Sony Xperia U (ST25a) vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)

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

1/16/2021 4:45 PM, updated: 5/19/2025 11:26 AM

Compare Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra X Sony Xperia U (ST25a) 03Points

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

3.5"
LED

480x854

5
MP

0.3mp

512MB
RAM

Dual-core

1320
mAh

(Removable)

37Points Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB) Compare Sony Xperia U 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!

3 Advantages Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	vs	37 Advantages Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
+110 grams (3.85 ounces)106% Lighter	vs	227 grams (7.95 ounces)
+Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Removable)Advantage Removable battery can be replaced easily	vs	LiPo: li-ion polymer (Non removable)
+3.5mm jackAdvantage Headsets with 3.5mm Jack size are more common and easy to find in stores	vs	Type-C reversible connector
1GHz 32bit Dual-core (45nm)	vs	+2.9GHz 64bit Octa-core (5nm)4 times More powerful processor, you can open your applications faster
512MB LPDDR2	vs	+12GB LPDDR523 times More RAM memory. Typically more responsive and better for multitasking.
8GB (4GB available)	vs	+128GB (101GB available)24 times More internal storage for applications and files
12 millimeters (0.47 inches)	vs	+8.9 millimeters (0.35 inches)35% Thinner
Plastic body, glass front	vs	+Aluminum frame, glass front/backAdvantage More resistant material
TFT LED-Backlit LCD	vs	+Dynamic AMOLEDAdvantage Dynamic AMOLED display is brighter and more vivid
Not supported	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.
480x854 pixels	vs	+1440x3200 pixels10 times Higher resolution screen
280 PPI	vs	+516 PPI84% Crisper display of text, images and videos because it has more pixels per inch (ppi)
3.5"	vs	+6.8"94% Larger screen
(back) 5MP	vs	+(quad camera) 108MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP27 times Higher resolution main camera
Only digital zoom	vs	+Digital and optical zoomAdvantage The zoom allows for better focus and approach to take pictures
EIS: Digital stabilization	vs	+OIS: Optical stabilizationAdvantage Image stabilization prevents blurry photos and helps in recording motion video
Not supported	vs	+BSI sensorAdvantage The BSI sensor allows the entry of more light generating photos with more detail and brightness
Not supported	vs	+HDR photo/video on both camerasAdvantage The HDR technology produced photos with more detail in dark areas
(front) 0.3MP	vs	+(front) 40MP129 times Higher resolution secondary camera to take pictures and selfies
HD (1280x720)	vs	+8K UHD (7680x4320)35 times More image quality for recording videos with the primary camera
(front) VGA (640x480)	vs	+(front) 4K UHD (3840x2160)26 times More image quality for recording videos with the secondary camera
Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich ICS	vs	+Android 15Advantage Android 15 is newer and safer
3G HSUPA	vs	+5G SA/NSAAdvantage The 5G SA/NSA network is newer and faster
(3G HSUPA) 14.4 Mbps	vs	+(5G SA/NSA) 5000 Mbps346 times Faster for surfing the internet and download files
Not supported	vs	+BarometerAdvantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+Face unlock 2DAdvantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+Fingerprint sensor (under display)Advantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+GyroscopeAdvantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+UWB (Ultra Wideband)Advantage Sensors help you use the device
1320 mAh	vs	+5000 mAh3 times Battery - higher amperage (mAh) allows more device usage time, but it also depends on the hardware and use
Not supported	vs	+Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA)Advantage Wireless charging is another way to charge the battery.
1 slot (Single-SIM)	vs	+2 slots (Dual-SIM) + e-SIM (Eletronic)Advantage You can have more mobile carriers/operators on the same device.
802.11 b/g/n [wifi4]	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
2.1 + A2DP	vs	+5.2 + A2DP/LEAdvantage Bluetooth 5.2 + A2DP/LE is newer and faster
Not supported	vs	+NFCAdvantage NFC allows you to make payments by approach quickly and securely
MicroUSB 2.0, 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.
MicroUSB 2.0, USB OTG On-The-Go	vs	+Type-CAdvantage Reversible connector, you can stick in a USB-C cable any which way; either side is up.
HTML, XHTML, Flash player	vs	+HTML, XHTML, HTML5Advantage Better sites viewing on the internet
Not supported	vs	+IP68 certifiedAdvantage Protection against water allows you talk to your friends in the rain, for example

17 Common items in both devices

16 million

LED flash

Autofocus / PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras

Capacitive

Multitouch

Accelerometer

Ambient light sensor

+10 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
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Change model		Choose the model
Model	Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Other model names	Sony Xperia U ST25, Sony Kumquat	Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (SM-G998B/Dual-SIM)
Country or region available	(Latin America), Brazil, Canada, USA	(Global, International)
Brand	Sony	Samsung
Release date	5/7/2012	1/29/2021, Announced: 1/14/2021
Depth	12 millimeters (0.47 inches)	8.9 millimeters (0.35 inches)
Size (width x height)	54 x 112 millimeters (2.13 x 4.41 in)	75.6 x 165.1 millimeters (2.98 x 6.5 in)
Weight	110 grams (3.85 ounces)	227 grams (7.95 ounces)
Build, materials	Plastic body, glass front	Aluminum frame, glass front/back
Protection against water and others	Not supported	IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant
📲 Display
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Display type	TFT LED-Backlit LCD	Dynamic AMOLED
Screen size	3.5" inches	6.8" inches
Screen-to-body ratio	~55.8% (screen-to-body ratio)	~89.4% (screen-to-body ratio)
Display resolution	480x854 pixels (16:9)	1440x3200 pixels (20:9)
Touchscreen	Capacitive Multitouch 4-points	Capacitive Multitouch 10-points
Pixel density (dot pitch)	280 PPI	516 PPI
Colors	16 million	16 million
Scratch-resistant glass	Scratch-resistant glass	Gorilla Glass Victus
Refresh rate	60Hz	120Hz
Display features	Not supported	1500nits[peak] HDR10+ Always-On Display
🤖 Operating System
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
System version	Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread	Android 11
Firmware update	Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich ICS	Android 15
User Interface	feature not registered	One UI 3.1 / 4.1 / 5.1 / 6.0 / 7.0
⚙️ Processor
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Chipset	32bit: ST-Ericsson NovaThor U8500 (45nm)	64bit: Samsung Exynos 2100 (5nm)
CPU	Dual-core, 1 processor: 2x 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 (Dual-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-400 MP1	ARM Mali-G78 MP14 (854MHz)
Performance (benchmark)	feature not registered	AnTuTu: 657150 (v8), 727634 (v9) Geekbench: 3457 (v5.2) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)
💽 Memory and storage
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
RAM memory	512MB LPDDR2	12GB LPDDR5
Internal storage	8GB (4GB available)	128GB (101GB available) UFS 3.1
External storage	Not supported	Not supported
📶 Mobile networks
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Dual-SIM	Not supported	Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card
SIM card	1 slot (Single-SIM) Standard mini-SIM (2FF)	2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM
Maximum Download / Upload	14.4/5.76 Mbps	5000/1920 Mbps
Network technology	2G, 3G	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 850/1900/2100	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Primary 4G network	Not supported	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	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA
Secondary 2G network	Not supported	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Secondary 3G network	Not supported	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Secondary 4G network	Not supported	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	Not supported	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA
📷 Camera
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Back camera (main camera)	5 megapixels	(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	2592x1944 pixels	12000x9000 pixels
Video recording (primary)	HD (1280x720) 30 fps	8K UHD (7680x4320) 24 fps
Flash	LED flash	LED flash
Focal aperture	feature not registered	f/1.8 (aperture)
Focal length	feature not registered	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	feature not registered	1/1.33" inches
Pixel size	feature not registered	1.8µm pixel
Autofocus	Autofocus	PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras
Touch focus	Supported	Supported
Image stabilization	EIS: Digital stabilization	OIS: Optical stabilization
Zoom	Only digital zoom	Digital and optical zoom
Face/smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection
BSI sensor	Not supported	Supported
HDR	Not supported	HDR photo/video on both cameras
Camera extras	feature not registered	4K@60fps 1080p@240fps 720p@960fps
📸 Front camera
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Front camera (secondary)	0.3 megapixels	40 megapixels
Front camera resolution	640x480 pixels	7296x5472 pixels
Video recording (secondary)	VGA (640x480)	4K UHD (3840x2160)
Front flash	Not supported	Not supported
Focal aperture	feature not registered	f/2.2 (aperture)
Focal length	feature not registered	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	feature not registered	1/2.8" inches
Pixel size	feature not registered	0.7µm pixel
🔉 Sound and multimedia
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Loudspeaker	Supported	Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz Dolby Atmos Tuned by AKG
Active noise cancellation	2 microphones or more	3 microphones
Radio	FM (RDS)	FM
TV	Not supported	Not supported
Video formats	MP4, H.263, H.264, WMV	MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV
Audio formats	MP3, eAAC+, WMA, WAV	MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC
🔌 Connectivity
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
USB	MicroUSB 2.0, 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	Not supported	USB Type-C (reversible)
Bluetooth	2.1 + A2DP	5.2 + A2DP/LE
WiFi	802.11 b/g/n [wifi4] (2.4GHz)	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot
DLNA	Supported	Supported
GPS	A-GPS, GeoTagging	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou
NFC	Not supported	Supported
Infrared port	Not supported	Not supported
🧭 Sensors
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Sensors	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Compass Proximity sensor	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock 2D Fingerprint sensor (under display) Gesture Gyroscope Hall effect Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband)
Vibrating alert	Supported	Supported
🔋 Battery
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
Battery type	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Removable) BA600	LiPo: li-ion polymer (Non removable)
Battery capacity	1320 mAh	5000 mAh
Charger, watts	Wired charging	25W Wired fast charging USB Power Delivery 3.0
Inductive / wireless charging	Not supported	15W Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) 4.5W Reverse wireless charging
Talk time autonomy	5.6 hours	feature not registered
Standby	472 hours (19.7 days)	feature not registered
➕ Other features
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	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, Flash player	HTML, XHTML, HTML5
Antenna	Internal antenna	Internal antenna
Qwerty physical keyboard	Not supported	Not supported
Miscellaneous	• Colors: Black, White • Exchangeable bottom caps: White, Black, Pink, Yellow • Sony Reality Display • Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine • xLoud • 3D surround sound • WiFi hotspot • Java framework	• Colors: Phantom Black, Silver, Titanium, Navy, Brown • Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard) • Samsung DeX • Stylus pen support
☢️ Radiation rate
	Sony Xperia U (ST25a)	Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998B/DS 128GB)
SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.)	1.09W/kg (head), 0.93W/kg (body)	0.24W/kg (head), 0.72W/kg (body)
SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.)	1.62W/kg (head)	0.714W/kg (head), 1.58W/kg (body)