Samsung Galaxy S21 5G vs. Google Pixel 7a

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Google Pixel 7a. 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 S21 5G vs. Google Pixel 7a Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G991U1 GHL1X
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 151.7 mm 152 mm Google Pixel 7a has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Width 71.2 mm 72.9 mm Google Pixel 7a has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Depth 7.9 mm 9 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Weight 171 g 193.5 g Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Body Colour Phantom grey | Phantom white Sea | Snow | Charcoal
Body Material - Tactile alloy frame, 3D thermoformed composite back
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant Water-resistant, dust-resistant, fingerprint-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IP67
Repairability Index - 8 (out of 10)
SAR Value 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head) 2.99 W/kg (limb), 1.3 W/kg (body), 0.99 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 S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X OLED
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.2" 6.1" Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger screen size than Google Pixel 7a.
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 421 ppi 429 ppi Google Pixel 7a has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Aspect Ratio - 20:9
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours 16.7 million colours Both phones have the same color depth.
Contrast Ratio - 1000000:1
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10+ -
Display Enhancement Technology Eye Comfort Shield -
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz 90 Hz Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better refresh rate than Google Pixel 7a.
Display Features AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper Always-on display, Now Playing, Smooth Display (up to 90 Hz), High brightness mode, At a Glance
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Google Tensor G2 - with Titan M2 security
Clock Speed 2.84 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core -
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
RAM LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB Both phones have the same RAM size.
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 128 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory 101.2 GB -
Memory Interface - UFS 3.1
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 2
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 64 Megapixel Google Pixel 7a has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Sensor Size 1/1.76" 1/1.73" Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better camera sensor size than Google Pixel 7a.
Lens Type Wide-angle lens Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.89 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (FoV) 79 degree(s) 80 degree(s) Google Pixel 7a has larger lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Pixel Size 1.8 μm 0.8 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger camera pixel size than Google Pixel 7a.
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 5x Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Google Pixel 7a.
Self-Timer Delay Yes -
Special Effects Face retouch, Grid Line -
HDR Mode Auto HDR mode Live HDR+
Camera Modes 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 Panorama, portrait mode, Night Sight, Long exposure mode, Top Shot, Super Res Zoom, Frequent Faces, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Magic Eraser, Portrait Light, Motion autofocus, Astrophotography timelapse, slow motion video at 240fps, Photo Unblur
White Balance - Custom
Light Source High CRI LED flash 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, 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 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) 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) Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS), Stereo Recording, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), Dual Exposure Controls, 4K Cinematic Pan video stabilisation, 4K Locked video stabilisation, 1080p Active video stabilisation, Fused video stabilisation, speech enhancement, Super Res Zoom up to 8x, Fast camera launcher, AVC (H.264), Wind noise reduction, Locked Folder, Quad PD Quad Bayer wide camera
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 13 Megapixel Google Pixel 7a has better second camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 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) 120 degree(s) 120 degree(s) Both phones have the same second camera lens field of view.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.4 μm 1.12 μm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger second camera pixel size than Google Pixel 7a.
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - Dual Pixel Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), Lens correction
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 64 Megapixel -
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) 1/1.72" -
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens -
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.0 -
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.
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 10 Megapixel 13 Megapixel Google Pixel 7a 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) 95 degree(s) Google Pixel 7a has larger front lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Pixel Size (Front) 1.22 μm 1.22 μm Both phones have the same front camera pixel size.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Focus free
Video Resolutions (Front) - 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps
Camera Features (Front) Dual Pixel AF -
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4000 mAh 4385 mAh Google Pixel 7a has larger battery capacity than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Fast Charging Technology Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 - Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has 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 Qi
Talk Time 1800 minutes -
Run Time Details 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
Mixed usage: up to 24 hrs
Mixed usage (Extreme Battery Saver): up to 72 hrs
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System Android 11 Android 13
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Google Assistant
Payment Technology Samsung Pay -
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Data Transmission FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 EDGE, HSDPA, HSPA+, LTE, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 6, Band 8, Band 19
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 800, 900, 800
4G LTE Band 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 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 21, Band 25, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 66
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 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 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1500 upper, FDD 1900+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N41, n71, n260, n261 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n75, n76, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12
5G NR Frequency TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, SDL DL 1500+, SDL DL 1500-, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.3 BLE
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Supported Digital Audio Standards 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, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 H.264 AVC, H.265 HEVC
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound -
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Phone Functions 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, magnetometer, gyro sensor
Security Devices Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Security Technology - Face Unlock
Additional Phone Features 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 Dual microphones, MIMO technology, Noise suppression, Fast Charging, Google Cast, dual stereo speakers, 5 years of Security Updates, Private Compute Core, Built-in VPN powered by Google One, End-to-end security designed by Google, anti-phishing, anti-malware protection, Live Translate, Titan M2 Security Module, microphone toggle, camera toggle
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Google Pixel 7a
Included Accessories SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable SIM card removal tool, Quick switch adapter, USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m)
Compliant Standards VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification IP67, HEARING AID M3/T3
Product Recycled Content - 100 % - aluminium housing
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m -
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