Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A2411 SM-G996B/DS
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 160.8 mm 161.5 mm Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has greater height than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Width 78.1 mm 75.6 mm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Depth 7.4 mm 7.8 mm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is narrower than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Weight 226 g 200 g Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G is lighter than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Body Colour Graphite | Silver | Gold | Pacific blue Phantom black | Phantom silver | Phantom violet | Phantom gold | Phantom red
Body Material Surgical‑grade stainless steel, textured matt glass -
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP68 IP68
Repairability Index 6.9 (out of 10) -
SAR Value 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.99 W/kg (head), 3.85 W/kg (limb) 1.335 W/kg (body), 0.541 W/kg (head), 2.23 W/kg (limb)
Connector Type Lightning USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Super Retina XDR Display Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.7" 6.7" Both phones have the same screen size.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2778 x 1284 pixels 2400 x 1080 pixels Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Display Format - Full HD+
Pixel Density 458 ppi 394 ppi Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Max Brightness 800 cd/m² -
Colour Depth - 16.7 million colours
Contrast Ratio 2000000:1 -
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10 HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology Dolby Vision Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate - 120 Hz
Display Features True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) AOD(Always On Display)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A14 Bionic Samsung Exynos 2100
Clock Speed - 2.9 GHz
Processor Core Qty 6-core 8-core Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has higher processor core quantity than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Graphics System (GPU) - Mali-G78 MP14
MEMORY Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
RAM - LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 128 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory - 102.2 GB
CAMERA Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 3
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Lens Type Wide-angle lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.6 F/2.2 Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better lens aperture than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Lens Construction 7-element -
Field of View (FoV) - 120 degree(s)
Pixel Size 1.7 μm 1.4 μm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Sensor-shift OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) 26 mm -
Optical Zoom 5x 3x Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better optical zoom than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Digital Zoom 12x 30x Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Self-Timer Delay - Yes
Special Effects Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode Smart HDR 3 Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Burst mode, Panorama, night mode, low-light shots, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro Video, Director's View
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face recognition - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source True Tone LED flash High CRI LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 7680 x 4320 (UHD 8K) at 24fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, QuickTake video, Extended dynamic range for video at 60 fps, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 60 fps, Smart HDR 3 with Scene Detection, Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video, Digital zoom up to 7x for video Playback zoom, blink detection, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3x, Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x, Digital zoom up to 12x for video
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Sensor Size (2nd Camera) - 1/1.76"
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.4 F/1.8 Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Lens Element Qty (2nd Camera) 5-element -
Field of View (2nd Camera) 120 degree(s) 79 degree(s) Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has larger second camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) - 1.8 μm
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) 13 mm -
Camera Features (2nd Camera) 5-piece lens, Lens correction OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), Super Speed Dual Pixel AF
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 12 Megapixel 64 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has higher resolution third camera than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) - 1/1.72"
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.2 F/2.0 Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 76 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) - 0.8 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
Minimum Focal Length (3rd Camera) 65 mm -
Camera Features (3rd Camera) 6-piece lens, Focus Pixels Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF)
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 12 Megapixel 10 Megapixel Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G.
Lens Aperture (Front) Ƒ/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Field of View (Front) - 80 degree(s)
Pixel Size (Front) - 1.22 μm
Focus Adjustment - Automatic
Special Effects (Front) Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono -
HDR Mode (Front) Smart HDR 3 -
Camera Modes (Front) Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Smart HDR 3 with Scene Detection -
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face recognition - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash -
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps -
Camera Features (Front) Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, Extended dynamic range for video at 30 fps, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps Dual Pixel AF
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - 4800 mAh
Fast Charging Technology Apple fast charging technology, Apple MagSafe wireless charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Samsung Super Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time - 2400 minutes
Run Time Details Playback (video): up to 20 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 12 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 80 hrs
Talk (4G): up to 2400 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 15 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 17 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 22 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 75 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion -
CELLULAR Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System iOS 14 Android 11
Intelligent Assistant Siri Bixby
Payment Technology Apple Pay Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Data Transmission EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1 FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10, Band 25 Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS, 1900 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12 N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n40
5G NR Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12 FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11ax IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Yes - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has UWB wireless technology.
MEDIA Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2 WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128
Supported Digital Video Standards M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF MKV, FLV, AVI, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10 -
FEATURES Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer, LiDAR scanner Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor
Security Devices Face recognition Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Security Technology Face ID -
Additional Phone Features AirDrop function, Audio zoom function, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Night Shift, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Raise to wake, Next-generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible Air View, MIMO technology, Smart Select, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Bixby Vision, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, AR Doodle, PENUP, Bixby key, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster
OTHERS Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Included Accessories Lightning to USB-C cable SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 6 m 1.5 m
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95% (non-condensing) -
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