iPhone 12 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: A 2024 Flagship Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G emerges as the better value. Its 92-hour endurance rating surpasses the iPhone 12’s 84 hours, and the brighter 792-nit display offers a more comfortable outdoor viewing experience. While the A14 Bionic is still capable, the S21 FE’s performance is competitive, especially considering its price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 12 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 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 - A2172 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2172 | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 13 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 23 | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in) | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 164 g (5.78 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec. | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, 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) | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | Unspecified |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| - | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience 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, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | A2403, A2172, A2402, A2404, iPhone13,2 | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | $ 190.00 / C$ 307.99 / £ 190.00 / € 219.00 / ₹ 54,900 | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 84h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 568674 (v8) GeekBench: 4067 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 12
- Excellent chip performance with the A14 Bionic.
- Strong ecosystem integration with other Apple devices.
- High resale value.
- Shorter battery life compared to the S21 FE.
- Slower charging speeds.
- Less flexible camera system.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility.
- Longer battery life and faster charging.
- More versatile camera system with telephoto lens.
- Potential for thermal throttling with the Exynos variant.
- Android software updates may not be as long-lived as iOS.
- Samsung’s software can be feature-rich but sometimes bloated.
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 792 nits compared to the iPhone 12’s ‘Infinite’ (nominal) contrast ratio, which doesn’t specify peak brightness. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays share an ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels, but the S21 FE’s higher brightness is a tangible advantage. While both are excellent, the S21 FE’s panel is more usable in bright environments.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable photo and video recording, but differ in their approach. Without detailed sensor size information, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment. However, the S21 FE’s versatility with its triple-camera system (main, ultrawide, telephoto) provides more shooting options than the iPhone 12’s dual-camera setup. Apple’s computational photography excels in consistent image quality and natural color reproduction, while Samsung tends towards more vibrant, saturated images. The iPhone 12’s video recording capabilities are renowned for their stabilization and dynamic range.
Performance
The iPhone 12’s Apple A14 Bionic (5nm) utilizes a hexa-core CPU configuration – two high-performance Firestorm cores at 3.1 GHz and four efficiency cores at 1.8 GHz. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G comes in two variants: one with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) and another with the Exynos 2100 (5nm). The Snapdragon 888’s octa-core setup, featuring a Cortex-X1 prime core clocked at 2.84 GHz, aims for peak performance, while the Exynos 2100 variant boosts the prime core to 2.9 GHz. While the A14 Bionic historically held a single-core performance lead, the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 are competitive, and real-world differences are often negligible for most users. The S21 FE’s thermal management, particularly with the Exynos variant, has been a point of concern, potentially leading to throttling under sustained load.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G claims victory in battery endurance with a rating of 92 hours, exceeding the iPhone 12’s 84 hours. This difference, while not massive, is noticeable in daily use. Both phones support 50% charging in 30 minutes, but the S21 FE offers 25W wired charging (PD3.0) and 15W wireless charging with reverse wireless capabilities, providing more charging flexibility than the iPhone 12’s 15W wired (PD2.0) and 15W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless options (Qi2 requiring iOS 17.4).
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 if you prioritize a tightly integrated ecosystem, long-term software support, and a proven track record of resale value. Its A14 Bionic remains a strong performer for everyday tasks and even some demanding games. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prefer a brighter display, longer battery life, faster charging, and the flexibility of the Android operating system, all at a potentially lower cost.