Samsung Galaxy S21 5G vs. Apple iPhone 15

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Apple iPhone 15. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G vs. Apple iPhone 15 Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G991U1 A3090
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 151.7 mm 147.6 mm Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater height than Apple iPhone 15.
Width 71.2 mm 71.6 mm Apple iPhone 15 has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Depth 7.9 mm 7.8 mm Apple iPhone 15 is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Weight 171 g 171 g Both phones are the same weight.
Body Colour Phantom grey | Phantom white Black | Pink | Yellow | Blue | Green
Body Material - Glass, aerospace-grade aluminium
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant Water-resistant, splash-resistant, dust-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IEC 60529 IP68
Repairability Index - 7.5 (out of 10)
SAR Value 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head) -
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X Super Retina XDR Display
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.2" 6.1" Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger screen size than Apple iPhone 15.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2400 x 1080 pixels 2556 x 1179 pixels Apple iPhone 15 has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Display Format Full HD+ -
Pixel Density 421 ppi 460 ppi Apple iPhone 15 has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Max Brightness - 1000 cd/m²
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
Contrast Ratio - 2000000:1
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10+ HDR10
Display Enhancement Technology Eye Comfort Shield Dolby Vision
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz -
Display Features AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), All Screen Display, Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dynamic Island, 1600 nits max brightness (HDR), 2000 nits max brightness (outdoor)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Apple A16 Bionic
Clock Speed 2.84 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core 6-core Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher processor core quantity than Apple iPhone 15.
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
RAM LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB -
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 128 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory 101.2 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 2
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 48 Megapixel Apple iPhone 15 has better camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Sensor Size 1/1.76" -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.6 Apple iPhone 15 has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (FoV) 79 degree(s) -
Pixel Size 1.8 μm 2 μm Apple iPhone 15 has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Sensor-shift OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus Yes -
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) - 26 mm
Optical Zoom 3x 2x Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better optical zoom than Apple iPhone 15.
Digital Zoom 30x 10x Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone 15.
Self-Timer Delay Yes -
Special Effects Face retouch, Grid Line Photographic Styles
HDR Mode Auto HDR mode Smart HDR 5
Camera Modes Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Portrait, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Single Take, Pro Video, Portrait video, Director's View Burst mode, slow motion video, Panorama, Time-lapse mode, night mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Cinema mode, Macro video, Time Lapse (Night mode)
Face Recognition (Face ID) - Face recognition Apple iPhone 15 has face detection.
Light Source High CRI LED flash True Tone LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 7680 x 4320 (8K) at 24 fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps 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, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 25 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Playback zoom, Motion photo, blink detection, QR-code scanner, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Hybrid Optic Zoom 3x, Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x, Digital zoom up to 12x for video, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Microphone Control (Pro Video only) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Advanced red-eye correction, Panorama (up to 63MP), HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), Deep Fusion, Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video, Digital zoom up to 6x for video, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, 2x optical zoom out, Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps, Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps, Photonic Engine, 4x optical zoom range, 2x optical zoom in
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.2 F/2.4 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better second camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (2nd Camera) 120 degree(s) 120 degree(s) Both phones have the same second camera lens field of view.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.4 μm -
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) - 13 mm
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - Lens correction, 100% Focus Pixels, Quad Pixel sensor
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 64 Megapixel -
Sensor Size (3rd Camera) 1/1.72" -
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens -
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.0 -
Field of View (3rd Camera) 76 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) 0.8 μm -
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 10 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Apple iPhone 15 has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/1.9 Apple iPhone 15 has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G.
Field of View (Front) 80 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (Front) 1.22 μm -
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Special Effects (Front) - Photographic Styles
HDR Mode (Front) - Smart HDR 5
Camera Modes (Front) - Burst mode, night mode, portrait mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode)
Face Recognition (Face ID) - Face recognition Apple iPhone 15 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, 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, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 25 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 fps
Camera Features (Front) Dual Pixel AF Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, Autofocus with Focus Pixels, Photonic Engine, Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4000 mAh -
Fast Charging Technology Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Apple MagSafe wireless charging Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare Qi
Talk Time 1800 minutes -
Run Time Details Talk (LTE): up to 1800 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 14 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 15 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 19 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 72 hrs
Playback (video): up to 20 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 16 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 80 hrs
Battery Technology - Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System Android 11 iOS 17
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Siri
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Data Transmission FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 EDGE, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1, TD-LTE
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66, Band 71 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66, Band 53
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 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, FDD 600 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, Band 53
5G NR Band N41, n71, n260, n261 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n70, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n26, n30, n53
5G NR Frequency TDD TD 2500, FDD 600, TDD 39GHz, TDD 28GHz FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, FDD AWS-4, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 850, FDD 2300, n53
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.3
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) - Yes Apple iPhone 15 has UWB wireless technology.
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 AAC, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 H.264, HEVC, ProRes
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound, Spatial audio
Video Enhancements - HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert -
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor Accelerometer, proximity sensor, digital compass, barometer, magnetometer, dual ambient light sensor, gyroscope with high dynamic range
Security Devices Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition Face recognition
Security Technology - Face ID
Additional Phone Features MIMO technology, Screen Write, notification flashlight, Smart Select, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Bixby key, Bluetooth Scalable Codec, Samsung Knox Vault, Private Share function, Enhanced Game Booster, Air Command MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay 2 wireless streaming, FaceTime audio, Apple MagSafe, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible, Voice isolation, 16‑core Neural Engine, Zoom with rear-facing camera, Wide Spectrum microphone mode, SharePlay, Screen sharing, Portrait mode in FaceTime video, Dual eSIM support, FaceTime call with SharePlay, Crash Detection, magnet array, alignment magnet, accessory identification NFC, Emergency SOS via satellite, StandBy, second-generation Ultra Wideband chip
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Apple iPhone 15
Included Accessories SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m)
Compliant Standards VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification IEC 60529 IP68, BFR-free, PVC-free, Beryllium-free, Mercury-free, HEARING AID M3/T4, Arsenic-free
EPEAT Compliant - Yes
EPEAT Level - EPEAT Gold
Carbon Footprint - 56 kg carbon emissions
Product Recycled Content - 23 % - recycled or renewable content
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 6 m
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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