Galaxy S23 Vs. Galaxy S21: Is It Time To Upgrade?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a powerful new Android flagship, but should users of the two-year-old Galaxy S21 upgrade now or wait another year?

With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a triple-rear camera setup, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is here to rule the Android flagship market, but how does it compare to the Galaxy S21? Samsung released the Galaxy S21 a couple of years ago alongside the Galaxy S21 Plus and the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and all the phones featured top-of-the-line hardware. While the phone continues to receive updates and perform well in 2023, should existing users be looking to upgrade this year?

The Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S21 have centrally located punch-hole front cameras and symmetrical bezels in the front. However, with the Galaxy S23, Samsung has bid farewell to the contour cut module of the Galaxy S21. All cameras on the Galaxy S23 have individual rings surrounding them. Another difference that should help users distinguish between the phones is color. While the Galaxy S23 is available in colors like cream, lavender, green and black, the Galaxy S21 comes in violet, pink, gray, and white finishes.

Related: Galaxy S23 Vs. Galaxy S23 Plus: Should You Spend $799 Or $999?

Galaxy S23 Vs. Galaxy S21: Display & Processor

Both the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S21 have a Dynamic AMOLED screen that supports up to a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The Galaxy S23’s 6.1-inch display can achieve a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, while the Galaxy S21’s slightly larger 6.2-inch screen tops out at 1,300 nits. When it comes to processors, the Galaxy S23 takes the lead with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which offers better memory management and power dissipation than the Snapdragon 888 on the Galaxy S21. Unsurprisingly, the new Galaxy S23 outscores the older device in synthetic benchmark tests and should perform better when multitasking or gaming. Both phones come with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, but neither have a microSD card slot for expansion.

When it comes to cameras, Samsung has used triple cameras on the Galaxy S and Galaxy S Plus models for the last few years, and the Galaxy S23 is no different. The Galaxy S23 has a 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary camera, which captures more details than the 12MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary camera on the Galaxy S21. For capturing subjects at a distance, the Galaxy S23 has a 10MP (f.2.4, OIS) telephoto camera, and the Galaxy S21 has a 64MP (f/2.0, OIS) telephoto lens, both with 3x optical zoom. Last but not least, both phones have a 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide sensor.

In the front, both phones have an autofocus selfie shooter – a 12MP (f/2.2) sensor on the Galaxy S23 and a 10MP (f/2.2) sensor on the Galaxy S21. Those who use their smartphone to record videos or create content can shoot up to 8K at 30fps on the Galaxy S23 and up to 8K at 24fps on the Galaxy S21. The front cameras are also capable of shooting in 4K at 60fps.

Galaxy S23 Vs. Galaxy S21: Battery & Software

Now, let’s talk about the battery capacity of flagships. The Galaxy S23 comes with a 3,900mAh battery, slightly smaller than the 4,000mAh battery on the Galaxy S21. Nonetheless, both phones support up to 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. In addition, both phones feature reverse wireless charging to charge other smartphones and gadgets such as earbuds and smartwatches.

As for Wi-Fi connectivity, the Galaxy S23 supports the new Wi-Fi 6E standard, whereas the Galaxy S21 supports Wi-Fi 6. Both phones support 5G (mmWave and Sub-6GHz). Regarding software support, Samsung has promised four years of OS upgrades for both the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S23. This means that the former will continue to receive software updates until 2025. With a powerful chipset and 5G compatibility, the Samsung Galaxy S21 should be good for another couple of years. So while Galaxy S21 users don’t necessarily need to upgrade in 2023, those who want the latest Android hardware or are looking for a change can’t go wrong by trading in their smartphone for the Galaxy S23.

More: Galaxy S23 Ultra Vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Is It Worth Upgrading?

Source: Samsung 1, 2