In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S21 5G and Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). 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 SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Product Type | Smartphone | Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer Model Number | SM-G991U1 | A2783 | |
| Form Factor | Touch | Touch | |
| Height | 151.7 mm | 138.4 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater height than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Width | 71.2 mm | 67.3 mm | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has greater width than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Depth | 7.9 mm | 7.3 mm | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Weight | 171 g | 144 g | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. |
| Body Colour | Phantom grey | Phantom white | Starlight | Midnight | Red | |
| Body Material | - | Aluminium, glass | |
| Protection | Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant | Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant | |
| Waterproof (Water-resistant) | Yes | Yes | Both phones are waterproof. |
| IP rating | IP68 | IEC 60529 IP67 | |
| SAR Value | 1.58 W/kg (simultaneous), 1.11 W/kg (wireless router), 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.74 W/kg (head) | 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head) | |
| Connector Type | USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C | Lightning | |
| 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 SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Display Type | OLED display | LCD display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Technology | Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Retina HD display with IPS technology | |
| Screen Size (Display Size) | 6.2" | 4.7" | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has larger screen size than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) | 2400 x 1080 pixels | 1334 x 750 pixels | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Display Format | Full HD+ | - | |
| Pixel Density | 421 ppi | 326 ppi | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better pixel density than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Max Brightness | - | 625 cd/m² | |
| Colour Depth | 16.7 million colours | - | |
| Contrast Ratio | - | 1400:1 | |
| HDR | Yes | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has HDR. |
| HDR Technology | HDR10+ | - | |
| Display Enhancement Technology | Eye Comfort Shield | Dolby Vision | |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | - | |
| Display Features | AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper | Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Dark mode, Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) | |
| Display Protection (Screen Protector) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (scratch resistant glass) | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Processor Type (CPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Apple A15 Bionic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Speed | 2.84 GHz | - | |
| Processor Core Qty | 8-core | - |
| MEMORY | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| RAM | LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) | 128 GB | 64 GB | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has more internal memory than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| User Memory | 101.2 GB | - |
| CAMERA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| MAIN CAMERA |
|---|
| Number of Main Cameras | 3 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixel | 12 Megapixel | Both phones have the same camera resolution. |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.76" | - | |
| Lens Type | 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) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) | Both phones have optical image stabilization. |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | Automatic | |
| Laser Auto Focus | Yes | - | |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | - | |
| Digital Zoom | 30x | 5x | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Self-Timer Delay | Yes | - | |
| Special Effects | Face retouch, Grid Line | Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono | |
| HDR Mode | Auto HDR mode | Smart HDR | |
| 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, Panorama, Live Photos, Timelapse video, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos | |
| 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, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 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, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, 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, HEIF image capture, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles |
| SECOND CAMERA |
|---|
| Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) | 12 Megapixel | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lens Type (2nd Camera) | Ultra wide-angle lens | - | |
| Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) | F/2.2 | - | |
| Field of View (2nd Camera) | 120 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size (2nd Camera) | 1.4 μm | - |
| 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 | 7 Megapixel | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). |
| Lens Aperture (Front) | F/2.2 | F/2.2 | Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture. |
| Field of View (Front) | 80 degree(s) | - | |
| Pixel Size (Front) | 1.22 μm | - | |
| Focus Adjustment | Automatic | - | |
| Special Effects (Front) | - | Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono | |
| HDR Mode (Front) | - | Auto HDR mode | |
| Camera Modes (Front) | - | Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos | |
| Light Source (Front) | - | Retina Flash | |
| Video Resolutions (Front) | - | 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps | |
| Camera Features (Front) | Dual Pixel AF | Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion |
| BATTERY AND CHARGING | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Battery Capacity (Battery Size) | 4000 mAh | - | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Charging Technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 | - | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has 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 (audio): up to 50 hrs Playback (video): up to 15 hrs Playback (streamed video): up to 10 hrs |
|
| Battery Technology | - | Lithium Ion |
| CELLULAR | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| 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 15 | |
| 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 SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Data Transmission | FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1, 5G NR FR2 | EDGE, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA, 5G NR FR1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 5G NR Band | N41, n71, n260, n261 | N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n30 | |
| 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, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 2300 | |
| Wireless Interface | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | IEEE 802.11ax | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments. |
| MEDIA | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| 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 | Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Digital Video Standards | MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 | M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF | |
| 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 Digital sound | |
| Video Enhancements | - | HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) |
| FEATURES | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| 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, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer | |
| Security Devices | Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition | Fingerprint reader | |
| 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, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay Mirroring, Third‑generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), 16‑core Neural Engine |
| OTHERS | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Included Accessories | SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-C cable | Lightning to USB-C cable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Standards | VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS Eye Care Display Certification | IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) | |
| Max Depth of Water Resistance | 1.5 m | 1 m | |
| Max Operating Temperature | - | 35 °C | |
| Min Operating Temperature | - | 0 °C | |
| Humidity Range Operating | - | 5 - 95% (non-condensing) |
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