iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
80.4Performance37.5
65.9Display47.2
63.7Camera41.7
69.3Battery41.7
89.3Features78.7
15 spec wins — iPhone 17 Pro Max3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 72.8 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+43) and battery (+28). Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G 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 38
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 47
- Stronger camera score: 64 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 69 vs 42
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 79
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- 78% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 18 MP
- 24% lower weight: 177 g vs 233 g
- 10% lower thickness: 7.9 mm vs 8.8 mm
- Lower launch price: $699 vs $1,199
Display
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9 ″+8% | 6.4 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1320x2868 | 2340x1080 |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi+15% | 401 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+150% | 1,200 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 91.2 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Snapdragon 888 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 2,150,000+107%Top 10% | 1,040,324Top 46% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,850+166%Top 1% | 1,450Top 48% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 9,700+166%Top 4% | 3,650Top 53% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB+100% | 6 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB/1TB/2TB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 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+500% | 8 MP |
| Optical zoom | 4 x+33% | 3 x |
| Max video | 4K@120fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 18 MP | 32 MP+78% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,088 mAh+13% | 4,500 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 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 233 g | 177 g+24% |
| 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 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 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 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 26 | Android 12 (One UI 4) |
| OS update pledge | 6 years+50% | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 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 S21 FE 5Gvs Samsung Galaxy A35VSSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Redmi 15 5GVSSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Nothing Phone (1)VSSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5Gvs Huawei P40 ProVS