Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S20 series: Is it worth an upgrade?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series had an impressive lineup when it first launched more than a year ago, and the new Galaxy S21 series has already proved to be a worthy successor. Building on what made last year’s models great, comparing the Galaxy S21 vs S20 lineups is essentially a highlight reel from a flagship wishlist.

See also: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review | Samsung Galaxy S21 review

Much like last year, the S21 lineup consists of three phones: the Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra. Each of these delivers the flagship performance fans expect.

But is it worth the upgrade if you already have the Galaxy S20? Or is the S21 a better buy than last year’s model, even with a hefty discount? Here’s our in-depth comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S20 series.

Our first impressions: Samsung Galaxy S21 series: Cheaper, but are they better?

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S20

Specs

Design and display

The Galaxy S21 lineup has a fresh, new design that’s likely to be a trendsetter for 2021 flagships. Instead of an unsightly camera bump, it has a curved bump integrated into the back panel of the phone. Samsung is calling this “Contour Cut Camera housing,” and it integrates directly into the phone’s metal frame. This makes for an attractive appearance that’s sure to turn heads.

Compared to the Galaxy S20, this should also make the S21 much more comfortable to hold. Then again, if you use a phone case, you might not notice too much of a difference. One big change is the back of the regular Galaxy S21 model, which is now made of “glasstic” instead of real glass.

Related: The best Samsung phones

As for the display, the new devices once again have 120Hz adaptive displays, although the resolution on the two cheaper devices is actually lower than the previous models. Hopefully, this means it can sustain 120Hz without lowering the resolution or taking a major hit to battery life, something the S20 models struggle to achieve. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus also now have flat displays and lower resolutions, clocking in at 1080p instead of 1440p.

The physical size of each device is roughly the same across generations. However, the S21 series devices are slightly heavier overall than the S20 phones.

Hardware and camera

When comparing the Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S20 lineups’ hardware, you’re essentially comparing the top-of-the-line specs from each respective year.

The S20 lineup is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (or Samsung Exynos 990), which offers flagship power and built-in 5G capabilities. It’s since been superseded (twice), and its successor, the Snapdragon 888, powers the Samsung Galaxy S21 phones in the US. Internationally, the phones ship with Samsung’s own Exynos 2100.

Read also: 2021 SoC showdown: Snapdragon 888 vs Exynos 2100 vs Kirin 9000 vs Apple A14

While historically the Exynos versions of each phone were woefully underpowered compared to their Snapdragon counterparts, 2021 should bring the two closer than ever. This is true when it comes to energy consumption, at the very least. Exynos graphics may still lag, but performance-wise it should be a big step up from the S20 Exynos variants.

Apart from that, the RAM has actually been reduced on the two standard models between generations, from 12GB to 8GB. The S21 Ultra, however, maintains the 12 and 16GB variants. That said, 8GB is more than enough for everyday use.

The drop in RAM wasn’t the only cut, either. None of the S21 phones feature microSD card support, so if you want expanded memory, you’ll want to stick with the Galaxy S20 lineup. They also no longer ship with a charger, so be prepared to shell out extra money if you don’t have one handy.

However, the premium Galaxy S21 Ultra has a new trick up its sleeve: S Pen support. This is the first time the popular feature makes the jump from the Galaxy Note line, and it should help you make better use of the larger screen.

As for the cameras, we performed extensive testing on the S20 camera systems, and the results were fairly impressive. In our opinion, they aren’t quite up to the high standards set by Google’s Pixel lineup or HUAWEI’s flagships, but they continue a long history of great camera performance from Samsung.

The S21 lineup features largely the same camera array, with a 12MP wide-angle, 64MP telephoto, and 12MP ultra-wide on the S21 and S21 Plus. The S21 Ultra, much like last year, turns things up a notch with a 108MP wide-angle, two 10MP telephoto (3x and 10x), and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. We’ve been furiously testing the new camera against other market leaders, so check out the results:

Camera shootout: Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Pixel 5 | Camera shootout: Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

Camera shootout: Galaxy S21 Ultra vs HUAWEI P40 Pro Plus

Software

While the Galaxy S20 series was recently upgraded to One UI 3.0 in December of 2020, the new S21 lineup launched with One UI 3.1. The newest version of Samsung’s Android skin is also rolling out to older devices while you read this, so you may already have the latest features.

Samsung’s One UI 3.1 mainly brings some of the better photography options from the Galaxy S21 family to previous-generation devices. It features an improved Single Take mode, removing objects from pictures, and even a blue light filter. Of course, it won’t grant you a few of the better hardware features, but it’s a start.

Price and colors

Perhaps the most notable difference between the Galaxy S20 and S21 lineups is the pricing. At launch, the starting price for each variant is a full $200 cheaper than its predecessor. Obviously, now that the phones are over a year old, you can get S20 phones at a steep discount, but the price drop is hugely significant.

This is the first time since the Galaxy S9 that Samsung has lowered the starting price of its flagship phones year-over-year. At $799, the Galaxy S21 is competing more directly with phones from the likes of OnePlus and LG. It seems that the backlash over price hikes has finally had an effect.

As for colorways, the S20 lineup comes in Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink, and Aura Blue, depending on the model.

The S21 lineup switches to a new all-matte “phantom” color scheme. At launch, these include Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, and Phantom White. The S21 and S21 Plus will later be offered in Phantom Gold and Phantom Red, and the S21 Ultra in Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S20: Should you really upgrade?

If you already have a phone from the S20 series, you have a compelling device on your hands. It’s still one of the best phones you can buy, even if the S21 series is a slight bump up (despite some downgrades here and there). Ultimately, they will offer almost the same experience in daily use.

There are, however, a few exceptions. The Exynos variants, in particular, are vastly improved. The extra battery life and performance may be worth an upgrade if you’re outside of the US.

For those interested in the highest-end model, the S21 Ultra’s inclusion of S Pen support is a gamechanger. No longer do you need to buy a Note to use a stylus on your Samsung phone. Unfortunately, you will have to buy the S Pen separately.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the S21 series is launching significantly cheaper. Coming in $200 less, they offer great value for just about anyone shopping for a new flagship in 2021.

Will you be picking up the latest Galaxy phones? Let us know in the comments.