In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. 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.
| DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G991U1 | A3106 | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 151.7 mm | 159.9 mm | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has greater height than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Width | 71.2 mm | 76.7 mm | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has greater width than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Depth | 7.9 mm | 8.25 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Weight | 171 g | 221 g | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Body Colour | Phantom grey | Phantom white | Black titanium | White titanium | Natural titanium | Blue titanium | |
| Body Material | - | Textured matt glass, aerospace-grade titanium | |
| Protection | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof | |
| Waterproof (Water-resistant) | Yes | Yes | Both phones are waterproof. |
| IP rating | IP68 | IEC 60529 IP68 | |
| Repairability Index | - | 7.7 (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 Pro Max |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | OLED display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Super Retina XDR Display with ProMotion | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.2" | 6.7" | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has larger screen size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 2796 x 1290 pixels | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better screen resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Display Format | Full HD+ | - | |
| Pixel Density | 421 ppi | 460 ppi | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better pixel density than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Max Brightness | - | 2000 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 | 120 Hz | Both phones have the same refresh rate. |
| Display Features | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper | Always-on display, True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), 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 Pro Max |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Apple A17 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Pro Max. |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| RAM | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) | 128 GB | 256 GB | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has more internal memory than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| User Memory | 101.2 GB | - |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| MAIN CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 48 Megapixel | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 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/1.78 | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Field of View (FoV) | 79 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size | 1.8 μm | 2.44 μm | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Sensor-shift OIS second-generation (Optical Image Stabilisation) | Both phones have optical image stabilization. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Laser Auto Focus | Yes | - | |
| Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) | - | 24 mm | |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | 5x | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better optical zoom than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Digital Zoom | 30x | 25x | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. |
| 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, portrait mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Cinema mode, Macro video, Macro mode, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW, Night mode portraits, spatial video, log video recording | |
| Face Recognition (Face ID) | - | Face recognition | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has face detection. |
| Light Source | High CRI LED flash | Adaptive 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, QuickTake video, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), Deep Fusion, 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, customisable default lens, ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording, Academy Colour Encoding System, 10x optical zoom range, 5x 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/2.2 | Both phones have the same second camera lens aperture. |
| 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 | 1.4 μm | Both phones have the same second camera pixel size. |
| 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 | 12 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has higher resolution third camera than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size (3rd Camera) | 1/1.72" | - | |
| Lens Type (3rd Camera) | Telephoto lens | Telephoto lens | |
| Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) | F/2.0 | F/2.8 | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better third camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Field of View (3rd Camera) | 76 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size (3rd Camera) | 0.8 μm | - | |
| Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS) | Both phones have optical stabilization of the third camera. |
| Minimum Focal Length (3rd Camera) | - | 120 mm | |
| Optical Zoom | - | 5x | |
| Camera Features (3rd Camera) | - | 100% Focus Pixels, Quad Pixel sensor, autofocus for video, tetraprism design |
| FRONT CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Front Cameras | 1 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution (Front) | 10 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Lens Aperture (Front) | F/2.2 | F/1.9 | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 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, slow motion video, Time-lapse mode, night mode, portrait mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW, log video recording | |
| Face Recognition (Face ID) | - | Face recognition | Apple iPhone 15 Pro 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, 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, ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, Academy Colour Encoding System |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| 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 29 hrs Playback (streamed video): up to 25 hrs Playback (audio): up to 95 hrs |
|
| Battery Technology | - | Lithium Ion |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| 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, NavIC |
| COMMUNICATIONS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| 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, n14, 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, n14, n53 | |
| Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | IEEE 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6E | |
| 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 Pro Max has UWB wireless technology. |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| 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 Pro Max |
|---|
| 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 | Proximity sensor, digital compass, barometer, magnetometer, LiDAR scanner, dual ambient light sensor, gyroscope with large dynamic range, high-g accelerometer | |
| 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), Fast Charging, 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, Wide Spectrum microphone mode, Screen sharing, Portrait mode in FaceTime video, Optical zoom with rear‑facing camera, DisplayPort over USB Type-C, FaceTime call with SharePlay, Crash Detection, magnet array, alignment magnet, accessory identification NFC, Emergency SOS via satellite, thread networking technology, action button, Dual active eSIM support, StandBy, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, MetalFX Upscaling, second-generation Ultra Wideband chip |
| OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|
| 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 | - | 75 kg carbon emissions | |
| Product Recycled Content | - | 20 % - 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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