Apple iPhone XS Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

Detailed comparison and review of Apple iPhone XS Max and Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G. With our comprehensive overview, you can simply compare sizes, functions, but also other key features of both phones and easily decide which one is the right choice for you. Our goal is to help you identify the main differences between products and find the phone that best fits your needs and expectations.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Apple iPhone XS Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A2101 SM-G990B/DS
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 157.5 mm 155.7 mm Apple iPhone XS Max has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Width 77.4 mm 74.5 mm Apple iPhone XS Max has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Depth 7.7 mm 7.9 mm Apple iPhone XS Max is narrower than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Weight 208 g 177 g Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is lighter than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Body Colour Space grey | Silver | Gold Olive | Graphite | White | Lavender
Body Material Glass, surgical‑grade stainless steel -
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes - Apple iPhone XS Max is waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP68 IP68
Repairability Index 6.9 (out of 10) -
SAR Value 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body), 0.952 W/kg (head), 2.91 W/kg (limb)
Connector Type Lightning USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Super Retina HD Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.5" 6.4" Apple iPhone XS Max has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2688 x 1242 pixels 2340 x 1080 pixels Apple iPhone XS Max has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Display Format - Full HD+
Pixel Density 458 ppi 401 ppi Apple iPhone XS Max has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Max Brightness 625 cd/m² -
Colour Depth - 16.7 million colours
Contrast Ratio 1000000:1 -
HDR Yes - Apple iPhone XS Max has HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10 HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology Dolby Vision Eye Comfort Shield
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz 120 Hz Both phones have the same refresh rate.
Display Features True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3) AOD(Always On Display), Infinity O display, Video Wallpaper
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A12 Bionic -
Clock Speed - 2.84 GHz
Processor Core Qty 6-core 8-core Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has higher processor core quantity than Apple iPhone XS Max.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Apple iPhone XS Max has 64-bit architecture.
MEMORY Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
RAM - 6 GB
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 128 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has more internal memory than Apple iPhone XS Max.
User Memory - 101.1 GB
CAMERA Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 2 3
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size - 1/1.76"
Sensor Type BSI -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.8 Both phones have the same camera lens aperture.
Lens Construction 6-element -
Field of View (FoV) - 79 degree(s)
Pixel Size - 1.8 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Optical Zoom 2x 3x Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better optical zoom than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Digital Zoom 10x 30x Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Special Effects Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono Face retouch, Grid Line
HDR Mode Smart HDR Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Burst mode, Panorama, Timer mode, low-light shots, tap to focus, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos Night mode, portrait mode
Face Recognition (Face ID) Body and face detection - Apple iPhone XS Max has face detection.
Light Source True Tone quad LED flash LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, Hybrid IR filter, Exposure control, geotagging, LTM (Local Tone Mapping), Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, Optical image stabilization for video, Extended dynamic range for video Dual recording
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Telephoto lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.4 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 123 degree(s)
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) - 1.12 μm
Camera Functions (2nd Camera) Capture depth information -
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) - 8 Megapixel
Lens Type (3rd Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) - F/2.4
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 32 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) - 1 μm
Camera Features (3rd Camera) - Space Zoom x30
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 2 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 7 Megapixel 32 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Sensor Type (Front) BSI -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Field of View (Front) - 81 degree(s)
Pixel Size (Front) - 0.8 μm
Focus Adjustment - Focus free
Special Effects (Front) Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono -
HDR Mode (Front) Smart HDR -
Camera Modes (Front) Burst mode, Timer mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting -
Face Recognition (Face ID) Body and face detection, face recognition - Apple iPhone XS Max has face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash -
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps -
Camera Features (Front) FaceTime HD camera, Exposure control, Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Extended dynamic range for video, Cinematic video stabilisation -
SECOND FRONT CAMERA
Camera Functions (2nd Front) Infrared camera for Face ID -
Camera Features (2nd Front) Flood Illuminator, Dot Projector -
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - 4500 mAh
Fast Charging Technology Apple fast charging technology Samsung Fast Charging Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time 1500 minutes 2220 minutes Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has longer battery life when making calls than Apple iPhone XS Max.
Run Time Details Talk: up to 1500 min
Active online usage: up to 13 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 15 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 65 hrs
Talk (LTE): up to 2220 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 13 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 13 hrs
Playback (video): up to 16 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 79 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion -
CELLULAR Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System iOS 12 Android 12
Intelligent Assistant Siri Bixby
Payment Technology Apple Pay Samsung Pay
Navigation A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, Gigabit LTE FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band - Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8
3G UMTS Frequency - 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 29, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 17, Band 20, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700 PS, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700b, FDD 800 DD, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band - N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n78, n40
5G NR Frequency - FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11ac IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Supported Digital Audio Standards Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2 WAV, AAC, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID
Supported Digital Video Standards M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound
FEATURES Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert -
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer Accelerometer, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor
Security Devices Face recognition Fingerprint reader
Security Technology Face ID -
Additional Phone Features TTY compatible, FaceTime, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Neural Engine, AirPlay Mirroring MIMO technology, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Samsung DeX support, Samsung Smart Switch, Game mode
OTHERS Apple iPhone XS Max Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Included Accessories Power adapter, Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector, Lightning to USB cable SIM card removal tool, USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IP68
Max Depth of Water Resistance 2 m 1.5 m
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95% (non-condensing) -
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