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Here's how Samsung's Galaxy S21 compares to the iPhone 12

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It's a direct comparison of 21 vs 12

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Allison Johnson

@allisonjo1

January 14, 2021, 10:10 a.m. EST

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Here's how Samsung's Galaxy S21 compares to the iPhone 12

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The Samsung Galaxy S-series 2021 updates have arrived, and they're debuting a bit earlier in the year than usual. Interestingly, the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra represent slightly divergent device strategies. The S21 includes economy measures, such as a polycarbonate back, to bring it closer to the mid-range. Meanwhile, Samsung has pulled out all the remaining stops with its top-end S21 Ultra, loading it up with five cameras and adding support for the S Pen.

Of course, there are still plenty of flagship features on the 6.2-inch S21. Like the Plus and Ultra, it uses a high-end Snapdragon 888 processor (or a 5nm Exynos chipset outside of the US). It features the same triple rear camera array as the S21 Plus and is built with IP68 waterproofing. The S21 Plus offers a few upgraded specs not included in the S21 which you'll see in the table below, such as a slightly bigger battery. It's also, of course, the biggest device with a 6.7-inch screen, but the S21 and S21 Plus are more similar than not.

The S21 Ultra, S21 Plus and S21, side by side.

The S21 Ultra is another story - even at a glance its flagship character is obvious. Its prominent camera bump includes two telephoto lenses in addition to a standard 108-megapixel wide and an ultra-wide. It has a slightly larger 6.8-inch screen with higher resolution, bigger battery, more RAM, and a 40-megapixel selfie camera.

All of this will likely let the potential buyer know which Galaxy S21 phone is right for them. But how do they compare to the iPhone? Take a look at a detailed spec-by-spec comparison below. Note that for the sake of simplicity, we've left out the iPhone 12 mini - it offers essentially the same specs as the 12, with a smaller form factor.

Samsung S21 series vs iPhone 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max

Category

Samsung Galaxy S21

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

Category

Samsung Galaxy S21

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

BONE

Android 11 (one UI)

Android 11 (one UI)

Android 11 (one UI)

iOS 14< /p>

iOS 14

iOS 14

Screen

6.2-inch AMOLED

6.7-inch AMOLED

6.8-inch AMOLED

6.1 inch, OLED

6.1 inch, OLED

6.7 inch, OLED

Resolution< /p>

2400x1080

2400x1080

3200x1440

2532x1170

2532x1170< /p>

2778x1284

Refresh rate

up to 120Hz

up to 120Hz

60Hz

60Hz

60Hz

Dimensions (mm)

71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9

75.6 x 161.5 x 7.8

75.6 x 165.1 x 8.9

71.5 x 146.7 x 7.4

71.5 x 146.7 x 7.4

78.1 x 160.8 x 7.4

Weight

171g

202g

229g

164g

189g

228g

Battery capacity

4000mAh

4,800mAh

5,000mAh

2.815mAh

2.815mAh

3.687mAh

Processor

US: Snapdragon 888

USA: Snapdragon 888

USA: Snapdragon 888

A14 Bionic

A14 Bionic

A14 Bionic< /p>

RAM

8GB

8GB

12GB/16GB

4GB

6GB< /p>

6GB

Storage

128GB, 256GB

128GB, 256GB

128GB, 256GB/512GB

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Ports

USB-C charging port

USB-C charging port

USB-C charging port

Lightning port

Lightning port

Rear cameras

12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8μm) wide-angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4μm) ultra-wide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8μm) 3X hybrid optical telephoto

12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8μm) wide-angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4μm) ultra-wide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8μm) 3X Hybrid Optic Telephoto

108MP (f/1.8, OIS, 0.8μm) wide-angle, 12MP (f/2.2, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4μm) ultra-wide, 10MP (f/2.4, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22μm) optical telephoto 3X, 10MP (f/4.9, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22m) 10X optical telephoto

12MP (f/1.6, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4μm) wide-angle, 12MP (f/2.4) ultra-wide

12MP (f/2.4) ultra-wide, 12MP (f/1.6, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1.4μm) wide, 12MP (f/2.0, OIS, 1.0μm) 2X telephoto

12MP (f/2.4) ultra-wide, 12MP (f/1.6, Dual Pixel AF, IBIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.2, OIS, 1.0μm) 2.5X telephoto

Front cameras

10MP (f/2.2, autofocus)< /p>

10MP (f/2.2, autofocus)

40MP (f/2.2, autofocus)

12MP (f/2.2)

12MP (f/2.2)

12MP (f/2.2)

Biometrics

Fingerprint, facial recognition

Fingerprint, f ace recognition

Fingerprints, facial recognition

Face ID

Face ID

Face ID

Waterproof

IP68

IP68

IP68

IP68

IP68

IP68

Wireless charging

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

5G

mmWave and sub-6GHz

mmWave and sub-6GHz

mmWave and sub-6GHz

mmWave and sub-6GHz

mmWave and sub-6GHz

mmWave and sub-6GHz

starting price

$799

$999

$1199

$829

$999

$1099

Samsung S21 vs. iPhone 12

Related

Samsung Galaxy S21 event: The biggest announcements

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