The iPhone 13 series is finally official and it is composed of four variants, just like last year. The most advanced one is the iPhone 13 Pro Max but is it the most advanced phone in the market or you can find something better from other brands? We think there is no better way to understand it than comparing it to the most advanced Android flagships. For this comparison, we chose the best Samsung flagship excluding foldable phones: the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The price range of these two devices is the same, but which one is the best? This comparison should help you find out. Note that this comparison is only based on the specs on the paper and the iPhone 13 Pro Max is yet to hit the shelves.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 13 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm, 227 g |
160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm, 240 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.8 inches, 1440 x 3200 pixels (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Exynos 2100 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.9 GHz or octa-core 2.84 GHz | Apple A15 Bionic hexa-core 3.22 GHz |
| MEMORY | 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB | 6 GB RAM, 512 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 6 GB RAM, 1 TB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 11, One UI | iOS 15 |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS |
| CAMERA | Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 40 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Quad 12 + 12 + 12 MP + TOF 3D LiDAR scanner, f/1.5 + f/2.8 + f/1.8 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2 |
| BATTERY | 5000 mAh, fast charging 25W and Qi wireless charging 15W | 4373 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, Qi wireless charging 7.5W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | 5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, IP68 waterproof, stylus support | 5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, MagSafe 15W, IP68 waterproof |
Design
Which phone has the best design? It mostly depends on your tastes: not everyone likes that big notch of the iPhones, but they are the trend. Further, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a better build quality with a Ceramic Shield back and a stainless steel frame. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a glass back protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and an aluminum frame. Both the phones feature the IP68 certification, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max can resist immersions up to 6 meters deep, while Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra stops at 1.5 meters. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a more compact, thinner, and lighter design, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a lot bigger.
Display
Both of these devices are equipped with astonishing displays, so whatever you choose, you will get an amazing image quality. On the paper, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is superior with its HDR10+ certification, LTPO technology with adaptive refresh rate, Quad HD+ resolution, and an active digitizer which enables the support of the S Pen just like the Galaxy Note series. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint reader. The OLED display of the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a color reproduction very close to perfection and even a high 120 Hz refresh rate. It does not support the pen, but it has Face ID for 3D facial recognition.
Specs & Software
In terms of performance, the iPhone 13 Pro Max should be better thanks to the better optimization of the iOS operating system and a stronger chipset. It does not matter that Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra offers up to 16 GB of RAM: iOS is well-optimized and can provide incredible performances even with lower-end hardware. Further, note that iPhone 13 Pro Max offers up to 1 TB of internal storage, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra stops at 512 GB. The Samsung flagship has Android 11 out of the box (it will be one of the first phones to get Android 11), while iPhone 13 Pro Max ships with iOS 15.
Camera
If shooting photos is your priority, then Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra may be a more versatile device for you. Besides a great 108 MP main camera, it has a periscope sensor with 10x optical zoom and it is able to record videos in 8K resolution. The iPhone 13 Pro Max should be better at video recording, but it does not offer the amazing zoom capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra as it stops at 3x optical zoom.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a bigger battery, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max is expected to reach a similar battery life due to the great optimization of the operating system. The charging speed is similar between the two devices and both support wireless charging, but the iPhone is the only one with MagSafe. The MagSafe technology is better for wireless charging and it gives the chance to connect other accessories such as battery packs.
Price
The starting price of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is €1249 in Europe and $1099 in the U.S while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra starts from €1020 in Europe and $795 in the U.S. You can currently find better street prices for the S21 Ultra. There is no clear winner of this comparison: now you know the advantages of the one and the other and it should be easier for you to make a choice.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
PRO
- Wider display
- Pen support
- Bigger battery
- 10x optical zoom
CONS
- Dimensions
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
PRO
- iOS 15
- Great materials
- MagSafe
- Amazing hardware
CONS
- Price
