iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S21 Ultra

Name Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Image Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max – frontApple iPhone 15 Pro Max – backApple iPhone 15 Pro Max – right side
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G – front
MSRP $1199 $1199.99
Released Sep 2023 Jan 2021
Availability Discontinued Discontinued
Check price: Amazon Amazon
Operating system
Operating system (OS) iOS 17 Android 11
Latest OS update? iOS 18.2.1 Android 14
Display specifications
Display type LTPO OLED AMOLED
Display size (inch) 6.7″ 6.8″
Resolution (H×W) 2796×1290 3200×1440
Aspect ratio (H:W) 19.5:9 20:9
Pixel density (PPI) 460 PPI 515 PPI
HDR support (types) Dolby Vision, HDR10 HDR10+
Refresh rate (max) 120 Hz 120 Hz
Hardware
Chipset Apple A17 Pro Exynos 2100
GPU Apple GPU, 6 cores Mali-G78 MP14
CPU cores 6-core 8-core
CPU clock speed (max) 3.78 GHz 2.9 GHz
RAM options (GB) 8 GB 12 GB | 16 GB
Memory options (GB) 256 | 512 | 1024 128 | 256 | 512
Memory card slot? (microSD) ❌ ❌
Main camera layout
Primary (wide) 48 MP 108 MP
Ultrawide 12 MP 12 MP
Telephoto 12 MP 10 MP Periscope + 10 MP
Optical zoom 5× 10× + 3×
Other cameras (macro/depth) ToF 3D LiDAR scanner ❌
Main camera features
Photo HDR? ✔ ✔
Video HDR? ✔ ✔
8K video? ❌ 24 fps
4K video? 24/25/30/60 fps 30/60 fps
1080p video? 25/30/60/120/240 fps 30/60/240 fps
Other resolutions? 720p@30 fps 720p@960 fps
Selfie-camera layout
Primary 12 MP wide 40 MP wide
Secondary SL 3D ❌
Selfie-camera features
Face recognition? Face ID Face unlock
Selfie photo HDR? ✔ ✔
4K selfie video? 24/25/30/60 fps 30/60 fps
1080p selfie video? 25/30/60/120 fps 30 fps
Other resolutions? ❌ ❌
Connectivity
SIM type? (physical) Nano (USA: none) Nano
Dual SIM? (card slots) ❌ China only ✔
eSIM? ✔ ✔
Cellular networks 5G 5G
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6e Wi-Fi 6e
Bluetooth 5.3 5.2
NFC? ✔ ✔
Charging & data port USB-C 3.2 USB-C 3.2
Battery, power & charging
Battery capacity (3.7V) 4441 mAh 5000 mAh
Wired charging speed? ~27 W 25 W
Wireless charging? 15 Watt 15 Watt
Reverse wireless charging? ❌ ✔
Audio
Speakers 2.0 (stereo) 2.0 (stereo)
3.5 mm AUX out port? ❌ ❌
Build & materials
IP-Code IP68 IP68
Screen material Ceramic Shield glass Gorilla Glass Victus
Frame material Titanium Aluminum
Back material Glass Gorilla Glass Victus
Layout & design
Selfie camera placement? Island Punch hole
Fingerprint sensor? ❌ Under display
Special design features? Action button -
Color options: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium Black, Silver, Titanium, Navy, Brown, Navy
Size & weight
Size (cm H×W×D): 15.99×7.67×0.83 16.51×7.56×0.89
Size (inch H×W×D): 6.30×3.02×0.33 6.5×2.98×0.35
Weight (gram): 221 227
Weight (oz): 7.80 8.01
In the box
Cables? USB-C to C USB-C to C
Charger? ❌ ❌
Adapters? ❌ ❌
Other SIM tool (outside USA), Apple sticker SIM tool
More info
Model numbers A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 SM-G998
User guide / manual User Guide User Guide
Official site link: Apple.com Page discontinued
Check price & reviews
See price and reviews: Amazon Amazon
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Key differences

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is newer (Sep 2023 vs Jan 2021), has more storage (up to 1024 GB vs up to 512 GB) and charges faster (~27 W vs 25 W).

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has a sharper display (515 PPI vs 460 PPI), has more RAM (up to 16 GB vs 8 GB) and has a larger battery (5000 mAh vs 4441 mAh).

Only on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: other cameras (ToF 3D LiDAR scanner). Only on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: 8K video (24 fps), Dual SIM, reverse wireless charging and fingerprint sensor (Under display).

Other differences: operating system (iOS 17 vs Android 11), display type (LTPO OLED vs AMOLED), chipset (Apple A17 Pro vs Exynos 2100), Bluetooth (5.3 vs 5.2) and frame material (Titanium vs Aluminum). Both have 120 Hz refresh rates and IP68 water and dust resistance.

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