Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the cheaper of the two at $1,199 versus $1,300, a difference of about $101. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra stands out for 100x space zoom with 10x optical telephoto, while Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is praised for 200mp main + 50mp 5x periscope telephoto. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra if…
- →100x Space Zoom with 10x optical telephoto
- →108 MP main sensor with excellent detail
- →S Pen support (first S-series to do so)
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if…
- →200MP main + 50MP 5x periscope telephoto
- →Privacy Display limits side-angle viewing
- →S Pen built in
Pros & Cons
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Pros
- 100x Space Zoom with 10x optical telephoto
- 108 MP main sensor with excellent detail
- S Pen support (first S-series to do so)
- 1440p 120Hz LTPO adaptive display
- 5000 mAh battery with all-day endurance
Cons
- Heavy at 227 g
- Snapdragon 888 can overheat under load
- S Pen sold separately, no silo slot
- Slow 25W charging for the class
- No charger or earbuds in the box
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Pros
- 200MP main + 50MP 5x periscope telephoto
- Privacy Display limits side-angle viewing
- S Pen built in
- 0.3mm thinner than S25 Ultra at 214g
- 16GB RAM with up to 1TB
Cons
- $1300 starting price
- Same 45W charging as S25 Ultra
- Marginal upgrade if coming from S25 Ultra
Full Specifications
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 11, One UI 3.1 | Android 16, One UI 8 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 227 g | 214 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus | Titanium frame, Gorilla Armor 2 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm | 162 x 77 x 8.2 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 108 MP, f/1.8, OIS | 200 MP, f/1.7, OIS |
| Front camera | 40 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps | 8K@30fps, 4K@120fps |
| Periscope | 10 MP, f/4.9, 10x optical zoom | — |
| Telephoto | 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom | 50 MP, f/2.6, 5x optical zoom, 10x optical-quality zoom |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2 | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 25W wired | 45W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W wireless | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.8 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, LTPO | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 3200 x 1440 | 1440 x 3120 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 1500 | 2600 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) | Octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.4 |
Want to compare a third product?
Add another product for a 3-way comparison.
Related Comparisons
This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
Explore more in phones, see all Samsung products or all Samsung products. View full details for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.