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There are two models that stand out on the market for premium phones with a maximum screen today: the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Manufacturers do not hide that these smartphones are created for lovers of uncompromising solutions, whose cost fades into the background. But when choosing a new flagship, the question invariably arises: which of these two options to choose? It is worth evaluating the advantages of one model over another.
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In this article, we will not touch on the topic of device design, as well as their colors, but will pay attention to the differences in screens, cameras, battery capacity, charging and performance.
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Display in Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max
It is not for nothing that both flagship smartphones have the words Max and Ultra in their names – the screen sizes are really maximum. On paper, the Samsung S21 Ultra is slightly larger. But a tenth of an inch difference is hardly noticeable to the eye. And both models are clearly pushing the boundaries of what is possible for smartphone screens.
| Galaxy S21 Ultra | iPhone 12 Pro Max | |||
| Display size | 6.8 inches curved | 6.7 inches flat | ||
| Technology | OLED | OLED | ||
| Resolution, density | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 516 ppi | 1284 × 2778 pixels, 458 ppi | ||
| Frequency | Dynamic, 10-120 Hz | 60 Hz | ||
| Brightness | 1500 nits | 1200 nits | ||
| Additionally | HDR support | HDR support |
An iPhone-specific visual element is the cutout that houses the Face ID biometric sensor and the True Depth camera system.
The Galaxy S21 has a much less visible front camera in the form of a small hole in the screen that doesn’t take up much space. The iPhone notch can quickly get used to in everyday use, but this element can be very noticeable when watching videos and especially when playing games. On the other hand, the Galaxy S21 has a slightly tapering screen to make swiping easier, but also has the advantage of thin bezels. All this gives the appearance of the Korean flagship a truly futuristic look.
Samsung also has a couple of other advantages: its screen has a higher resolution and is generally sharper. The difference may be noticeable when reading the text. Most importantly, the screen can run at 120Hz refresh rates, which is twice as fast as 60Hz on an iPhone.
This feature makes scrolling faster and smoother than on the iPhone. What’s new with the Galaxy S21 Ultra is that this high refresh rate can be used at the maximum supported QHD resolution and the screen will automatically adjust the refresh rate. The maximum 120Hz possible will only be used when needed, while the rest of the time the screen can intelligently switch to a lower and more energy efficient refresh rate, down to 10Hz.
In addition, it should be noted that the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a fingerprint sensor built into the display, as well as support for the S Pen stylus (sold separately).
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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max performance
The Galaxy S21 Ultra in the United States will receive the latest and most advanced Qualcomm chip with the Snapdragon 888 index, while the international models will receive Samsung’s Exynos 2100 processor. The Korean manufacturer promises that this year its proprietary solution will finally match Snapdragon in both performance and energy efficiency. The opponent, in the face of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, uses the Apple A14 Bionic chip. Both manufacturers use the most advanced 5nm processor technology available. And these processors simply blew up the tests!
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | |||
| Geekbench 5, single core | 1081 | 1601 | ||
| Geekbench 5, multi-core | 3463 | 4349 | ||
| GFXBench Car Chase on-screen | 52 | 54 |
Despite the numbers unattainable for most smartphone models, the Apple A14 has a performance advantage over the Galaxy S21. The gap is especially wide in performance per core, where the iPhone looks like a real “monster”. But, interestingly, the graphics performance of both chips is practically similar, as shown by the GFXBench Car Chase benchmark, performed at 1080p on the Galaxy S21.
Samsung also has an advantage in the form of a more closely integrated 5G modem, the effectiveness of this solution will be revealed when working on 5G networks.
In terms of storage, the base model Galaxy S21 Ultra has 128GB of internal storage, which is exactly the same amount of storage offered in the base iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Galaxy S21 lacks a microSD card slot just like the iPhone, so there’s no quick and easy way to expand storage on either of the two phones.
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Cameras for Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max
The Galaxy S21 Ultra brings new style to the camera body. Now this overlapping plate goes into the side edge of the phone.
But the iPhone has a recognizable separate area under the cameras, as is implemented in most modern smartphones.
Both phones are very distinguishable and easily recognizable, but both have a bulging camera module.
But besides the obvious differences in style, there is a difference in the number of cameras and their characteristics. The Galaxy S21 has two telephoto lenses, while the iPhone has only one. The Korean flagship is equipped with a telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom capability, surpassing even the Note 20 Ultra’s 5x zoom sibling. There is another telephoto lens, this time with a 3x optical zoom for close-up shots. Combined, these two cameras make the Galaxy the best phone for getting the sharpest image of objects at a distance.
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | |||
| Main camera | 108 MP, 24mm, f / 1.8 with OIS, wide angle | 12 MP, 26 mm, f / 1.7 with OIS, wide-angle | ||
| Second chamber | 12 MP, 13 mm, ultra wide angle | 12 MP, 13 mm, ultra wide angle | ||
| Third chamber | 10 MP, 3x optical zoom (72mm f / 2.4), OIS, telephoto | 12 MP, 2.5x optical zoom (65 mm), OIS, telephoto | ||
| Fourth chamber | 10 MP, 3x optical zoom (240 mm f / 4.9), OIS, telephoto | – | ||
| Additional sensor | Laser autofocus | LiDAR sensor |
The most impressive feature of the Galaxy is its 100x Super Resolution Zoom capability.
Interestingly, the Galaxy S21 has a wide-angle main camera with a 24mm lens, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 26mm lens, like most other phones in its class. This may seem like a slight difference, but it gives a wider perspective of the main camera.
Both smartphones have support for low light photography.
When it comes to video recording, the S21 Ultra can handle 8K resolution at 24 frames per second, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max can only shoot in 4K, but it supports Dolby HDR for richer colors. With 8K, you get much clearer detail, while the HDR option on the iPhone gives you a higher dynamic range. So both smartphones have their own unique advantages. This is if we talk about purely technical differences. In real life, when recording in 4K, it is noticeable that the iPhone still has a higher dynamic range, especially in difficult situations. And in extremely low light, the Galaxy can’t find enough light, and videos on this smartphone look too dark.
However, it would be unfair to just give the victory to the iPhone because it is inferior to the Galaxy in terms of zoom! iPhone can only zoom video up to 12X, while Galaxy can only zoom up to 20X. And in this case, this opportunity should not be ignored.
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Battery in Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- 5000 mAh (Galaxy S21 Ultra) vs 3687 mAh (iPhone 12 Pro Max)
- Faster charging on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Both models have clear differences in battery capacity. But Android smartphones, which include the Galaxy S21 Ultra, have always had a larger battery than the iPhone. But Apple products turned out to be more economical. So the situation is not new.
The battery capacity of the S21 Ultra is almost one and a half times that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Of course, it is not dry numbers that are much more important, but real results.
In real world conditions, the S21 Ultra managed to achieve more than 7 hours of screen time, which is slightly more than the iPhone. And to confirm this result, let’s turn to laboratory tests of batteries (see below)!
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Web browsing test (Wi-Fi, brightness 200 nits)
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | |||
| Working with the browser (clock) | 16 hours 7 minutes | 14 hours 6 minutes | ||
| Working with a browser with a screen frequency of 120 Hz (hours) | 14 hours 43 minutes |
In this simplest test of web browsing, the S21 Ultra outperformed the iPhone even when running at 120Hz adaptive frequency. This result is impressive! And the smoother and more enjoyable 120Hz mode is definitely worth recommending, especially with such a long battery life. If you switch to 60Hz, you get a little more runtime. At 60 Hz, the S21 Ultra works for over 16 hours, which is a record for a flagship!
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YouTube test
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | |
| Streaming video Youtube | 8 hours 52 minutes | 8 hours 37 minutes |
The second test was watching streaming videos on YouTube, using the same playlist at 1080p video quality. And the S21 Ultra is ahead of the iPhone, albeit this time the gap is not so big. Excellent result for Samsung and its battery.
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3D games
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | |||
| 3D games (hours) | 8 hours 40 minutes | 8 hours 1 minute | ||
| 3D games at 120Hz screen frequency (hours) | 5 hours 3 minutes |
The last test is no less important. The game test is interesting for those who love Call of Duty or Minecraft. In fact, for such users, information about the battery life in such a mode is almost the most necessary. And if the previous two tests load mainly the CPU, then this one loads the GPU. You can evaluate the energy efficiency of the GPU.
Again, the Galaxy S21 at 60Hz will provide a slight extra battery life over the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s worth keeping in mind that using 120Hz for gaming drains the battery pretty quickly. It will last almost half as long in this mode. If you want a balance between performance and battery life, then it makes sense to play at 60Hz.
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Charge your Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max
With the growth of smartphone battery capacity, the issue of battery charging speed becomes relevant.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max requires a 20W adapter to quickly recharge its battery, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra requires a 25W charge. It should be noted that charging adapters are no longer included in both the iPhone and Galaxy.
The iPhone 12 is also the first mainstream phone on the market to ship without a charger, and the S21 Ultra is the first serious Android phone to follow this not-so-pleasant move.
Both premium flagships do not break out of the lead in charging speeds. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the S21 Ultra with a 25W power supply, while with an 18/20W power supply, an iPhone will charge in 1 hour and 45 minutes. At a time when some phones charge in less than an hour, and some of them even take half an hour, the speeds shown are too slow.
However, both phones also support wireless charging at up to 15W with a compatible charger (sold separately). The iPhone stands out here with its new MagSafe technology, so the phone can magnetically attach securely to chargers and accessories. It’s a great and handy addition that Galaxy doesn’t have.
What the iPhone lacks is reversible wireless charging. Samsung’s flagship has this option. So you can, for example, place the Galaxy Buds Pro on it and quickly recharge the headset battery, using your Galaxy phone as a kind of wireless power source.
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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max official promo videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnXapYkboRQ
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max by Leading Tech Bloggers
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max price
Last but not least, the issue of price. Market stagnation in the past year has forced Samsung to lower the prices of its flagship phones compared to last year.
IPhone 12 Pro Max pricing
Buy iPhone 12 Pro Max 128 GB – 109,990 rubles
Buy iPhone 12 Pro Max 256 GB – 119,990 rubles
Buy iPhone 12 Pro Max 512 GB – 139,990 rubles
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra pricing
Buy Galaxy S21 Ultra 128 GB – 109,990 rubles.
Buy Galaxy S21 Ultra 256 GB – 114,990 rubles.
Buy Galaxy S21 Ultra 512 GB – 127,990 rubles.
See also:
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