iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21
43.9Performance34.4
32.4Display49.1
38Camera40.8
30.7Battery36.9
89.3Features78.7
8 spec wins — iPhone 12 Pro Max7 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: iPhone 12 Pro Max scores 42.3 against 43.6 for Samsung Galaxy S21. Pick by the categories that matter to you — Samsung Galaxy S21 edges ahead in display and battery, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 44 vs 34
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 79
- 50% higher OS update pledge: 6 years vs 4 years
- 45% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 2,080 vs 1,430
- 38% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 4,900 vs 3,550
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 32
- Stronger battery score: 37 vs 31
- 433% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 12 MP
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 33% higher RAM (max): 8 GB vs 6 GB
- Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,099
Display
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.7 ″+8% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2778x1284 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 458 ppi+9% | 421 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 1,300 nits+8% |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 252,025Top 94% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 127,819Top 79% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 144,909Top 91% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 221,794Top 88% |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 950,000+27%Top 51% | 746,547Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,080+45%Top 28% | 1,430Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 4,900+38%Top 35% | 3,550Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 8 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 12 MP | 64 MP+433% |
| Optical zoom | 2.5 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,687 mAh | 4,000 mAh+8% |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 25 W+25% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g | 171 g+25% |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm+6% | 7.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 14 | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 6 years+50% | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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