Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus vs Galaxy S20 Plus

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Samsung’s new Galaxy S21 household is right here and it mimics the 2020 line completely. We have the totally decked-out Galaxy S21 Ultra and its smaller siblings, the Galaxy S21 and S21+. As at all times, there’s loads of buzz round these telephones as they’re going to be a number of the finest Android telephones of 2021 regardless of being among the many first to come back out.

Naturally, individuals are questioning what’s new about them and is it value shopping for them. Well, to assist with that, we have created a sequence of 1-vs-1 comparisons that pair every cellphone with one in all its closest rivals. The hyperlinks for a few of them are beneath, however on this article we’re specializing in the center baby of the Galaxy S21 household, the Galaxy S21+ and the way it compares to its predecessor, the Galaxy S20+.

Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S20+ design comparison

As always, we’re starting with the looks. Size-wise, the two phones are practically identical, with a millimeter or two difference that you’ll hardly notice. The Galaxy S21+ weighs 14g less than its predecessor, however, which we consider a plus.

Although the phones appear to be almost identical at first glance, there are some key differences between them. Let’s take a closer look:

Galaxy S21+ left, Galaxy S20+ proper

The greatest change is undoubtedly the redesigned digicam bump. Samsung calls the brand new fashion Contour Cut, with the digicam module flowing seamlessly over the facet of the cellphone. Now, design may be subjective, however in our books, the Galaxy S21+ is a large enchancment over the Galaxy S20+. The outdated design shouldn’t be solely boring nevertheless it was additionally just about similar to what you bought with cheaper Samsung telephones and the S20+ was $1,200 at launch. The Galaxy S21+ appears to be like refined and opulent, particularly together with Samsung’s new colours, which go a good distance in highlighting this new design aspect. We hope Samsung retains the Countour Cut design solely on the Galaxy S sequence for that additional little bit of exclusivity.

Onto the second large distinction, the show. As you’ll be able to see from the pictures above, the Galaxy S21+ seems to have barely thicker facet bezels. That’s as a result of it has a flat show, in contrast to that on the Galaxy S20+, which nonetheless had some curvature across the facet edges. That’s one other win for the S21+ so far as we’re involved.

But there’s extra to be stated concerning the shows, this is a fast rundown of their specs:

Display	Galaxy S21+	Galaxy S20+
Size	6.7″	6.7″
Resolution	2400 x 1080	3200 x 1440
Type	Dynamic AMOLED	Dynamic AMOLED
Refresh price	48-120Hz	120Hz
Shape	Flat	Curved
Glass	Gorilla Glass Victus	Gorilla Glass 6

Let’s begin with the plain one: no Quad-HD decision on the S21+. While that is actually a bummer for some, we must always remind you that on the Galaxy S20+, the 120Hz refresh price was solely out there together with the 1080p decision, which many customers most well-liked. Now, Samsung is making issues simpler by going for a 1080p panel.

That new panel on the Galaxy S21+ additionally has adaptive refresh price, which suggests it would robotically decrease the frequency when you do not want it, saving energy within the course of. The new show additionally has increased brightness for higher HDR expertise and improved expertise in vibrant daylight.

And lastly, the show of the Galaxy S21+ is protected by Corning’s strongest glass but. Overall, within the design and show division, we’re seeing solely optimistic adjustments.

The Galaxy S21+ shade choices

Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S20+ specs comparability

Time to dive deeper into the 2 Galaxies, the place their parts are hiding. Here are the principle specs of the Galaxy S21+ and S20+:

Specs	Galaxy S21+	Galaxy S20+
CPU	Snapdragon 888	Snapdragon 865
RAM	8GB LPDDR5	12GB LPDDR5
Storage	128GB, not expandable	128GB, expandable
Battery	4,800mAh	4,500mAh
Wirelss charging	Yes	Yes
5G	Yes	Yes
IP68 rated	Yes	Yes

As at all times, the principle improve is the chipset. The Galaxy S21+ will include the Snapdragon 888 within the US and Exynos 2100 in different areas. Both chips use the 5nm course of and may provide comparable efficiency. According to Samsung, this implies about 20% higher CPU efficiency and a 35% enchancment in GPU efficiency. The new chips are additionally extra power-efficient, which in each day use is perhaps the most important differentiator.

The reminiscence sees a discount, nonetheless, is one thing we’re not used to seeing. Still, 8GB is a lot already, so it is not an enormous disadvantage, particularly contemplating the cheaper price of the Galaxy S21+.

A nice shock is the elevated battery capability. Despite having basically the identical physique, Samsung has managed to place an even bigger battery contained in the S21+, seemingly because of the scale discount of the opposite parts. Combined with the opposite adjustments we have talked about already, the brand new Galaxy ought to have a considerably higher battery life in comparison with the Galaxy S20+, however we’ll have to check it ourselves earlier than the decision is out.

It’s additionally value noting that the Galaxy S21+ has a second era ultrasonic fingerprint reader. It’s larger and considerably sooner than the one on the Galaxy S20+, hopefully bringing consumer frustration to a minimal.

Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S20+ digicam comparability

Unfortunately, we won’t discuss a lot about upgrades in relation to the digicam {hardware}. Here are the cameras you will discover on the 2 telephones:

Camera specs	Galaxy S21+	Galaxy S20+
Main	12MP, OIS, PDAF	12MP, OIS, PDAF
Second	12MP Ultra extensive, PDAF	12MP Ultra extensive, AF
Third	64MP Telephoto, OIS, PDAF	64MP Telephoto, OIS, PDAF
Front	10MP, PDAF	10MP, PDAF

The the telephones share basically the identical digicam techniques. There are slight variations, such because the extremely extensive digicam on the Galaxy S21+ getting Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) and smaller aperture (F1.8 vs F2.2 on the S20+). The telephoto nonetheless makes use of a big sensor and software program fairly than lenses for optical zoom.

However, that does not imply the 2 telephones will carry out the identical method. The Galaxy S21+ has some new digicam options that had been enabled by its extra highly effective chip. Single Take means that you can take an image with all cameras directly and Director’s View exhibits you a feed from all cameras whereas recording a video, to be able to seamlessly swap between them to make a professional-looking video. Those are just a few examples, we’ll go extra in-depth as soon as we’ve the chance to check the brand new options ourselves.

Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S20+ software program comparability

The software program comparability is probably the best to make. The Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S20+ shall be operating the identical software program more often than not. Of course, we’re speaking about Samsung’s One UI. The greatest distinction shall be that the S21+ will obtain updates forward of the S20+. Also, the Galaxy S21+ being a yr newer means it would obtain one main Android replace that the S20+ will miss out on. If that shall be Android 13 or Android 14 relies upon completely on Samsung’s future plans relating to software program updates, so it is too early to say.

Samsung is unquestionably shifting its software program expertise in the best route, refining the design and including new options. However, One UI tends to be on the heavy facet, so after a whilst you would possibly discover some lag right here and there. This shall be extra noticeable on the Galaxy S20+, particularly in a yr or so, regardless of it having a top-notch chipset as nicely.

Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S20+ worth comparability

We talked about the Galaxy S21+ being cheaper than its predecessor just a few occasions already, however how less expensive precisely? Well, listed below are the costs of the 2 telephones on launch day:

Samsung Galaxy S21+ worth: from $999

Samsung Galaxy S20+ worth: from $1,199

Undoubtedly, the newer cellphone being cheaper is nice information. Especially once we’re speaking a few $200 discount. But we also needs to take into account that the Galaxy S20+ was thought-about overpriced and that is as a result of it was. At $999, the Galaxy S21+ is priced on par with the iPhone 12 Pro, as earlier than it was $100 greater than even the Pro Max. And whereas $1,000 is not low cost, not less than it is a extra affordable worth.

As for the options that Samsung needed to lower to hit that worth, we expect they’re fairly insignificant when it comes to consumer expertise. For the overwhelming majority of customers, 1080p appears to be like simply as good as 1440p on a smartphone show and the 4GB of additional RAM matter even much less.

Conclusion

If you already personal the Galaxy S20+, you’ll be able to just about ignore the existence of the S21+. It’s extra like a Galaxy S20S+, if we are able to steal Apple’s nomenclature for a second. You’re not likely lacking out on something vital. But that is simply how it’s with smartphones today. You have to attend not less than two-three years to get that feeling of next-generation tech if you improve. Yes, we’re but to check the Galaxy S21+, however until it someway blows us away with its digicam options, we doubt our conclusion will change. Still, we’ll depart the door barely ajar till we get to expertise it ourselves.

And if you do not have the Galaxy S20+, nicely, it is greater than apparent it is best to go for the Galaxy S21+. Even if you happen to want the Galaxy S20+ for some motive, it is turning into more and more laborious to search out. If you come across a deal that has the Galaxy S20+ all the way down to $900 or beneath, it is perhaps value contemplating. But take into account that deals for the Galaxy S21+ are already dwell and those for the unlocked model of the cellphone aren’t far into the longer term.

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