Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12: Which should you buy?
Credit: Adam Molina / Android Authority
Samsung and Apple are two of the most popular smartphone brands in the US, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12 are their latest and greatest flagship series. Both have a range of devices going all the way up to ultra-premium, but which one takes the cake in a head-to-head comparison?
Aside from the obvious choice between Android and iOS, picking a winner isn’t so easy. Here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 21, from specs to unique features and more.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12
Specs
| Apple iPhone 12 Mini | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Apple iPhone 12 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,340 x 1,080 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 625 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front | 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD+ 2,400 x 1,080 at 421ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,532 x 1,170 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 625 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front | 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat FHD+ 2,400 x 1,080 at 394ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified |
| Processor | Apple A14 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 | Apple A14 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| RAM | 4GB | 8GB | 4GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 64 / 128 / 256GB | 128 or 256GB | 64 / 128 / 256GB | 128 or 256GB |
| MicroSD | No | No | No | No |
| Battery | Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: | 4,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging | Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: | 4,800mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging |
| Cameras | Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.6, OIS, 7-element lens -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/2.4, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x, Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 Video: Front: Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 | Rear: – Wide-angle: 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF – Telephoto: 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF – Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with 120-degree FoV 3x hybrid optical/digital zoom Front: | Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.6, OIS, 7-element lens -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/2.4, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x, Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 Video: Front: Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 | Rear: – Wide-angle: 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8µm with OIS and dual-pixel AF – Telephoto: 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF – Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with 120-degree FoV 3x hybrid optical/digital zoom Front: |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation | 4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support | 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation | 4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support |
| Operating System | iOS 14 | One UI 3.1 Android 11 | iOS 14 | One UI 3.1 Android 11 |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Security | Face ID | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock | Face ID | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock |
| Color | Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue | 128GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White 256GB only in Phantom Gray Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red | Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue | 128GB in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Black 256GB only in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Gold and Phantom Red |
| Dimensions and weight | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4mm 135g | 71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9mm 171g | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm 164g | 75.6 x 161.5 x 7.8mm 202g |
| iPhone 12 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | iPhone 12 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,532 x 1,170 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED Curved WQHD+ 3,200 x 1,440 at 515ppi Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate HDR10+ certified | 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,778 x 1,284 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front |
| Processor | Apple A14 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Samsung Exynos 2100 | Apple A14 Bionic |
| RAM | 6GB | 12 or 16GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512GB | 128 / 256 / 512GB | 128 / 256 / 512GB |
| MicroSD | No | No | No |
| Battery | Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: | 5,000mAh Fast wired and wireless charging Reverse wireless charging | Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: |
| Cameras | Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.6, dual OIS, 7-element lens, 100% Focus Pixels, Night Mode -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/2.4, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction, Night Mode -Telephoto 12MP, ƒ/2.0, dual OIS, 6-element lens 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 4x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 10x, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3, Apple ProRAW Video: Front: Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 | Rear: – Wide-angle: 108MP, ƒ/1.8, 0.8µm with OIS and phase-detection AF – Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/2.4, 1.22µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF, and 3x optical zoom – Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/4.9, 1.22µm with OIS, dual-pixel AF, and 10x optical zoom – Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4µm with dual-pixel AF and a 120-degree FoV – Laser AF sensor 10x optical zoom Front: | Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.6, dual OIS, sensor-shift OIS, 7-element lens, 100% Focus Pixels, Night Mode -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/2.4, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction, Night Mode -Telephoto 12MP, ƒ/2.2, dual OIS, 6-element lens 2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 5x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 12x, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3, Apple ProRAW Video: Front: Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation | 4G LTE support 5G (sub-6GHz, SA and NSA, mmWave) Wi-Fi 6E support | 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation |
| Operating System | iOS 14 | One UI 3.1 Android 11 | iOS 14 |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Security | Face ID | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock | Face ID |
| Color | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue | 128 GB in Phantom Silver and Phantom Black 256 and 512GB in Phantom Black Future colors: Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Dimensions and weight | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm 189g | 75.6 x 165.1 x 8.9mm 229g | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4mm 228g |
Features
Both the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S21 lineups are feature-packed, with just about anything you could want in a smartphone. They’ve got excellent camera performance, top-notch specs, and head-turning designs.
Each phone has multiple camera lenses. The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 both have 12MP wide-angle and 12MP ultra-wide lenses. The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus also have 12MP wide-angle and ultra-wide sensors, with an additional 64MP telephoto shooter that should provide much better long-distance photos (if you’re into that kind of thing).
To get a telephoto lens on the iPhone, you’ll have to step up to the 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max models, which have an additional 12MP sensor. The latter also has a larger main sensor for improved low light performance. The Galaxy S21 Ultra takes things to a whole other level, with a 108MP wide-angle, two 12MP telephoto (3x and 10x), and 12MP ultra-wide cameras. This makes it the most versatile of the bunch, but ultimately the best photos will come down to software tuning — stay tuned for our own testing.
As for the specs, you’re getting top-of-the-line performance no matter which phone you buy. Both the Snapdragon 888 and Apple Bionic A14 processors are best-in-class. Unlike in previous years, the Samsung Exynos 2100 shouldn’t be too far behind either based on initial impressions. The Galaxy models have more RAM, but due to iOS optimization, you won’t notice a difference.
Read also: 2021 SoC showdown: Snapdragon 888 vs Exynos 2100 vs Kirin 9000 vs Apple A14
The main thing that separates each of these phones is size. The iPhone 12 Mini is the smallest of the bunch, measuring just 5.4-inches. The standard iPhone 12 is also smaller than the smallest Galaxy S21 phone, at 6.1-inches vs 6.2-inches. The largest devices are 6.7-inches and 6.8-inches, with the Galaxy S21 Ultra barely edging out the iPhone 12 Pro Max as the largest option available.
When it comes to truly unique features, however, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the only one that’s a leg ahead. This year, for the first time, it will have S Pen support — something that was previously exclusive to the Galaxy Note series.
Price
Credit: Adam Molina / Android Authority
- Galaxy S21: $799/€849/£769
- S21 Plus: $999/€1,049/£949
- S21 Ultra: $1,199/€1,249/£1,149
- iPhone 12 Mini: $699/€809/£699
- iPhone 12: $799/€909/£799
- iPhone 12 Pro: $999/€1,159/£999
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: $1,099/€1.259/£1,099
When it comes to pricing, Samsung has stepped back from the exorbitant prices of last year’s Galaxy S20 lineup. Each of the new phones starts $200 cheaper than their predecessors. This makes them attractive options for anyone looking for a flagship Android phone.
The Apple iPhone models are also relatively affordable, with the iPhone 12 Mini providing an inexpensive entryway into the iOS ecosystem. If you can, however, it’s worth bumping up to the iPhone 12 for the added screen real estate.
Related: The best Samsung Galaxy deals
The highest-end iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $1,099, which is a bit less than the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Considering Samsung’s offering has more impressive camera optics (on paper) and S Pen support, it may warrant spending a bit more.
That said, you’ll have to buy the S Pen separately, which will run you about $30. It’s also worth noting that none of these phones come with chargers in the box. You’ll therefore have to shell out even more if you don’t have one handy.
Apple iPhone 12 series Four to choose from
There are a total of four new iPhones in Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Brighter displays, faster processors, and more durable build quality are what you can expect with all four of these new phones.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12: Which should you buy?
Credit: Adam Molina / Android Authority
Usually, it’s easy to declare a winner in at least a few categories, but when it comes to the Galaxy S21 series vs the Apple iPhone 12 series, it’s not so simple. All of the phones in each lineup perform extremely well. You’re unlikely to be disappointed no matter which one you pick.
That said, for the very budget-conscious the iPhone 12 Mini is a great option. It starts at $699, which is a full $100 less than the cheapest Galaxy S21 phone. It does, however, have huge bezels, a small screen, and somewhat limited battery life.
See also: Which Samsung Galaxy S21 phone is right for you?
Between the iPhone 12/12 Pro and the Galaxy S21/S21 Plus, the choice will likely come down to whether you want to use Android or iOS. Pricing is almost identical in the US, although in the rest of the world the Galaxy S21 series is slightly cheaper. Feature sets are also very similar. Nevertheless, the S21 series offers larger screens.
If you can afford the best flagship smartphones out there, the Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max are fantastic options. S Pen support is a nice touch on the S21 Ultra, but if what you’re looking for is everyday performance and great cameras, they’re both first-in-class. Granted, they’re also very large so be prepared to use them two-handed.
Another thing to keep in mind is that only the iPhone 12 series has officially been released. You can pre-order the Galaxy S21 devices, but they won’t ship until the end of January. We’ll revisit this comparison once we’ve had more hands-on time with Samsung’s latest. Stay tuned for more info soon!
That’s it for our Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12 comparison! Which one are you considering?
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