Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs S21 Plus

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs S21 Plus

Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 7.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1) that was released on August 10, 2022, against the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, which is powered by Exynos 2100 and came out 19 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.

Key differences

An overview of the main advantages of each smartphone
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
  • The rear camera has a 3x optical zoom
  • Has a 0.9 inch larger screen size
  • 42% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (1188K versus 839K)
  • Better camera quality (According to DxOMark rating)
  • Has 50% more RAM: 12GB versus 8GB
  • Newer Bluetooth version (v5.2)
  • Delivers 13% higher peak brightness (1005 against 888 nits)
  • The phone is 1-year and 7-months newer
  • 17% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 1669 and 1429 points
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
  • Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
  • Comes with 400 mAh larger battery capacity: 4800 vs 4400 mAh
  • Better grip in hands – the body is 54.5 mm narrower
  • Weighs 63 grams less

Review

Evaluation of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and S21 Plus crucial features
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
NanoReview Score
Final comparison evaluation

Value for money

Tests and specifications

Comparison table of technical specifications and tests

Display

Type Dynamic AMOLED Dynamic AMOLED
Size 7.6 inches 6.7 inches
Resolution 1812 x 2176 pixels 1080 x 2400 pixels
Aspect ratio 10.8:9 20:9
PPI 374 ppi 394 ppi
Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
Adaptive refresh rate Yes No
Max rated brightness 500 nits 1300 nits
Max rated brightness in HDR 1200 nits -
HDR support Yes, HDR10+ Yes, HDR10+
Screen protection Gorilla Glass Victus Plus Gorilla Glass Victus
Screen-to-body ratio 90.9% 88.3%
Display features - DCI-P3
- Always-On Display
- DCI-P3
- Always-On Display
Display tests
RGB color space 95.5% 98.9%
PWM 120 Hz 240 Hz
Response time 1 ms 6.2 ms
Contrast ∞ Infinity ∞ Infinity
Peak brightness test (auto)
1005 nits

Design and build

Height 155.1 mm (6.11 inches) 161.5 mm (6.36 inches)
Width 130.1 mm (5.12 inches) 75.6 mm (2.98 inches)
Thickness 6.3 mm (0.25 inches) 7.8 mm (0.31 inches)
Weight 263 g (9.28 oz) 200 g (7.05 oz)
Waterproof IPX8 IP68
Rear material Glass Glass
Frame material Metal Metal
Colors Black, Green, Burgundy Black, Silver, Gold, Red, Purple
Fingerprint scanner Yes, in-button Yes, in-display
Screen-to-body ratio

Performance

Tests of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in the benchmarks
SoC
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Samsung Exynos 2100
Max clock 3190 MHz 2840 MHz
CPU cores 8 (1 + 3 + 4) 8 (1 + 3 + 4)
Architecture - 4 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A510
- 3 cores at 2.75 GHz: Cortex-A710
- 1 core at 3.2 GHz: Cortex-X2
- 4 cores at 2.2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 3 cores at 2.81 GHz: Cortex-A78
- 1 core at 2.91 GHz: Cortex-X1
L3 cache 6 MB -
Lithography process 4 nanometers 5 nanometers
Graphics Adreno 730 Mali-G78 MP14
GPU shading units 1536 896
GPU clock 900 MHz 854 MHz
FLOPS ~2764.8 GFLOPS ~1530.4 GFLOPS

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
AnTuTu Benchmark 10
CPU 317066 244088
GPU 417945 269299
Memory 210433 159004
UX 242824 164833
Total score 1188589 839148
3DMark Wild Life Performance
Max surface temperature 36.5 °C 41.5 °C
Stability 62% 67%
Graphics test 57 FPS 33 FPS
Graphics score 9650 5538
Web score 11671 -
Video editing 7375 -
Photo editing 32335 -
Data manipulation 11170 -
Writing score 16885 -

Memory

RAM
RAM size 12 GB 8 GB
Memory type LPDDR5 LPDDR5
Memory clock 3200 MHz 2750 MHz
Channels 4 2
Storage
Storage size 256, 512, 1024 GB 128, 256 GB
Storage type UFS 3.1 UFS 3.1
Memory card No No

Software

Operating system Android 12 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 13)
ROM One UI 5.1.1 One UI 5.1
OS size - 27.2 GB

Battery

Capacity 4400 mAh 4800 mAh
Max charge power 25 W 25 W
Battery type Li-Po Li-Ion
Replaceable No No
Wireless charging Yes (11 W) Yes (15 W)
Reverse charging Yes, (wireless) Yes, (wireless)
Fast charging Yes (50% in 30 min) Yes (54% in 30 min)
Full charging time 1:19 hr 1:12 hr
Battery life tests
Web browsing 09:26 hr 09:17 hr
Watching video 13:32 hr 15:27 hr
Gaming 04:32 hr 05:07 hr
Standby 101 hr 101 hr
General battery life

Camera

Specs and camera test of smartphones
Main camera
Matrix 50 megapixels 12 megapixels
Image resolution 8160 x 6120 4000 x 3000
Zoom Optical, 3x Optical, 1.1x
Flash LED Dual LED
Stabilization Optical Optical
8K video recording Up to 24FPS Up to 24FPS
4K video recording Up to 60FPS Up to 60FPS
1080p video recording Up to 60FPS Up to 60FPS
Slow motion 960 FPS (720p) 960 FPS (720p)
Angle of widest lens 123° 120°
Lenses 3 (50 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP) 3 (12 MP + 64 MP + 12 MP)
Wide (main) lens - 50 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8
- Pixel size: 1 micron
- Sensor: 1/1.56", Samsung GN3 (ISOCELL Plus CMOS)
- Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)
- Optical stabilization
- 12 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8
- Focal length: 26 mm
- Pixel size: 1.8 micron
- Sensor: 1/1.76", Sony IMX555 (Exmor-RS CMOS)
- Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)
- Optical stabilization
Telephoto lens - 12 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4
- Focal length: 52 mm
- Pixel size: 1 micron
- Sensor: 1/3.94", Samsung S5K3K1 (ISOCELL CMOS)
- Phase autofocus
- Optical stabilization
- 64 MP
- Aperture: f/2.0
- Focal length: 28 mm
- Pixel size: 0.8 micron
- Sensor: 1/1.72", Samsung Bright S5KGW2 (ISOCELL Plus CMOS)
- Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)
- Optical stabilization
Ultra-wide lens - 12 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2
- Focal length: 12 mm
- Pixel size: 1.12 micron
- Sensor: 1/3.06", Sony IMX258 (Exmor-RS CMOS)
- 12 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2
- Focal length: 13 mm
- Pixel size: 1.4 micron
- Sensor: 1/2.55", Sony IMX563 (Exmor-RS CMOS)
- Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)
Camera features - Bokeh mode
- Pro mode
- Bokeh mode
- Pro mode
- RAW support
Samples Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 from DxOMark Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus from DxOMark
Selfie camera
Megapixels 10 megapixels 10 megapixels
Image resolution 3648 x 2736 3872 x 2592
Aperture f/1.8 f/2.2
Focal length - 26 mm
Pixel size - 1.22 microns
Sensor type - Exmor-RS CMOS
Sensor size - 1/3.24"
Video resolution 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS

DxOMark camera tests

Photo quality
Video quality
Generic camera score

Connectivity

Wi-Fi standard Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Wi-Fi features - Dual Band
- Wi-Fi MiMO
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Wi-Fi Display
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi MiMO
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Wi-Fi Display
Bluetooth version 5.2 5
Bluetooth features LE LE, A2DP
USB type USB Type-C USB Type-C
USB version 3.2 3.2
USB features - Charging
- USB-Storage mode
- OTG
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode
- USB-Host mode
- OTG
GPS GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
NFC * Yes Yes
Infrared port No No
Network
Number of SIM * 2 2
Type of SIM card Nano Nano
Multi SIM mode Standby Standby
eSIM support * Yes Yes
Hybrid slot No No
LTE Cat * 20 24
5G support Yes Yes

Sound

Speakers Stereo Stereo
Headphone audio jack No No
FM radio No No
Dolby Atmos Yes Yes
Speakers test
Max loudness

Other

Category Flagship Flagship
Announced August 2022 January 2021
Release date August 2022 February 2021
SAR (head) 1.3 W/kg 0.54 W/kg
SAR (body) 1.51 W/kg 1.33 W/kg
Sensors - Hall-effect sensor
- Barometer
- Proximity sensor
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- Compass
- Fingerprint
- Hall-effect sensor
- Barometer
- Proximity sensor
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- Compass
- Fingerprint
Bundled charger Not included -
* Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.

Conclusion

If the display, camera, performance, and gaming are more important to you, then choose the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 . But if the design is more of a priority – go for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus .

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