Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy Note20 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.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-N981B/DS SM-G991U1
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 161.6 mm 151.7 mm Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Width 75.2 mm 71.2 mm Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Depth 8.3 mm 7.9 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G.
Weight 192 g 171 g Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G.
Body Colour Mystic green | Mystic bronze | Mystic grey Phantom grey | Phantom white
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IP68
Repairability Index 8.1 (out of 10) -
SAR Value 0.684 W/kg (head), 1.368 W/kg (body), 2.27 W/kg (limb) 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 USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Infinity-O Super AMOLED Plus Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.7" 6.2" Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2400 x 1080 pixels 2400 x 1080 pixels Both phones have the same screen resolution.
Display Format Full HD+ Full HD+
Pixel Density 393 ppi 421 ppi Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G.
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours 16.7 million colours Both phones have the same color depth.
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10+ HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology - Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate - 120 Hz
Display Features Edge Screen, AOD(Always On Display), Edge Lighting, Video Wallpaper AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper
Display Protection (Screen Protector) - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Processor Type (CPU) - Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Clock Speed 2.73 GHz 2.84 GHz Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher clock speed than Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G.
Processor Core Qty 8-core 8-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G has 64-bit architecture.
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
RAM LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB Both phones have the same RAM size.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 256 GB 128 GB Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G has more internal memory than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
User Memory 221.7 GB 101.2 GB
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 3
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/1.76" 1/1.76" Both phones have the same camera sensor size.
Lens Type Wide-angle lens 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) 79 degree(s) Both phones have the same lens field of view.
Pixel Size 1.8 μm 1.8 μm Both phones have the same camera pixel size.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus - Yes
Optical Zoom - 3x
Digital Zoom 30x 30x Both phones have the same digital zoom.
Self-Timer Delay Yes Yes
Special Effects HDR, Grid Line Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Panorama, Slow motion mode, HYPERLAPSE, Live Focus mode, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Motion Photos, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Live focus video, Night, Mountain, Pro Video mode, Single Take, Pro Video 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 High CRI LED flash High CRI LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 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 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) Quick Launch, Playback zoom, blink detection, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, location tags, Hyperlapse video support 1080p, Scene Optimiser, Full view, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Floating shutter button, Super steady, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, Zoom-In Mic, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3x, AR Doodle, 30x Super Resolution Zoom, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Microphone Control (Pro Video only) 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) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
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) 120 degree(s) 120 degree(s) Both phones have the same second camera lens field of view.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.4 μm 1.4 μm Both phones have the same second camera pixel size.
Camera Features (2nd Camera) OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), Super Speed Dual Pixel AF -
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 64 Megapixel 64 Megapixel Both phones have the same third camera resolution.
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) - 1/1.72"
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.0 F/2.0 Both phones have the same lens aperture of the third camera.
Field of View (3rd Camera) 76 degree(s) 76 degree(s) Both phones have the same third camera lens field of view.
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) 0.8 μm 0.8 μm Both phones have the same third camera pixel size.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 10 Megapixel 10 Megapixel Both phones have the same front camera resolution.
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) 80 degree(s) Both phones have the same front lens field of view.
Pixel Size (Front) 1.22 μm 1.22 μm Both phones have the same front camera pixel size.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Camera Features (Front) Dual Pixel AF Dual Pixel AF
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4300 mAh 4000 mAh Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Fast Charging Technology Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time 1380 minutes 1800 minutes Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has longer battery life when making calls than Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G.
Run Time Details Talk (LTE): up to 1380 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 15 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 16 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 21 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 74 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
Battery Technology Lithium Ion -
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy Note20 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 Android 10 Android 11
User Interface One UI 2.5 -
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Bixby
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, 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 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66 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 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 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, n77, n78, n40 N41, n71, n260, n261
5G NR Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 3700, 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 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.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 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, Acoustic Overload Point, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy Note20 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, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor
Security Devices Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Additional Phone Features MIMO technology, Screen mirroring, Screen Write, Smart Select, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, High AOP Mic, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Secure Folder function, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, AR Doodle, PENUP 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 Note20 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Included Accessories Power adapter, SIM card removal tool, USB-C cable, S Pen, Earphones (USB Type-C) with sound by AKG SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 1.5 m
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