The Galaxy S21 Plus and iPhone 12 Pro are super powerful Samsung and Apple phones that bring similar features such as a 5G connection and fast processors. However, they no longer include the charger and headphones in the box. The phone’s technical specifications differ by camera, battery, and screen. Both compete for the attention of wealthier consumers. That’s why Techidence publishes this specification comparison.
Galaxy S21 Plus vs iPhone 12 Pro
| Specifications | Galaxy S21 Plus | iPhone 12 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Release date of | January 2021 | October 2020 |
| Current price | $ 999 | from $999 |
| Screen | 6.7 inches | 6.1 inches |
| Screen resolution | Full HD + (1080 x 2400 pixels) | Full HD + (2352 x 1170 pixels) |
| Screen panel | Dynamic AMOLED | OLED |
| Processor | Exynos 2100 | Apple A14 Bionic |
| RAM | 8 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 or 256 GB | 128, 256 or 512 GB |
| Memory card | no support | no support |
| Main camera | Tripe Camera: 12, 64 and 12 MP | Tripe Camera: 12, 12 and 12 MP |
| Front camera (selfie) | 10 MP | 12 MP |
| Operating system | Android 11 | iOS 14 |
| Battery | 4,800 mAh | 2,815 mAh |
| Dimensions and weight | 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm; 202 g | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm; 187 g |
| Colors | White, Gray, Violet and Pink | Silver, Graphite, Gold and Blue |
Screen and design
The differences between the devices start with the screen. The Galaxy S21 Plus comes with a 6.7″ display, which should please anyone who likes screens. Samsung’s AMOLED Dynamic 2X technology promises to help save energy and leave the phone with a faster response rate. Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels) has a density of 394 PPI, and a 120 Hz screen refresh rate helps to make scrolling and viewing smoother.
The device also features Eye Comfort Shield, which automatically adjusts the blue light filter based on the time of day, which promises to reduce eye fatigue, and HDR10+ certification, which promises the same image quality as Dolby Vision.
The iPhone 12 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen with OLED technology, also known as Super Retina XDR Display, which promises more brightness and deeper contrast. The device has Full HD+ resolution (2532 x 1170 pixels) with 460 PPI, which should provide higher resolution images compared to the Samsung cell phone. The True Tone option also helps to display more natural colors, according to the ambient light.
In terms of design, the Apple smartphone has become more similar to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 design. The device is 11% thinner, 15% smaller in volume, and 16% lighter than the iPhone 11. The display has Ceramic Shield for protection. The technology consists of a mixture of materials that form the front glass, and a surgical grade stainless steel body. The company ensures that the durability is up to four times higher than previous models.
The Galaxy S21 Plus uses the Gorilla Glass Victus to preserve the display from drops and scratches. The front camera is housed inside the display, unlike Apple, which still keeps the notch. Both come with IP68 protection, which allows the phone to be submerged up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. However, Apple promises resistance to dives of up to six meters.
The iPhone 12 Pro comes in silver, graphite, gold, and blue, while the Galaxy S21 Plus can be purchased in white, gray, violet, and pink.
Camera
Regarding the camera, both come with a triple set. Samsung’s device has optical zoom up to 3X, digital zoom up to 30X, and an ultra-wide camera that captures 120° field of view (even from human view). The set is divided as follows:
- Ultra-wide 12 MP and 120° (f/2.2)
- 12 MP (f/1.8) main (wide)
- 64 MP Telephoto (f/2.0)
- 10 MP Front (f/2.2)
The iPhone 12 Pro also has an ultra-wide camera with 120° field of view, up to 4X optical zoom, and up to 10X digital zoom. Apple guarantees that the wide camera sensor is 47 percent larger than the previous version, but does not specify the size. The lens also comes with a LiDAR sensor, which improves the depth of field perception in augmented reality (AR) – the same seen on the iPad Pro. The camera looks like this:
- Ultra-wide 12 MP (f/2.4)
- 12 MP wide-angle (f/1.6)
- 12 MP Telephoto (f/2.0)
- 12 MP Front (f/2.2)
As for features, the Apple smartphone comes with portrait mode and portrait lighting with six effects, double optical image stabilization, night mode, and HDR system. The Samsung cell phone comes with a Super motion stabilizer (up to 60 fps), Vlogger Visualization, which allows you to capture images from the front-rear cameras at the same time, and capture audio in several simultaneous microphones. The camera uses Artificial Intelligence for better image and video capture.
The Director’s Vision is another novelty present in the Galaxy S21 line devices. The feature allows to simultaneously record images from all cameras in 4K resolution and the user can choose which will be the final image.
Regarding the video, the iPhone 12 Pro records in 4K at a speed of 60 fps (frames per second), while the Samsung model allows records in 8K at 30 fps. Both record in 4K on the front camera.
Performance and storage
Super powerful processors are present in both models. The iPhone 12 comes with the recently launched A14 Bionic chipset (hexa-core up to 2.65 GHz), which promises speed 50% higher than the other cutting-edge smartphones with an Android system. Apple does not officially disclose the amount of RAM, but specialized sites report that the device features 6 GB.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S21 Plus processor is the Snapdragon 888, from Qualcomm, will be present in some countries, such as the United States. And another version with Exynos 2100, an octa-core of up to 2.9 GHz that works together with 8 GB RAM, the model will be sold in country like Brazil. The processor of the two smartphones is 5 nanometers, which translates into smaller internal components, greater energy efficiency, and battery savings.
The iPhone 12 Pro has 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB storage. The Galaxy S21 Plus does not have a version with bigger memory, only 128 GB and 256 GB. None of them have support for a microSD memory card – an Apple tradition, but a Samsung innovation.
Battery
The battery of the Galaxy S21 Plus stands out from the iPhone 12 Pro. Samsung’s model has a 4,800 mAh component. Apple also does not report the gross battery capacity of the devices, but experts estimate that the iPhone 12 Pro comes with 2,815 mAh. According to the company, it is sufficient for up to 17 hours of video playback and 65 hours of audio playback.
The Apple phone offers fast 20 W or higher recharging and guarantees up to 50 percent battery life in up to 30 minutes. It’s important to remember that the accessory needs to be purchased separately, as neither company includes chargers and headphones in the box. Samsung only states that the device is compatible with fast 2.0 charging.
A new feature of the iPhone 12 Pro is the return of the MagSafe, a set of magnets on the back of the phone that allows you to attach magnetism caps, chargers, and other accessories. With this, the cell phone has the options of wireless charging by the Qi standard up to 7.5 W and MagSafe up to 15 W.
System and additional features
The Galaxy S21 comes with the Android 11 factory and Samsung’s One UI 3.1 interface. The latest version of Google brings new features such as screen saving, a grouping of conversation notifications, and more data protection. The iPhone 12 runs iOS 14, the latest Apple system to date.
The iPhone 12 Pro uses Face ID for facial biometrics, while the Galaxy S21 Plus has a fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen itself and facial recognition. The models come with Bluetooth 5.0 and connectivity to the new Wi-Fi 6, plus a USB port, GPS, and NFC connectivity to pay with applications like Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Price
The iPhone 12 Pro started to be sold in October last year for the values of $999 (128 GB), $1,099 (256 GB) and $1,299 (512 GB).
The Galaxy S21 Plus in the 128 GB version costs $999, the same launch price as the 128 GB iPhone 12 Pro.
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