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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If a superior camera is important to you, the iPhone 15 Pro, while more expensive, offers higher photo and video quality with more advanced features like ProRAW and Dolby Vision video recording. However, if you are looking for a phone that's easier on the budget, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is less expensive and still offers a good camera system with features like HDR10+ video capability. Considering battery life, the iPhone has a slightly longer battery life. For durability, the iPhone has a glass back compared to the plastic back of the Galaxy S21, which may influence your preference for build quality. The Galaxy S21 also provides the flexibility to expand storage via an SD card, which the iPhone does not support. Both phones have high refresh rate displays, but the iPhone's screen is a bit smaller and provides a higher peak brightness. In terms of the operating system, the choice between iOS or Android could also be a deciding factor based on your ecosystem preference. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro
- Best in class for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Good battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21
- The Samsung Galaxy S21 has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 15 Pro.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
9.5
7.2
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has best in class overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 has good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has the best cameras, excelling in areas such as the selfie camera quality and the overall photos experience, including resolution, dynamic range, and low light performance. The Samsung Galaxy S21, while not at the same level, still offers good performance with a solid video recording capability and respectable photo qualities, but it falls behind particularly in selfie camera performance and photo dynamic range.
Photo Quality
9.5
7.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 takes good photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro takes the best photos because it is rated to offer the best software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance for photography, including the highest selfie quality. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S21 provides good photo capabilities with a very good software experience, but it has lower ratings in dynamic range, low light performance, and selfie quality, which are seen as fair to good.
Video Quality
10.0
6.6
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro takes best in class videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 takes only fair videos.
The video capabilities of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro are superior overall, including resolution and frame rate, video software experience, stabilization, dynamic range, low light performance, and microphone quality, which are all rated as the best for video. In contrast, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 offers a good video experience, it doesn't match the iPhone 15 Pro, especially in terms of stabilization, dynamic range, low light performance, and microphone quality.
Cost
$900
$145
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has a price of $900 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 costs $145.
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Key similarities
Battery
7.3 Hours
6.7 Hours
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has 7.3 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S21 has 6.7 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S21 is 6.2 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S21 compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$900 | $145 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 22, 2023 | January 29, 2021 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 6.2" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2556 x 1179 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | Yes | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 461 | 421 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A17 | SD888 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 10/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 48 megapixels + OIS | 12 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.3 Hours | 6.7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 3274 mAh | 4000 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | Yes (4.5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.77" x 2.78" | 5.97" x 2.8" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.60 oz | 5.96 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Plastic | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6e | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro is the one to get if you want a powerful flagship you can easily use it with one hand. Not only is the titanium design stronger and lighter, Apple made the design smaller with slimmer bezels. You also get very strong cameras with night mode and portrait improvements, blazing performance from the A17 Pro chip and a smart Action button."
Samsung Galaxy S21
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Dig into reviews and images
Android Central
Huseman Joe | February 2022
"The Galaxy S21 delivers the flagship Samsung experience in a phone that's much more pocketable (and affordable) than the top-end S21 Ultra.The triple-camera system is incredibly capable, Samsung's One UI 3.1 software is chock-full of features and settings to mess with, and I've not once missed having expandable storage."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S21
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
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Recommendations made
85,340
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
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Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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