iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S21
72.9Performance34.4
65.6Display49.1
53.2Camera40.8
55.1Battery36.9
89.3Features78.7
12 spec wins — iPhone 173 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 wins this phone face-off, 65.6 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+39) and battery (+18). 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
- Stronger performance score: 73 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 53 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 55 vs 37
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 79
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Display
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.3 ″+2% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1206x2622 | 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 | 90.9 % | — |
| 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 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A19 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,900,000+155%Top 13% | 746,547Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,600+152%Top 3% | 1,430Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,800+148%Top 7% | 3,550Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 64 MP |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 18 MP+80% | 10 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,692 mAh | 4,000 mAh+8% |
| Wired charging | 40 W+60% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 25 W+67% | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 12 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 177 g | 171 g+3% |
| Thickness | 8 mm | 7.9 mm+1% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 17 | 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 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 17 | 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 | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |