Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
#311
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
#339Category Breakdown
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Performance
70.870.8
Camera
59.558.6
Display
90.088.5
Battery
73.573.5
Build
72.872.8
Overall
72.471.9
Summary
- The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL features a robust build with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both front and back, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G uses Gorilla Glass Victus.
- Both phones have a 6.8" display, but the Pixel's LTPO OLED offers a peak brightness of 3000 nits compared to the S21 Ultra's 1500 nits, although the S21 Ultra has a higher resolution at 1440 x 3200 pixels.
- In terms of performance, the Pixel is powered by the Google Tensor G4, while the S21 Ultra utilizes either the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888, both of which are slightly older.
- The Pixel's camera system includes a 50 MP main sensor and dual 48 MP sensors, whereas the S21 Ultra boasts a 108 MP main sensor with additional telephoto capabilities.
- Battery capacity is slightly higher in the Pixel at 5060 mAh versus 5000 mAh in the S21 Ultra, and it supports faster charging at 37W compared to 25W.
- The Pixel runs on Android 14 with a promise of up to 7 major upgrades, while the S21 Ultra launched with Android 11 and is limited to 4 major updates.
Side-by-side Specification Comparison
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
General
Release Date
2024, August 13
2021, January 14
Announced
2024, August 13
2021, January 14
Description
N/A
Versions: SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS (International); SM-G998U (USA); SM-G998U1 (USA unlocked); SM-G998W (Canada); SM-G998N (Korea); SM-G9980 (China)
Display
Size
6.8"
6.8"
Type
LTPO OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2000 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak)
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak)
Resolution
1344 x 2992 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~486 ppi density)
1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density)
PPI
1344
1440
Refresh Rate
120Hz
120Hz
Peak Brightness
N/A
N/A
HDR Support
✓
✓
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Performance
Chipset
Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)
Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China
CPU
Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.92 GHz Cortex-A520)
Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China
GPU
Mali-G715 MC7
Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China
Memory
128GB 16GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM
Expandable Storage
✗
✗
Card Slot
No
No
Camera
Main Camera
50 MP
108 MP
Main Camera Details
50 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS48 MP, f/2.8, 113mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom48 MP, f/1.7, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF,
108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Front Camera
42 MP
40 MP
Front Camera Details
42 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide), PDAF
40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video Recording
8K@30fps (via cloud-based upscaling), 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR
8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie Video
4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps
4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
OIS
✓
✓
Night Mode
✗
✗
RAW Support
✗
✗
Battery
Capacity
5060 mAh
5000 mAh
Battery Details
Li-Ion 5060 mAh
Li-Ion 5000 mAh
Charging Details
37W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 70% in 30 min23W wireless (w/ Pixel Stand)12W wireless (w/ Qi compatible charger)Reverse wirelessBypass charging (w/ "Limit to 80%" option enabled)
25W wired, PD3.015W wireless (Qi)4.5W reverse wireless
Fast Charging
✗
✗
Wireless Charging
✓
✓
Build & Design
Dimensions
162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm (6.41 x 3.02 x 0.33 in)
165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)
Weight
221 g
227 g
Materials
Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame
Water Resistance
N/A
N/A
Colors
Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, Obsidian
Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy
Foldable
✗
✗
Connectivity
SIM
Nano-SIM +eSIM
Nano-SIM +eSIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Network
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Network Speed
HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
5G
✓
✓
4G
✓
✓
WiFi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth
5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
5.2, A2DP, LE
NFC
✓
✓
USB
USB Type-C 3.2
USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
IR Blaster
✗
✗
Headphone Jack
✗
✗
Radio
✗
✗
Positioning
GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC
GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
Software
Operating System
Android 14, upgradable to Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades
Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
OS Version
Android 14, upgradable to Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades
Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
Security
Fingerprint
✓
✓
Face Unlock
✗
✗
Sensors
Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, thermometer (skin temperature)
Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Audio
Stereo Speakers
✓
✓
Loudspeaker
Yes, with stereo speakers
Yes, with stereo speakers
Audio Jack
No
No