iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
43.9Performance37.2
32.4Display56.3
38Camera72
30.7Battery46.4
89.3Features78.7
6 spec wins — iPhone 12 Pro Max10 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 53.9 to 42.3, pulling ahead mainly in camera (+34) and display (+24). iPhone 12 Pro Max still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 44 vs 37
- 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 Ultra
- Stronger display score: 56 vs 32
- Stronger camera score: 72 vs 38
- Stronger battery score: 46 vs 31
- 800% higher Main camera: 108 MP vs 12 MP
- 300% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 2.5 x
Display
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.7 ″ | 6.8 ″+1% |
| Panel type | OLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2778x1284 | 3200x1440 |
| Pixel density | 458 ppi | 515 ppi+12% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 1,500 nits+25% |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 263,424Top 88% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 126,989Top 82% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 165,563Top 72% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 227,841Top 82% |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 950,000+21%Top 51% | 783,817Top 65% |
| 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 | 12 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 108 MP+800% |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | 2.5 x | 10 x+300% |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 40 MP+233% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,687 mAh | 5,000 mAh+36% |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 25 W+25% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g | 228 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm+17% | 8.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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