iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S20 FE: A Detailed Comparison of Apple's Flagship and Samsung's Value Play
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing raw performance, a superior camera system, and long-term software support, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the clear winner. However, the Galaxy S20 FE provides exceptional value, offering a very capable experience for significantly less money, making it ideal for those seeking a balance between features and affordability.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| 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, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International | 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 - A2342 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 23 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 02 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 190 g (6.70 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - Version 1Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - Version 2 | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - Version 1Adreno 650 - Version 2 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| 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 | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, 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 Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | SM-G780F, SM-G780F/DSM, SM-G780G | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 390 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.24 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 599.99 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 728.45 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
- Superior performance with the A14 Bionic chip
- Excellent camera system with advanced features
- Long-term software support and ecosystem integration
- Higher price point
- Slower wired charging compared to S20 FE
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Exceptional value for the price
- Faster 25W wired charging
- 120Hz display for smoother visuals
- Less powerful processor than the A14 Bionic
- Camera performance not as refined as the iPhone
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, providing excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the S20 FE’s peak brightness isn’t specified, its Super AMOLED panel delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED displays, ensures exceptional image quality. The S20 FE’s display technology isn’t specified beyond AMOLED, but it does offer a 120Hz refresh rate, a feature absent on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, resulting in smoother scrolling and animations. The iPhone’s flat edges and smaller notch contribute to a more immersive viewing experience, while the S20 FE’s display is slightly less refined in terms of bezel size.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max holds a distinct advantage. While both are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, the iPhone’s image processing and computational photography algorithms are more refined. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s larger sensor (spec not provided) captures more light, resulting in better low-light performance. The S20 FE’s camera system is capable, but its image processing tends to be more saturated and less natural. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are also superior, offering cinematic mode and ProRes video recording (later models). The S20 FE’s 2MP macro camera is largely superfluous, offering limited practical benefit compared to the iPhone’s versatile camera system.
Performance
Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, fabricated on a 5nm process, significantly outperforms the Exynos 990 (7nm+) or Snapdragon 865 (7nm+) found in the S20 FE. The A14’s hexa-core CPU (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) delivers faster processing speeds and improved efficiency. While the Snapdragon 865 version of the S20 FE offers a performance boost over the Exynos 990 variant, it still lags behind the A14. The iPhone’s 6GB of RAM is comparable to the S20 FE, but Apple’s optimized software and chip integration allow it to manage resources more effectively. The A14’s superior thermal management prevents throttling during sustained workloads, ensuring consistent performance.
Battery Life
Both the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Galaxy S20 FE achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, indicating similar overall battery life. However, their charging capabilities differ significantly. The iPhone 12 Pro Max supports 20W wired charging (PD2.0) and 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi. The S20 FE offers faster 25W wired charging (PD3.0) and 15W wireless charging (Qi), along with 4.5W reverse wireless charging. While the iPhone’s battery life is comparable, the S20 FE’s faster wired charging allows for quicker top-ups. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s MagSafe ecosystem adds convenience for wireless charging and accessory attachment.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE if you need a versatile smartphone with a high refresh rate display, expandable storage, and fast charging, all without breaking the bank. It’s perfect for everyday users, content consumers, and casual gamers. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize top-tier performance, a professional-grade camera system, seamless ecosystem integration, and guaranteed software updates for years to come. It’s the choice for power users, photographers, and those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem.