Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+

This time around we’re comparing two high-end smartphones from Samsung. Well, one of them is the current high-end smartphone, while the other one is in the past. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+. The Galaxy S23+ kind of lives in the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s shadow at the moment, but it’s sure an excellent smartphone. We enjoyed using it quite a bit.

Some of you are probably wondering how it compares to its older cousin. Well, that’s what we’re here to find out, in case you’re thinking of upgrading, or something of the sort. We’ll first list the specs of both devices, side-by-side, and will then move to compare them across a number of categories. Let’s get started, shall we?

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: Design

When the design is concerned, they’re quite similar, actually. They have the same exact shape, and look very similar in general. Still, it’s very easy to differentiate between them due to the cameras on the back. The Galaxy S21+ has a dedicated camera island, while the Galaxy S23+ does not. Its camera protrudes directly from the phone’s backplate. The Galaxy S23+’s cameras also take up more space on the back.

Both phones include a flat display, with a centered display camera hole up top. The bezels are very thin on both phones, and both devices have rounded corners, and display corners. The physical buttons sit on the right-hand side of both devices. They’re also both made out of metal and glass. The Galaxy S23+ has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back, while the Galaxy S21+ has Gorilla Glass Victus.

The Galaxy S23+ is slightly shorter, and a bit wider than the Galaxy S21+. The two phones are almost equally thick. Samsung’s newer model is about 4-5 grams lighter in comparison. It’s worth saying that the Galaxy S23+ does have a slightly smaller display, and a different aspect ratio, hence the differences. They’re both quite slippery in the hand, and are not particularly good for one-hand use due to their size. Still, they’re not even close to the largest phones in the market. They do feel nice in the hand, though.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: Display

The Galaxy S23+ includes a 6.6-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This is a flat display with a 120Hz refresh rate (adaptive). It supports HDR10+ content, and it gets quite bright at 1,750 nits of peak brightness. It has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and the panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the same protection as you’ll find on the back of the phone.

The Galaxy S21+, on the flip side, has a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This display is also flat, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate (adaptive). It also supports HDR10+ content, but it’s less bright than the Galaxy S23’s panel. It can get up to 1,300 nits of peak brightness. This display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.

Both panels look excellent, actually. Both are very sharp, vivid, and have good viewing angles. Touch response was also quite good during our usage, so no complaints there. When used outdoors, in direct sunlight, the difference is quite noticeable. The Galaxy S23+’s panel does get noticeably brighter. Even when the sun is out of the question, that display is more pleasant to use. So, if you do spend a lot of time outdoors, in bright light, the Galaxy S23+ is definitely the better choice. If not, both panels are excellent.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: Performance

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC fuels the Galaxy S23+. That phone also has 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Galaxy S21+, on the other hand, is fueled by the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100, depending on the market. It includes 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Galaxy S23+ does have the advantage from the performance hardware side of things.

Is that advantage noticeable during usage? Well, yes, actually. In regular, not demanding tasks, it’s far less noticeable, as both phones do feel very smooth. The Galaxy S23+ does not stutter, though, almost at all, while that is something you will notice on the Galaxy S21+, especially the Exynos model. The difference is more noticeable in games, though. The Galaxy S23+ can handle pretty much any game with ease, as can the Galaxy S21+, but it does struggle a bit more with the most demanding titles.

Another difference can be noticed in heat dissipation, well, especially if you have the Exynos model of the Galaxy S21+. The Galaxy S23+ does manage to stay cooler at all times. The Snapdragon 888 is also good in that regard, but not as much as the Galaxy S23+. So, yes, the newer model is the better performer overall, which is to be expected. The Galaxy S21+ is still good, though, and nothing to scoff at.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: Battery

A 4,700mAh battery sits inside the Galaxy S23+, while you’ll find a 4,800mAh unit inside the Galaxy S21+. In our experience, both phones do a good job when it comes to battery life, but not to the level of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That phone has simply outstanding battery life, so we’re not sure why it did not translate to the Galaxy S23+, as the specs are similar. In fact, based on the specs, the Galaxy S23+ should be able to push further than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but that’s not the case.

The Galaxy S23+ can cross over the 8-hour screen-on-time mark. In our case, we still had around 10-15% of battery life at that point, sometimes even a bit more. Do note that gaming was not a part of the picture, though. The Galaxy S21+ is not close to such numbers, at least it wasn’t back in the day. We are talking about the Snapdragon 888 model, though. Still, if memory serves well, it did fly close to 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time. Both phones are quite good in that regard.

The Galaxy S23+ supports 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy S21+ is on the same playing field when it comes to wireless and reverse wireless charging. It’s a bit slower in terms of wired charging, though, as it comes with 25W charging. One thing to note is that neither phone offers a charger in the box. You’ll have to get it separately if you don’t have it already. Just get a PD3.0 charger and you’re good to go.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The Galaxy S21+ has a 12-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and a 64-megapixel telephoto unit (1.1x optical zoom). Now, both phones are capable of capturing really good photos, but the Galaxy S23+ definitely stands out.

Both phones do take really nice-looking photos during the day, but the Galaxy S23+ does manage to capture slightly more detail. It also does a better job when it comes to balancing photos, and with HDR situations. In low light, both phones manage to retain a lot of light from the shadows, but the Galaxy S23+ shots end up looking sharper in general. You’ll definitely notice the difference.

The telephoto camera does a better job on the Galaxy S23+, as the Galaxy S21+ doesn’t offer anything close to 3x optical zoom. The ultrawide camera during the day does a good job on both phones, but the photos from the Galaxy S23+ do end up looking less artificial. It also does a bit better in low light too. The video recording is good on both, but once again, the Galaxy S23+ does stand out, as the footage ends up looking a bit more stable and better processed. The differences are not colossal, though, not at all.

Audio

There is a set of stereo speakers on both smartphones. Speakers on both devices do sound good, but the Galaxy S23+ does seem to provide a better balance. It sounds a bit different, and a bit more detailed. The difference is not that big at all, and both phones are great in this regard.

What you will not find on either phone is an audio jack. You will be forced to use that Type-C port if you’d like to connect your headphones via a wire. If not, there is Bluetooth 5.3 included on the Galaxy S23+, and Bluetooth 5.0 on the Galaxy S21+.