Apple iPhone XS
#576
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#169Category Breakdown
Apple iPhone XS
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Performance
78.290.4
Camera
95.896.5
Display
88.694.5
Battery
83.291.2
Build
97.391.8
Connectivity
69.883.4
Audio
87.687.6
Overall
74.286.4
Summary
- The Apple iPhone XS features a premium build with a stainless steel frame and glass front and back, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has an aluminum frame with a plastic back, making the iPhone feel more luxurious.
- The iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display with a resolution of 1125 x 2436 pixels and a 60Hz refresh rate, whereas the Galaxy S21 FE offers a larger 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution, and a smoother 120Hz refresh rate.
- In terms of performance, the iPhone XS is powered by the A12 Bionic chip, while the Galaxy S21 FE utilizes the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, providing competitive processing capabilities.
- Both phones have a 12 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization, but the S21 FE includes additional ultrawide and telephoto lenses, enhancing versatility.
- The iPhone XS has a smaller 2658 mAh battery compared to the S21 FE's 4500 mAh, offering longer usage time for the latter.
- Software-wise, the iPhone XS runs iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.5, while the Galaxy S21 FE operates on Android 12 with the promise of up to four major updates, providing a more extended software support window.
Side-by-side Specification Comparison
Apple iPhone XS
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
General
Release Date
2018, September 21
2022, January 04
Announced
2018, September 12
2022, January 04
Description
Versions:A2097 (Global market)A1920 (USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)A2100 (China, Hong Kong); A2098 (Japan)
N/A
Display
Size
5.8"
6.4"
Type
Super Retina OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM)
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+
Resolution
1125 x 2436 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density)
PPI
1125
1080
Refresh Rate
60Hz
120Hz
HDR Support
✓
✓
Protection
Scratch-resistant glass
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Performance
Chipset
Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm)
Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2
CPU
Hexa-core (2x2.5 GHz Vortex + 4x1.6 GHz Tempest)
Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2
GPU
Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2
Memory
64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM
128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
Expandable Storage
✗
✗
Card Slot
No
No
Camera
Main Camera
12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm
Main Camera Features
Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Front Camera
7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard)SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm
Front Camera Features
HDR
HDR
Video Recording
4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.
4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS
Selfie Video
1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS
4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS
Optical Stabilization
✓
✓
Night Mode
✗
✗
Raw Photo Support
✗
✗
Battery
Capacity
2658 mAh
4500 mAh
Battery Details
Li-Ion 2658 mAh, non-removable (10.13 Wh)
Li-Ion 4500 mAh
Charging Details
15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 minWireless (Qi)
25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min15W wirelessReverse wireless
Fast Charging
✗
✗
Wireless Charging
✓
✓
Build & Safety
Dimensions
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in)
Weight
177 g
177 g
Materials
Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame
Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame
Colors
Space Gray, Silver, Gold
White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive
Foldable
✗
✗
SAR
1.19 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body)
0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body)
Connectivity
SIM
Nano-SIM +eSIM
Nano-SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Network
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Network Speed
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G
5G
✗
✓
4G
✓
✓
WiFi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth
5.0, A2DP, LE
5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC
✓
✓
USB
Lightning, USB 2.0
USB Type-C, OTG
IR Blaster
✗
✗
Headphone Jack
✗
✗
Radio
✗
✗
Positioning
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
Audio
Stereo Speakers
✓
✓
Loudspeaker
Yes, with stereo speakers
Yes, with stereo speakers
Audio Jack
No
No
Software & Security
Operating System
iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.5
Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
Fingerprint
✗
✓
Face Unlock
✓
✗
Sensors
Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass