapixel lens with f/2.2 aperture.
As for the front camera, the former comes with a 12-megapixel selfie, while the latter features a 10-megapixel one.both with aperture f / 2.2 and the ability to record in 4K at 60 frames per second.
Batteries and other features
Galaxy S21
The Samsung Galaxy S23 battery has a size of 3,900 mAh, while that of the Galaxy S21 is slightly larger, at 4,000 mAh. Of course, both have the same fast charge of 25 W and wireless reverse charge of 4.5 W, but the wireless charge of the S23 is 10 W, while that of the S21 is 15 W. It is also worth noting that neither comes with a charger included in the box.
For the rest, in terms of other features of both mobiles, both have 5G, NFC for contactless mobile payments and GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS. They also come with Bluetooth, with version 5.3 being the one found in the S23 and 5.0 being the one found in the S21. As for Wi-Fi, the first has Wi-Fi 6E, and the second with Wi-Fi 6, so yes, the Galaxy S23 is slightly more advanced in terms of connectivity. However, the Galaxy S21 (Snapdragon version) comes with FM radio, something the S23 does without. As for the rest, both also come with a USB Type-C input.
Other features of both phones include an ultrasonic on-screen fingerprint reader and AKG-signed stereo speakers for better sound quality and facial recognition. At the software level, the Galaxy S23 comes with Android 13 under One UI 5.1, while the Galaxy S21 has Android 12 (for now) under One UI 5.0. In this sense, it is worth mentioning that the Galaxy S23 will be upgradable to Android 16 or 17, while the S21 will reach Android 13 or 14.
Prices, conclusions and opinion: which is better, the Samsung Galaxy S23 or Galaxy S21?
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has been presented with an official sale price starting at 960 euros. For his part, the Galaxy S21 is almost half as cheapsince currently it can be obtained for about 500 euros.
Now, about which one is better and why, if we only look at the characteristics and technical specifications of both mobiles, it is easy to say that it is the Samsung Galaxy S23, but this is the least we can expect from a next-generation mobile. However, if we take into account that this is considerably more expensive than the S21, we see that in terms of value for money it loses out.
With this in mind, it is worth noting that, when it comes to screens, there is no clear winner, since, although the Galaxy S21 screen is slightly larger, it also has less resistant protective glass. Nevertheless, things change when we talk about performance, since the Galaxy S23 is clearly superior, so it will offer a better user experience at the level of fluidity and power. The same can be said of its cameras, which, as announced by Samsung, are much better than before. Of course, it now has a slightly smaller battery with less powerful fast wireless charging, but it is also superior in connectivity, despite the fact that it does not have an FM radio like the Galaxy S21.
