In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy A42 5G and Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.
| DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-A426B/DS | SM-G991U1 | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 164.4 mm | 151.7 mm | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Width | 75.9 mm | 71.2 mm | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Depth | 8.6 mm | 7.9 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
| Weight | 193 g | 171 g | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
| Body Colour | Prism dot black | Prism dot white | Prism dot grey | Phantom grey | Phantom white | |
| Protection | - | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | |
| Waterproof (Water-resistant) | - | Yes | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is waterproof. |
| IP rating | - | IP68 | |
| SAR Value | 1.334 W/kg (body), 1.154 W/kg (head) | 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head) | |
| Connector Type | USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C Headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm |
USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C | |
| SIM Card Type (Size) | Nano SIM | Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) | |
| SIM Card Qty | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM | |
| SIM Card Configuration Details | Nano SIM + nano SIM/microSD | - |
| DISPLAY | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Super AMOLED | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.6" | 6.2" | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 1600 x 720 pixels | 2400 x 1080 pixels | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
| Display Format | HD+ | Full HD+ | |
| Pixel Density | - | 421 ppi | |
| Colour Depth | 16.7 million colours | 16.7 million colours | Both phones have the same color depth. |
| HDR | - | Yes | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has HDR. |
| HDR Technology | - | HDR10+ | |
| Display Enhancement Technology | - | Eye Comfort Shield | |
| Display Refresh Rate | - | 120 Hz | |
| Display Features | Night mode, Edge-to-Edge screen, Infinity U Display | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper | |
| Display Protection (Screen Protector) | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | - | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Speed | 2.2 GHz | 2.84 GHz | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher clock speed than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
| Processor Core Qty | 8-core | 8-core | Both phones have the same number of phone cores. |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| RAM | 4 GB | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has more RAM than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) | 128 GB | 128 GB | Both phones have the same internal memory capacity. |
| User Memory | 106 GB | 101.2 GB | |
| Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) | microSDHC, microSD, microSDXC - up to 1 TB | - |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| MAIN CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Main Cameras | 4 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 48 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Sensor Size | - | 1/1.76" | |
| Lens Type | - | Wide-angle lens | |
| Lens Aperture | F/1.8 | F/1.8 | Both phones have the same camera lens aperture. |
| Field of View (FoV) | - | 79 degree(s) | |
| Pixel Size | - | 1.8 μm | |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | - | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Laser Auto Focus | - | Yes | |
| Optical Zoom | - | 3x | |
| Digital Zoom | 10x | 30x | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
| Self-Timer Delay | - | Yes | |
| Special Effects | Bokeh effect | Face retouch, Grid Line | |
| HDR Mode | - | Auto HDR mode | |
| Camera Modes | Live Focus mode | Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Portrait, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro Video, Portrait video, Director's View | |
| Light Source | Flash | High CRI LED flash | |
| Video Resolutions | Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 480 fps | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 7680 x 4320 (8K) at 24 fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps | |
| Camera Features (Functions) | - | Playback zoom, Motion photo, blink detection, QR-code scanner, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3x, Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x, Digital zoom up to 12x for video, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Microphone Control (Pro Video only) |
| SECOND CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) | 8 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better second camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lens Type (2nd Camera) | Ultra wide-angle lens | Ultra wide-angle lens | |
| Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) | F/2.2 | F/2.2 | Both phones have the same second camera lens aperture. |
| Field of View (2nd Camera) | 123 degree(s) | 120 degree(s) | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has larger second camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | - | 1.4 μm |
| THIRD CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) | 5 Megapixel | 64 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (3rd Camera) | - | 1/1.72" | |
| Lens Type (3rd Camera) | - | Telephoto lens | |
| Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) | F/2.4 | F/2.0 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. |
| Field of View (3rd Camera) | - | 76 degree(s) | |
| Pixel Size (3rd Camera) | - | 0.8 μm | |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | - | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation of the third camera. |
| Camera Functions (3rd Camera) | Macro camera | - |
| FOURTH CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (4th Camera) | 5 Megapixel | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lens Aperture (4th Camera) | F/2.4 | - | |
| Camera Functions (4th Camera) | Depth camera | - |
| FRONT CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution (Front) | 20 Megapixel | 10 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Lens Aperture (Front) | F/2.2 | F/2.2 | Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture. |
| Field of View (Front) | - | 80 degree(s) | |
| Pixel Size (Front) | - | 1.22 μm | |
| Focus Adjustment | Focus free | Automatic | |
| Camera Modes (Front) | Live Focus mode | - | |
| Video Resolutions (Front) | 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps | - | |
| Camera Features (Front) | - | Dual Pixel AF |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 5000 mAh | 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Charging Technology | Adaptive Fast Charging | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 | Both phones have fast charging technology. |
| Wireless Charging | - | Yes | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can be charged wirelessly. |
| Wireless Charging Standards | - | WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare | |
| Talk Time | 2160 minutes | 1800 minutes | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Run Time Details | Active online usage (LTE): up to 21 hrs Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 22 hrs Playback (audio): up to 130 hrs Talk (4G): up to 2160 min Playback (video): up to 34 hrs |
Talk (LTE): up to 1800 min Active online usage (LTE): up to 14 hrs Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 15 hrs Playback (wireless video): up to 19 hrs Playback (wireless audio): up to 72 hrs |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Technology | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Broadband Generation | 5G | 5G | Both phones have the same mobile network generation. |
| Operating System | Google Android | Android 11 | |
| User Interface | One UI | - | |
| Intelligent Assistant | - | Bixby | |
| Payment Technology | - | Samsung Pay | |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Data Transmission | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1 | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2G Band | 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM | 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X | |
| 3G UMTS Band | Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 | Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 | |
| 3G UMTS Frequency | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 | 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 | |
| 4G LTE Band | Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 17, Band 20, Band 28, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41 | Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66, Band 71 | |
| 4G LTE Frequency | FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700b, FDD 800 DD, FDD 700 APT, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500 | FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700 PS, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, FDD 600 | |
| 5G NR Band | N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n28, n41, n78, n40 | N41, n71, n260, n261 | |
| 5G NR Frequency | FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2500, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300 | TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz | |
| Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments. |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Supported Digital Audio Standards | WAV, WMA, AAC, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, M4A, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, MID | WAV, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Digital Video Standards | MKV, FLV, AVI, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | |
| Sound Enhancements | - | Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound |
| FEATURES | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Phone Functions | Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert | Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity sensor, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor | Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor | |
| Security Devices | Fingerprint reader | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | |
| Additional Phone Features | Samsung KNOX, Game Booster | MIMO technology, Screen Write, notification flashlight, Smart Select, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Bixby key, Bluetooth Scalable Codec, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster, Air Command |
| OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
|---|
| Included Accessories | Power adapter | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | - | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification | |
| Max Depth of Water Resistance | - | 1.5 m |
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