With the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S21 family, comparisons with previous generations of Samsung phones are inevitable. And the most natural comparison seems to be how this year’s models match the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus. If you bought one of the two phones when it appeared in 2019, you are probably considering an update of the new models.
While launch prices have remained remarkably the same over the two-year gap, Samsung has implemented several key upgrades for its latest range of smartphones. Both the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus offer impressive displays, a big boost in speed thanks to the Snapdragon 888 processor, significant camera enhancements and 5G support as standard instead of a separate, more expensive model.
Two years makes a big difference, so it’s clear that the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus will have the high ground compared to their S10 cousins. And while the newer devices have lost some features that you can find in Samsung’s older phones, our Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10 finds it a great time to update.
We break everything up for you so you can decide for yourself.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10 specifications
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S21 Plus | Galaxy S10 | Galaxy S10 + | |
| Introductory price | $ 799 | $ 999 | $ 899 | $ 999 |
| Screen size | 6.2-inch dynamic AMOLED (2400 x 1080; 48Hz – 120Hz) | 6.7-inch dynamic AMOLED (2400 x 1080; 48Hz – 120Hz) | 6.1 inch dynamic AMOLED (3040 x 1440; 60Hz) | 6.4 inch Dynamic AMOLED (3040 x 1440; 60Hz) |
| SVE | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB | 8 GB, 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| MicroSD | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Cameras | 12MP (f / 1.8) wide; 12MP (f / 2.2) ultra-large; 64MP (f / 2.0) telephoto with 3x optical zoom | 12MP (f / 1.8) wide; 12MP (f / 2.2) ultra-large; 64MP (f / 2.0) telephoto with 3x optical zoom | 12MP (f / 1.5, f / 2.4) wide; 16MP (f / 2.2) ultra-large; 12MP (f / 2.4) telephoto with 2x optical zoom | 12MP (f / 1.5, f / 2.4) wide; 16MP (f / 2.2) ultra-large; 12MP (f / 2.4) telephoto with 2x optical zoom |
| Front cameras | 10MP (f / 2.2) | 10MP (f / 2.2) | 10MP (f / 1.9) | 10MP (f / 1.9); 8MP (f / 2.2) |
| Battery size | 4,000mAh | 4,800mAh | 3,400mAh | 4,100mAh |
| Wireless | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB | LTE, Wi-Fi 6 | LTE, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Size | 6 x 2.8 x 0.31 inches | 6.4 x 3 x 0.31 inches | 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.31 inches | 6.2 x 2.92 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 6.07 ounces | 7.13 ounces | 5.54 ounces | 6.17 ounces |
| Colours | Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, Phantom White | Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, Phantom Black | Prism white, prism black, prism green, prism blue, canary yellow, flamingo pink, cardinal red, smoky blue | Prism white, prism black, prism green, prism blue, canary yellow, flamingo pink, ceramic black, ceramic white, cardinal red, smoky blue |
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: prices
Samsung has chosen to launch the Galaxy S21 family at lower prices this year, which has taken off from what many considered too high with the S20 series. At the bottom of the package is Galaxy S21 with 128 GB storage, which costs you $ 799. Add another $ 50 to get the 256 GB variant. Meanwhile, the S21 Plus costs $ 999 for the base model and another $ 50 for the 256 GB version.
So, for the Plus models, Samsung kept the starting prices the same at $ 999, but the S21 is $ 100 cheaper than the S10 was at launch, which is nice to see. Last year, of course, Samsung lowered the prices on the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus to $ 749 and $ 849 respectively, with prices falling further since then.
Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S10: Design
Samsung has changed its design language with the S20 series and refined it for the S21. The rear cameras are limited to one corner at the back instead of being a bar. The front camera cutout is centered at the top instead of being on one side. In short, there remain some similarities between the two device families, but you really need to look for them.
The S10 and S10 Plus got a lot of fun and crazy color options, especially the yellow, while the S21 and S21 Plus are more reserved in their Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink (S21), Phantom Black (S21 Plus), and Phantom White (S21) colorways.
Both the S21 and S21 Plus are heavier than the S10 and S10 Plus – the S21 is actually just as heavy as the S10 Plus. All of these phones have the same thickness of 0.31 inches, but the S21 and S21 Plus are larger by 6 x 2.8 inches and 6.4 x 3 inches respectively. Compare that to the 5.9 x 2.77 inch S10 and 6.2 x 2.92 inch S10 Plus. This is a moderate difference, especially since the batteries in the S21 and Plus are larger than in the S10 and S10 Plus.
Galaxy S21 versus Galaxy S10: screen
Samsung has had the best smartphone screens for years, but with the S20 series, it has held high refresh rates. For the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus, it lowered the resolution to Full HD (1080p), but offered a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. Although the overall resolution is not as high as the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, the S21 and S21 Plus can be closed all the time up to 120Hz or lowered adjustably to save battery power.
The Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus come out before high refresh rates on smartphones became more common, and are QHD and are locked at 60Hz. You still have amazing screens on these phones, but if you see Android once at 90 frames per second or higher (120 fps in the case of the S21 / Plus), it’s hard to go back to 60. The difference is very striking and it is for the better.
Galaxy S21 versus Galaxy S10: cameras
Samsung has stuck with a triple camera setup on the S21 and S21 Plus – which is basically the same as the Galaxy Note 20’s – although the tele-lens has been improved. It now has 3x optical zoom compared to the 2x on the S10 and S10 Plus, while Samsung’s Space Zoom feature can produce 30x photos on the newer phones. It’s quite impressive.
All of these phones have ultra-wide lenses to get dramatic shots, especially for natural scenes. The big differences probably come down to software-powered camera features, such as the crazy Space Zoom feature that lets you get 30x zoom photos, or the Super Steady mode that AI uses to keep your video consistent. Samsung may transfer some of this backwards to the S10 series at some point. For now, if smartphone photography is important to you and you are loyal to Samsung, this is an upgrade to get.
For the front-facing cameras, all four phones have a 10MP sensor, though the Galaxy S10 Plus adds an additional 8MP one. If the selfie game is important to you, you will not be disappointed with the S21 and S21 Plus, although the differences in photo quality compared to the S10 and S10 Plus are not easy for most people, especially not after being posted on social media not. .
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: performance
This may seem obvious, but performance measures will differ greatly between the S21 and S10 families. The new Snapdragon 888 in the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus is an animal and is the best processor in Android country. Conversely, the S10 and S10 Plus shake up the Snapdragon 855, which is still more than good for the vast majority of people out there, but two years older than the Snapdragon 888. Unless you are a special junkie, you do not have to jump to the S21 just to get the performance.
The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are the fastest Android phones we have tested. We have a complete breakdown of the Galaxy S21 benchmarks if you are interested in checking it out. Combined with the 8GB of RAM, you will find nothing the S21 and S21 Plus cannot do. The higher version of the S10 Plus has 12 GB of RAM as an option, which can be useful to keep more apps in memory. That said, we are confident that most of you will be fine with the S21 / Plus’ 8GB.
The storage of all these phones starts at 128 GB. The S21 and S21 Plus rise to 256 GB, while the S10 comes out at 512 GB. It doesn’t even come close to what the top S10 Plus has seen: a whopping 1TB. It was all on top of a microSD card slot, which the S21 series did not have. So if you’ve stored all that stuff on your phone and opted for the 512 GB or 1 TB options on your S10 or S10 Plus, you may want to find a backup solution elsewhere if you upgrade to an S21 or S21 Plus.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: battery and charging
Both the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus contain larger batteries than their S10 counterparts. The smaller S21 has a 4000 mAh battery compared to the S10’s 3,400 mAh; the S21 Plus contains a 4,800 mAh battery compared to the S10 +’s 4,100mAh.
Not only are the batteries physically larger in the S21 series, but it is linked to the more effective Snapdragon 888. Samsung has also talked about the new AI features on the S21 and S21 Plus and claims that it will teach you usage patterns. and adjust the power consumption accordingly.
The S21 family has a 25 W fast charger, which means you can download your phone fairly quickly, assuming you buy the charger separately, as it is not included with the phones. The S10 and S10 Plus charged 15 W outside the box (the S10 5G charged 25 W fast).
It is noteworthy that none of the Galaxy S21 phones contain a charger, so to get the full charging experience, you have to pay separately for a charging tray. Some argue for this in terms of reducing electronic waste and packaging, but we understand why some people may find this decision annoying.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S10: Bottom line
If you are still using a Galaxy S10 or S10 Plus, the S21 and S21 Plus are excellent options if you want to upgrade or are ready for it. You get even better screens, 5G, improved cameras, faster charging and bigger batteries. Not only that, but you get the latest that Qualcomm has to offer with the Snapdragon 888 processor.
Getting off the S20 series is a much smaller leap, so if you do not really want Samsung’s latest, there is not much you can miss. However, it is surprising what a difference two years can make in smartphone technology.
The S21 and S21 Plus do not contain a charger, but the real thing is the removal of the microSD card slot. Why Samsung did this remains a mystery, but some of you would not like it. If you need expandable storage, it’s probably best to stick with your S10 or S10 Plus or grab one of the S20 phones now that their prices have dropped.
Nevertheless, it is no surprise that the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus are better than their S10 cousins. If you are ready to upgrade, these may be the Samsung models that will eventually drive you to trade in your phone.