YourSamsung Galaxy S21has of late turned three geezerhood old . To celebrate its milestone , you may require to consider upgrade to a newer model , such as the newly releasedSamsung Galaxy S24 . With a newer CPU , improved display , longer battery liveliness , and other upgrades , it can look like a really beguiling offer .
But is the Galaxy S24 really worth the $ 800 asking price if you still have a Galaxy S21 ? Here ’s everything you need to know before resolve .
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21: specs
Scratch - resistant glass ( Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 )
Scratch - resistant methamphetamine hydrochloride ( Corning Gorilla Glass Victus )
120Hz refresh pace
Samsung Galaxy S21 (left) and Samsung Galaxy S24Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
2600 nit flush luminance
1300 nits peak luminosity
4 K at 60 Federal Protective Service
FHD at 120 Federal Protective Service
960 fps for slow motion
4 K at 30 fps or 60 fps
1080p at 30 Federal Protective Service , 60 fps , or 240 fps
Galaxy S24 vs. S21: design and display
When you liken the Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S24 from a conception perspective , you could detect a few difference . Firstly , the S24 model does n’t have as delineate a camera bump as the S21 does . The S24 ’s camera sensors are placed individually on the back of the sound , and while they do n’t sit completely flush , it ’s a much simpler look . Additionally , it ’s worth observe that the S21 has a plastic back and aluminum build , while the S24 has a glass back , which gives it a more premium feel and a better grip .
Both phones have a 6.2 - inch Dynamic AMOLED display that Corning Gorilla Glass protect . However , the older Galaxy S21 uses Gorilla Glass Victus , while the newer Galaxy S24 has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 . The chief difference between the two Victus versions is that the New one has improve drop performance . Corning claims that the Victus 2 glass can hold up drops of up to two meters , which is a significant improvement over the first Victus edition . This means that the S24 is less likely to ache from cracks or scratches in shell of inadvertent drops or impacts .
ultimately , while both the S24 and S21 have refresh rates that go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling , only the S24 can go down to 1Hz . By comparison , the S21 ’s refresh pace only hits a minimum of 48Hz . You may not notice this in solar day - to - day utilization , but it means the S24 ’s CRT screen is much more effective and translates to better electric battery life ( more on that below ) .
Galaxy S24 vs. S21: performance and battery
The Galaxy S21 was released with two different central processor variants count on the area . If purchase in North America , Europe , or China , it include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5 G processor . The processor has an octa - heart and soul with a 2.84 GHz Kryo 680 Prime core , three 2.42 gigahertz Kryo 680 magnetic core , and four 1.80 gigacycle per second Kryo 680 cores . It is paired with the Adreno GPU , and the exact mannikin issue is not narrow down in the textual matter .
However , in other region , the S21 shipped with Samsung ’s Exynos 2100 processor , which is also an octa - kernel central processing unit . It has a 2.9 GHz Cortex - X1 core , three 2.80 GHz Cortex - A78 centre , and four 2.2 gigahertz Cortex - A55 essence . It is paired with the Mali - G78 MP14 GPU .
The newer Galaxy S24 smartphone also has different processors , count on the location . If you be in North America , it has aQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3for Galaxy buffalo chip — a modified translation of the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 . The processor includes either an octa - core or deca - core , depending on the region , with core speeds ranging from 1.95GHz to 3.39GHz , and it is paired with the Adreno GPU . In other areas , the S24 ships with an in - house Exynos 2400 central processor .
When upgrading from the S21 to the S24 , you ’ll almost sure experience a smoother and faster operation , reckon on your usage . The Galaxy S24 is a performance brute , handle apps and games without any problem . The S21 is still a capable phone in 2024 , but you ’re bound to acknowledge a speed improvement if you upgrade .
It ’s worth noting that Samsung has made no alterations to the shelling between the S21 and S24 framework ; both feature a 4,000 mAh battery . Our review of the S21 found that its stamp battery life was “ just average , ” but it should be enough to get you through an entire day . However , it ’s all-important to remember that with time , the battery degenerate , resulting in shorter battery life .
Meanwhile , the Galaxy S24 has leaven to have excellent electric battery life , easily getting through more than a full day per charge . Although the barrage capacities are the same , the newer and more efficient chipset allow it to keep running for longer in between charges .
Galaxy S24 vs. S21: cameras
Regarding smartphone engineering , television camera systems are one of the areas manufacturers usually make steadfast improvements on . It is , therefore , not surprising that you will find some nice upgrades between the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S24 theoretical account .
The Galaxy S24 boasts a 50 - megapixel primary camera , a 12MP ultrawide camera , and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical rapid growth — importantly improve from the Galaxy S21 . Additionally , the front camera of the S24 has a 12MP resolution .
On the other hand , the older Galaxy S21 relies on a 12MP main camera , a 64MP telephoto television camera with 1.1x ocular zoom , a 12MP ultrawide camera , and a 10MP front photographic camera . These spectacles are still becoming , but they accrue short when liken to the capabilities of the newer S24 good example . In addition to newer camera hardware , Samsung has better its icon processing on the Galaxy S24 , rescue more natural and vivid colors than previous generations .
Galaxy S24 vs. S21: Galaxy AI
The Galaxy S24 series is notable for its newGalaxy AI features . Among these , theCircle to Searchfeature is likely the most popular . It allows you to seek by merely circling images on the CRT screen . Live Translate is also call , offering real - prison term translations and recording when you speak on the phone with someone in a different linguistic communication .
With Notes Assist , your S24 can sum up school text into clear , easy - to - review highlights . to boot , the Generative Edit feature film enablespowerful photo redaction trick — allow for you to move subjects in your photos , remove undesirable objects , and more .
Although Galaxy AI feature are coming to the Galaxy S23 serial down the road , theyaren’theading to the Galaxy S21 . If you want a earphone with AI power , your Galaxy S21 is n’t going to cut it .
Galaxy S24 vs. S21: price and availability
In the three years between the release of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S24 , Samsung did not raise the damage of its smartphones . Therefore , the S24 bulge out at $ 800 , just like the S21 .
The Galaxy S24 comes in four color : Onyx Black , Marble Gray , Cobalt Violet , and Amber Yellow . to boot , the Samsung website offers three exclusive colour : Jade Green , Sapphire Blue , and Sandstone Orange . It ’s usable with 128 GB or 256 GB of reposition and is available now to buy .
Galaxy S24 vs. S21: should you upgrade?
When your smartphone hit the age of three , it ’s usually a good idea to start thinking about upgrading to the latest manikin . If you ’re conceive raise from the Galaxy S21 to the all - new Galaxy S24 , several upgrade on the newer model stand out . The Galaxy S24 has good internals and improved cameras , and it ’s equip with Galaxy AI . Moreover , Samsung has announce that the S24 will get software system updates for up to seven class . That vouch you updates through January 2030 . Meanwhile , the Galaxy S21 is promise one more year of update before its four - year update guaranty runs its course .
If you ’re still timid whether to advance , there are two final things to think . Firstly , your Galaxy S21 sound ’s value will go forward to depreciate , so you ’ll pay more to upgrade later . Secondly , the Galaxy S24 is priced at $ 800 , the same price you probably paid for your S21 . With what inflation has done in recent geezerhood , you ’d be spending less this time . Plus , with ample trade - in deals and other promotions usable at Samsung.com , your carrier , and other retailers , you’re able to almost certainly kick upstairs your Galaxy S21 to a Galaxy S24 without yield that full cost .
In other words , yes — now is a undecomposed time to upgrade .