iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21
80.4Performance34.4
65.9Display49.1
63.7Camera40.8
69.3Battery36.9
89.3Features78.7
14 spec wins — iPhone 17 Pro Max3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 72.8 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+46) and battery (+32). 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 17 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 80 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 64 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 69 vs 37
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 79
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- 33% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 48 MP
- 27% lower weight: 171 g vs 233 g
- 10% lower thickness: 7.9 mm vs 8.8 mm
- Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,199
Display
| Spec | iPhone 17 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 | 3,000 nits+131% | 1,300 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 91.2 % | — |
| 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 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 2,150,000+188%Top 10% | 746,547Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,850+169%Top 1% | 1,430Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 9,700+173%Top 4% | 3,550Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB+50% | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB/1TB/2TB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 17 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 | 48 MP | 64 MP+33% |
| Optical zoom | 4 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@120fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 18 MP+80% | 10 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,088 mAh+27% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 40 W+60% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 25 W+67% | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 14 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 233 g | 171 g+27% |
| Thickness | 8.8 mm | 7.9 mm+10% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum unibody | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 26 | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 6 years+50% | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
Related comparisons
iPhone 17 Pro Maxvs Asus ROG Phone 9 ProVSiPhone 17 Pro Maxvs Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraVSiPhone 17 Pro Maxvs Vivo X200 ProVSiPhone 17 Pro Maxvs OnePlus 12VSSamsung Galaxy S21vs Honor X9bVSSamsung Galaxy S21vs POCO M6 Pro (4G)VSSamsung Galaxy S21vs POCO X5 ProVSSamsung Galaxy S21vs Redmi Note 12 Pro 5GVS