iPhone 12 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Which Flagship Still Holds Up in 2024?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless software experience and strong resale value, the iPhone 12 Pro remains a compelling choice. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s superior battery life and more versatile camera system, particularly its zoom capabilities, make it the winner for power users and photography enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2341 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2341 | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2406 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 13 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 23 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | A2407, A2341, A2406, A2408, iPhone13,3 | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | $ 277.86 / C$ 419.75 / £ 250.00 / € 299.99 | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 384.99 |
| 128GB 6GB RAM | $ 725.05 | - |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 998.00 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | $ 575.00 | - |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 1,179.99 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | $ 799.50 | - |
| RENEWED | $ 499.00 | $ 459.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.2 LUFS (Very good) | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 596244 (v8) GeekBench: 4056 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
- Seamless iOS ecosystem integration
- Excellent build quality and premium design
- Strong resale value
- Shorter battery life compared to S21 Ultra
- Less versatile camera system
- Limited customization options
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Exceptional battery life
- Versatile camera system with impressive zoom
- Larger, brighter display
- Android software can be less refined than iOS
- Potential for Exynos overheating (International models)
- Larger and heavier design
Display Comparison
Both devices boast 'Infinite' contrast ratios, typical of OLED panels. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra significantly outshines the iPhone 12 Pro in peak brightness, reaching a measured 1023 nits. This translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. While both offer excellent color accuracy, the S21 Ultra’s larger display and higher brightness provide a more immersive viewing experience. The iPhone 12 Pro’s display, while excellent, is comparatively smaller and less vibrant in outdoor conditions.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and video, but approach it differently. The S21 Ultra’s camera system is more versatile, offering a wider range of focal lengths, including dual telephoto lenses for impressive zoom capabilities. While both capture excellent photos and videos, the S21 Ultra’s larger sensors and advanced image processing algorithms provide greater detail and dynamic range, particularly in low-light conditions. The iPhone 12 Pro excels in computational photography, delivering consistently pleasing results with minimal user input, but lacks the zoom reach of the S21 Ultra. The 2MP macro camera on the S21 Ultra is largely superfluous, offering minimal benefit over standard close-up shots.
Performance
The iPhone 12 Pro’s A14 Bionic (5nm) chip and hexa-core CPU deliver impressive performance, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra, depending on the region, utilizes either the Exynos 2100 (5nm) or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm). The Snapdragon 888, found in US/China models, generally offers slightly better sustained performance and thermal management. The S21 Ultra also benefits from 12GB of RAM across all configurations, compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s 6GB, allowing for more apps to remain active in the background. While the A14 is incredibly efficient, the S21 Ultra’s larger RAM capacity and potentially more powerful chipset give it an edge in multitasking and demanding applications.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra dominates in battery endurance, achieving an impressive 114-hour rating compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s 81 hours. This translates to significantly longer real-world usage. The S21 Ultra also supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for faster charging speeds than the iPhone 12 Pro’s 20W PD2.0. While both support wireless charging, the S21 Ultra offers 4.5W reverse wireless charging, a feature absent on the iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro’s MagSafe charging is convenient, but limited to 15W, and requires iOS 17.4 for Qi2 compatibility.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro if you need a phone deeply integrated with the Apple ecosystem, prioritize ease of use and long-term software support, and value a compact, premium build quality. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prefer a larger display, demand exceptional battery life, require a more versatile camera system with advanced zoom, and appreciate the customization options of Android.