Comparison of Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12

I already got my hands on the latest new products from Samsung, and the first thing I wanted to do was test their cameras. Despite the snowstorm and frost, I went outside and took a couple of dozen photos on the Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max, not forgetting about the video. Having collected the most obvious of them in this article, I hasten to share the results.

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⚠️ The originals of all photographs from the article can be downloaded in one archive.

Equipment

Acquaintance with devices traditionally begins with the box that the buyer receives. In 2022, packaging decreased by 2 times. And this applies not only to Apple, but also to Samsung. It is not difficult to guess why such a change occurred.

The American corporation was the first of the major market players to decide to enter into a fight with those who do not care about the future of the planet due to environmental problems. The Korean opponent laughed at first, but later supported Apple’s ideas, also refusing the included power adapter.

Now in the kits of both devices the owner is faced with a disappointing picture, because inside lies:

telephone;
cable;
tray clip;
documentation.

In the case of Samsung, the losses turned out to be even more impressive, because previously the buyer immediately received both a charger and good AKG headphones. Now there is neither one nor the other.

Don't be under any false illusion that the two brands' environmental contributions will have any effect. Device owners will still have to purchase an additional adapter, because the same Lightning cable included with the iPhone 12 does not fit the power supply from its predecessors.

Design and ergonomics

The iPhone 12 and Galaxy S21 are compact smartphones by modern standards. While Huawei, Xiaomi and Honor continue to stock store shelves with the same type of “shovels,” industry leaders are offering customers a choice. The younger models of the flagship line are exactly the case when a person can take a device that will be comfortable to use with one hand.

Dimensions of Samsung Galaxy S21: 152x71x8 mm, 169 grams.

Dimensions of iPhone 12: 147x72x7 mm, 164 grams.

If in terms of dimensions the models are approximately identical, then in terms of ergonomics there is a whole gulf between them. The Samsung fits well in the hand, thanks to its rounded edges, but the plastic back gives away the device's budget nature. This could be forgiven for a device from the A-series, but definitely not for the S-flagship.

The iPhone 12 feels more solid. There is noble metal in combination with glass, and straight edges that make you shed a few tears for the memories of old iPhones. However, sharp edges sometimes make it difficult to feel comfortable when using the gadget. People with small hands will feel this, but one way or another you can get used to everything.

Both manufacturers approached the design responsibly. Apple's creation maintained modern trends while paying tribute to history, and Samsung's phone presented a truly unique look. The main discovery of the designers is a block of cameras that crawls onto the side face. It looks very impressive.

Display

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have identical displays. The only difference is that the Pro model has a 25% brighter matrix, otherwise the screens are completely the same.

This is an OLED Super Retina XDR with a diagonal of 6.1″ and a resolution of 2532 × 1170 pixels. Standard brightness is 800 cd/m² (and 625 cd/m² for iPhone 12), and maximum brightness in HDR mode is 1200 cd/m². There is support for True Tone, HDR and wide color gamut (P3).

The screen is still clearly integrated into the body and does not “flow” onto the side edges of the smartphone.

The new Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ use Dynamic AMOLED matrices with diagonals of 6.2″ and 6.7″, respectively. But the resolution is only Full HD+ (2400 × 1080 pixels). On the one hand, this is a step back compared to the predecessors of the S20 series, but on the other, with a maximum resolution of 3200 × 1400 pixels, the 120 Hz refresh rate was not supported and no one used this resolution.

The maximum brightness is 1300 nits, support for HDR10+ and wide color gamut (P3) are announced.

There is an updated Eye Comfort Shield feature that automatically adjusts the blue light filter to reduce strain on the user's eyes. The algorithms take into account the time of day, the cycle of use of the gadget and the properties of the content being viewed.

The main distinguishing feature of Samsung smartphones is the dynamic screen refresh rate. Depending on the content, the frequency can vary from 48Hz to 120Hz. This allows you to make fast scenes in videos or games smoother, and in normal operation reduce the energy consumption of the screen. A similar feature has been in the iPad Pro lineup for a long time, but the feature has not yet been transferred to the iPhone.

Samsung continued the idea with an infinite screen that slightly flows around the side edges of the smartphone. This makes the device body seem lighter, and the edges are not noticeable at all. Not all users like this feature due to the difficulty of grip and occasional false positives.

Who has the better screen: the matrix has always been the strong point of Samsung flagships. This is not the first year that gadgets have been pleased with the Always On Display feature, and the matrix refresh rate of up to 120Hz has left the screens of top-end iPhones aside for the second year in a row.

At the same time, the Galaxy line has a larger diagonal, which is especially noticeable in the S21+ model.

The only controversial point is the shape of the screen with rounded side edges. The grip and use of the iPhone 12 is more familiar and comfortable here.

Screens

Manufacturers have approached displays completely differently. Every year Samsung tries to minimize the frames and cutout for the front camera, while Apple continues to use the archaic “notch”. In the case of the new generation, the situation has remained unchanged.

The iPhone 12 has a cool 6.1-inch OLED screen. Its resolution is 2532x1170 pixels, which provides a pixel density of 460 ppi. The size of the Galaxy S21 AMOLED matrix is slightly larger – 6.2 inches, but the resolution is smaller – 2400x1080 pixels. The average person won't feel the difference, but as an interesting point, it should be noted that last year's Galaxy screen had a higher pixel density, thanks to the WQHD standard.

It’s impossible to find fault with the iPhone and Samsung displays. In both cases, a Korean matrix with unsurpassed color rendition is used, but there is one feature that forces you to put the Galaxy S21 above the iPhone 12. This is the refresh rate. The Apple smartphone supports 60 Hz, and the Samsung smartphone supports adaptive 120 Hz. Therefore, the difference in the speed of processing the interface becomes noticeable to the naked eye.

Design

The design of Apple's iPhone 12 Pro is definitely more refined than that of the Samsung Galaxy S21+. Its frame is made of stainless steel rather than classic aluminum, and the back side has Ceramic Shield protection. Additionally, the iPhone 12 Pro has better water resistance as it is water resistant up to 6 meters.

The iPhone 12 Pro has a very high screen-to-body ratio with symmetrical bezels on three sides, and is much more compact than the Samsung Galaxy S21+. On the other hand, the front of the Samsung Galaxy S21+ looks sleeker because it just has a small hole instead of that big notch you see on the iPhone 12 Pro.

Cameras

The sensor set of the two rivals looks interesting. Samsung was the first company to market a camera with a resolution of 108 megapixels. However, the Galaxy S21 without the “Ultra” prefix uses a Sony matrix with a resolution of 12 MP. The complete Samsung set looks like this:

12MP (f/1.8) – main;

12MP (f/2.2) – wide-angle;
64MP (f/2.0) – telephoto module;
10MP (f/2.2) – front.

The Galaxy S20 had exactly the same cameras. iPhone 12, as it may seem initially, has also not changed much compared to last year. However, this only applies to image resolution. There is a noticeable increase in other characteristics:

12MP (f/1.6) – main module;
12MP (f/2.4) – wide;
12MP (f/2.2) – front camera.

The iPhone 12 takes amazing pictures in the dark, which is helped not only by the night mode, which now works at wide, but also by the f/1.6 aperture. A lot of light falls on the camera matrix, so even in low light the image is not oversaturated with noise and artifacts.

Samsung is also not bad in the evening, but still not as good as Apple's device. The Galaxy S21's answer is a telephoto lens that provides 3x zoom without losing quality. Only the iPhone 12 Pro can boast of this indicator, but we are not talking about it today.

Smartphone cameras support optical stabilization. Its presence is noticeable when shooting video, where the devices perform very well. The only difference is color rendering and the presence of Samsung’s 8K marketing mode.

Comparison of Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12 cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S21 proudly boasts three lenses on the back - a 12MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 64MP telephoto camera.

On the other side of the scale is the iPhone 12 with its two cameras on the back - a regular wide-angle and an ultra-wide-angle.

How do they photograph in direct comparison?

The main cameras are impressive in terms of dynamics and sharpness. The iPhone does favor brighter exposures, even at the risk of some highlights blowing out, while the Galaxy S21 tries its best to preserve blue skies, even at the risk of low shutter speeds.

The color calibrations of smartphones are also different. The iPhone sticks to its signature yellow hues, while the Galaxy S21 opts to bring in a bit of purple. But more often than not, it's the photos of the S21 that look closer to what we see in real life at the time the photo was taken.

Ultra wide-angle lenses are useful for landscape or artistic shots. The S21 and iPhone 12's ultra-wide-angle cameras produce very soft photos, and they have their pros and cons. When comparing specific shots, it seems that the iPhone's results are a little sharper, but also a little noisier.

Now let's talk about zoom - how well does it work on the Galaxy S21? Purely technically, the approximation is digital, the results are not particularly impressive. However, this feature on the Korean flagship works better than the iPhone's 3x digital zoom. It's worth noting that the iPhone 12 operates at a maximum of 5x zoom, while the Galaxy S21 can handle 30x zoom. Yes, the quality drops noticeably, but such scaling is present.

It's important that you can take portrait photos at 2x zoom on the Galaxy S21 - the iPhone 12 does have a portrait mode, but it only takes wide-angle (1x zoom) portraits.

As for selfies, we can again talk about similar possibilities. Both smartphones take sharp, detailed photos with excellent dynamic range. The iPhone 12 struggles to accurately capture skin tones in some challenging sunlight conditions - HDR works wonders at times.

The Galaxy S21 also copes well in such conditions.

♥ ON THE TOPIC: What is HDR, Auto HDR and Smart HDR in the iPhone camera, should it be turned on, and how does it affect the quality of the photo.

Performance

Since the review concerns flagships, it would be foolish to worry about performance. However, several clarifications need to be made here. Firstly, smartphones are based on different single-chip systems. The iPhone uses its own A14 chip, and the Galaxy uses the Exynos 2100. There are many similarities between them, including the energy-efficient 5nm process, but there are also many points that separate the flagship processors.

A14 – 6-core chipset with a maximum frequency of 3.1 GHz. Exynos is 8-core, but its frequency is 2.9 GHz. And then similar indicators are achieved by one Cortex-X1 core, which enters the battle only in resource-intensive games. The interface works smoothly, but due to 120 Hz the S21 shell feels more stable. In the process of gaming the situation is different.

The iPhone performs much better in games when you compare its performance with the Samsung. The reason for this is not only the high core frequency and overclocked graphics, but also optimization. Developers are more willing to adjust the settings of their projects to Apple processors. This is motivated by banal sales statistics.

Test for system strength and stability

The smartphone has Android 11 version with ONE UI 3.1 shell. The system is fast, functional, works well, there is nothing superfluous. There is a store of various themes, wallpapers, fonts and so on. There is support for Samsung Dex (used to connect computer peripherals). A review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 did not reveal any problems, bugs or glitches when using the system.

The phone uses Gorilla Glass Victus. What you should know about display scratches, according to the Mohs hardness scale:

Levels 2 and 3 are plastic scratches. They do not remain on the display.
Levels 5 and 6 are glass scratches. The scratches are deeper than at level 7.
Levels 7, 8 and 9 – sapphire scratches. Less deep.
Level 10 – diamond.

It should be taken into account that the smartphone display is equipped with 2 films for protection, plus there are also films on the sides. Before the test, all films were removed from the gadget.

The side parts are made of aluminum and can easily get scratched.

But the back panel is made of frosted glass and keys, coins and even a sharp blade simply rub against this glass like sandpaper, and 90% of such abrasions can simply be erased.

The camera module is made of glass. Glass is more susceptible to scuffs, so treat the gadget with care.

Regarding falls on a concrete floor:

From the height of the pocket, no chips or cracks were noticed.
At ear height, if the device lands on the camera, the same camera module may be damaged, and protective elements will simply begin to fall off.
At ear height, if the device falls face down, the protective glass will withstand the impact.
When you land on the end, chips and scratches will begin to appear with each fall.
The smartphone can withstand one drop from a height of three meters, and the display or glass of the back will not crack.

In general, for phone owners who do not wear cases, the Samsung S21 will come in handy. But, if your smartphone often falls out of your hands, then a case will not be superfluous.

Memory

Smartphones use different types of RAM. Moreover, the winner is the creation of the South Korean company, for which the LPDDR5 standard was chosen. iPhone 12 uses LPDDR4x RAM, which has become the norm for mid-budget devices. Samsung also surpasses its competitor in quantitative terms: 8 GB of RAM versus 4 GB. Optimization saves Apple, but the iPhone still keeps fewer tasks in the background.

Both devices offer the buyer modifications of 128 and 256 gigabytes of built-in storage. However, the iPhone 12 also has a basic 64 GB variant. The Galaxy S21 could easily win this part of the comparison with memory card support. But the new generation of flagships was deliberately deprived of this opportunity.

In today's realities, even 128 GB of internal memory without support for external drives is considered insufficient. Application and OS requirements are constantly growing, and taking photos and videos has long become the main function of any smartphone, which requires free space. So in this regard, both the iPhone 12 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 are at a loss.

Modern technical characteristics

The heart of the iPhone 12 is the in-house developed 14th generation Bionic chipset. The performance of this processor will last for more than one year. In combination with the chip there is 4 GB of RAM, the storage size ranges from 64 to 256 GB. The battery capacity is 2815 mAh.

Samsung also has a new product installed - the Exynos 2100 chipset with 5-nanometer transistors. From other characteristics:

RAM – 8 GB;
built-in memory – 128 or 256 GB;
battery capacity – 4000 mAh.

Each of the gadgets runs its own operating system.

Despite the fact that the iPhone 12 is inferior to the Galaxy S21 in terms of performance, this is not reflected in various performance tests. In most cases, an American smartphone outperforms its competitor.

Autonomy

The duration of operation on a single charge depends on many indicators, but the main one remains the battery capacity. The Galaxy S21 has a 4000 mAh battery, and the iPhone 12 has a 2815 mAh battery. Surprisingly, in some scenarios, the iPhone lasts even longer.

For example, in the test of web surfing via Wi-Fi, an Apple smartphone lasts 12 hours, while a Samsung smartphone lasts less than eleven. The main reason why this happens is the increased Hertz. When scrolling pages on Samsung, the 120 Hz mode is activated. However, it can be disabled in the settings.

The time for watching videos and talking remains with the Korean phone. Here, even iOS optimization is not able to extend the modest battery capacity. Therefore, in active use mode, the iPhone 12 lives for 1 day, and the Galaxy S21 leaves 15-20% in the morning.

Smartphones charge from 0% to 100% in about an hour and a half. To do this, you need to purchase a 25 W (Samsung) or 18 W (Apple) power adapter. There is also support for wireless charging.

Dimensions and appearance

Here are the sizes of all current models:

iPhone 12/12 Pro: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm and 162/187 g. iPhone 12 Pro Max: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm and 226 g.

Galaxy S21: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm and 169 g Galaxy S21+: 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm and 200 g Galaxy S21 Ultra: 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.8 mm and 229 g.

The dimensions of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are the same down to the millimeter. The dimensions of the devices are 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, Weight – 162 g and 187 g, respectively.

The front panel has a Ceramic Shield coating, which better protects the screen from damage from impacts and falls. The more affordable model has an aluminum frame, while the more expensive model has a steel frame. Both devices are waterproof according to the IP68 and can withstand up to 30 minutes at a depth of no more than 6 meters.

The design of Apple smartphones changed for the first time with the iPhone X. The gadget received sharp ends, the disappearance of beveled edges had a positive effect on the size of the smartphone and the frames around the display. On the rear panel, the camera module and the frame covering it have slightly changed.

Smartphones have very few differences; many users choose a gadget based on the color of the case. The base iPhone 12 comes in white, black, green, blue or Product RED, while the iPhone 12 Pro comes in grey, silver, gold or navy blue.

The dimensions of the Galaxy S21 are 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm, while the older Galaxy S 21+ is slightly larger at 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm. The weight of the devices is 169g and 200g, respectively.

The back of the Galaxy S21 is made of reinforced polycarbonate, making it lighter and stronger than glass. It looks like Samsung has picked up on Google's trend. The advanced model “21+” has a glass body.

IP68 standard is declared , but it is not recommended to immerse smartphones deeper than 1.5 meters or longer than 30 minutes.

The design of Samsung models has changed noticeably only at the back. The camera module has become clearly visible and now “sticks” to the upper left corner of the device. Marketers even gave a separate name to the highlighted block and promote it in advertising materials.

The colors in the Galaxy S21 line are purple, pink, gray and white. Galaxy S21+ color options: purple, silver, black, as well as gold and red (the latter two will have a limited edition and may be in short supply).

Who has the better dimensions: lovers of more compact gadgets will definitely look towards the iPhone. However, the difference with the new Galaxy is not that significant. The width of the devices is comparable, iPhones are smaller in height and thickness. Don’t forget that Samsung flagships have a larger diagonal display.

The lines have very different color palettes. Users who are not the most sophisticated in the world of technology will definitely choose their smartphone based on the color of the back cover. Everything here is for everyone.

Chips and communications

The devices of the two companies support 5G networks. Yes, this technology is not yet available in Russia, but when traveling to America and European countries, the owner will be able to appreciate the advantages of the new standard.

Otherwise, there are no nuances that force us to highlight one or another device. There is traditionally no headphone jack, but NFC is. The current standard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 6 are supported. The only thing that attracts Samsung's attention is USB 3.2, while the iPhone uses outdated USB 2.0 due to Lightning, which affects the data transfer speed when interacting with a PC.

Convenience and functionality of a smartphone

Everything you need to know about the placement of the main components:

All S21 smartphones do not have a headphone jack.
There are two additional microphones on top. In general, a smartphone has a lot of microphones.
There is nothing on the left side.
At the bottom there is a slot for 2 SIM. A memory card is not supported here, so initially select the amount of memory that you need.
The Type-C connector for charging and the main ringing speaker are also on the bottom. All phones here support stereo function, and the sound quality is excellent.
On the right side there is a volume rocker and a lock button.

The fingerprint sensor is built into the display. The display itself (6.2 and 6.8) is the latest generation of Samsung AMOLED displays. A huge reserve of brightness both in reduction and in increase.

The display is absolutely top-notch, it’s just a pleasure to watch videos and movies on it, HDR is supported. On the display, everything is in the “best traditions”: a dark theme is present, as is the possibility of in-depth customization. For example, if you don’t like too bright AMOLED colors, you can make them warmer. There are the following tricks:

Comfort for the eyes - it adjusts itself to be warmer in the dark and if in the light - then whiter, brighter, cooler and more readable.
Like the previous generation with curved displays, although the display here is flat, you can put an EDGE panel when additional icons appear on the side. Convenient if you need to open something without going to the main screen.
Almost-on display - the always-on display function works perfectly, there are no questions or complaints about the operation of this function.
Supports 120 Hz scan rate - there is an adaptive scan rate, that is, the smartphone itself looks at what is currently on the display. If this is a game, or some content that supports 120 Hz and gives an advantage due to increased Hertz, then it activates this frequency. If this is an ordinary photo, then there is no point in turning on 120 Hz, so the smartphone will remain operating in 60 Hz mode.

The volume of the smartphone is amazing. It can be compared to the sound coming from fairly large speakers. If suddenly you watch videos on it or play games without headphones, you will understand how high-quality sound the smartphone produces.

Price

None of the comparison steps make sense without a price comparison. To do this, let’s turn to large retail chains, where they ask for the following amounts of money for smartphones.

Galaxy S21:

8/128GB – 67,990 rubles;
8/256GB – 72,990 rubles.

iPhone 12:

4/64GB – 75,990 rubles;
4/128GB – 82,990 rubles;
4/256GB – 89,990 rubles.

Offers for purchasing Samsung in most stores look more attractive. But in order to draw a final conclusion, you need to compare all the pros and cons identified during the review.

Video

The iPhone 12 does record video in Dolby Vision HDR—a huge benefit for videographers—but the Galaxy S21 records in 8K rather than the iPhone 12's 4K. Your preferences in this area will depend on your own video recording and playback needs.

When it comes to cameras, the proof is in the results, and the iPhone 12 can still produce images with better detail and color accuracy, especially in low light conditions. However, if scaling matters a lot to you, then the Galaxy S21 is a clear winner in this arena. The iPhone 12's camera is smarter, but the GS21's camera has better hardware, so this decision will depend on your own photography preferences.

Samsung Galaxy S21: advantages and disadvantages

The new Samsung turned out to be a controversial device. Especially when you compare it with previous generations. There are few changes, but a lot of money has to be spent. That is why the advantages pale against the background of the shortcomings.

Pros:

rich display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz;
camera with 3x zoom;
good performance;
good autonomy.

Minuses:

plastic back cover;
no charger included.

Another disadvantage is the inability to install a memory card; in 2022, only a few flagships have a similar feature.

iPhone 12: advantages and disadvantages

The iPhone 12 also cannot be called the best smartphone for the money. Progress compared to the previous generation is, of course, immediately noticeable, but in this case the comparison with competitor Samsung looks more interesting.

Pros:

premium case;
high-aperture camera;
amazing performance;
firmware optimization.

Minuses:

poor supply package;
no optical zoom support;
high price.

But now we can draw a final conclusion from a comparison of two very interesting, but extremely controversial devices.

conclusions

It is impossible to convince an Apple fan to switch to Samsung and vice versa. Brands have a huge fan base who would never trade a device from their favorite brand.

If such a feature as an ecosystem is not important for the buyer, then the choice should definitely be made in favor of the Galaxy S21. Yes, the smartphone is made in a plastic case and is based on the not very stable Exynos processor. But it will delight you with the best screen on the market, advanced capabilities for shooting objects at a distance and good battery life.

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Build quality and reliability

These parameters cannot be compared. However, based on people's reviews and personal experience, we can conclude that the iPhone is more reliable in terms of assembly and software. Moreover, iPhones take longer to update, break down less often, and slowly lose price on the secondary market. Samsung is also a class A manufacturer, but Apple is still cooler. This is a subjective opinion.