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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If camera quality is a high priority, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has three cameras with varying capabilities, including a telephoto lens, which may offer more versatility compared to the iPhone 12's two cameras. However, if you prefer a more consistent camera performance for both stills and video, the iPhone 12's cameras, while fewer, are highly reliable. For a smoother screen experience, the Galaxy S21 FE's higher refresh rate can provide a noticeable difference during scrolling and gaming over the iPhone 12's standard rate. The iPhone 12 offers a more premium build with a glass back compared to the plastic back of the Galaxy S21 FE. Battery life is similar, but the Galaxy S21 FE has a slightly longer battery life. If you're invested in an ecosystem, consider that the iPhone runs iOS while the Galaxy is Android-based. Lastly, if expandable storage is important, note that the Galaxy S21 FE does not support SD cards, nor does the iPhone. 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 12
- Good for taking photos
- Good for recording videos
- Very good display quality
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
- The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 12.
Key differences
Video Quality
7.2
5.9
The Apple iPhone 12 takes good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes poor videos.
The Apple iPhone 12 is praised for its superior video stabilization and dynamic range, ensuring smooth and visually rich footage, complemented by good microphone quality for clear audio capture. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, while offering a high-quality video experience, excels in low light performance, making it adept at capturing clear videos in darker conditions, but has less advanced stabilization abilities compared to the iPhone.
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Key similarities
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
7.0
The Apple iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy S21 FE both have good overall cameras quality.
The Apple iPhone 12 is known for its exceptional software experience for photos, providing a strong overall camera performance with good dynamic range and low light capabilities, and it also delivers higher selfie quality compared to the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE provides a very good photos software experience but has slightly less versatile camera features and a lower score in selfie quality.
Photo Quality
7.1
6.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple iPhone 12 to have good photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE takes only fair photos.
The Apple iPhone 12 provides a top-tier photos software experience and a great selfie quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE matches that selfie quality and has a more versatile camera performance that includes telephoto capabilities. Although both have similar dynamic range and low light performance for general photos, if selfies are a priority, either will serve well, with the S21 FE offering a bit more flexibility with additional cameras.
Battery
6.2 Hours
6.7 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has 6.7 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is 6.4 inches.
Cost
$600
$600
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE costs $600.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $600 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 23, 2020 | January 29, 2022 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 6.4" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 401 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | SD888 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 12 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 6.7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 4500 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 | 5.78" x 2.81" | 6.13" x 2.93" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 6.24 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Plastic | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)41, 66, 71, 260, 261 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red | Graphite, Lavender, Olive, White, Navy Blue | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12
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Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Stuart Miles | March 2022
"The iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor. For the group of people who want a new iPhone without the price tag of the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 range, this is a great choice. There's no settling for second best with this smartphone."
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Philip Michaels | March 2022
"The Galaxy S21 FE is a fine addition to Samsung's S21 lineup, retaining the very best features of those flagship phones for a more modest price. This is a solid phone, matching the performance of the top Android flagships from a year ago and delivering photos that hold their own against some of the best camera phones we've tested."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
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
144,600
Recommendations made
81,940
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.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
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.
Efthimis Kotanidis
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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