Head to head

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G vs ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max

Full specification and price comparison for Pakistan, updated 18 Aug 2026.

The short answer

The ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 77 against 74 on our combined specification score. It leads on battery & charging, memory & storage and value for money. The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G still wins on performance and camera, so it remains the better choice if that is your priority. The ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max is the cheaper of the two at PKR 148,999 against PKR 169,999.

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The verdict

Spec-derived

ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max takes it by 3.7 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance Samsung Galaxy S21 5G leads

Gaming score where available, otherwise chipset tier plus usable RAM.

Camera Samsung Galaxy S21 5G leads

Camera Score where available, otherwise sensor resolution and lens count. Megapixels alone do not measure image quality.

Battery & charging ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max leads

Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.

Display Samsung Galaxy S21 5G leads

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max leads

Highest advertised RAM and internal storage configuration.

Value for money ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max leads

Combined spec score divided by current Pakistani retail price.

What actually differs

  • ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max costs PKR 21,000 less.
  • ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max packs a 3,100 mAh larger battery.
  • ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max charges 20W faster.
  • ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max ships with 256 GB more storage.
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has a 14 MP higher-resolution main sensor.
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 5G uses an OLED panel while the other sticks with LCD.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G if…

you care most about performance, camera and display.

Buy the ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max if…

you care most about battery & charging, memory & storage and value for money.

Full specification comparison

Specification Samsung Galaxy S21 5G ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 169,999 PKR 148,999 Cheaper
Design & build
Release date January 14, 2021 August 2026.
Dimensions 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm 180.9 × 88.4 × 8.0 mm.
Weight 169 g Better 245 g.
Water resistance IP68 dust and water resistant (up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes) IP64 Dust and Splash Resistant.
Display
Screen size 6.2 inches 7.5 inches. Better
Resolution 2400 x 1080 pixels 1280 × 2772 Pixels Better
Panel type Dynamic AMOLED 2X Adaptive 120Hz HDR10+ IPS LCD, 120Hz Refresh Rate 1000 nits Peak Brightness,
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Corning Gorilla Glass.
Performance
Chipset Samsung Exynos 2100 (5 nm) / Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5 nm), depending on market MediaTek Dimensity 7100 (6nm),
CPU Octa-core Up to 2.9 GHz on Exynos version Octa-core
GPU Mali-G78 MP14 / Adreno 660, depending on chipset Mali-G610 MC2
Operating system Android 11, One UI 3.1 Android 16, MyOS 16
Memory & storage
RAM 8GB 8GB LPDDR5X.
Internal storage 128GB / 256GB LPDDR5 256GB / 512GB, UFS 2.2 Better
Card slot No No
Camera
Main camera 12MP + 64MP + 12MP, OIS, PDAF, 3x Hybrid Optical Zoom, up to 30x Space Zoom Better 50 MP, f/1.8, PDAF, LED Flash, HDR, Panorama
Selfie camera 10MP, f/2.2, Dual Pixel PDAF LED flash, HDR, panorama 16 MP, f/2.0 Better
Video recording Up to 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps 1080p@30fps, HDR.
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Li-Ion (non-removable) 4000 mAh 7100 mAh, Li-Po, Dual-Cell, Non-Removable. Better
Wired charging 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging 45W Wired Fast Charging, USB Type-C, USB Power Delivery (PD), Bypass Charging, Reverse Charging. Better
Connectivity & extras
SIM Nano-SIM + eSIM Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM), Dual Standby.
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band, Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-Band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot.
Bluetooth 5.0 5.2
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Hall Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Pressure-Sensitive Gaming Triggers, RGB Lighting, Z-Axis Linear Motor.
USB USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 USB Type-C, USB OTG, USB 2.0

“Better” marks the higher (or, for price and weight, the lower) figure. It is a specification difference, not a judgement about real-world experience.

Questions people ask

Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G or ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max?

ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 3.7 points. It wins on battery & charging, memory & storage and value for money. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can still be the better buy if your priorities sit elsewhere or if you find it at a lower street price.

What is the price of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max in Pakistan?

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is listed at PKR 169,999 and ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max at PKR 148,999. That makes ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max cheaper by PKR 21,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G or ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max?

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G scores higher in our camera assessment. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G uses a 64 MP main sensor against 50 MP on ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max, though sensor size and processing matter more than resolution alone.

Which phone has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G or ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max?

ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max leads on battery. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G carries a 4000 mAh cell and ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max a 7100 mAh cell, with 25W and 45W wired charging respectively.

Which is better for gaming, Samsung Galaxy S21 5G or ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max?

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is the stronger gaming phone here. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G runs the Samsung Exynos 2100 (5 nm) / Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5 nm), depending on market while ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max runs the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 (6nm),.

Related comparisons

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Tools that use this data

Camera Score Tool Battery Score Tool Gaming Performance Checker AI Mobile Recommendation Tool All comparisons

Scores are calculated from the published hardware specification of each device using the same formula for every phone on WhatMobilePK — they are not paid placements and they are not laboratory test results. Prices are indicative Pakistani retail prices and change frequently.