Apple’s latest take on some of the best in the Android world, but which one comes out on top in the iPhone 13 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 battle?
Apple Table of contents 01 Features 02 Price 03 Specs 04 Verdict Apple just took the wraps off its 2021 flagships, comprising of four smartphones once again. Ranging from the Mini to the Pro Max, the iPhone 13 series appears to be an iterative update. But how does it stack up against Samsung’s Galaxy S21 lineup? Let’s find out in this Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 13 series comparison, in which we take a closer look at everything from specs and features to pricing and design. Let’s dive in! Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 13 Design and features Apple The iPhone 13 and Galaxy S21 series are as feature-packed as ever. The Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max take the crown as the phones to beat. However, the rest of the handsets in the two lineups are impressive as well. The iPhone 13 series remains largely unchanged on the surface, apart from a smaller notch. All four keep the same display sizes and overall footprint, and the better cameras are reserved for the Pro models. This time around, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max get another leg up with 120Hz displays that will provide a smoother experience compared to the 60Hz panels found on the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. Related: The best Samsung Galaxy S21 cases you can buy It was a pretty significant design overhaul in the case of the Galaxy S21, though. Samsung replaced the unsightly camera bump from the Galaxy S20 with a “contour cut” camera bump that integrates directly into the metal frame. The Galaxy S21 range features 120Hz display refresh rates as well. However, Samsung dropped the resolution of the standard Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus to Full HD+ while keeping the S21 Ultra at QHD+. David Imel / Android Authority As far as specs go, you’ll get flagship performance no matter which phone you pick. The latest Apple chip, the A15 Bionic, could very well be the fastest smartphone processor around, so it will likely beat the Snapdragon 888-toting Galaxy S21 in performance benchmarks — although we haven’t tested this out yet. However, you won’t see a noticeable difference in real-world usage. All seven phones can comfortably handle anything you throw at them. You’ll get flagship performance no matter which phone you pick. The biggest selling point of Apple and Samsung flagships is usually the camera. These phones are consistently part of the best phone camera roundups year after year, and 2021 is no different. Apple You’ll get multiple camera lenses with every phone. The iPhone 13 series retains a lot of camera features from the last generation. The dual cameras of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini are entirely unchanged. There’s only an aesthetic difference this time around, with the cameras placed diagonally. The cameras were excellent performers, so you can expect the same once again. See also: The best camera phones you can get As before, the Pro editions add a telephoto lens to the mix. While the specs sheet stays the same in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, the ultra-wide camera has been upgraded from an ƒ/2.4 aperture to ƒ/1.8, which should make it perform better in low light. There are also new features on the software side. A new Cinematic Mode brings bokeh to video, and you’ll now get Night Mode on all the lenses, not just the main one. Robert Triggs / Android Authority The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus also have 12MP wide-angle and ultra-wide sensors, along with a 64MP telephoto shooter. However, if you want even more cameras, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the phone to get. It comes with a 108MP wide-angle, two 12MP telephoto units, and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. We know that the Galaxy S21 series cameras are excellent, and we can expect the same from the iPhone 13 range. It’ll be exciting to see how the phones, the S21 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max in particular, will fare against each other in our camera shootout that’s coming soon. Price David Imel / Android Authority Galaxy S21: $799 / €849 / £769 $799 / €849 / £769 S21 Plus: $999 / €1,049 / £949 $999 / €1,049 / £949 S21 Ultra: $1,199 / €1,249 / £1,149 iPhone 13 Mini: $699 / €799 / £679 $699 / €799 / £679 iPhone 13: $799 / €899 / £779 $799 / €899 / £779 iPhone 13 Pro: $999 / €1,149 / £949 $999 / €1,149 / £949 iPhone 13 Pro Max: $1,099 / €1,249 / £1,049 Apple didn’t change the starting prices of the iPhone 13 series. However, it’s worth noting that it dropped the 64GB option in favor of 128GB. So every base-level iPhone 13 comes with double the storage compared to the previous generation. You can also bump the storage up to 1TB with the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. With the Galaxy S21, Samsung took a huge step back from the exorbitant pricing of the Galaxy S20 series. Each phone starts at $200 lower than the previous generation and is more in line with competing devices like the iPhone 13. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is more expensive than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, at $1,199, is a little more expensive than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. You get a different camera setup, a higher display resolution, and S Pen support to make that difference more palatable. The identically-priced iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy S21 Plus are about as even as it gets. The regular iPhone 13 and Galaxy S21 are also priced the same. However, an argument could be made for the more premium build quality of the former, giving it a leg up over the “glasstic” Samsung phone. On the flip side, the Galaxy S21 comes with a higher display refresh rate, which is something you’ll only get with the Pro iPhones. There’s no Samsung equivalent for the iPhone 13 Mini. If you want a small phone, the Mini is the best option around, and it helps that it’s the cheapest of the lot. Specs iPhone 13 Mini iPhone 13 Display iPhone 13 Mini: 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,340 x 1,080 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front iPhone 13: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,532 x 1,170 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front Processor iPhone 13 Mini: Apple A15 Bionic iPhone 13: Apple A15 Bionic Storage iPhone 13 Mini: 128 / 256 / 512GB iPhone 13: 128 / 256 / 512GB Battery iPhone 13 Mini: Qi wireless charging up to 7.
