Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB) vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)

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Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?

1/16/2021 4:45 PM, updated: 9/27/2024 2:43 AM

Compare Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra X Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB) 11Points

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

6.4"
AMOLED

1440x2960

12.2
MP

8mp

8GB
RAM

Octa-core

4000
mAh

(Non removable)

24Points Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB) Compare Samsung Galaxy Note 9 X

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

6.8"
AMOLED

1440x3200

108
MP

40mp

12GB
RAM

Octa-core

5000
mAh

(Non removable)

What's the better phone? Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)

The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!

11 Advantages Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	vs	24 Advantages Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
+512GB (482GB available)4 times More internal storage for applications and files	vs	128GB (101GB available)
+Until 1TB microSD, microSDXCAdvantage More external storage for files using memory cards	vs	Not supported
+201 grams (7.04 ounces)13% Lighter	vs	227 grams (7.95 ounces)
+8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches)1% Thinner	vs	8.9 millimeters (0.35 inches)
+Dual-LED flashAdvantage The Dual-LED flash helps in dark places or in low light	vs	LED flash
+f/1.5 (aperture)20% Diaphragm opening (Aperture) of the camera which has the smallest F number takes photos with better light exposure.	vs	f/1.8 (aperture)
+ANT+Advantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+Heart rateAdvantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+Iris scannerAdvantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+SpO2Advantage Sensors help you use the device	vs	Not supported
+3.5mm jackAdvantage Headsets with 3.5mm Jack size are more common and easy to find in stores	vs	Type-C reversible connector
2.7GHz 64bit Octa-core (10nm)	vs	+2.9GHz 64bit Octa-core (5nm)14% More powerful processor, you can open your applications faster
8GB LPDDR4X	vs	+12GB LPDDR550% More RAM memory. Typically more responsive and better for multitasking.
UFS 2.1	vs	+UFS 3.1Advantage Fastest write and read storage.
HDR10	vs	+HDR10+Advantage The HDR10+ display provides vibrant colors and more details
60Hz	vs	+120Hz100% The display reproduces more frames per second because the frequency (Hertz) is higher, improves fluidity and tires your eyes less.
1440x2960 pixels	vs	+1440x3200 pixels8% Higher resolution screen
514 PPI	vs	+516 PPI1% Crisper display of text, images and videos because it has more pixels per inch (ppi)
6.4"	vs	+6.8"6% Larger screen
(dual camera) 12.2MP + 12MP	vs	+(quad camera) 108MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP5 times Higher resolution main camera
1/2.55" inches	vs	+1/1.33" inches92% The larger sensor camera lets you take photos with better depth.
(front) 8MP	vs	+(front) 40MP4 times Higher resolution secondary camera to take pictures and selfies
4K UHD (3840x2160)	vs	+8K UHD (7680x4320)3 times More image quality for recording videos with the primary camera
(front) 2K UHD (2560x1440)	vs	+(front) 4K UHD (3840x2160)125% More image quality for recording videos with the secondary camera
Android 10	vs	+Android 14Advantage Android 14 is newer and safer
4G LTE-A	vs	+5G SA/NSAAdvantage The 5G SA/NSA network is newer and faster
(4G LTE-A) 1200 Mbps	vs	+(5G SA/NSA) 5000 Mbps3 times Faster for surfing the internet and download files
Not supported	vs	+UWB (Ultra Wideband)Advantage Sensors help you use the device
4000 mAh	vs	+5000 mAh25% Battery - higher amperage (mAh) allows more device usage time, but it also depends on the hardware and use
15W	vs	+25W67% More power (watts) to charge the battery faster. Sometimes, the charger that comes with the device doesn't have the same power supported by the device. Check before you buy it.
2 slots (Dual-SIM) (hybrid slot/shares the same microSD slot)	vs	+2 slots (Dual-SIM) + e-SIM (Eletronic)Advantage You can have more mobile carriers/operators on the same device.
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5]	vs	+802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6]Advantage WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6] is newer and faster
Not supported	vs	+DLNAAdvantage With DLNA technology you can access and play media files on TV, tablet or DLNA compatible device.
5.0 + A2DP/LE	vs	+5.2 + A2DP/LEAdvantage Bluetooth 5.2 + A2DP/LE is newer and faster
USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go	vs	+USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-GoAdvantage Newer and faster USB version for transferring photos, mp3 or data.

31 Common items in both devices

Aluminum frame, glass front/back

Super AMOLED / Dynamic AMOLED

16 million

Digital and optical zoom

PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera / PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras

OIS: Optical stabilization

BSI sensor

+24 specs and more in the table below

Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.

Highlight differences

📱 Model features
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Change model		Choose the model
Model	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Other model names	Galaxy Note9 (Exynos) Dual-sim (8GB RAM), Samsung Crown	Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (SM-G998B/Dual-SIM)
Country or region available	(Europe), (Global, International), United Arab Emirates	(Global, International)
Brand	Samsung	Samsung
Release date	8/24/2018, Announced: 8/9/2018	1/29/2021, Announced: 1/14/2021
Depth	8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches)	8.9 millimeters (0.35 inches)
Size (width x height)	76.4 x 161.9 millimeters (3.01 x 6.37 in)	75.6 x 165.1 millimeters (2.98 x 6.5 in)
Weight	201 grams (7.04 ounces)	227 grams (7.95 ounces)
Build, materials	Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass 5	Aluminum frame, glass front/back
Protection against water and others	IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant	IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant
📲 Display
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Display type	Super AMOLED	Dynamic AMOLED
Screen size	6.4" inches	6.8" inches
Screen-to-body ratio	~84% (screen-to-body ratio)	~89.4% (screen-to-body ratio)
Display resolution	1440x2960 pixels (18.5:9)	1440x3200 pixels (20:9)
Touchscreen	Capacitive Multitouch 10-points	Capacitive Multitouch 10-points
Pixel density (dot pitch)	514 PPI	516 PPI
Colors	16 million	16 million
Scratch-resistant glass	Gorilla Glass 5	Gorilla Glass Victus
Refresh rate	60Hz	120Hz
Display features	HDR10 2.5D glass Always-On Display	1500nits[peak] HDR10+ Always-On Display
🤖 Operating System
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
System version	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android 11
Firmware update	Android 10	Android 14
User Interface	One UI 2.0 / 2.5	One UI 3.1 / 4.1 / 5.1 / 6.0
⚙️ Processor
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Chipset	64bit: Samsung Exynos 9810 (10nm)	64bit: Samsung Exynos 2100 (5nm)
CPU	Octa-core, 2 processors: 4x 2.7GHz Mongoose M3 (Quad-core) 4x 1.79GHz ARM Cortex-A55 (Quad-core)	Octa-core, 3 processors: 1x 2.9GHz ARM Cortex-X1 (Single-core) 3x 2.8GHz ARM Cortex-A78 (Triple-core) 4x 2.2GHz ARM Cortex-A55 (Quad-core)
GPU graphical controller	ARM Mali-G72 MP18 (572MHz)	ARM Mali-G78 MP14 (854MHz)
Performance (benchmark)	AnTuTu: 249124 (v7), 316449 (v8) Geekbench: 9026 (v4.4), 2092 (v5.1) GFXBench: 15fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	AnTuTu: 657150 (v8), 727634 (v9) Geekbench: 3457 (v5.2) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)
💽 Memory and storage
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
RAM memory	8GB LPDDR4X	12GB LPDDR5
Internal storage	512GB (482GB available) UFS 2.1	128GB (101GB available) UFS 3.1
External storage	Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC (hybrid slot/shares the same SIM-2 slot)	Not supported
📶 Mobile networks
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Dual-SIM	Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card (hybrid slot/shares the same microSD slot)	Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card
SIM card	2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF)	2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM
Maximum Download / Upload	1200/150 Mbps	5000/1920 Mbps
Network technology	2G, 3G, 4G	2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
Frequency, bands	Expand band details Collapse details
GSM MHz band	Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900	Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900
Primary 2G network	GSM 850/900/1800/1900	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Primary 3G network	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Primary 4G network	LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41)	LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 66) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41) VoLTE
Primary 5G network	Not supported	SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78)
Primary data network	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA
Secondary 2G network	GSM 850/900/1800/1900	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Secondary 3G network	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Secondary 4G network	LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41)	LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 66) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41) VoLTE
Secondary data network	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA
📷 Camera
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Back camera (main camera)	(dual camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP telephoto f/2.41/3.4"52mm1.0µmAFOIS2x-optical-zoom	(quad camera) 108 megapixels 10MP periscope telephoto f/4.9240mm1/3.24"1.22µmPDAFOIS10x-optical-zoom 10MP telephoto f/2.470mm1/3.24"1.22µmPDAFOIS3x-optical-zoom 12MP ultrawide f/2.213mm1/2.55"1.4µmPDAFSuper-Steady-video
Main camera resolution	4032x3024 pixels	12000x9000 pixels
Video recording (primary)	4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps	8K UHD (7680x4320) 24 fps
Flash	Dual-LED flash	LED flash
Focal aperture	f/1.5 (aperture)	f/1.8 (aperture)
Focal length	26mm (lens)	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	1/2.55" inches	1/1.33" inches
Pixel size	1.4µm pixel	1.8µm pixel
Autofocus	PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera	PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras
Touch focus	Supported	Supported
Image stabilization	OIS: Optical stabilization	OIS: Optical stabilization
Zoom	Digital and optical zoom	Digital and optical zoom
Face/smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection
BSI sensor	Supported	Supported
HDR	HDR photo/video on both cameras	HDR photo/video on both cameras
Camera extras	feature not registered	4K@60fps 1080p@240fps 720p@960fps
📸 Front camera
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Front camera (secondary)	8 megapixels	40 megapixels
Front camera resolution	3264x2448 pixels	7296x5472 pixels
Video recording (secondary)	2K UHD (2560x1440)	4K UHD (3840x2160)
Front flash	Not supported	Not supported
Focal aperture	f/1.7 (aperture)	f/2.2 (aperture)
Focal length	25mm (lens)	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	1/3.6" inches	1/2.8" inches
Pixel size	1.22µm pixel	0.7µm pixel
🔉 Sound and multimedia
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Loudspeaker	Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz	Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz Dolby Atmos Tuned by AKG
Active noise cancellation	2 microphones or more	3 microphones
Radio	FM	FM
TV	Not supported	Not supported
Video formats	MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, DivX, XviD	MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV
Audio formats	MP3, OGG, eAAC+, FLAC	MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC
🔌 Connectivity
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
USB	USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go	USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go
Audio output	3.5mm jack	Type-C reversible connector
TV output	USB Type-C SlimPort®	USB Type-C (reversible)
Bluetooth	5.0 + A2DP/LE	5.2 + A2DP/LE
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot
DLNA	Not supported	Supported
GPS	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou
NFC	Supported	Supported
Infrared port	Not supported	Not supported
🧭 Sensors
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Sensors	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted) Gyroscope Hall effect Heart rate Iris scanner Proximity sensor SpO2	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (under display) Gesture Gyroscope Hall effect Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband)
Vibrating alert	Supported	Supported
🔋 Battery
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Battery type	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable)	LiPo: li-ion polymer (Non removable)
Battery capacity	4000 mAh	5000 mAh
Charger, watts	15W Wired fast charging	25W Wired fast charging USB Power Delivery 3.0
Inductive / wireless charging	Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA)	15W Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) 4.5W Reverse wireless charging
Talk time autonomy	feature not registered	feature not registered
Standby	feature not registered	feature not registered
➕ Other features
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Call control	Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands	Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands
Messaging	SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail	SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail
Hands-free calling	Supported	Supported
Video calling	Supported	Supported
Ringtones	Polyphonic and customized	Polyphonic and customized
Web browser	HTML, XHTML, HTML5	HTML, XHTML, HTML5
Antenna	Internal antenna	Internal antenna
Qwerty physical keyboard	Not supported	Not supported
Miscellaneous	• Colors: Black, Copper, Purple, Blue • S Pen Stylus (Bluetooth) • Samsung Pay • Samsung DeX	• Colors: Phantom Black, Silver, Titanium, Navy, Brown • Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard) • Samsung DeX • Stylus pen support
☢️ Radiation rate
	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 512GB)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.)	feature not registered	0.24W/kg (head), 0.72W/kg (body)
SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.)	0.381W/kg (head), 1.509W/kg (body)	0.714W/kg (head), 1.58W/kg (body)