iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21
69.5Performance34.4
60.4Display49.1
59.3Camera40.8
61.3Battery36.9
89.3Features78.7
13 spec wins — iPhone 16 Pro Max3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 16 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 66 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+35) and battery (+24). Samsung Galaxy S21 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 70 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 60 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 59 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 61 vs 37
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 79
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- 433% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 12 MP
- 25% lower weight: 171 g vs 227 g
- Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,199
Display
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9 ″+11% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1320x2868 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi+9% | 421 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 2,000 nits+54% | 1,300 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 91.4 % | — |
| 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 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A18 Pro | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,720,000+130%Top 20% | 746,547Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,400+138%Top 4% | 1,430Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,450+138%Top 9% | 3,550Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB/1TB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.78 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 12 MP | 64 MP+433% |
| Optical zoom | 5 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@120fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP+20% | 10 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,685 mAh+17% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 30 W+20% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 25 W+67% | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 13 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 227 g | 171 g+25% |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm | 7.9 mm+4% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Titanium | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 18 | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 6 years+50% | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |