The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Google Pixel 5 stand out as two of the most popular Android flagships on the market today. Both pack impressive specs and features into premium, compact builds. But which provides the best overall user experience?
In this comprehensive comparison guide, we‘ll analyze how these rivals stack up across all key categories – from design and display to performance and cameras. You‘ll find a detailed feature-by-feature breakdown, along with our final verdict on which phone reigns supreme.
Design & Build Quality
Right off the bat, some clear design differences quickly set the Galaxy S21 and Pixel 5 apart…
Dimensions & Weight
The S21 measures 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm and weighs 169g. The Pixel 5 comes in at 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm and just 151g. So Samsung‘s phone is taller and wider than the Pixel, resulting in a larger overall footprint. However, Google‘s phone is 0.1mm thicker and nearly 20g lighter.
Winner: Pixel 5 (more compact)
Materials
Samsung has crafted the S21 out of what they call "Glastic" – a plastic polymer rear reinforced with glass. The frame is aluminum. Google sticks with a standard aluminum body for the Pixel 5 with a bio-resin coating on the back which gives it a unique soft-touch, almost rubberized finish.
Winner: Draw
Colors
The Galaxy S21 debuted in Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom White and Phantom Pink. Only two muted Just Black and Sage Green colors exist for the Pixel 5.
Winner: S21 (more variety)
Durability
With an IP68 rating, the Galaxy S21 beats out the Pixel 5‘s IPX8 certification. That means Samsung‘s phone is fully dust protected in addition to withstanding submersion in 1.5m of water for 30 mins.
Winner: S21 (tougher build)
In-Hand Feel
Despite its larger size, the S21 still rests comfortably in one hand thanks to its smooth tapered rear. The Pixel 5‘s compact dimensions work to its advantage but some may find the texture too slippery.
Winner: Personal Preference
Displays
You‘ll be staring at your phone‘s screen constantly, so display quality matters. Let‘s see how these two phones compare.
Size & Resolution
The Galaxy S21 sports a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED display at 1080 x 2400 pixels (421 ppi). The Pixel 5 has a 6-inch flexible OLED display also at FHD+ 1080 x 2340 pixels (432 ppi). You get marginally more real estate and similar sharpness on the S21.
Winner: S21 slightly ahead
Refresh Rate
Samsung pulls ahead with its next-gen Variable Refresh Rate feature ranging from 48Hz to 120Hz. In contrast, the Pixel 5 display maxes out at 90Hz. This allows for much smoother scrolling and animations on the S21.
Winner: S21
Brightness
In terms of peak brightness for HDR content, Samsung again wins with 1500 nits versus Google‘s more typical 800 nits. Outdoor visibility is better on the S21 as a result.
Winner: S21
Other Features
The S21‘s ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader and HDR10+ support give it a slight additional edge. Both phones have edge-to-edge displays with center camera punch holes. Always-On display is available too.
Winner: S21
Performance & Battery Life
Now we dig into the internals to see how raw hardware specs translate into real-world experience.
Chipsets & Benchmarks
Qualcomm‘s top-shelf Snapdragon 888 powers the Galaxy S21, while Google went with the upper mid-range Snapdragon 765G for the Pixel 5. As you‘d expect, benchmarks heavily favor the S21. It earns over 2x higher scores in compute tests.
Winner: S21 (faster CPU & GPU)
RAM & Storage
Both phones come standard with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. But Samsung also offers a 256GB S21 model. MicroSD support is available on the S21 too for further expansion.
Winner: S21
Battery Life
On paper, the Pixel 5‘s 4080mAh cell beats out the 4000mAh battery in the S21. However, Google‘s phone benefits from a lower power chipset. In real-world tests, both phones last through a full day of moderate use just fine. The Pixel 5 edges things out slightly though with over 9hrs of video playback time versus just 8hrs on Samsung‘s device.
Winner: Pixel 5
Charging Speed
With 25W fast charging, Samsung nearly doubles Google‘s 18W top charging rate. You can juice back up quicker on the Galaxy S21. The Pixel 5 does support Qi wireless charging up to 12W as well.
Winner: S21 charges faster
Camera Reviews
Let‘s examine the smartphone photography prowess of each phone…
Rear Cameras
The Galaxy S21 sports three lenses – wide, ultra-wide and telephoto. Meanwhile, just two cameras adorn the back of Google‘s phone – standard and ultra-wide angle. So Samsung offers more shooting flexibility with true optical zoom capabilities.
Winner: S21 (3 lenses>
Photo Quality
Both phones utilize 12MP primary sensors of similar quality. But the S21 augment its shots with that 64MP tele lens and manages improved depth mapping for portraits. Overall image processing favors Google though, showing more true-to-life color. But detail and exposure is better on the S21.
Winner: Draw
Video Quality
Recording maxes out at 4K 60 fps on Samsung‘s device, beating the Pixel 5‘s 4K 30 fps cap. OIS and EIS stabilization produces rather smooth footage across both phones though.
Winner: S21 (4K 60fps)
Selfies
You get a 10MP front-facing shooter on the S21 versus an 8MP sensor for your selfies with the Pixel 5. Results are good across both thanks to software processing but Samsung ekes out a bit more fine detail.
Winner: S21
Software Comparison
Google‘s Pixel devices always shine thanks to clean software. But Samsung packs in plenty of its own enhancements too…
OS Builds
As you‘d expect, the Pixel 5 runs the unaltered stock Android 11 right out of the box. One UI 3.0 reskins things atop Android 11 on the Galaxy S21. Both UIs are polished and intuitive in their own right.
Winner: Personal Preference
Features & Additions
By sticking with Google‘s vision of Android, you get a streamlined experience devoid of duplicate apps on the Pixel 5. Samsung does load a suite of utilities like Bixby, Samsung Pay, SmartThings, DeX mode and more. But there‘s more flexibility too.
Winner: Tie
Updates
Google promises 3 years of prompt software and security patches for Pixel devices. Samsung guarantees a more typical 2 years of updates for its phones like the S21.
Winner: Pixel 5
Price & Value Comparison
Given all the above, which phone gives you more bang for your buck?
The Galaxy S21 originally retailed for $799 at launch for a model with 128GB storage. In contrast, the 128GB Pixel 5 debuted at $699.
As of mid-2022, Samsung‘s flagship can now be found brand new for around $600. Meanwhile, the Pixel 5 drops as low as $450 lightly used.
Overall, the Galaxy S21 clearly provides superior specs and performance for just a moderately higher investment both originally and now. That makes it the better value over Google‘s upper mid-range Pixel 5. With triple rear cameras, a gorgeous 120Hz display, much faster processor, and sleeker design, the S21 is easily worth stretching your budget slightly more.
The Pixel 5 only bests Samsung‘s offering in compactness, stock Android experience, still camera color quality, and battery efficiency. Nice bonuses but not enough to offset the S21‘s more impressive hardware capabilities.
Verdict
If we tally up the wins, the Samsung Galaxy S21 proves to be the superior all-around phone beating out Google‘s Pixel 5 in this head-to-head matchup.
You can expect clearly better build quality, display immersion, processing speeds, camera versatility and video recording from Samsung‘s flagship. Where the Pixel 5 does excel – battery efficiency, one-handed ergonomics and AI-enhanced photography – it‘s only by small degrees.
In our experience, the S21‘s higher resolution Dynamic AMOLED panel and Snapdragon 888 chip make a truly notable impact during everyday usage – be it visually pleasing web browsing or smooth intense 3D gaming. And the flexibility of a triple lens rear camera allows you to capture awesome shots in varied conditions.
So for just moderately higher cost, the Galaxy S21 gives you substantially improved specifications. Unless you specifically prefer compact phones with stock Android, Samsung‘s device is the superior option for most buyers.
