Reviews of the latest flagship of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra arrived today, with analysts pitting the new 6.8-inch device against Apple’s current iPhone 12 lineup. Reviewers say that while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a more ergonomic finish, the iPhone 12 line still has an advantage in certain areas.
Before we get into the iPhone 12 comparisons, be sure to take a look at our 9to5Google colleagues, who also spent time with the latest Galaxy S21 devices.
The Verge’s $ 1199 Galaxy S21 Ultra review says the new device is “much more comfortable to hold” than the iPhone 12 Pro Max because it is a bit narrower and has curved edges:
However, large Android phones are common now, so Samsung’s job is not just to make a powerful phone, but to make one that looks good. Mission accomplished: the S21 Ultra looks great and feels better. It is much more comfortable to hold than the iPhone 12 Pro Max because it is a bit narrow and has curved edges.
In terms of camera technology, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has four different sensors at the rear, including a wide-angle lens and an ultra-wide lens, as well as two different telephoto lenses. The Verge the analysis says that the Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max are very close in terms of camera performance:
As for the direct confrontation with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, this is where I stopped. If you were to take 50 photos or videos, 30 of them would be a random choice based on your personal preference, seven or eight would be clearly better on the S21, and 12 or 13 would be better on the iPhone. They are very close.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra, however, has one main advantage:
But Samsung has these telephoto options. It also made up for the relative scarcity of third-party photo apps for Android by creating its own resources. Samsung added a “director mode” that allows you to change lenses in real time while recording a video in 1080p, but I found that I preferred to record in 4K. You can take a photo in 8K and take a photo, you can use “Single Take 2” to allow the AI to try to do a lot of fun pictures and video effects.
Interestingly, the Galaxy S21 Ultra also supports RAW flushing. As you may recall, one of the key features of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max is support for a new ProRAW photo format that provides some computational photography benefits with the flexibility of traditional RAW.
But while the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s hardware is solid, The Verge ultimately says that the software is what slows down the experience and will prevent any iPhone user from changing:
The biggest reality check is the software, which suffers from Samsung’s violent attempts to build its own ecosystem and further monetize an already expensive phone. I doubt the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will convince many iPhone users to change – the ecosystem lock on iOS is too strong for that, and getting the most out of Samsung’s Android version is scary.
CNBC makes a similar analysis, saying that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will hardly convert iPhone users. The analysis notes, however, that the Galaxy S21 Ultra has the best screen on the market thanks to its high refresh rate:
It has the best screen I’ve ever used on a phone. Like the S21, it has a high refresh rate that is very smooth. It also looks super bright, which helps with movies and TV shows and outdoor viewing. And unlike last year’s model, you can now use the screen in its sharpest configuration with the high refresh rate enabled.
CNET ran some benchmarks and confirmed that the iPhone 12 Pro’s A14 Bionic processor outperforms the Snapdragon 888 chip found in the Galaxy S21 Ultra:
Ultimately, the consensus between these reviews is that the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Ultra stand up well to the iPhone 12 line, but the software experience is the biggest difference. The iPhone 12 appears to have an advantage in areas like performance and build quality, but fans of larger phones may find the Galaxy S21 Ultra a little easier to hold.
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