iPhone XS Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21
30Performance34.4
29.7Display49.1
35.3Camera40.8
23Battery36.9
73.3Features78.7
4 spec wins — iPhone XS Max13 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 wins this phone face-off, 43.6 to 33.9, pulling ahead mainly in display (+19) and battery (+14). iPhone XS Max still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone XS Max
- 50% higher OS update pledge: 6 years vs 4 years
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger performance score: 34 vs 30
- Stronger display score: 49 vs 30
- Stronger camera score: 41 vs 35
- Stronger battery score: 37 vs 23
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 73
- Lower launch price: $799 vs $1,099
Display
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.5 ″+5% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2688x1242 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 458 ppi+9% | 421 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 625 nits | 1,300 nits+108% |
| 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 XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A12 Bionic | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 720,000Top 68% | 746,547+4%Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,100Top 63% | 1,430+30%Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 2,800Top 67% | 3,550+27%Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 8 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 64GB / 256GB / 512GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 12 MP | 64 MP+433% |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 7 MP | 10 MP+43% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,174 mAh | 4,000 mAh+26% |
| Wired charging | 15 W | 25 W+67% |
| Wireless charging | 8 W | 15 W+100% |
Design
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 208 g | 171 g+18% |
| Thickness | 7.7 mm+3% | 7.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 12 | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 6 years+50% | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |