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Galaxy A42
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Galaxy S21 Ultra
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What we think

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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If you're looking for a phone with a better camera and higher performance, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is an excellent choice. It offers a significantly higher-quality camera system for both photo and video. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy A42 has a lower-quality camera and performance. However, the A42 provides longer battery life. Keep in mind, the S21 Ultra has a higher-resolution display with a faster refresh rate, which means smoother visuals but may affect battery duration. Both phones have 5G, but the S21 Ultra has additional features such as wireless charging and a glass back compared to the plastic back of the A42. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy A42
  • Best in class battery life
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
  • Good for taking photos
  • Good for recording videos
  • Very good display quality
  • Good performance

Key differences

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Overall Camera Quality

5.3
Galaxy A42
Galaxy S21 Ultra
7.8
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has good overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy A42 has poor overall camera quality.

Photo Quality

5.3
Galaxy A42
Galaxy S21 Ultra
7.8
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra takes good photos, while the Samsung Galaxy A42 takes poor photos.

Video Quality

5.2
Galaxy A42
Galaxy S21 Ultra
7.1
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra takes good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy A42 takes poor videos.

Battery

10.7 Hours
Galaxy A42
Galaxy S21 Ultra
6.7 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy A42 has 10.7 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has 6.7 hours of battery life.

Cost

$360
Galaxy A42
Galaxy S21 Ultra
$423
Product image
Product image

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

The Samsung Galaxy A42 has a price of $360 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra costs $423.
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Key similarities

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Screen Size

The Samsung Galaxy A42 has a screen size of 6.6 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is 6.8 inches.

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How the Samsung Galaxy A42 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra compare to other phones

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Spec Comparison

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Samsung Galaxy A42Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy A42Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

GENERAL

Price
$360
$423
Brand
SamsungSamsung
Operating System
AndroidAndroid
Release Date
November 11, 2020January 29, 2021

SCREEN

Screen Size
6.6"6.8"
Resolution
1600 x 7203200 x 1440
Variable refresh rate
NoYes
Pixels Per Inch
266515
Display Type
OLEDOLED

INTERNAL

Processor
SD750SD888
Internal Storage
64 GB128 GB
RAM
4 GB12 GB

CAMERA

Overall Camera Quality Score
5.4/107.9/10
Photos Score
5.4/107.8/10
Videos Score
5.2/107.1/10
Rear Cameras
Main, Ultrawide, MacroMain, Ultrawide, Telephoto, Super Telephoto
Main Camera
48 megapixels108 megapixels + OIS

BATTERY

Battery Life
10.7 Hours6.7 Hours
Battery Capacity
5000 mAh5000 mAh
Wireless Charging
NoYes
Wireless charging Speed
0 W15 W
Reverse wireless charging
NoYes (4.5 watts)

PHYSICAL

Size
6.47" x 2.99"6.5" x 2.98"
Weight
6.81 oz8.01 oz
Back Material
PlasticGlass
Stereo Speakers
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

Dual SIM
NoYes
Bluetooth Version
5.05.2
A2DP
YesYes
WiFi Version
56e
NFC
YesYes
US 5G Bands
(SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)2, 25, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78, 79(SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78

OTHER FEATURES

Biometric unlock
Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under DisplayFace unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display
Unlockable Bootloader
NoNo
Color
Black, Gray, WhitePhantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Navy, Phantom Titanium
Stock Android
NoNo
SD Card
YesNo

Shopping

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Samsung Galaxy A42

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Dig into reviews and images

Android Central

Ara Wagoner | July 2021
"I need a battery that won't care if I forget to charge it every night, and I need a nice big screen for watching my shows on the go. The 5,000mAh battery will let you get two full days out of the A42. The A42 is right up your alley as an affordable 5G phone that won't die just because you had to crash at a friend's and forgot your phone charger at home."

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

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Dig into reviews and images

Android Authority

David Imel | January 2023
"The Galaxy S21 Ultra is a killer combo of great design, blazing-fast performance, a wonderful display, long-lasting battery life, and one of the most versatile camera systems you can get in a smartphone today."

Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy A42 or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

About Samsung

Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
132,600
Recommendations made
75,140
Consumer hours saved

About the phone team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Seth Peoples

Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.

Efthimis Kotanidis

Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.

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