iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
72.9Performance37.5
65.6Display47.2
53.2Camera41.7
55.1Battery41.7
89.3Features78.7
11 spec wins — iPhone 175 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 wins this phone face-off, 65.6 to 45.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+35) and display (+18). 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
- Stronger performance score: 73 vs 38
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 47
- Stronger camera score: 53 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 55 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
- 50% higher Optical zoom: 3 x vs 2 x
- 22% higher capacity: 4,500 mAh vs 3,692 mAh
- Lower launch price: $699 vs $799
Display
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.3 ″ | 6.4 ″+2% |
| Panel type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1206x2622 | 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 | 90.9 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A19 | Snapdragon 888 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,900,000+83%Top 13% | 1,040,324Top 46% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,600+148%Top 3% | 1,450Top 48% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,800+141%Top 7% | 3,650Top 53% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB+33% | 6 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 8 MP |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | 3 x+50% |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 18 MP | 32 MP+78% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,692 mAh | 4,500 mAh+22% |
| 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 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 177 g | 177 g |
| Thickness | 8 mm | 7.9 mm+1% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 17 | 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 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 17 | 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 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
Related comparisons
iPhone 17vs Realme P4s 5GVSiPhone 17vs Google Pixel 10 ProVSiPhone 17vs iPhone 16 Pro MaxVSiPhone 17vs Motorola Edge 50 UltraVSSamsung 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