Samsung Galaxy S21 vs M33 5G
Here we compared two smartphones: the 6.2-inch Samsung Galaxy S21 (with Exynos 2100) that was released on January 14, 2021, against the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G, which is powered by Exynos 1280 and came out 14 months after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- 91% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (806K versus 423K)
- Delivers 62% higher peak brightness (864 against 534 nits)
- Handles wireless charging up to 15W
- Optical image stabilization
- The rear camera has a 1.1x optical zoom
- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
- Uses a faster type of memory: LPDDR5 2750 MHz
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 6 wireless networks
- Stereo speakers
- Dynamic AMOLED display (versus competitor''s TFT LCD)
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G
- Comes with 1000 mAh larger battery capacity: 5000 vs 4000 mAh
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.1)
- Expandable storage via MicroSD card up to 1024GB
- Has a 0.4 inch larger screen size
- The phone is 1-year and 2-months newer
- Includes a 3.5 mm headphone audio jack port
Review
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
Scores with a red asterisk (
*
) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Value for money
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED | TFT LCD |
| Size | 6.2 inches | 6.6 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2408 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 20:9 | 20:9 |
| PPI | 421 ppi | 400 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 800 nits | 430 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10+ | No |
| Screen protection | Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 87.2% | 82.5% |
| Display features |
- DCI-P3
- Always-On Display |
- |
| RGB color space | 99.5% | 99.8% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | Not detected |
| Response time | 5 ms | 23 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | 1090:1 |
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 151.7 mm (5.97 inches) | 165.4 mm (6.51 inches) |
| Width | 71.2 mm (2.8 inches) | 76.9 mm (3.03 inches) |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) | 9.4 mm (0.37 inches) |
| Weight | 169 g (5.96 oz) | 198 g (6.98 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | No |
| Rear material | Plastic | Plastic |
| Frame material | Metal | Plastic |
| Colors | White, Gray, Pink, Purple | Blue, Green |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-display | Yes, in-button |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Samsung Exynos 1280 |
| Max clock | 2900 MHz | 2400 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (1 + 3 + 4) | 8 (2 + 6) |
| Architecture |
- 4 cores at 2.2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 3 cores at 2.81 GHz: Cortex-A78 - 1 core at 2.91 GHz: Cortex-X1 |
- 6 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 2 cores at 2.4 GHz: Cortex-A78 |
| Lithography process | 5 nanometers | 5 nanometers |
| Graphics | Mali-G78 MP14 | Mali-G68 MP4 |
| GPU shading units | 896 | - |
| GPU clock | 854 MHz | 1000 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~1530.4 GFLOPS | ~487 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
AnTuTu Benchmark 10
| CPU | 150223 | 127942 |
| GPU | 340353 | 104713 |
| Memory | 151885 | 82375 |
| UX | 158712 | 107197 |
| Total score | 806977 | 423045 |
3DMark Wild Life Performance
| Max surface temperature | 38.9 °C | 44.8 °C |
| Stability | 66% | 91% |
| Graphics test | 34 FPS | 13 FPS |
| Graphics score | 5714 | 2233 |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 12591 | 8826 |
| Video editing | 7113 | 7323 |
| Photo editing | 29385 | 20836 |
| Data manipulation | 10438 | 8730 |
| Writing score | 16561 | 14177 |
Memory
| RAM size | 8 GB | 6, 8 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 2750 MHz | - |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 128, 256 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 2.2 |
| Memory card | No | MicroSD |
| Memory card max size | - | Up to 1024 GB |
Software
| Operating system | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) | Android 12 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) |
| ROM | One UI 5.1 | One UI 5.0 |
| OS size | 28.1 GB | 26.4 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 25 W | 25 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes (15 W) | No |
| Reverse charging | Yes, (wireless) | Yes |
| Fast charging | Yes (55% in 50 min) | Yes (45% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:35 hr | 1:28 hr |
| Web browsing | 07:27 hr | - |
| Watching video | 12:26 hr | - |
| Gaming | 04:31 hr | - |
| Standby | 92 hr | - |
General battery life
Camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 50 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 8700 x 5800 |
| Zoom | Optical, 1.1x | Digital |
| Flash | Dual LED | LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Digital |
| 8K video recording | Up to 24FPS | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 30FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 960 FPS (720p) | 240 FPS (720p) |
| Angle of widest lens | 120° | 123° |
| Lenses | 3 (12 MP + 64 MP + 12 MP) | 4 (50 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP) |
| Wide (main) lens |
- 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 |
- 50 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8 - Focal length: 26 mm - Phase autofocus |
| Telephoto lens |
- 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: 13 mm - Pixel size: 1.4 micron - Sensor: 1/2.55", Sony IMX563 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
- 5 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2 - Pixel size: 1.12 micron - Sensor: 1/4" (CMOS) |
| Macro lens | - |
- 2 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 |
| Depth lens | - |
- 2 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 |
| Camera features |
- Bokeh mode
- Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode |
| Samples | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S21 from DxOMark | - |
| Megapixels | 10 megapixels | 8 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 3872 x 2592 | 3264 x 2448 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | - |
| Pixel size | 1.22 microns | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/3.24" | - |
| Video resolution | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS |
DxOMark camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic camera score
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Wi-Fi features |
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.1 |
| Bluetooth features | LE, A2DP | PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.2 | 2 |
| USB features |
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode - USB-Host mode - OTG |
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS |
| NFC * | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM * | 2 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | Standby |
| eSIM support * | Yes | No |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat * | 24 | - |
| 5G support | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Mono |
| Headphone audio jack | No | Yes |
| FM radio | No | Yes |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Budget |
| Announced | January 2021 | March 2022 |
| Release date | February 2021 | April 2022 |
| SAR (head) | 0.46 W/kg | 1.04 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.51 W/kg | 1.38 W/kg |
| Sensors |
- Hall-effect sensor
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | - | Not included |
*
Disclaimer!
NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S21 is definitely a better buy.