For Android smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has continued to set high standards, with the latest hardware, a fascinating 120 Hz refresh rate and a high-quality camera, it is bound to stand at the top amongst the best Android creations. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is an equally impressive and stylish new model and one of Apple’s best creations yet. It could therefore be difficult having to choose between two smartphones.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max delivers improved and high-quality cameras, a bigger battery and a brighter display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy S21 Ultra also comes with the same refresh rate, and similarly impressive camera quality. Additionally, the S21 Ultra offers S Pen support. But which is better in terms of individual features?
Performance and 5G
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Operating System | Android 11, One UI 3.1 | iOS 15 |
| Chipset | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) – International Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) – USA/China | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| CPU/Processor | Octa-core (1×2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) – International Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680) – USA/China | Hexa-core (2×3.22 GHz Avalanche + 4xX.X GHz Blizzard) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP14 – International Adreno 660 – USA/China | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
The A15 Bionic produces the best results so far on synthetic benchmarks, helping the iPhone 13 Pro Max to beat the Galaxy S21 Ultra in the area of performance. The phones are quite equal on the 5G front, with both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra being able to work with all US carrier’s 5G implementations. Apple claims that by the end of this year, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will double worldwide, with support for 200 carriers in 60 countries.
Dimensions and Body Features
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM/eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Water Proof |
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Display Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Display Size | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels | 1284 x 2778 pixels |
| Pixels Per Inch | ~515 ppi | ~458 ppi |
| Display Ratio | 20:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Scratch-resistant ceramic glass, oleophobic coating |
Apple has reduced the size of the usual notch at the front of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and it has instead replaced it with a slightly larger camera array so as to accommodate the bigger lenses. used by the new iPhone. For the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, however, you do not have to bother about a notch at all. It comes with just a small punch hole.
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The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch screen beats that of the Samsung Galaxy US21 Ultra in several ways, most especially in the comparison of brightness. For the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it measured 1,038 nits of brightness with the Adaptive setting on, surpassing the S21 Ultra’s 821-nit reading. Apple’s screen is also easier on the eyesight, and it really brings out the highlights even in low-light video scenes.
The two phones have IP68 water resistance ratings, although the iPhone 13 Pro Max can survive in deeper waters compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra (6 metres vs 1.5 metres).
Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Rear Camera: | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33″, 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Rear Video: | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode, stereo sound rec. |
| Rear Camera Features: | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Front (Selfie) Camera: | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.7µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″ SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Front Camera Features: | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | HDR |
| Front Video: | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
When viewed, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra cameras seem to be even. Both phones offer triple camera displays, with Apple placing more emphasis on low-light photography in this new model. The main lens of the iPhone 13 Pro Max uses a bigger sensor than before and it can now let in 49% more light. The aperture on the ultrawide angle lens has also increased. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 Ultra still stands at the top when it comes to zoom ability. The smartphone’s 10MP telephoto lens is capable of a 10x optical zoom, compared to 3x for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
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In terms of video, both phones are awesome at capturing them. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with the new Cinematic mode, which automatically puts the subject of the shot in focus while blurring the background. The blur can also shift automatically during the shot as the focus changes. The Samsung S21 Ultra can also add blur to background, but it does not look as professional as that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Internal: | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| Card Slot: | No | No |
| Battery: | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4352 mAh, non-removable (16.75 Wh) |
| Charging: | Fast charging 25W USB Power Delivery 3.0 Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W Reverse wireless charging 4.5W | Fast charging 27W, 50% in 30 min (advertised) USB Power Delivery 2.0 MagSafe wireless charging 15W Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 7.5W |
Like the other iPhone 13 models, the iPhone 13 Pro Max carries a bigger battery than its predecessor. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, though, has a higher battery capacity than that of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, which means you will definitely have a better battery experience with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Connectivity
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| WLAN: | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth: | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS: | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC: | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port: | No | No |
| Radio: | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB: | USB Type-C 3.2, USB On-The-Go | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
Other features
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
| Sensors: | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Siri natural language commands and dictation Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
Price and Availability
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is now available at a starting price of about $1,099 (N454,184). With that, you can get the 128GB, and to boost storage to 256GB, you will be required to pay an extra $100 (N41,327). There are also 512GB and 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max options for $1,399 (N578,165) and $1,599 (N660,819) respectively.
For the 128GB Galaxy S21 Ultra, price starts at $1,199 (N495,511), which is $100 (N41,327) more than the iPhone 13 Pro Max). The 256GB S21 Ultra ($1,249 or N516,174) is also more expensive than its iPhone equivalent while the 512GB model is $20 (N8,265) cheaper.
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