Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S20 Plus : quoi

Samsung's phones for 2021 have arrived, with the standard Galaxy S21 and the luxury S21 Ultra probably grabbing the most attention. However, Samsung has also released a phone that falls midway between the two in terms of price and size, the

Galaxy S21 Plus

. It retains the same processor as the S21 (and the S21 Ultra), but adds a bigger screen than the S21 and also a bigger battery. It is, to put it simply, an S21 for people who want the extra size.

However, assuming Samsung fans want a Galaxy S phone with a 6.7-inch screen and heavy battery, they've still got years to go.

Galaxy S20 Plus

to consider. It also offers a nice screen, a robust processor and a powerful camera, as well as a MicroSD card slot for those who need extra storage space.

Considering it also comes with a charger (and the S21 Plus doesn't), arguably it's still the better phone, despite being a year older. To test this theory, this article puts the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and S20 Plus through a rigorous head-to-head, comparing their specs, screens, designs, performance, camera, special features, and price. This should help you decide which is best for you.

Specifications

Galaxy S20 Plus

Galaxy S21 Plus

Size p>

161.9 × 73.7 × 7.8 mm (6.37 × 2.9 × 0.3 inches)

161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm (6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 inch)

Weight p>

186 grams (6.56 ounces)

202 grams (7.05 ounces)

Screen size

6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED

Screen resolution

3200 × 1440 pixels (525 pixels per inch)

2400 x 1080 pixels (394 pixels per inch)

Operating system

Android 11

Android 11< /p>

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB

MicroSD card slot

Yes

No

Tap-to-Pay services

Samsung Pay, Google Pay

Samsung Pay, Google Pay< /p>

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

Qualcomm Snapdragon 888

RAM

12 GB

8 GB

Camera

12 Megapixel, 64MP Telephoto, 12 Ultrawide MP and Rear ToF Sensor

Front 10MP

12MP telephoto, 64MP, 12MP ultrawide rear

10MP front

Video

8K at 24 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps

8K@30fps, 4K@60fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps

Bluetooth version

5.0

5.0

Ports

USB-C

USB-C

Fingerprint sensor

Yes, integrated in the screen

Yes, on screen

Water resistance

IP68

IP68

Battery

4,500mAh

Quick charge (25W)

Qi wireless charging

4800mAh

Quick charge (25W)

Qi wireless charging

Application Market

Google Play Store

Google Play Store

Network support

All major carriers

All major carriers

Colors

Cosmic Gray, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Black, Cloud White, Aura Red, Aura Blue

Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Purple, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red

Price

$1200< /p>

$1,000

Rating of critics

4 out of 5

3.5 out of 5 stars

Design, Display, and Sustainability

Andrew Martonik/Digital Trends

When we examined the

S20 Plus

last year we weren't entirely impressed with its unadventurous design. Fortunately, the S21 Plus has improved things this time around, including introducing a new rear camera bump that tilts to the side of its frame. Not only does it look unique, but it also makes the mod less intrusive, so it's definitely an overall improvement. The phone also uses slightly narrower bezels around its screen, so it's safe to say it's a bit more attractive than its predecessor.

On the other hand, it's also safe to say that the older S20 Plus has a more impressive display than the S21 Plus. With 3200 x 1440 pixels, its 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display delivers 525 pixels per inch. In contrast, the 6.8-inch S21 Plus (also Dynamic AMOLED) packs 2400 x 1080 pixels, or just 394 pixels per inch. The difference in sharpness and clarity is quite noticeable, and while the S21 Plus offers HDR10+ and a 120Hz refresh rate, so does the S20 Plus.

Both phones are IP68 rated, so given that the S21 Plus is nicer designed while the S20 Plus offers a better display, this round is a tie.

Winner: Tie< /p>

Performance, battery life and charging

Assessing performance here is tricky. The Galaxy S21 Plus has a newer and more powerful processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (as opposed to the 865), but it comes with just 8GB of RAM, while the S20 Plus has a hefty 12GB ( as long as you buy it in the US). That may negate the advantage the S21 Plus gets from a more capable processor, but in practice you'll find that both phones run the latest games and apps just as well as each other.

The situation becomes bleaker for the S21 Plus as it does not contain a MicroSD card slot, unlike the older S20 Plus. Both come with 128GB of internal memory as standard, but the S20 Plus's ability to read MicroSD cards means it can be upgraded to 1TB of memory.

One advantage of the S21 Plus is that it houses a bigger battery, at 4,800mAh versus 4,500mAh. The S20 Plus's battery was already reliable enough, lasting you more than a full day even with more intensive use, so with the extra 300 mAh, the S21 Plus is even more reliable. It should see you comfortably within a second day, or more if you only use it lightly.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus

Cameras

John Velasco / Digital Trends

Looking at specs alone, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and S20 Plus offer the exact same camera. The S20 Plus makes do with a 12MP main lens, a 64MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, just like the S21 Plus.

Like

our review of the S20 Plus

Found its camera takes very good photos in most situations. That said, it is let down by several software inconsistencies, such as sometimes poor edge detection in portrait mode, as well as a tendency towards oversaturation. Samsung promised software tweaks for the S21 Plus that would fix a lot of that, and

our review

found this to be largely the case.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

Software and updates

John Velasco / Digital Trends

The S20 Plus and S21 Plus both run Android 11, but with Samsung's One UI 3.0 on top. This streamlines the overall Android user experience to some extent, while still offering a good level of customization and some tweaks over One UI 2.0 (like the ability to long-press apps to quickly bring up widget options available).

Both phones will also provide updates to users at the same rate, given that they are both Samsung devices. In the past, Samsung has had a less than stellar reputation for rolling out Android updates in a timely manner. Thankfully, it seems to have improved that situation in recent months, only needing around three months to bring Android 11 to the S20 line of phones.

Winner: Tie

Special Features< img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAAIBRAA7">

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and S20 Plus support

5G

, including support for the faster mmWave band. It's great for anyone lucky enough to live near a network

5G

, though the rest of us probably still have some time to wait.

Unfortunately, the S21 Plus doesn't support the S Pen, unlike its more expensive sibling, the S21 Ultra. It does, however, provide a few new camera features, such as Vlogger's View and Director's View. The first of these lets you shoot using the front and rear cameras at the same time, while the second lets you shoot video while still being able to see the thumbnails of the lens feeds you're not currently using. , so you can quickly switch between them whenever you want.

Despite this welcome addition, the S21 Plus has a simple but irritating downside: it doesn't come with a charger in its box, unlike the S20 Plus. This won't be a problem if you already have a compatible charger, but if you don't, you'll have to spend around $25 more.

Winner: tie

Price and availability

The Galaxy S21 Plus is now available on Samsung's website. It starts at $1000, is supported by all major carriers, and is sold just about everywhere.

The S20 Plus was originally launched at $1200, although it is no longer available from Samsung's official store. Still, you can find it online through third-party sellers like Amazon and Best Buy, and you'll almost certainly find it at a discount from its launch price.

Overall Winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus

It may seem more contemporary and desirable, but the

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

here loses to his older brother, the

S20 Plus

. The S20 has a more vivid and impressive display, essentially the same camera, essentially the same performance, long battery life, and it comes with a MicroSD card slot for extra storage. Given that the S21 Plus doesn't introduce any major advancements beyond a new design and a slightly faster processor (which you might not notice), it's hard to justify taking the plunge. rather than the S20 Plus, assuming you can find the older phone cheaper online.

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