Winner: iPhone 12 Pro Max Software and updates Andrew Martonik/Digital Trends
Because of this, we’re giving a narrow win to the iPhone, which is more effective in nighttime conditions. That said, the S21 Ultra still struggles a little in low-light environments, where it introduces a little bit of noise and smooths over details. More generally, the overall quality of the S21 Ultra’s main camera is comparable to that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is also one of the best camera phones around. The two telephoto lenses are particularly impressive, with our review finding that they take very detailed zoomed shots, when used with optical zoom. These are impressive specs, and in practice, they result in a camera that’s highly versatile and capable of taking very usable shots in most conditions. The first telephoto lens is 10MP with 3x optical zoom and an aperture of f/2.4, while the second is also 10MP, but with 10x optical zoom and an f/4.9 aperture. This includes a main wide lens with a whopping 108 megapixels, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and also two (yes, two) telephoto lenses. It’s with its camera that you’ll probably notice the biggest difference between the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the S21 and S21 Plus, with the Ultra boasting four rear lenses. Winner: Tie Cameras Andrew Martonik/Digital Trends The same is true for the S21 Ultra, with our review finding that it also lasts into the second day, even with 120Hz mode enabled. Nonetheless, the iPhone comfortably provides over a day of usage even under the heaviest of regimens. As such, the Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t have the edge over the iPhone 12 Pro Max when it comes to storage, not least because both phones come with 128GB of internal memory as standard, or can be bought with 256GB or 512GB for higher prices.Īs for the battery, the S21 Ultra comes with a larger 5,000mAh cell, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers a 3,687mAh battery.
This year, Samsung has jettisoned the MicroSD card slot, mostly to make its range of devices a little more affordable. By contrast, the iPhone 12 Pro Max musters a less impressive 6GB of RAM, yet its use of the latest Apple A14 Bionic chip - as well as the fact that iPhones need less RAM - means that you’ll also have no trouble playing demanding games or running multiple apps. Combined with a hefty 12GB of RAM, you’ll find that it handles any app or game with relative ease, even letting you keep multiple apps on the go without suffering a noticeable slowdown. Leaving behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 of the S20, the Galaxy S21 Ultra runs on the newer Snapdragon 865. This makes video and moving pictures flow much more smoothly on Samsung’s device. At the same time, the Ultra also supports a 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max only goes up to 60Hz. In practice, this means that the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s screen will look more impressive, offering greater resolution and sharpness, and with its AMOLED (as opposed to OLED) technology providing deeper blacks and slightly better dynamic range. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, coming with 2778 x 1284 pixels, or 458 ppi. The S21 Ultra packs a large 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen into its frame with a generous helping 3200 x 1440 pixels, making for a very vivid 515 pixels per inch.
There is, however, a clear difference when it comes to the displays of each phone. It’s hard to say which device is better looking, although the sloping camera bump of the S21 Ultra is arguably more striking than the flat edges of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Again, these are pretty subtle changes, but they serve to distinguish the phone from earlier models, giving it a more premium and upmarket aesthetic. The iPhone 12 Pro Max sports two main renovations: A thinner notch at the top of the display and flattened/squared edges around the side of its frame. It also features a newly revamped rear camera bump, which slopes down nicely into the frame of the phone, making it stick out less and seem more smoothly integrated into the overall device. The Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts an edge-to-edge display with even thinner bezels than the S20, with the discreet punch-hole selfie camera providing it with a very svelte look. Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Brown, Phantom Navy, Phantom Titaniumīoth the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max showcase notable design updates.
TITANIUM BACKUP PRO AND SAMSUNG GALAXY 5 720P
Triple lens 12-megapixel wide, 12MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide rearĨK at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps, HDR12įast charging (25W charger sold separately)įast charging (20W charger sold separately) Quad lens 108-megapixel wide, 10MP telephoto, 10 MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide rear